VEG GEEK NEWSLETTER
The Day's best hand-picked ideas, tips to better grow your own Vegs;
and meet people you should know.
Friday, 9th September, 2022
The Day’s hand-picked ideas, tips to better grow Vegs, and meet people you should know.
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1
God save the King
"I’m particularly interested, I must say, in living mulches, which is the next interesting and very critical area I think which I shall be particularly fascinated to see, and in agroforestry and silvopastoral possibilities. Again it’s something not considered in this country. To create some shade and biodiversity is critical." — We have a new King in the UK (Charles III) who has already spent his life developing thinking about Nature, its bio-diversity and sustainability, and organic farming. We’ll need all of his continued service for a better use of our resources and a better future for our islands.
2
Microbial food (for humans)
"People have been consuming microbes for thousands of years. Fermentation is a core part of human society but we lost a lot of that art and practice" — Plant-based menus is the next era for fine-dining, no more indulgence in animal products at their expense and even greater expense of our planet. That trend can only contribute to raising awareness of the need to maintain our soils and sustainably make the most of our resources.
3
Urban Fish Ponds: Low-tech Sewage Treatment for Towns and Cities
"Fish ponds are a low-tech, low-cost, safe, and sustainable way to fix our society’s leaking sink. But when we get down there on our hands and knees, we might find a lot of other things that need fixing." — I love the Low-tech Magazine (beautiful as well) and what they do, and that’s another great article to learn about techniques that were working. You can also produce Vegs from fish-waste.
4
Celery-brate this Weekend
+ What to job: it’s not just the harvest task this month. It’s time to get the garden ready for the winter and start planting for the next season already.
+ What to Watch: Much about meat and food production is about scale and speed, a drive to produce more food for cheaper. But it’s unsustainable, unethical and there is an alternative. Emily Muddeman visits to Haye Farm in Devon who produce meat and vegetables for organic veg box company, Riverford, to find out why their mixed farming system is better for animal welfare, the environment and nature. Watch this short documentary.
+ What to Listen: Have you ever wondered if there’s a natural way to lower your high blood pressure, guard against Alzheimer's, lose weight, and feel better? Well as it turns out there is. Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM, founder of NutritionFacts.org, and author of the instant New York Times bestseller “How Not to Die” celebrates evidence-based nutrition to add years to our life and life to our years. Get the podcast.
+ What to Read: Traditional slug pellets contain metaldehyde which is harmful to wildlife. Birds, amphibians and mammals are unlikely to eat the pellets, however they will eat slug and snail corpses and that’s where the real harm is caused. Find 10 better alternatives to control snails.
5
Never a dill moment
Soil Essentials: "Get the science, methods, and recipes for all your compost and compost tea needs from garden to farm scale in one easy to read ebook.
" — Get the free ebook for a comprehensive list of all best techniques to make better compost by Matt Powers.
+ Biochar can mitigate the environmental impacts of agriculture: "A new study carried out at the University of Helsinki shows biochar can be a promising tool in mitigating the environmental impacts of agriculture also in Finland, as written by the university in a press release. In his doctoral study, Subin Kalu found that biochar addition to soil can reduce nitrogen leaching from agricultural soils to waterways, and reduce the emissions of N2O – a potent greenhouse gas. " — Read the full story shared by Innovation Origins. and learn more about how to use Biochar in your garden!
+ Curly Curse: "You shouldn’t panic when you see your tomato plant leaves curling. While it could be a sign of a more serious issue, it is normally not a big deal and can easily be fixed." — Growing Tomatoes isn’t that simple and requires some minimum knowledge if you want to achieve a decent harvest. Get it there.
6
Turnip the volume
Why we all need more trees: "You know that trees are an indispensable factor in our environment. You know that they supply the oxygen we breathe and make our surroundings more beautiful. But, there are some incredible benefits of trees—especially in an urban setting—" — In a major research breakthrough, we now know how air pollution leads to cancer so that’s one great reason to plant more trees (including as part of your garden design layers)
+ What else to grow indoors "Growing plants indoors is an excellent way to bring a touch of nature into your home. But if you’re limited on space or don’t have a lot of natural light, it can be tricky to know how to set up an indoor garden that will thrive." — Get some ideas on what else to grow in your house, even during the winter. You could also grow Microgreens.
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Keep Growing-
Anthony - Veg Geek