Live a New Way - jiovi®

2017-11-07T05:03:00.001-05:00

Bayberry - Myrica pensylvanica Candles to Cooking at jiovi®

2017-11-06T02:55:00.001-05:00

German Pot Roast

2 cups water

1 cup cider vinegar

1 large yellow onion, sliced

10 whole cloves

4 bayberry leaves ( or old dried-out bay leaf)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon whole juniper berries

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

1 (4 pound) deer hind quarter roast

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped carrots

10 gingersnap cookies, crushed

Directions
Marinade: Bring water, vinegar, 1/2 onion, garlic, cloves, bay leaves, sugar, juniper berries, and peppercorns to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Place meat in a non-reactive and pour marinade over it, completely covering meat. Marinate in the refrigerator 2 to 3 days, turning the roast twice a day.

Pat meat dry and braise on high, sealing all surfaces. This will generate steam and vinegar smell, so keep the fan going. Place onions, carrots, and celery in a dutch oven. Add carrots, onions and half the marinade (save the rest) and cook on low for 5+ hours till meat falls apart. Add more marinade to be sure meat has plenty of liquid around it and does not burn.

Take meat out and put on platter. Add gingersnaps to pot and heat until thickened. Serve gravy separately.

Purchase Bayberry Plants at www.jiovi.com - "Live A New Way"

Sun Part Shade

Zones 4-6

deer resistant

Attracts bees, butterflies, birds

shrub -may be pruned

pH 6.5-7 (neutral to slightly acidic)

likes moist soil

shipped as 18-24" plant

appropriate for living fence or windbreak

Nitrogen fixing

Other common names: northern bayberry, bayberry, candle-berry

An average height is about 8 feet without pruning. Plants will develop a spread equal to their height. Minimal pruning will control it well.

A wax covering on the fruit is extracted by scalding the fruit with boiling water and immersing them for a few minutes, the wax floats to the surface and is then skimmed off. The fruit is then boiled in water to extract the wax from the pulp and once more the wax is skimmed off. It is then strained through a muslin cloth and can be used to make aromatic candles. . They are aromatic, with a pleasant balsamic odor. The wax is also used in making soaps. A green dye is obtained from the leaves. The plant is very wind hardy and can be grown as a hedge.

Soil / Climate: This tough plant grows in coastal sand flats and tidal marshes from Maine to North Carolina. It is adaptable to a range of difficult landscape conditions including poor, sterile, sandy soils, swampy soil and heavy clay soils. Plant in full sun or part shade. Best in slightly acid soil. Can withstand coastal salt sprays.

These semi-evergreen plants are known for their aromatic foliage and berries.
We recommend planting several in a group to insure good fruit sets.
This plant is excellent for the natural garden forming its own colony.
Mature growth is around 4-6' tall and wide.
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade.
Use fresh or dried leaves like traditional Bay Leaf in cooking.

Wildlife: Fruit is popular with turkey, ruffed grouse, bobwhite, pheasant, tree swallows, several varieties of woodpeckers, and many others. Makes excellent cover for wildlife due to its nearly evergreen nature.

On The Wild Side of Stink

2017-09-21T08:18:00.000-04:00

Highbush Cranberry is known by many names. The scientific name is Viburnum trilobum. It is also known as Guelder Rose, Crampbark, American Cranberry, Moosberry, and locally here in Maine - Maple Leaf Viburnum. In my house, we call it Stinky Sock Berries - more on that in a minute. It is delicious and a very good or even better berry than Lingonberry, or traditional cranberry.

The berries have a distinctive musk aroma. This is especially pronounced when cooking them. It is so strong, you may want to do the cooking outside. How could something that smells like soccer socks taste good? It is a bit of a mystery to me to be honest. After sweetening processing into jelly, the flavor is fabulous and a bit earthy. No doubt it is there and that's probably one of the reasons they are so good.

What is the earthyness, in the flavor world? Umami. The fifth taste. Salty, sweet, bitter, sour are familiar, umami is not as well known. That deep, dark, meaty intensity that distinguishes seared beef, soy sauce, blue cheese, ripe tomato, Parmesan cheese, anchovies, and mushrooms, among other things. It hits the back of your throat and leaves you craving more. That's umami which translated to english as "deliciousness". The chemical responsible is glutamic acid and it was identified in the early 20th century by a Japanese chemist. So American Cranberries have it and that's a good thing.

Wild Cranberry Jelly

Mix berries in a saucepan with sugar. I used 8 cups of berries and 5 cups sugar. Gently heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. You can adjust this to your tastes. Continue cooking and stirring frequently until the sauce is a good consistency and the berries are well cooked and mixture has just reached a rolling boil. You may add a little citrus zest or any spices you like, but only a very small amount of liquid, as this will only extend the cooking time. Add a package of pectin - powder or liquid is fine.

Strain by pressing through a sieve. If you are lucky enough to still have a cone and wooden pestle food mill, use that. Discard seeds and skins.

American Cranberry jelly has a delicious cranberry flavor and the umami isn't pronounced after cooking but does give it a bit of an earthy flavor. It might not be the best for toast (neither is cranberry sauce) but try it with turkey, pastured chicken, pork, or your favorite moose meatloaf.

Can't find it in the wild? Plants are available at www.jiovi.com in the spring or at our farm until the snow flies. https://www.facebook.com/liveanewway/

Radical Radishes

2017-06-25T03:37:00.000-04:00

There is more than one way to eat a radish.

Raw, radishes are great. Wash, trim the tops and root off and pop into your mouth. Delicious. If they are a little hot for your liking, a shake of salt tames it down. Chunk or slice and add to a salad, that is good too and you know about that already. What else can you do with a radish?

Sauté

Clean and slice your radishes. Add to a skillet with butter, salt and pepper. Add garlic, substitute olive oil for the butter and add dill or your favorite herb if you like. Radish tops are a good addition, just clean and lightly chop them up before adding to your skillet.

2. Roast

Roast your radishes in foil with oil, thyme, and rosemary. Grilling outside? Put the foil packet on the grill. Whether the grill or the oven, radishes cook quickly in about 10 minutes.

3. Braise

Radishes Braised with Shallots and Vinegar

Serves 2 to 4 as a side dish
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices bacon, diced
2 large shallots, finely sliced
1 pound radishes, about 2 bunches, tops trimmed and radishes sliced in half
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the butter and bacon over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy skillet — preferably cast iron. Cook for about 5 minutes. When the bacon is cooked through and getting crispy, place the radishes cut-side down in the pan and cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes or until the bottoms begin to brown. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for another minute.
Add the balsamic vinegar and the water — the water should just come up around the sides of the radishes. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the radishes are tender.
Remove the lid and continue to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced into a syrupy sauce. Add the the parsley and stir to wilt.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.

4. Cook like Greens

Don't forget that radish tops are edible! While you can eat them raw like lettuces, you can also stir-fry or sauté the tops, or blanch the greens and blend them with some garlic, nuts (sliced almonds, toasted pine nuts, etc), and cheese to make a lightly spicy pesto. Radish tops can also be wilted into pasta dishes, risotto, or even soups.

See us at the farm or at the farmers' market. www.jiovi.com

2017-04-08T07:38:00.001-04:00

"Live A New Way" Permaculture Nursery

Current Availability at www.jiovi.com

Created 4/4/2017 Quantities and prices are subject to change

price each depending on quantity

COMMON NAME LATIN NAME Availibility From: To:

1 American Cranberry VIBURNUM TRILOBUM 93 $8.00 $10.00

2 American Persimmon Diospyros virginiana 96 $5.00 $6.00

3 Anne Gold Raspberry 49 $9.00 $9.00

4 Aronia ARONIA MELANOCARPA 20 $20.00 $20.00

5 Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 204 $5.00 $9.00

6 Black Cherry Prunus Serotina 100 $6.00 $7.00

7 Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia 284 $5.00 $8.00

8 Black Walnut Juglans Nigra 100 $5.00 $7.00

9 Buffalo Berry Sheperdia Argentea 59 $7.00 $14.00

10 Caroline Red Raspberry 50 $9.00 $9.00

11 Chinese Chestnut Castanea Mollissima 198 $5.00 $6.00

12 Corneilian Cherry Cornus Mas 20 $10.00 $12.00

13 Delaware Red Grape 50 $10.00 $15.00

14 Duke Blueberry 30 $18.00 $18.00

15 European Filbert CORYLUS AVELLANA 97 $5.00 $6.00

16 Frontenac Blue/Black Grape 47 $9.00 $15.00

17 Japenese Quince "Spitfire" Chaenomeles speciosa 0 $22.00 $22.00

18 King of the North Grape 44 $8.00 $12.00

19 Korean Nut Pine Pinus Koraiensis 181 $5.00 $9.00

20 Lord Hippophae Rhamnoides 22 $20.00 $17.00

21 Manchurian Apricot Prunus armeniaca "Mandshurica" 70 $6.00 $7.00

22 Nanking Cherry Prunus Tomentosa 37 $10.00 $12.00

23 Osage Orange Maclura Pomifera 90 $5.00 $8.00

24 Paw Paw Asimina triloba 0 $18.00 $18.00

25 Russian Mulberry Morus Alba Tatarica 77 $4.00 $6.00

26 Serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia 99 $7.00 $10.00

27 Siberian Pea Caragana Arborescens 88 $5.00 $8.00

28 Somerset Red Grape 46 $10.00 $12.00

29 sunny Hippophae Rhamnoides 96 $18.00 $22.00

30 Swenson White Hardy Grape 50 $10.00 $12.00

31 Thornless Honey Locust Glenditsia t.inermis 0 $12.00 $12.00

32 Unsexed Hippophae Rhamnoides 64 $7.00 $10.00

33 Valiant Blue/Black Hardy Grape 47 $11.00 $15.00

34 Yellowhorn Xanthoceras sorbifolium 75 $7.00 $9.00

Fungi Demystify – Garden Giant Mushroom Cultivation

2017-02-25T09:48:00.000-05:00

Mushrooms can be a fantastic part of your edible landscape.

