Grit November - December 2015

Featured Comment “When I first started gardening terra nova Gardens, I couldn’t find a single worm in the soil. It was a very black, rich soil, but a little wet and sticky. after about 1,500 bags of yard mulch over the course of two years, the worms have invaded the garden big time. they were just naturally attracted to the deep mulch that composted into the soil. It was a nice side effect from the mulching.” — Nebraska Dave on “Squirm Wrangling 101” Backyard Bees Whether you’re a beekeeping beginner or a seasoned veteran, Keeping Backyard Bees is a new website dedicated entirely to the keeping of these favorite pollinators. From crafts and recipes to dIY articles, read all things beerelated at www.KeepingBackyardBees.com. You’ll find inspiring articles on installing a…

WHEN I WAS A BOY, my family eagerly anticipated state-fair season, and the fair that we most often wound up attending was the Minnesota State Fair. That event was so huge, and my mom often entered jellies, jams and even pies – more often than not, bringing home a ribbon. But that was not why I anticipated the trip. Once we were through the gates, I was left to my own devices to wander the grounds. Once I’d had a quick run through the machinery area, I would head to the poultry barns. And when I’d had sufficient clucking, crowing and chicken smell, I’d head over to the cattle barns, find a bale of straw to sit on, and eat the sack lunch my mom had packed me. And as…

Share your visual perspective with the Grit community. Post your photos at Facebook.com/GritMagazine, Facebook.com/CappersFarmer, or tag us on Instagram (GritMag). We chose several images you see here from those platforms, and you can find more within the blogging community on our websites. Share your best shots, and we just might select one of your photos for a future issue of the magazine. To admire even more readers’ photos, visit Grit.com and CappersFarmer.com.…

CYCLAMENS FOR THE HOLIDAYS For a unique alternative to the traditional holiday poinsettia or Christmas cactus, and an attractive easy-care houseplant that will bloom continuously throughout winter, you may want to consider giving florists’ cyclamens (Cyclamen persicum) a try. These plants offer an array of showy, brightly colored flowers in white, vivid red, pink, purple and bicolor. Given the right conditions, cyclamens brought in to bloom for the holiday season will continue blossoming for two to three months. As each flower fades, remove the entire flower stalk from where it attaches to the tuber by giving it a sharp tug. The trick to growing healthy cyclamens is to keep them in a cool room with bright light and good air circulation. Day temperatures of 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit and…

Susan Abbott and family were one of several winners of our Homesteaders of the Year recognition. To enter for 2016, send an email to hwill@grit.com. Homesteaders of the Year I wanted to let all of you at GRIT magazine know how much we appreciate the wonderful prizes we received as one of your 2015 Homesteaders of the Year. The excitement level was high when the giant box from Hoss Tools arrived, and a few days later, the box of beautiful and informative books relating to homestead living. I phoned the extended family to come over for the “grand opening” of the prize boxes. Some folks have Super Bowl parties: We had a “GRIT party” and celebrated your generous gifts. I have made several recipes from the Comfort Foods Cookbook, and…

GERANIUMS. I’m looking for a source for two specific geranium plants: Patricia Andrea with salmon tulip-flowered blossoms and Springfield Violet with deep violet single blossoms. Julia Sullivan 1212 Second Ave. S., Apt. 17 Moorhead, MN 56560-2966 PEN PALS. I am a 30-year-old wife and stay-at-home mom looking for pen pals. I enjoy sewing, gardening, reading, fishing and cooking. Jennifer McMullen 485 Shiloh Road McRae, AR 72102-9700 SEEDS. I am looking for Job’s Tears seeds, which grow on stalks similar to cane. Once mature, I use them to string jewelry. Linda Rector 3770 N. Brick Church Road Hagerstown, IN 47346-9606 NEW FRIENDS. I am a new subscriber to Grit. My daughter, Melody, is 31 and basically house-bound because of chronic health issues. She likes hummingbirds, lighthouses, albino animals, polar bears, cats…