Currants In The Home Garden

Closeup of Black Currant (Ribes nigrum) berries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)I've decided to stick with berries for another day - in honor of my berry monsters. Today I'm going to share about a berry that we love to find growing in the wild - currants!

As hot and dry as the Dakota prairies can be during summer, the adjacent Black Hills are cool and surprisingly moist. Many of our family hikes take us along creeks in the Hills, which also happens to be the habitat in which currants grow best.

Currants are next to impossible to find fresh commercially, and for many years they were outlawed from home gardens due to their role in the spread of white pine blister rust. The ban on growing currants was lifted in 1966, but it's still pretty rare to find home gardeners cultivating this delicious berry.

Currant bushes are fairly tolerant in terms of cultivation, but they must have moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil or they won't thrive and certainly won't set fruit. They prefer full sun, but will tolerate some shade provided that they're not grown in a chilly depression of land.

Black currants, like other dark berries, are high in antioxidants and vitamin C. Red, white and even pink currant bushes are also available but these tend to be more decorative. Don't get me wrong, these bushes also produce healthy berries, but if you want the biggest health benefits, grow black currants.

In the past, currants enjoyed widespread use in jams, jellies, wines and cordials. Our family's favorite way to eat currants (other than right off the bush during a hike) is dried and added to warm or cold cereals. Dried currants can also be added to baked goods or boiled with apples and other berries for a delicious winter fruit compote.

We're not sure yet if we're going to try to grow currants at Rainbow's Acre. The property is pretty dry and lacking in moist places (unless we create some with swales) plus we are able to gather what our family needs from the wild. It may be something that we consider in the future though.

What about you? Are you interested in growing currant bushes?

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B Is For Baby

Blueberry Plant (Photo credit: cagrimmett)B is for baby, and mine is sick. I had planned to write a well-researched post today about broccoli, or maybe bush beans or blueberries. Instead, I've devoted my day to taking care of my youngest, who is down sick with a bad cold.

You see, the best part of being a green mama is well, being a mama.

My baby is my third, and last child. I love them all to bits, but, being the last one, I'm watching this one grow with a bittersweet joy, knowing I'll never have another baby to take care of.

So please forgive my absence, tomorrow I hope to be back to tell you all about carrots, or maybe cardoon. But today, my baby needs me.

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Aronia: The Superfood You May Not Know About

Aronia Berries (Photo credit: outdoorPDK)

One of the main goals of Rainbow’s Acre is to grow foods that are yummy enough to appeal to the kids and also provide our family with the greatest health benefits. 

Another goal is to grow fruits and vegetables from every color of the rainbow, in keeping with the recommendation by nutritionists that we eat foods in a variety of colors for optimal health.

This month, I’m participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge. I’m going to spend April blogging about some of the plants we’re planning to grow at Rainbow’s Acre, from Aronia to Zucchini. 

Today’s post is about a superfood you’ve probably never heard of – aronia berries. Everyone who is eating blueberries for the health benefits take note – aronia berries score higher on many counts such as ORAC value and flavonoid content, making these fruits one of the best antioxidants on the planet.

Aronia berries contain more quinic acid (the compound that fights UTIs) than cranberries. This little pea-sized berry packs a punch, combining the best of blueberries, cranberries and blackberries in one fruit. 

So why aren’t aronia berries more popular? For those who are used to a high sugar diet, this deep purple fruit can taste somewhat tart. If tartness is an issue for you when eating the berries raw, try mixing them with sweeter fruits such as raspberries, blackberries or blueberries. 

Or try freezing – this process reduces tannins which in turn naturally sweetens the berries. And speaking of those natural tannins – it is just this property that makes aronia berries a popular additive in juices and wines, particularly grape and apple. The high tannin content improves the color and flavor of the resulting product.  

Aronia berries are small and easy to dry - just protect them from birds if you dry the fruits outdoors. The dried berries can be added to hot or cold cereal and enjoyed throughout the year. Or try adding the dried fruits to black or herbal teas. 

Aronia (Aronia melancarpa) is an easily grown, low-maintenance, fast growing bush that reaches about six feet in height. The bush tolerates a wide range of conditions and soils, and is very insect and disease resistant. Aronia is native to North America and can be grown in most temperate climates.

The bush produces dainty white flowers in May. Berries mature in the fall.