I’m going to tell you about one species that is easy and can be quick to make you some mushrooms to eat. While the mushrooms are making you some healthy and delicious food, they are doing even more service to your garden and soil. More about that later.
Shady Garden? Rejoice!
You may have a hundred acres of field and forests, or, you may have a small lot with a home near your workplace. Either way, what you need is a shady area or side of the house, some wood chips, mushroom mycelium and water, water , water. Easy peasy.
Most of the mushrooms we grow are inoculated into logs. This is true for shitake, oyster, chicken of the woods, lion’s mane, and, reishi. Not wine cap however. No drilling.

Names, names

Mushrooms have been cultivated for a long time in many places around the world so names can vary for the same species. Garden Giant is synonymous with Wine Cap and King Stropharia. There is probably more.
Most importantly use wood chips from unsprayed hardwoods. Try a local arborist, they might be glad to drop of a load of them to you for free.

The Mushroom Lasagna Patch

The Wine Cap/Garden Giant mushroom patch can be any shape you wish. Fashion a ring around a deciduous tree in your yard, alongside the shady part of the house, it doesn’t matter. Clear it out a bit down to about a depth of about 6 inches. Put down a layer of cardboard to retain moisture and reduce the growth of competing mycelium. Lay about 2 inches of wood chips, then some Wine Cap spawn available from jiovi®. It runs about $25 and will cover about 50 square feet. Next, put about 2 more inches of wood chips and the other half of the spawn. No need to buy any more spawn after the first planting. Wine Cap easily self-propagates.
Expect flushes of mushrooms throughout the season from late spring to fall; wine cap has a wide range of fruiting temperatures (40F to 90F). After the first fruiting, either feed the patch more wood chips or scoop a bucketful from the mycelium-rich patch and start a new one, using a ratio of approximately 1:20 (or one bucket of spawn to 20 new chips). Or let it go and plant right into the rich compost it has created.
Without continued feeding the patch will expend itself into fertile compost and stop fruiting. To re-feed the original patch just dump on 2 to 3 inches of moistened fresh chips, mix in well and recover with straw.

Companion Planting in your Vegetable Garden

In mid-summer, once your Wine Cap garden has fruited in your chip garden, remove some of the chips that have the white mycelium through them, and spread them in some chip mulch under your vegetable plants.

A Word about Light

Wine cap mushroom patch does like a bit of light. Think dappled shade. Shade cloth rigged up out in the middle of a sunny garden can work. (As well as under your tomato plants) Be creative. Have fun!

Make some circles around the larger plants and mix it in. Pick the plants that are the larger ones and create their own shade. You’ll be harvesting mushrooms there too and they will be helping your vegetables by breaking down the organic matter in the soil and chips making the nutrients available.

They can grow as big as 5 pounds! They can also naturalize in your garden. Garden Giants are fast to fruit. Plant (inoculate) in the spring and you can have mushrooms in a few months if you are lucky. They may take longer depending on growing conditions.

The Osage Orange Tree: Useful and Historically Significant

2017-01-19T07:28:00.000-05:00

The Osage orange tree, once a favorite of American settlers, deserves a look from modern-day homesteaders.

Article from Mother Earth News - Spring 1985

"Good fences make good neighbors," wrote poet Robert Frost. But what, exactly, makes a good fence?

If you've ever had the dubious pleasure of putting a fence up — of cutting, splitting and setting posts and stretching wire — you just might answer, "A fence that builds itself." And since you're fantasizing, you might add, "...and takes care of itself, too."

Well, believe it or not, there is such a fence. Chances are you've seen one while driving along rural roads and looking out over neat hedgerow-lined fields. During the latter half of the nineteenth century and the first few decades of this one — up until the time barbed wire became widely available and inexpensive — settlers and farmers throughout much of the eastern half of the United States planted their fences.

More often than not, the tree they used was the Osage orange tree, sometimes also called prairie hedge, hedge apple, horse apple, bowwood or yellow-wood. Most folks today, though, know it only for its distinctly ugly, almost otherworldly-looking fruit: an inedible, fleshy green orb the size of a grapefruit or large orange, with a warty, furrowed surface sparsely covered with long, coarse hairs. When you break the globe open, it exudes a bitter, milky, sticky sap that eventually turns black and that gives some people an irritating rash.

But beauty, after all, is in the eye of the beholder, and any homesteader who places greater value on usefulness than on appearance will find much to admire in the Osage orange.

The Extraordinary Osage Orange Tree

Osage (Maclura pomifera) is the sole surviving member of the genus Maclura — of its many relatives from past geologic eras, only fossils remain. It is also, however, a member of the family Moraceae, which encompasses the mulberries and the figs, as well as a large number of tropical and semitropical trees.

When mature, the Osage orange measures from 10 to 50 feet tall and has a trunk 1 to 2 feet in diameter. Its branches form an even, round crown, unless the trees are growing closely together in a hedge and don't have room to spread naturally. Between May and July, the species sports tiny greenish flowers.

Other distinguishing characteristics of the Osage orange include deeply furrowed, braidedlooking, dark orange bark; long (3- to 5-inch), shiny, egg-shaped, dark green leaves, which are pointed at one end; and (perhaps most significantly) many sharp, steel strong thorns that make this tree a formidable barrier, to say the least.

But Osage orange's value extends well beyond its use as a living hedge.

A Tree With a Past

When early French settlers ventured west of the Mississippi River — into what is now eastern Texas and Oklahoma and western Arkansas — they encountered the Osage Indians, who were known far and wide for making bows that were superior weapons for fighting and hunting. The unusual tree that the Osage used for making their bows was unknown to the French, who promptly dubbed it bois d'arc, or "wood of the bow." Later pioneers corrupted the name to bowdark, and eventually came to call it bowwood.

In fact, it didn't take the early pioneers long to acknowledge that Osage orange was a valuable timber resource. Because of its great strength and durability, the settlers used the newly discovered tree in nearly every application that required a tough, tenacious wood.

The hubs and rims of the wheels on farm wagons, covered wagons and chuck wagons were made from Osage. Its great strength enabled it to bear heavy loads, while its flexibility made it relatively easy to bend into the circle of a wheel rim and also gave it the capacity to absorb shock without cracking or splitting. Those properties, added to the wood's ability to resist the effects of soil and moisture, made for high-mileage wheel rims.

Unfortunately, the wood's extraordinary ability to resist rot also put the tree in great demand, causing the huge native stands of Osage orange growing in the bottomlands of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas to be harvested wholesale for use as fence posts and railroad ties. Osage orange might have ended up being a very rare sight for most Americans were it not for its suitability as a hedge. The plant met all of the qualifications: It was "horse-high, bull-strong and pig-tight." The tree was easily propagated from seed, and grew fast. In a few years, it would form a hedge almost tight enough to hold water. Any spaces between the trees would be screened by the Osage's thick, thorny branches. And since the trees propagate by sending up shoots from their roots, all the holes would eventually fill in with new trees.

If planted close together, Osages would grow only to about 20 or 30 feet, never attaining the height of most deciduous trees. Consequently, they made perfect field borders: They could contain livestock without shading crops excessively. Besides, it was a lot easier to plant trees in lines around fields and pastures than it was to erect and maintain rail or stockade fences.

As a result, thousands of miles of Osage hedges were planted in the Midwest, East and South, far beyond the original range of the species. The tree was hardy and adapted well to new surroundings, and today it can be found growing (mostly in hedges) from the Great Plains to the Eastern Seaboard, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico.

Although not commonly used for fencing anymore (some people claimed that, once established, the trees were hard to control and that their thorns sometimes injured livestock), the stands of Osage planted fifty to a hundred years ago remain a valuable resource. Some farmers still utilize them as natural enclosures, and many more use the trees for making exceptionally long-lasting fence posts. Crafts people — woodworkers and those who make and use natural dyes — hold the Osage orange in high esteem. And, perhaps most important, the trees serve as windbreaks and as badly needed cover for wildlife.

If Frost was right in saying that "good fences make good neighbors," then the Osage is truly remarkable, because it is both a good fence and a good neighbor, to man and beast alike.

