Author Archives: Chelsea Green Full Feed

The Advantages of Raised-Bed Gardens

The following is an excerpt from Mortgage Free! Innovative Strategies for Debt-free Home Ownership, Second Edition by Rob Roy. It has been adapted for the Web.
French intensive or “biodynamic” gardening involves the use of several “raised beds” of about four feet in width—the maximum width allowing the gardener to reach the center from either side—and [...]

Natural Polycultures: Mimicking Nature in Your Veggie Garden

The following is an excerpt from Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, Second Edition by Toby Hemenway. It has been adapted for the Web.
Nature binds plants into interdependent communities and associations. Indigenous people, too, have crafted plant combinations that weave synergies among species. In the past two decades, ecological designers also have blended plants [...]

Homegrown Grains: The Key to Food Security

With food shortages and rising grain prices in the news (and on the shelves in the bread aisle of your local supermarket), more and more people have begun thinking about growing their own grain alongside their homegrown fruits and vegetables. It’s easy to harvest and use—probably easier than you think—and a good step toward transitioning [...]

Microhydro Power in Your Backyard? How to Assess Your Site

One of my coworkers dreams of owning a home with a little stream running through the yard helping to power his hybrid microhydro/photovoltaic and carbon-free home.
If you’re lucky enough to have access to your own stream, complete with a small waterfall, just think: you could be harnessing that energy for your own renewable electric system—via [...]

How to Start a Traditional Compost Pile in Your Yard

For reducing the amount of waste you send to the landfill, composting—in addition to reducing the amount of packaged goods you consume, and recycling as much as possible—is essential if you have the means to do it properly. And if you’re a gardener, there’s no reason to throw away this beneficial (and cheap!) source of [...]