vegetable garden

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is definitely one of the most misunderstood and obscure terms in the sustainability and gardening field. Is it a technique? A way of gardening? A philosophy?  Catherine Kirchner from Uncommon Pastures recently interviewed me about permaculture. Catherine owns a small, diverse, regenerative farm near Big Timber, MT where she raises grassfed & grass finished

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Don’t want to heat your greenhouse? Here’s what to do instead…

If you’re in a cold climate, having a greenhouse is a really effective way to extend your growing season on both ends. In March and April, greenhouses are great for early season greens and to grow out your seedlings. They also allow for additional growing time beyond our first frost date in the fall. With

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Q&A with Kareen – Cold climate pear varieties, pear preservation and what to do about codling moths

This week’s ‘Q&A with Kareen’ is all about pears. In the video, I answer Elizabeth’s questions about what pears I grow, an explanation about the kitchen tool I use the most for pear preservation, and what to do about codling moths.  The pears in my food forest are one of the yields that I look

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Q&A with Kareen – How to Keep Deer from Eating your Garden or Food Forest

In this week’s ‘Q&A with Kareen’ I address Laura’s question about how to deal with deer and not get discouraged. If you live in a place like Montana, wildlife pressure is frequently an issue. It’s an obstacle my clients commonly deal with when choosing to grow more of their own food. Whether it’s deer, elk, moose

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Q&A with Kareen – Top 10 Crops to Feed a Family

In this week’s ‘Q&A with Kareen’, I address Julie’s question about my top 10 favorite crops to grow to feed a family. In particular, Julie was interested in crops that were either high in calories and/or macro and micronutrients, as well as easy to grow, prepare, store, and preserve.  You’ll notice that I don’t mention some of

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Q&A with Kareen – Permaculture pitfalls, leaf mulch, and greywater systems

In this week’s ‘Q&A with Kareen’, I address multiple questions and comments from Tyler. I really appreciated him sharing his experience as it allowed me to address some common permaculture pitfalls and mistakes that I often hear from clients. Click on the video to learn: Why a site plan is super important and how it helps you

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