Visit www.jiovi.com to check current availability of Osage Orange.

3 Ways to Grow 6 Mushrooms on the Homestead

2017-01-14T05:32:00.001-05:00

Mushroom Cultivation with Sawdust Spawn

Get your Mushroom Spawn and Supplies at www.jiovi.com

Sawdust Spawn works well with the Log Method, Stump Method, and Totem Method (described below)

Tools of the trade: to inoculate logs with sawdust spawn using the drill method you will need at least an inoculation tool (available at our online store). The angle grinder adapter, though optional, will exponentially speed up the process by turning your higher RPM angle grinder into a drill. The drill bit with stopper is manufactured specifically for mushroom cultivation and works with the angle grinder adapter. The trio of tools will make any scale log inoculation project a breeze!

PICKING A LOG
What type of wood should I use?
Excellent- Red and White Oak, Sugar Maple
Very Good- Beech, Ironwood, Musclewood
Good- Black and Yellow Birch, Hickory, Red Maple
Bad (Except for Oysters)- Soft Hardwoods like Poplar Aspen etc.
Bad- White Ash, Elm, Fruit Wood
Unsuitable- Conifers
Unknown- Other Hardwood Species (experiment!)

Should the wood be old or freshly cut?
Only freshly cut disease-free wood should be used. Old or rotting wood should be avoided as it will likely contain contaminant fungi or be too dry to support mushroom growth. After cutting the wood the sooner you can inoculate the log the better though you can wait up to 4 weeks after cutting before inoculating the log. During the winter months the inoculation window can be extended for several months by covering freshly cut wood with snow to maintain moisture until you are ready to inoculate in early spring.
When should I cut my logs?
It is best to fell your trees during the early spring or winter (the dormant season) and as close to the anticipated time of inoculation as possible. The worst time to cut your logs is during the tree’s budding-out period. When the leaves are developing the bark on the tree is particularly weak and susceptible to damage. Although considered less ideal by some growers trees can be cut during the summer months after the trees have leafed out and into early fall.

Shiitake
Works best with the Log Method. It will take at least 12 months of colonization before producing mushrooms and tends to fruit in the Summer through the Fall after rainfalls.
Preferred wood species are Oak, Maple, or Beech.

Grey Oyster or Italian Oyster
Works well with the Log, Stump, and Totem methods. Colonization is fast and should start producing in 4-12 months. They fruit best in the Spring and Fall and prefer softer hardwoods such as Poplar and Birch. Though they will also work on Maple or Oak.

Golden Oyster
Similar to the Grey Oyster. Prefers Log, Stump, and Totem methods. Colonization is fast and should start producing in 4-12 months. Golden Oyster is a tropical species and prefers to fruit in the summer months. They also prefer softer hardwoods such as Poplar and Birch.

Lions Mane
Prefers the Totem Method, though works with Log or Stump Methods. Colonization is 12-24 months and fruits in the Fall. Prefers Maple.

Chicken of the Woods
Chickens prefer very large Logs or Stumps. They are the slowest colonizers at 16-24 months. They can fruit through the Summer and Fall and prefer hard woods such as Oak or Maple.

Reishi
Reishi likes any of the three methods. Colonizes in 12-24 months. Prefers Oak and fruits in the Summer.

HOW TO STORE YOUR SPAWN!

Keep your sawdust spawn refrigerated until use.
Only open your spawn bag when you are ready to use it! Opening it prematurely will increase the risk of it molding.
It is not ideal to use spawn for more than one inoculation day.

Uses 3-4' sections of log 4-6'' in diameter. The preferred method for Shiitake, Reishi, and Chicken of the Woods, but can be used with Oysters and Lion's Mane.

Cut living tree trunks or large branches into 3-4' lengths.
Drill holes in an equally spaced diamond pattern around the entire log. Drill holes 6'' apart, about 1'' deep, in a row running the entire length of the log. Move about 2-3'' around the log and drill another row, with the holes 3'' offset, creating a diamond pattern. Repeat, drilling a row of holes down the length of the log, around the entire log. It's okay if the rows are a little uneven. For sawdust spawn use a 7/16'' bit (12mm).
Inoculate each hole. For sawdust spawn, tightly pack sawdust into the inoculation tool and inject the spawn into each 7/16'' diameter hole, completely filling the hole.
Cover each hole with melted wax using a brush, wax dauber, paintbrush or rag. Eventually, after the log is colonized, wax will flake off. Beeswax or food-grade paraffin work well. Using a crockpot is a great way of keeping the wax melted while applying it to your logs.
Incubate logs in a shady place, close to the forest floor but not in contact with soil or leaf litter. Lay down tracks of scrap wood that elevate the logs 1-2'' above the forest floor. Stack the logs in a layer with a little space for airflow between each log. If you have more logs, you can make multiple layers by off-setting each layer by 90°. Keep the stack lower than the average snow line, as the snow cover protects the logs from dry winter winds. Generally no special care is needed while the mycelium grows throughout the log, but watering may be needed if excessively dry weather occurs.
Restack the logs into a log cabin fashion for increased air flow and ease of mushroom picking, about a year after inoculation. Log cabin stacks can be as high as 5' in wetter climates but in dry climates shorter stacks, closer to the ground, help keep logs moist. Fruiting naturally occurs after rains, and occurs in cycles. After the log has fruited once on its own, it can be stimulated to fruit by watering or soaking it in cold water for 24 hours. If it has recently fruited, forcing will probably not work.

Smaller sections of logs are stacked upright with sawdust spawn sandwiched between the sections of log. Large-diameter wood becomes easy to use and attractive to display. The preferred method for Oyster Mushrooms and Lion's Mane. No special tools are needed.

Cut three sections of log for each totem: one piece only 1-3'' long, and two sections 12-18'' long.
Bring your setup to your planned incubation place and create totems on site.
Open a contractor-size black plastic bag, sprinkle a layer of sawdust spawn about 1'' deep in the bottom of the bag, and stand one of the 12-18'' logs upright on top of the spawn. Make another layer of sawdust spawn on top of it, and place the second 12-18'' log on top of that. Create a third layer of sawdust spawn of top of the second log and then cap the totem with the 1-3'' piece.
Wrap the plastic bag up around the inoculated totem, securing the top loosely with a strip of cloth or a rubber band, positioned in such a way that an opening allows for some air exchange but does not allow rain water to enter the bag.
Incubate the covered totems for 4-12 months. When the logs are covered with a visible layer of mushroom mycelium, the plastic bag can be removed. The totem can be left intact or broken up into individual sections for fruiting.

Any size stumps can be inoculated but they should be located in a shady environment. Make sure you know what species of tree the stump came from!

Use a 12mm bit and drill 1’’ holes all over the top, sides, and exposed roots of the stump.

Use inoculation tool to push sawdust spawn into the holes. Brush melted paraffin or beeswax over each plugged hole. We use a crockpot to melt the wax and a paint brush to apply it!

Stumps take a while to colonize but will produce for up to a decade.

Happy Holidays from jiovi at Foxgreen Farms

2016-12-20T13:43:00.002-05:00

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Growing Ginseng from Seed - A growing guide

2016-11-11T12:40:00.002-05:00

Farming in the Forest.

American Ginseng

There are many ways to farm in the under story of your forest. Non-timber forest products or NTFPs deserve more attention especially when planning a integrated permaculture environment. So while you are managing an existing woodland or have planted a fuel-wood forest with Black Locust or other high heat content tree, consider adding some other valuable plantings along the way. Fungi, moss, lichen, herbs, vines, shrubs, trees are some category examples.

Here are a few specific ideas, there are lots more:

Queen Anne's Lace
Lupine
Mullein
Ostrich Fern (fiddle heads)
Highbush Cranberry
Thimbleberry, raspberry, etc.
Hazelnuts
Cranberry
Goldenthread
St. Johnswort
Sweetgrass
Coltsfoot
Comfrey
Dandelion
Mushrooms
and Ginseng

How to grow ginseng in your woods.

I looked many places for some instruction and there is a lot of advise. Here are a few videos that, after some significant time looking, I feel are the best.

What is ginseng?

Where does ginseng grow?

Planting wild ginseng.

Planting Ginseng in Forests.

The lifecycle of ginseng.

Processing Ginseng.

Ginseng Seeds by jiovi® Link to purchase

Ginseng seeds take a few years to be ready grow the following spring. Our seeds have been stratified. This means they have already been conditioned for over 12 months and are ready to plant anytime before the ground freezes in your area. Germination rates should be around 85%. Important notes: 1) We cannot ship to Canada or outside the United States as this is considered an endangered species. 2) Our seeds have not been treated with Apron XL.

Clicking the photo will take you to our retail website to purchase these seeds.

Rhubarb - Perennial Food, 3 Ways

2016-05-28T07:15:00.001-04:00

Growing Rhubarb

Go ahead and get some roots and plant them. My first rhubarb plants came from an old field in Massachusetts. In some bygone time it was cultivated for rhubarb and had since been neglected. I asked for permission to take some roots and those plant are still with me today. They have traveled with me to Maine and continue to do well.

