Sustain Seed

06/02/2015

"You can influence one of the most important things about soil: how much life it contains."

Nothing is more important to the health of trees, shrubs and all the plants in your garden than good soil.

03/10/2015

Your garden works hard to grow beautiful vegetables year after year! Are you feeding the depleted soil to replenish the nutrients that were devoured last season?

If your vegetable garden could talk, it would probably yawn and tell you how tired it is. It takes significant energy and nutrients to crank out big buds of broccoli and 6-foot towers of tomatoes. To successfully grow edibles year after year, itȁ

02/09/2015

Not only does a school garden offer opportunities for students to have experiential learning and healthy food, but it can also build strong community relationships. Communities members, university students, and business owners all come together to help with this Florida middle school garden. Just recently, 50 volunteers turned out to create two new garden beds and attend to other chores around the campus. What do you think? Is this something you'd like to see in your neighborhood school?

The Farm 2 School program is sprouting more than just vegetables behind Greco Middle School.

02/05/2015

There have been many encouraging farming methods to sequester carbon in fields lately, but small-scale changes can have a huge cumulative impact as well. Making small changes in your garden, such as planting cover crops and tilling less, can help to sequester more carbon, promote biodiversity, help prevent pests and improve your soil among a host of other benefits.

The answer to climate change may be closer to home than you think.

01/28/2015

A vegetable garden begins with a soil management plan, which will become a tool to help you build a sustainable soil system. Reduced tillage, cover crops, and composting are all a part of this plan to "feed the soil to feed the plants".

A healthy soil is vital for a successful vegetable garden.

12/04/2014

Some school districts across the country are getting in on the farm-to-table movement and are starting to source food locally. They admit it can be hard to stick within the federal requirements and strict budgets, but districts are finding ways with some creative thinking. What do you think about this idea? Would you like to see this happen in your local school district?

Jump to navigation Share It! � This story is part of Marketplace's partnership with Youth Radio School lunchrooms are sometimes referred to as "the biggest restaurant chain in America," and in districts across California a new program is trying to get local ingredients on the menu.

08/20/2014

To keep the harvest coming through summer into fall and winter can be a tricky juggling act. Start by reviewing your plans for summer successions and starting seedlings for fall and winter vegetables. Take into account special considerations for fall: impending frosts and the decreasing temperatures and daylight.

Ira shows how you can keep sowing and planting through late summer and into fall. Learn how to keep your garden producing abundantly through the cold months ahead.

07/28/2014

"Moving your plants around the garden, is a great first step. For those who want to go a step above, try a cover crop." Diversity is the currency of adaptation!

It's July. After nurturing your beautiful tomato plant from seedling, waiting on those first vine-ripened fresh-picked sweet tomatoes, as you had done the year before, suddenly, without warning, the happy little plant dies. You immediately begin forensic science. There is no large bite marks. Other…

06/06/2014

We already know that cover crops keep fields of all types of fruits and veggies healthy, but it's nice to see that researchers agree with us!

New research is underway to help implement sustainable soil methods in strawberry production.

05/22/2014

These Ohio "Teaching Gardens" are having a positive impact on student attitudes toward fruits and vegetables, are increasing their consumption of healthy food, and are providing nutritional education, all while building and engaging the community.

But an American Heart Association program is trying to help cultivate an appreciation for healthy eating among young residents nationwide.

05/07/2014

There are six main types of garden soil. Know your garden soil type, and then make the most of it by making sure it's healthy!

Understanding your soil type is key to gardening success...

04/23/2014

Happy Earth Day 2014! Our followers know that a healthy Earth begins with healthy soil!