Juice?

We began juicing again this weekend!  It can be a lot of work. Once you get going it is hard to stop.  On the other side, it is best to consume the juice as soon as possible. We found that teamwork is the key!  We mixed it up a little making smoothies.  It was fun and tasted great!  Plus, you know your body is thankful!  Heads-up: a little Ginger Root goes a long way!!

Check out the NEW kitchen compost bin!  We have been composting for some time now.  This cool little container has a filter on the top to hold in any odors.  The bags are compostable as well.  The easier it is to do the more likely we will keep it up.

Why not plant the pineapple?  A friend of ours has dozens of these growing and producing  from store-bought pineapples.  I plan to try the same thing with the strawberries.  I will keep you posted.

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Our Garden

In 2011, we added the “Deep Box” to our expanding garden.  We discovered that some of the larger plants we grew in the “Shallow Box” didn’t do so well.  Our first crop was sweet corn.  Fun to grow, but the summer sun was not so kind.  The “Deep Box” is now home to an assortment of tomato plants, a pineapple and a variety of bell peppers.  The papaya forest is doing well (the pots to the right).  First fruit are growing now.  

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Coffee – Original Energy Drink or the Organic MiricleGro

You could say that coffee was the original energy drink.   Did you know coffee can give your garden the same kind of pick-me-up?  I have heard used coffee grounds can be added to compost bins.  I had no idea tomato plants enjoy the legume as much as I do.

However you prepare your “cup of joe”; Mr. Coffee, the old-school percolator or my favorite the coffee press, you are going to have a by-product.  A messy coffee sludge.  I found this post with several solutions that make handling the sludge a tolerable task.  Check it out!  www.greenplanet.com/great-coffee-great-fertilizer/

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

In Twenty-Twelve, we will be sharing some of simple joys of life that we have discovered. We would like to create a community of “people helping people” both online and in our real lives.  We hope you enjoy a glimpse into the simple life we have adopted. What we really hope for is that you will share with us too!

Cheers!!

First Tomatoes from the Home Farm