I have found it easy to grow. Plant it, keep it weeded at least until it is established and feed it with compost or rotted manure. I is a heavy feeder, or likes that best.

Cooking with Rhubarb

Sweet dishes are the most common and while strawberry is the most common addition to a rhubarb recipe, other berries can be pretty good too. I have included a savory BBQ sauce recipe as well. If you are not a big fan of sugary things, here is a tip for making low sugar rhubarb sauce. Chop the rhubarb as you would for any recipe. The smaller you chop, the quicker it cooks. Larger pieces make for a chunkier sauce, your choice!

Canning Notes:

Was your jars and lids in hot soapy water. Boil for 10 minutes in water and set on a flat sheet or baking pan and put them in the oven at about 215 degrees to dry and keep sterile. Fill, wipe the lids with a damp, clean paper towel. Then place the lids on the jars and snug the metal rings (not tight) onto the jars. Process for 10 minutes in a water bath. Since the lids are just snug, the small air space in the top of the jar will expand and escape under the water. After the 10 minutes is up, remove the jars and place on the counter to cool. The air will contract and, if the seal is good, the metal lids will "pop" down quickly creating a vacuum seal. It's a good idea to check a canning book or website for further instruction. Don't worry if a good seal isn't made, just put it into the refrigerator and eat those first.

Left to right - Rhubarb BBQ Sauce, Rhubarb Strawberry, Rhubarb Cranberry

Rhubarb Cranberry Jam or Sauce

Ingredients

2lb or 6cu fresh rhubarb

5cu granulated sugar

1/2lb cranberries

1/2cu water

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Makes about 5 standard size (1pt) jars

Rhubarb does not have much pectin. Adding some pectin according to package directions will help jell the mixture if a stiffer jam is desired.

Prepare your jars and lids etc by sterilizing them (see above).

Wash the rhubarb and chop roughly into 2 inch pieces. Put a large, heavy, roomy pan with the sugar, cranberries and the water.

Bring VERY slowly to the boil to melt the sugar.

When it reaches the boil, turn up the heat and allow to come to a rolling boil, and boil until thickened and the setting point (see notes) is reached, which takes around 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice

Pot immediately in sterilized jars, and screw on the lids snugly while the jam is still hot.

Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Alternately, refrigerate and eat within a few weeks or freeze.

Rhubarb Strawberry Jam/Sauce

5 one pint jars

Even though strawberries are the classic accompaniment with rhubarb, feel free to use whatever is on hand. Try a frozen mixed berry package. So use whatever you wish.

Because rhubarb doesn’t have much pectin, add commercial pectin or apple juice to help set the jam.

3 pounds or 8 cups rhubarb, trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

2 cups packed berries, fresh or frozen

1 cup water or apple juice

5 1/2 cups sugar

juice of one lemon

pinch of salt

1. In a large pot, mix the rhubarb, berries, and the water or apple juice. Cook, covered, stirring frequently over moderate heat, until the rhubarb is cooked through and thoroughly tender. It should take about 20 minutes.

Put a small plate in the freezer.

2. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and salt, and cook, uncovered, skimming off and discarding any foam that rises to the surface, until the jam is thick and passes the wrinkle test.

To do so, place a small spoonful of the jam on the frozen plate. Return it to the freezer and check it a few minutes later; if the jam wrinkles when nudged, it’s done. You can also use a candy thermometer; jam jells at approximately 220F.

3. Ladle the jam into clean jars, cover, and store in the refrigerator or process as above.

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

4 c. chopped rhubarb

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

2 c. water

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. honey

3 Tb. Dijon mustard

2 Tb. cider vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2-1 tsp. hot pepper sauce or red chili flakes (or to taste) Careful not to over do the heat.

Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring often (especially towards the end of cooking), until the rhubarb is tender.

Blend until smooth using an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender or food processor to blend).

Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for about a week or freeze for longer storage.

Makes about 6 cups

Edible Plants: Elderberry

2016-05-03T19:54:00.001-04:00

Blanche always does a great job explaining her subjects. Here she is on elderberries. There is one comment I would like to add. My experience is elderberries do not like wet feet. Very damp is ok, but not in standing.

Turkey Tail Mushrooms, The Hidden Health Benefits

2016-04-22T08:20:00.000-04:00

The Hidden Health Benefits of Turkey Tail Mushrooms
Kaitlin Krull

Origin and information
Trametes versicolor, or the Turkey Tail mushroom, is a woodland fungus that gets its common name because its colorful, fanned top looks more or less like a turkey’s tail. The Turkey Tail is one of the most common woodland fungi, found predominantly in forests and wooded areas throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Usually found on dead trees, logs, and stumps, this mushroom helps to decompose wood and bring nutrients back to the earth.

In addition to its environmental properties, there are several significant health benefits for people who are brave enough to safely consume Turkey Tail mushrooms. With medical origins in both Chinese and Japanese herbalist practices, this fungus can be brewed as a tea and consumed other ways in order to combat a host of ailments, including chronic pain and other recurring illnesses, including cancer.

Top medical uses for Turkey Tail mushrooms
Although the use of natural ingredients such as mushrooms is not currently FDA approved, Turkey Tail mushrooms are increasingly used to fight off illnesses by those interested in Eastern medicine and other unconventional health practices. At Modernize, we were intrigued by their growing popularity and wanted to find out more. Here are just a few of the many current medicinal uses for Turkey Tail mushrooms.

The primary and most popular use of Turkey Tail mushrooms is for cancer patients, specifically those undergoing chemotherapy. Many patients agree that consuming this fungus not only alleviates the negative side effects of chemotherapy, but also increases the efficacy of chemotherapy for a variety of types of cancer. This is because of the presence of the polysaccharide K, commonly referred to as PSK, in Turkey Tail mushrooms. This carbohydrate is thought to lessen pain and boost the immune system. Although not yet approved by the American FDA (although clinical trials began in 2012), the use of PSK has been endorsed by the Japanese Health and Welfare Ministry for over 30 years for this particular reason.

In addition to boosting the immune system during chemotherapy and alleviating pain in cancer patients, it is thought that Turkey Tail mushrooms may also be able to fight off viral liver diseases such as Hepatitis B and other viral illnesses. This is because, at the cellular level, Turkey Tail mushrooms contain strong anti-viral properties. When ingested, the cells from the fungi attack the viral cells in patients’ bodies and may even prevent the development of cancerous cells.

Although much more research needs to be done in order to clarify the specific medicinal properties of Turkey Tail mushrooms, it is widely accepted that these fungi strengthen immunity and help promote healthy living. For this reason, health food stores and other retailers currently sell Turkey Tail capsules that can be taken as daily supplements. Claiming to promote positive liver function and boost the immune system, these kinds of products are the modern equivalent to a hot, brewed mug of Turkey Tails. Whether or not you believe the hidden health benefits of Turkey Tail mushrooms, their popularity has grown exponentially over the last several hundred years and thousands of people support their healthy claims.

Oregon State University - Free Online Permaculture Course

2016-04-18T09:02:00.001-04:00

Permaculture course description:

Permaculture design is a method of landscape planning that can be applied to anything, from a home garden or farm to a city block or entire village. This free permaculture course uses design principles from nature itself and takes into account such things as how indigenous people used the land; how water, fire and wind flow through the land; and how soil, water, vegetation, buildings and habitats can be managed in a stable and enduring way.

A multidisciplinary approach

Permaculture design is an ethically based, whole-systems design approach to create sustainable human settlements and institutions. Although rooted in horticulture and agriculture, permaculture design also touches on regional planning, ecology, animal husbandry, technology, architecture and international development.

Learning outcomes

In this free permaculture course, you will learn about the process, ethics and principles of permaculture design while diving into climate-specific design elements through interactive technology, videos, graphics, and readings. The course is designed to benefit everyone regardless of your learning style, time commitments or available technology.

Students who complete all course activities should expect to spend between two to four hours each week on course work.

Vist http://open.oregonstate.edu/courses/permaculture/ to sign up!

Permaculture questions and discussion

2016-04-18T08:34:00.001-04:00

Letters:

Quite often we receive letters on a variety of subjects. Answering them is fun and sharing them sometimes is a good thing. Here is another one.

Hi,

We live in NW New Mexico, in zone 4b-5a (elevation: 7000 ft); it snowed 6 inches yesterday/this morning. Our soil PH is about 7.5, and I use the term “soil” loosely, as it’s quite nutrient poor (love the high desert climate; its soil … well … it’s a challenge). We moved onto our homestead property last April, and got do to a bit of gardening last year (although it was late to be starting seeds; I couldn’t resist). Veggies and herbs did pretty well, poor soil considered, until they were eaten by elk in the early fall. All in all, last year was “the year of observation” to learn the sun, wind, water, etc. patterns; we’ve selected a site and are now moving forward with the first steps of our orchard/food forest. We’re looking at the big picture: a long-term orchard for our own consumption and food preservation, pollen producers for future bees (next couple of years), possible food production for chickens (arriving next month) and wildlife. We found a year-round spring directly adjacent to our property, which accounts for the bear, elk, mountain lions, coyotes, rabbits, turkeys, owls, hawks, and you-name-it living on the property.

While obviously I’m able/willing to do some soil amendment and such, I’d ultimately like to create a sustainable situation without pretending I live in zone 7, have dark, rich, Midwestern-US soil, and that it rains a lot here. Bottom line is that we’ve got high desert temperature fluctuations, poor native soil, an average last-hard-frost date of May 25, and an average growing season of 130 days. I feel sorry for, but refuse to emulate, those in our community who cry about their apple, peach, almond, etc. trees “blooming pretty” but failing to produce fruit year after year.

Sorry for the rambling, but I wanted you to sort of get a picture of our situation. We’re looking at Jiovi’s food forest plants collections, and keep coming back to collection #3. What are your thoughts about those plants given our location/situation? I’m also considering buying some goji seeds to germinate and grow indoors until planting them outside next spring. I’ve got a south-facing passive solar wall of windows, in which I successfully grew (and harvested!) tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and lemons all winter, so they should be pretty happen inside until hardened off and planted outside. I am lucky, indeed, but want to think hard about starting the food forest so that I have a maximum success.

Thoughts?

Many thanks,

8:15 AM (4 minutes ago)

Hi from jiovi and Foxgreen Farms,

You have some challenges. We have them too. About 12 miles from the on-grid farmhouse, the "wilderness" location of Foxgreen Farms has poor soil and a similar climate. After removing the trees and shaking all the stumps to save what soil there was, I planted a field mix of grasses and clover. I would skip the grass in the future except for annual varieties. That all depends on your future use. The clover does more to build the soil and the grasses can get weedy. Having said that their roots are fibrous and repeated cutting of it all is building the soil. You could always plant grasses later if you want forage. Not sure if you have access to wood chips cheap. If you do they are great to use for mulch and biomass the fungus/mushroom/worm love.

The plants. All of the plants in the collection are good for your area regarding zone temps. The elderberries, seaberries, nanking cherries, and service/juneberries can all take a little shade. Not too much but a partial day is fine. The others like full sun best. As far as bee forage, the black locust might be a good addition. Here is a great resource for bee forage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees Black locust is highly rated.

For chickens, the siberian pea is one they like. Honey locust too. The honey locust isn't as good for bees but it has all the other qualities black locust has, except for the honey potential. It does have far more use when it comes to food production for people (small pods) and especially animals. It's very productive.

As far as animals, my challenge is moose. Having said that, they don't do too much damage and definitely have preferences. There are tons of ideas about deer etc protection in the garden. One of the best things is to change-up the site. They don't like differences, it spooks them and as long as there is food other places, they will choose not to be where they are uncomfortable. A dog being around helps. Just it's presence is good, it doesn't need to be out at night. The other thing is placing, say, 5 gal buckets around and moving them randomly to different spots. Again, the new things in the animal's eyes makes them uncomfortable. I think I might set up a clothesline type thing or two, and hang buckets and some reflective tape. I could just slide them up and down the line. That in combination with a solar or battery powered motion light or two might help a lot. Those things wouldn't be as effective when they are super hungry in the fall and winter.

Another animal problem we have had in the past is mice. Deep snow over a long period has them tunneling on the ground surface and they can chew a ring around the tree/shrub. A hardware cloth ring, tree tube, or a spray made from garlic and hot pepper works. The garlic and hot pepper needs to be reapplied so if the snow is deep, that wouldn't be practical in the winter.

The only other thing I can think of is enhancing a habitat away from your plants they like. When I thin the forest or clear a field, I keep in mind the sun and new sprouts from the stumps. More of them and, again, the animal will prefer to stay away and eat that stuff.

It's always a good idea to test the soil so you know, in detail, what it needs. As you know, soil farming is the key to everything doing well. Once the soil has the biomass and dampness it needs it is largely self regulating. Consider having lots of comfrey growing. Chickens like it, it is a bioaccumulator, and multiplies like crazy....a good thing for such a useful plant.

I am just thinking of the top of my head so I hope I have helped some. One of my goals for jiovi plants is to have them specifically successful in cold climates. The only one which is still a question mark in my area (zone 4-5) is the Paw Paw. I think it will survive but the fruit production might be minimal.

The collection is a good one. If you want to adjust it in any way.... add plants, change plants, etc. send me another email with what you want. I'll price it out with as much of a discount as the collections have or more. I would be glad to customize it for you. Keep me up to date on your efforts and adventure. All the Best - Tom

A Visit to the Vinyard

2016-04-17T06:26:00.001-04:00

Have you asked yourself "Can I grow wine grapes in my climate?". The varieties here are all extremely hardy. They are great in zones 3 through 7. Are your winter temperatures below -40 degrees? Probably not. So the answer is yes you can grow high quality grapes in your area.

The photos below are of a visit to our grape grower in the middle of April. It is a beautiful place and our relationship with them is one we hope to have for many years.

Seabuckthorn buds in the spring. Updated. Originally published April 2014

2016-04-12T05:55:00.002-04:00

Five Horizons of Appreciation!

All around me I am thankful for the new warmth of the air and land. The fifth horizon, the one of stars and skies and of friends and contemplation are gaining strength as well.

Sea Buckthorn Spring Buds

Some time ago Mont-Echo answered a question for me about Sea Buckthorn buds. I asked if there was anyway to tell the sex of a plant by the winter buds. She said that often, but not always, the male buds are larger. I did some observation on the plants I have here in Mansfield and it seems to have proven to be true. The buds haven't fully matured yet, but yes, the plants with the larger buds over the winter seem to be developing the signature male flower "purses". The female plants do not show any signs of flowers yet and that is understandable. Even fully flowering buds are nearly invisible. They are very small.

Here are a few photos I took today.

Male spring buds with round "purse-like" flowers (unopened)

Taken same day, different plant. Buds on female Sea Buckthorn

Another potential female plant

This one is sort of inbetween looking, I vote for female. Close up below.

Male Seaberry buds in very early Spring.

Himalayan Seeds

I was very lucky recently to obtain some seaberry seeds from the Himalayas. I have just planted some and will update as they germinate!
Here they are.......

Plant Sales:

Plant sales have been very good. The next ship date is April 19th.

All these are available by clicking here or typing www.jiovi.com into your browser.

A Couple of Other Thank You's

Doug Wallace left a nice comment recently. I hope to review his work soon, but in the meantime visit The Gaia Health Blog it has lots of great information.

I also want to thank Carl from Quebec. I hope we can work together promoting the value of Seabuckthorn in both our countries!

Letters, Questions, Answers- Permaculture Plants

2016-04-10T07:37:00.004-04:00

Starting Seaberry Seeds

Hello,
Glad the seeds arrived in good condition. Soaking is not necessary.
There have been a number of studies documenting the effects of soaking and the results are germination speed is only a day or two quicker. Not really worth the extra step, but it is an option. If chosen, I recommend a 24 hour soak.
Sow the seeds in a soil-less sterile mixture of vermiculite and peat moss. (ordinary bagged seed starting soil) at a depth of @ 1/2 cm. They should emerge in about 10 days. Normal care should be taken as you would any seedlings started indoors. Since the number of seeds ordered are many and I don't know what facilities are at your disposal, I will expand a bit with more technical information for the professional.
These stratified Seabuckthorn seeds can be seeded indoors in pots in a vermiculite/peat moss mixture (40:60). The containers are placed in a greenhouse with a 16 hour photo-period at a temperature range between 25-27C and a 70-90% relative humidity.
Germination will occur in @10 days.
Immediately following germination and prior to the formation of true leaves, an application of fungicide may be necessary to control seedling damping-off. I have had very little problem with this. Cinnamon application may be a good preventative.
Maximum growth may be obtained by using bright full-spectrum fluorescent or hi-pressure sodium lighting. A soluble starter fertilizer (10-52-10 N_P_K) should be applied with each irrigation for the first 3 weeks following planting. After this, a complete soluble fertilizer (20-20-20, N_P_K) is applied in the same manner. Feel free to use comparable organic solutions.
A moderate amount of air circulation is recommended. Seedlings should be acclimated (hardened off)before transplanting. Do this as early as possible-exposing them to the sun and elements, they like it very much.
One seedling per pot should be allowed to grow for 3 months before transplantation to the field. In light sandy soil the root is buried 6-8 cm deep to encourage the development of another tier of roots and the new seedlings should be watered as required.
High density planting in the field can be 3ft x 3 ft. More commonly the rows are planted with plants 3ft apart and 12ft between rows. Think about this carefully. The type of equipment you will use to cut the grass between rows and between plants should be considered to make maintenance of your orchard easier.
I know that's a lot of information. For the person with a green thumb, there are some good suggestions. Not to worry though if all the details are not followed exactly. As with any young plant (or animal for that matter), infancy is a time in which care should be taken and neglect carefully avoided.
I look forward to hearing how they do. Please let me know.
All the Best - Tom

If I buy unsexed seaberry plants.....

Hello Ben,
To answer your question, yes, if you get two you could get a male and a female. My experience is that approximately 70% of the plants turn out to be female. It is a game of chance however. If I were you, I would get a few more to increase the odds you end up with both sexes. Personally I would be more comfortable with at least 4 plants. You can buy sexed plants online from a few different places. Onegreenworld.com is one. The cost is at least double and the plants are propagated from cuttings. My experience is that they are much more difficult to grow since the roots aren't as robust as ones grown from seed. That is basically the choices you have acquiring Hippophae rhamnoides plants. One other thing I personally like with the plants grown from seed is that they are open-pollinated and genetically variable so susceptibility to environmental stresses isn't as risky as a mono-crop type of planting. Hope this answer helps, Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks - Tom

Are Multiple varieties of Seabuckthorn required for pollination?

Hi Patrick,
You don't need multiple varieties. What you do need is a male and a female. Seaberry plants are either one or the other. There may be an advantage to having a few different male varieties that bloom at slightly different times to have your bases covered. That advice mostly if for people who buy varietal plants which are propagated by cuttings. The seeds you purchased are Hippophae rhamodies (variety sinesis). They are the most commonly planted type in the world. China, which produces the most seaberry products, by far, uses these. Since they are a result of open pollination, there is inherently some variation to be expected. We think this is good. Having all the exact genetic make-up of plants close together is risky in terms of disease and environmental stresses affecting all your plants equally. So having that variability lends itself to some built in resilience. The only other sub-variety I have is from the himalayas. I am uncertain though whether they are subspecies "salicifolia" or "tibetana". It will be a few years before they fruit and more seeds are available.
Raising them from seed is fairly easy. They germinate quickly- 10 to 15 days at average temperatures. The care they require isn't specialized. If they are kept moist, not soggy, they will continue to grow. Fertilization is ok when young but do keep it about half the package directions regarding strength. Once established in their final locations, it is better not to use any non-organic fertilizers. They are nitrogen fixing and the symbiotic bacteria on the roots (frankia) can be harmed by too much added nitrogen in the soil. The small plants/seedlings like being outside. They harden off fast and become woody very quickly. It's spring so freezing is not much of an issue but they do have an amazing anti-freeze capability even when very young. Tough plants all around. Take care when transplanting at any age. Get as much of the roots as possible and keep watered to minimize the transplant shock.
The plants will begin shipping on April 15th. That's the plan. Weather here has been crazy but I expect your order will ship before the end of the month. Once it is shipped you will receive another email confirmation with the tracking number.
Thanks for the question, as you can see, seaberry is a favorite. All the very best to you.--Tom

Building a Seed Starting Rack at Foxgreen Farms

2016-03-06T08:06:00.000-05:00

Rack Basics

A decent indoor seed starting place is important. You may have tried a few different things including using a sunny window. That may work if you have the ideal place. After building this rack you will have the control over the length of daylight, humidity and have a large area to both start seeds and continually grow salad greens inside!

Similar racks cost $1000 or more and work great. This will cost you around $200.

We Begin

I chose a metal rack. The cost was slightly higher than a comparably sized plastic rack/shelving unit. I like the durability, added functionality and cleanness metal offers. This one was manufactured in china and was of very good quality. It was also very easy to assemble without any tools. Total cost so far......$59.99

Assemble the Rack

Here is the rack assembled. The shelves were placed at the recommended heights. These are very adjustable however and feel free put them at equal distances from top to bottom.

Unpack the Fluorescent Lights

Should you use fluorescent lights? LED? Metal halide? There are advantages to each and some disadvantages. Trust me, fluorescent lights are the way to go. The fixtures and plant/aquarium bulbs are inexpensive and operate at a very low temperature. LED's are expensive and metal halide are not efficient and operate at a high temperature. The metal halides require cooling fans in fact. This is not a safe choice inside your home.

Using these T12 48" fixtures will, when all are turned on will draw 160-320 watts. The wattage range is because you can use just one bulb or choose to use 2 per fixture. I am testing both to see if there is a big difference in plant health. This design, as you will see, allows you to adjust the height of the fixtures which should eliminate the need for using two bulbs anyway.

There are more efficient T8 and even T5 fixtures available. For this application, I suggest avoiding them. Yes they are more efficient, but what you are looking for is energy available to the plants and T12 is the best for that. Running cost total so far..........$155.95

Bulbs

Purchase a pack of 6 bulbs. This will let you have 2 fixtures with double bulbs installed and 2 fixtures with single bulbs installed. Of course you can put one bulb in each and have a couple of spares. Buying 6 also reduces the cost per bulb. I am using GE Lighting, Plant and Aquarium bulbs.

Note: The rack pictured is 35" wide. The fixtures are 48". Bulbs throw off less energy at the ends so this arrangement will cast an even amount of light across the 3 trays on each shelf. The link below for a shelf is for a 48" wide shelf. It will accommodate 4 more trays than the one I built. You should rotate the trays if using a 48" wide shelf to even the energy received by your seedlings.

Assemble The Grow Lights

Pull the end tabs out from the lighting fixture. They are shipped with a piece of tape to prevent them from dropping into the fixture. Sometimes they slip too deep anyway. Don't worry, you can still get them and pull them up. Turn the fixture and shake or take a piece of tape or a screwdriver to carefully align the tab in the hole.

Hanging chains are shipped with the fixtures. Remove excess chain by using some needle nose pliers and bending open the 5th link. This leaves the hook and 4 links intact.

Cut and melt the end of some thin, clothesline type rope. Thread through the 4th link and knot to prevent the rope from coming unattached to the chain.

Attach the hooks to the fixtures like this.

Thread the rope from the light up across the center of the shelf, back to the opposite chain link and secure to the shelf above the light. You can now adjust the light height easily.

After installing all the lights, wrap your rack with crystal clear plastic sheeting. Leave an opening in the front so you can access your trays and regulate the humidity. Now carefully insert bulbs. Running cost total with 6 bulbs added.....$214.66. With plastic...$239.98

I used a scrap piece of PVC pipe at the top to serve as a stiff rod which was a bit wider than the shelving to hang the plastic. This made it easier to wrap the rack and extended the width to equal the width of the light fixtures.

Finished!

The rack as pictured and constructed will cost you $239 if you buy the parts through the ebay links at the end of the article. Maybe you have a plastic shelf you could re-purpose and not have to buy a new one? Do 3 shelves instead of 4? Add another fixture and suspend it from the ceiling to have 5 shelves? There are lots of ways to vary this design. Tip: When using a plastic shelf, screw some fine threaded drywall screws into the ends of the shelves to run the ropes and hang the shelves. Another screw or two can be used to make a tie-off spot for the end of the ropes. I had some crystal clear window sheeting left over from another project and used that. I think a couple of clear shower curtains would do the trick and be cheaper if you are buying the plastic new.

Bulgarian Leek seedlings

5 Shelf Metal Rack $59.99

Lithonia T12 48" Fluorescent Lights 4 at $23.99 ea

Clear Plastic Sheeting (shower curtain) 2 at $12.66

6 48" Aquarium and Plant Bulbs $58.71
Total = $239.98

Cold Climate Grapes, Zones 3 and up!

2016-01-26T09:58:00.000-05:00

Northern Grapes? Yes!

Minnesota, Vermont, Maine, the Dakota's aren't the places you would think of as grape growing places. All that is changing. Frontenac was the first cold hardy grape to be available, it took over 20 years to develop. There are now many more and they are good for wine, juice, jelly and lots of things you like.
I know you are seeking diversity and adventure in your garden, maybe even in your new small scale winery. Will Marquette be the new Pinot Noir? How does King of the North Jelly sound?
Growing grapes isn't difficult although there are a few things, like trellising which is just a fun project. Here is a review of a few varieties and a brief growing guide. There are more detailed information sheets you can click on at the end. At jiovi®, we have located some great cold weather grapes for you. (Limited quantities available for 2016 at www.jovi.com)

Sabervois (E.S. 2-1-9)

Sabervois (once known as Norway Red), it originated in Osceola, Wisconsin and is named after the village of Sabrevois near Montreal. The grape is black and is small to medium in size. The clusters are also small to medium size. Sabervois has very good disease resistance. The loosely filled clusters reduce the probability of Botrytis a fungal disease common with tighter clusters. While juice is lighter than the skins, when both are made into wine it is a very dark color. A 20% sugar content in very ripe fruit produces a wine that is low in alcohol, well balanced, has fruitiness in the nose and in the mouth. If pressed early, it will produce a nice rosé. Pair it with higher sugar content red or Frontenac for something very special. Sabervois based wine improves with age and likes to be in the bottle for 2 years to be at it's best. Hardy to -35 degrees F. Ripens early season¹. Suggested trellis -Top Wire Cordon². Plant 6-8 feet apart.

King of the North

Origin - Wisconsin. King of the North is a nearly black full flavored grape. It is very tart until dead ripe. Outstanding for juices and jellies. Extremely vigorous and productive and nearly disease free. A good choice for the beginning viticulturist.

Depending on how you thin, the loose conical clusters are medium sized and the berries medium to small. Yields are high. Ripens early season¹. This is the most productive and vigorous grape we have. This is a good candidate for arbors, natural fences and hiding anything under lush greenery. The fresh fruit taste is tart, but it does make the best jelly. A out of hand eating and jelly/juce grape mostly but can create a nice labrusca style wine. The vine is highly disease resistant. Cold hardy to zone 3, having survived at least to -35F. Ripens early season¹. Suggested trellis -Top Wire Cordon². Plant 8-10 feet apart. King of The North [PDF]

Beta (pronounced like Greta, as in Garbo)

Origin- Minnesota. Beta is medium black, slipskin grape. The tart fruit is wonderful for juice, jam, jelly and out of hand eating for those who like a flavor with a smack. Nearly free of diseases and super hardy (-40F). It is a vigorous grower to 20 feet. Space 8 feet apart in the orchard or closer on an arbor for faster filling in. Beta bears a heavy crop and you will find thinning of the bunches is not needed at all. The twisted trunks complete the visual beauty of this cultivar. Ripens early season¹. Suggested trellis -Top Wire Cordon². Plant 8 feet apart. Beta [PDF]

Frontenac

Another extremely cold hardy grape. Frontenac can be used to create dry red wine, rose', and port. Flavors of cherry, blackberry, black currant and plum notes marry well with hearty foods such as duck, pheasant, lamb, beef, pasta dishes made with tomato and eggplant; also with flavor ingredients such as: pepper, mushrooms, black olives, and herbs (mint, thyme, rosemary). Frontenac has high sugar and acidity. Acidity can be reduced by letting the clusters remain on the vines as long as possible. Primarily a wine grape.
Ripens Mid Season³ Suggested trellis -Top Wire Cordon². Plant 8 feet apart. Frontenac [PDF]

Prairie Star (E.S. 3-24-7)

Prairie Star is a French-American hybrid and one of the very few super cold hardy, disease resistant grapes well suited for both table and wine. The fruit develops a wonderful acidity and sugar balance which sometimes has a nice floral "nose". Adds body to wines when blended into more neutral wines. Nice for fresh eating as well.

Ripens Mid Season³ Suggested trellis -Top Wire Cordon² Prairie Star[PDF]

“early” season ripens in late August to mid-September
Top Wire Cordon system - [PDF]
"mid" season ripens end of September

Don't see a variety you would like, let us know at what your favorite is! Ours are available at www.jiovi.com.

DIY grape growing tips:

Test new varieties yourself!
Try new varieties in small quantities as a trial to see how they do in your location. Evaluate a couple of varieties and get family, friends, and neighbor's thoughts.
Plant new varieties next to a standard for your area
Excellent grape growing article from MOGFA.
All Trellis system overview.
VSP Trellis System
Mid Wire Trellis System
Top Wire Trellis System

Red Diamonds - Growing The Goji Berry

2016-01-17T09:07:00.002-05:00

History:

Dating back to ancient China, Goji berries have a long and distinguished history. Also known as wolfberry, tibetan goji, matrimony vine, and Lycium barbarum(Latin name). This berry has some interesting history. One (unconfirmed) report credits daily consumption of goji for extending the life span to 235 years old! That is probably, ok must be, a bit exaggerated. Still there are other anecdotal stories in China where even the water from nearby wells to the plant are said to be life extending. If that weren't enough, it is said it is also said in a couple of Chinese texts that, if consumed, beauty and sexual vitality are increased.

More recent research is encouraging. There are a couple of National Institute of Health listed studies but the author of both (with a little digging) is a multi-level marketing company in Arizona. That casts a shadow on their conclusions. On a brighter note, there are numerous studies which demonstrate the berry's properties increasing the effect of cancer treatments, enhancing the blood level availability of vitamin C, increasing zeaxanthin (important in treatment of Macular Degeneration), fighting fatigue, and yes, even slowing the aging on a DNA level of cells.

Tasting like a cross between cranberries, raisins, tomatoes, and cherries, Goji berries definitely belong in your garden. Like tomato you say? Goji is in the tomato/eggplant/potato family and is hardy to at least -20 degrees. The flowers are dead ringers to eggplant flowers. Interesting.

Growing Goji Berries from Seed:

Goji is easy to grow. Plant your seeds about a quarter of an inch deep in a soilless mixture 6-10 weeks before setting them outside. The plants will emerge in 10-14 days if the temperature is reasonably warm inside your home. At first emergence, the seedlings are fragile so plant about 3 seeds per pot or cell. In a few short weeks they will be nice little plants and far less fragile.

Goji Berry New Seedlings

2 week old Goji Seedlings

Thin out the seedlings at the 2 week stage. You can still leave a few in the pot/cell at this stage but, if they are crowded, take a few out. These can be transplanted to other pots if you wish. Goji's have a long tap root and can be grown in containers. Because of that tap root be sure to choose at least a five gallon container that is similar in depth to a five gallon pail.

Set out plants in the garden after the danger of frost has past. Goji's like somewhat sweet soil. pH 6.5-8 Add some lime if your soil is acidic. They also like sun. Goji's will grow in semi-shade but you will get much more fruit if the plant is in full sun. After 4 months, you can expect your plants to look like this. (These should have been planted at the 2-3 month age)

4 Month old Goji Berry Plants

Goji's should be planted at least 2' apart and expect them to have a spread of 4' and unpruned height over 10'. In all cases, prune the bottom branches from the plant. Once the plant reaches 3' or more, keep the bottom 15" free of branches. Row spacing is 6'.

Consider what form you would like to grow Goji plants. They can be trellised like grapes or grown like bushes. Pruning to thin the branches and control height will encourage branching and more fruiting area. Otherwise, care for them as you would any other plant and protect them a bit the first winter with a few inches of mulch after the ground is good and cold.

Mature Goji Plant

At Foxgreen Farms, we have our jiovi® Goji Berry available to purchase. You'll find those seeds and many more for your sustainable garden at

http://jiovi.com/collections/frontpage

Caring for Your Seabuckthorn Orchard

2016-01-08T05:25:00.003-05:00

This article originally appeared in 2015.
We are very pleased to welcome the first guest article on our blog! Melissa Flanders is from a beautiful part of eastern Quebec. Along with Andrew Mireault, they have a vibrant Sea Buckthorn business. Their website is www.omegafruit.ca . Thank you Melissa. You have written some important information about caring for Hippophae rhamnoides which cannot be found anywhere else so perfectly explained.

Melissa Flanders & Andrew Mireault, owners of Omega Fruit Sea buckthorn cie in Quebec Canada https://www.omegafruit.ca

The importance of pruning Sea buckthorn

Explaining common methods of maintaining a vigorous and productive sea buckthorn plantation.

Hi! Let me begin by introducing myself, my name is Melissa, I own & operate a budding 11 acre Sea buckthorn plantation in the heart of the Eastern Townships of Quebec Canada. I first heard about Sea buckthorn in 2009. My clever boyfriend, Andrew who had immediately seen the potential of this super fruit as a high value permaculture crop, convinced me to embark on what has become my new life project. Together, we started researching the many cultivars available to us from our local area and from around the world. We have spent the last 5 years researching how to best grow Sbt as a commercial crop and had the incredible opportunity to learn from the European leader in the trade about the different techniques of growing Sea buckthorn and have applied his teachings in the many trials we've conducted on both imported and locally propagated cultivars. After years of research, we started selling what we found to be the healthiest and most palatable cultivars. Over the past couple years our clients have come to rely on us to guide them in the proper growing techniques to achieve a successful and productive plantation. One of the most often asked about topics is on the techniques of pruning and harvesting sea buckthorn. So when Tom asked me to share something about sea buckthorn on his blog, not only was I delighted, but I knew just what my topic would be.

A trick to curtail vegetative sucker plants within a Sea buckthorn row: with a sharp blade, cut 30cm (12 in) away from the trunk and 30cm(12 in) deep into the soil to detach feeder roots and eliminate over crowding of the row

Pruning for max health and yield.

There are several benefits to maintaining a well pruned Sbt orchard and how your plants will respond to regular pruning depends greatly on the species, subspecies and variety. The main objectives for pruning sea buckthorn is to maintain proper size, shape and architecture in order to facilitate fruit harvest, to maximize light exposure for better growth of fruit and to produce & maintain the optimum amount of new fruit bearing branches. Regular pruning also keeps your plantation healthy and vigorous by eliminating dead or broken branches which can invite infections and pests.

Maintenance pruning can start the first year trees are planted and should be practiced with the principle that all branches will be replaced in a specific order over 3-4 years. Using a combination of heading back, thinning and shortening cuts, it is most advisable to prune in late winter or early spring, before the buds break. This will stimulate vegetative growth, so be mindful in your cuts, as over crowding of branches is a leading factor for low fruit yield due in part to low amounts of light penetrating the inner branches. It is better to make a few important cuts then many small cuts.

Cuts should be smooth and made at the proper angle to encourage the healing process and to avoid disease. Properly maintained pruning secateurs (one handed clippers) and saws are a must for an efficient and clean trim. Tools should be cleaned between pruning each plant and sharpened regularly.

The general way of harvesting a mature sea buckthorn plant is by strategically cutting back its fruit bearing branches from year to year and the optimum height for manual harvest is between 1.5 - 2.5m (5-8'). In Germany, whole plantations are harvested by "total cut" of the bush, using specifically engineered harvesting machinery. These machines cleverly cut down on time and long term costs to harvest, but the down fall is that most modern Sea buckthorn cultivars do not endure over the long term under this extreme cutting method. Adding that it delays subsequent harvests, this is not the most commonly used method of harvest/pruning, as it necessitates very large plantations that can be alternated to compensate for the crop loss.

Modified leader method. This tree is at the point where it is necessary to make a total cut back of the leader branch causing a two year interruption in fruit production.

Baltic growers most commonly use the "lower cut" or Modified Leader Method of harvesting Sea buckthorn. With this method, the plants are headed at the height of 60 cm (~2'), which leads to the formation of several upright and narrow angled branches. The top shoot becomes the central leader during the first season of growth. At the end of the second year's growth, all branches shorter than 30cm (12") above ground should be cut back. All other branches should be cut back only to maintain a taller central leader. During harvest, unimportant and weak branches are chosen first. They are located in the lower and inner parts of the tree. Then branches larger than 50% of the leader diameter are removed. This eventually causes the formation of a single trunk, if the top shoots are untouched, sooner or later the main trunk will have to be cut down to form a new shrub with many branches.

This cut is done in early spring, as trees recover best due to the carbohydrates still stored in the lower parts of the tree coming from the winter dormancy period. If this is done in September, as in the "total cut" method, these essential nutrients are cut down along with the top branches. The principal disadvantage of the lower cut method, is that the radical cut of the main trunk causes two empty years before the tree is replenished to full harvest for another 4yrs.

Vertical split method; all branches, other than the two leaders must be cut back at the end of the second year.

In an attempt to improve on the previous method's downfall, pruning was adapted to create two equal parts within the tree with one year age difference between the sections. This is called the Vertical Split Method (see image for visual description of this method). The vertical split has the advantage of less maintenance pruning, better light penetration for better fruit production, the tree naturally retains the best height for manual harvest. All branches on the harvest side must be cut back, this causes every third year to be non productive when applying this method. The bush is gradually rejuvenated avoiding a long interruption in harvest years. However, this method can only be used in well planned and maintained orchards, because when the plant is not getting enough of what it needs like nutrients, water or sun light, it will not regenerate the removed branch.

Horizontal split method

Another method used by European growers is the Horizontal Split Method, which was created 10 years ago for hobby gardeners. In early spring annual shoots are bent down with the tops pegged to the ground. Fruits set on the bent branches while new vegetative shoots grow straight up from the upper points of the arch, this is caused by the accumulation of growth hormones due to positive geotropism. The lower parts of the branches are harvested in the fall while the new shoots remain untouched until the following spring when it will be their turn for the bending process. The horizontal split method is very gentle and makes for a beautiful looking plant. It may increase yields and no barren years are experienced using the horizontal split. Nevertheless, this method is very labor intensive, and when there are 10,000 trees or more in a plantation, it can get very costly in labor. Some say that it also makes for difficult mowing under the plant, but I find this can be solved by properly planing your cover crop. Using very low growing green covers like micro clover around the base and in the rows of your Sea buckthorn plantation can eliminate the need for mowing all together, all while inviting beneficial insects into your field.

Lastly, according to the book; Sea buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoïdes L.) : Production and Utilization, written by; Thomas S.C. Li and Thomas H. J. Beveridge, Sea buckthorn may perform well with the Open Center System.At planting, unbranched seedlings and rooted cuttings are pruned at approximately 60 cm (2') and all buds within 30 cm (12") from the ground are removed. Trees are trained to a multi leader system with major branches extending up and away from the trunk, giving a vase-shaped tree. At the end of the second year, all newly developed branches within 30 cm (12") above ground are removed. Then remove the potential central lead branch, head back and thin all branches to maintain the desired height of less than 2m (6.5'). Pruning has to be performed every year to avoid problem as the trees become older. The fruiting zone moves higher and to the outside of the canopy and the tree gradually assumes an umbrella form. The book states that this system may produce shaded zones which may eventually cause poor fruit set. However, the important upper to middle section of the canopy should receive adequate sunlight and produce ample quantities of quality fruit. Minimizing shaded zones must be considered while pruning.

Bottom line, be mindful of the principals of pruning and harvesting Sea buckthorn. But remember that practice makes perfect and if you mess up, chances are you can make up for it later, as a healthy Sea buckthorn shrub will easily regenerate itself.

Don't be shy to visit my web site regularly as I am always adding new Sea buckthorn products and information. www.omegafruit.ca

Thank you Melissa for a great article! Melissa and I wanted to remind everyone again that they can get quality delicious Sea buckthorn cultivars from Canada at www.omegafruit.ca They have one year old, bare root sea buckthorn cuttings available to purchase this spring in the following varieties; Sunny, Mary, Gold Rain, Tatiana, and our pollinator; Lord.
She can be reached at myprettyberry@gmail.com directly.

The location of Omega Fruit in Magog, Quebec. The website is available in both English and French.

2016-01-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

Free Shipping on orders over $65.00

Thanks for stopping by. These are our plants we are offering for spring delivery. New posts coming soon. I've been away from the blog for a bit. If you haven't done so already, you are invited to "friend" us on facebook at Foxgreen Farms or jiovi agroecology - TV --Thanks

The world hanging upside down

2015-10-02T06:17:00.000-04:00

The world hanging upside down

Have you ever woken up with a warm feeling and then realized, with an awful remembrance that someone you loved has left you? Congratulations, you are human.

Futures happen regardless. Exits, entrances, voyages, passions, and discoveries. Ah life. It is good. Would there be smiles if there were no comparisons? Without a walk on the other side of the mirror there would be no savor.

Tempting it is to write a wild and stormy story of 2015 and of my human experience out of the gates of the unknown after leaving traditional employment and feeling my way through the unknown, unpredictable world of sustainability and of the racing heart of a friend.

Easy is not good and not instructive. (Although I wish deeply sometimes for it) Challenge is the teacher and, oh boy, for me this has been a challenge. Not a bad thing. Maybe, after all, I will give in to the temptation and share the second chances with you, just not now.

The word flipped and hung upside down early in the year. It was an hourglass flipping and full. The glitter of the sand sometimes ran fast and often seemed like the next grain had personality, shy and hesitant, afraid to go from the possible to the present. Dreams come and go, hourglasses reset. There are times when you only see the reflection when the light is low after all.

I had a dream. I still do. What I did was share that dream and dreamed better and harder. We became a team of pieces all fitting together. The puzzle was complete and then blew up leaving only the edges together. It was put back together with excitement and the picture was different, then, again it would need a newer imagination and restoration.

For now the story of life falling will wait until the story of landing on a feather bed feels like home again.

As in the web of nature, the coexistence intrinsic to food forests, and permaculture, some things work and some are revealed to be futile. Have you ever felt things should happen naturally and realized that very little, in the long run, just happens naturally?

Congratulations again, you too are human. We have that in common.

I would like to thank everyone who reads this blog and follows Foxgreen Farm and jiovi agro-ecology TV on Facebook. The latter two have, in recent months, the loudest instruments playing. As the season winds down and transitions become less frequent, you will be hearing more from me here.

Days are Full

2015-06-22T06:19:00.000-04:00

Craig At Foxgreen Farm's field edge

Transition Community

Transition communities are cooperative living areas, towns, hamlets, eco-villages or similar organisms of human environments. There are economic realities involved with advancing the dream of such places. Preparing the soil, planting the seeds, and hoping for a season of growth of such a dream takes work, patience, and some money too. There is no finality but a sustainable endeavor which travels parallel to the seasons and regeneration of life. Maybe this sounds forward thinking or new to some, but, just a short time ago it was the way of most people. Here in Central Maine, where the woods and waters dominate, an exciting combination of love and fear has created a strong base of frontierism which hasn't been lost.

Seaberry update:

The first spring after planting the 500 seaberry plants revealed an unexpected success with very few losses of the plants. This year, the third year, the plants suffered more over the winter. A large planting like this generally experiences a twenty five percent loss of plants. Last winter was one of the most intense in many years here. Snowfall exceeding seven feet on the ground and lasting well into April may have created a somewhat desperate period for the field mice near the seaberries (Hippophae rhamoides) and they girdled many of the plants.

The good news is this experiment is progressing well. Most plants are ok and the damaged ones will be replaced and the things we have learned attempting to grow them in the wilderness will give them a better chance than some of the pioneer plantings. Another advantage is in the pursuit of a variety which is perfectly suited to ward off some of the most difficult environments and produce great berries. We go on and forward.

3 yr old Hippophae rhamoides in Maine

Photo Gallery June 2015 at Foxgreen Farm (the edge of endless)

broccoli

cabin from the vegetable garden

celery and various brassicas

mustard greens

onions

Mountains and the morning sun

Potato

Red leaf Romain

Russian Comfrey

Scarlet Runner Beans

Tom and Riddick, end of day