Each mature bush can produce between 36-38 pounds of fruit per year.  To put that into perspective, the average American only eats about eight pounds of berries (of all types) each year.

If you plan to add aronia berries to your diet, one bush might suffice for a family of five. At Rainbow’s Acre we’re going to plant three bushes for our family of five though as we’re all berry monsters. 

So, what do you think? Are you ready to give aronia berries a try?  

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Green Mama Is Going Country!

Working in the Garden (Photo credit: Chiot's Run)Well friends, it looks like our days of urban farming in a rental house are coming to an end. No, wait, this is a good thing - we're in the process of buying a house! A house on an acre of land just outside city limits, where the Green Mama and her family can garden in a much bigger way than we have been.

We call the house Rainbow's Acre, a name inspired by our six-year old daughter whose favorite color is rainbow. She is a rainbow! I'll post some pictures of the rainbow girl so you can see what I mean.

We think the name fits well because we plan to squeeze as much diversity out of our acre as we can - no monoculture here, we plan to grow fruits, vegetables, herbs and nuts in every hue.  Oh yes, and chickens too. With bread baked in an adobe oven.


I'm excited and happy to share our plans with you as  they unfold. We close on the house in two weeks, after which you can expect to see us going to work. It's spring in South Dakota, the perfect time to start making our growing dreams a reality.

Now that spring is here, what are your gardening plans? I'd love to hear about them!

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Small Turbines Bring Wind Power Home

Image via WikipediaWind speed varies by and from season to season. Wind is strongest in cold-weather months when electricity demand is also at its peak, so variability tends to mirror demand.

Fortunately for the small or hobby farmer, many of the best wind sites are in remote locations. Good sites for wind farms are the tops of hills, open plains, shorelines, and mountain gaps that cause wind to be funneled through a ravine.

The states with the most wind production are Texas, California, Iowa, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. The states with the most wind energy potential are North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Texas, and Kansas.

North Dakota alone has the potential to produce enough wind-generated power to meet more than one-fourth of U.S. demand.

Wind farms produce no pollution, greenhouse gases or toxic wastes. Wind is renewable, reliable and efficient and now affordable. It is compatible with other land uses and can boost rural economic development for farmers who lease their land.

Wind energy offsets emissions from other energy sources. In 2006, US wind turbines offset 30 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, 76,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 36,000 tons of nitrogen oxides by generating clean electricity.

Even if turbine production is included in assessing wind energy's "footprint", it still has 99% less CO2 emissions than coal and 98% than natural gas.

Ready to learn more? Read the rest here

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Recipes Using Vegetables From the Garden

Image via WikipediaAre you reluctant to start a vegetable garden? Does the idea of finding ways to use up all of those vegetables leave you cold? Or even worse, are you convinced that you don't like vegetables?

Well, never fear. If you've eaten supermarket produce your whole life, then you most likely don't know what what vegetables truly taste like. Trust me, the two don't even compare.

If you're feeling hesitant because you don't know what to do with veggies that come from the garden and not from a can, never fear. This lens will show you what to do with what you grow.

And if you have too much produce to use, you might consider bartering with your neighbors or selling at your local farmer's market.

What to learn more? Read on here

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Improving Your Soil Naturally

Image via WikipediaManufacturers of chemical fertilizers would have you believe that you can't grow plants successfully without the use of their products. So what exactly are chemical fertilizers? Mostly waste products from the petroleum industry.

Chemical fertilizers contain different ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Unfortunately, this disregards all of the micronutrients present in healthy soil. Some chemical fertilizers have been found to have a negative impact on the microorganisms that thrive in a healthy soil.

In 1997, the Seattle Times newspaper began a series of investigative articles that found hazardous and radioactive wastes being added to chemical fertilizers. This waste, when added to the soil, can be taken up by plants and enter the bodies of people or animals who eat these plants.

Organic fertilizers may take a little bit of effort and a little bit of time, but in the long run by using natural fertilizers you'll be doing yourself and the environment a favor.

Want to learn more? Read more here

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Wildcrafting On The Homestead

Image via WikipediaWildcrafting is gathering or gleaning plants found in the wild for food, medicine crafts or other purposes. Humans have practiced wildcrafting since time immemorial, but you may be surprised to find out that there are many people who wildcraft even today, including a growing segment of the population who wildcraft in urban areas.

How is this possible? Familiarize yourself with common edible species that grow in your area then take a look around. You may be surprised to find that even in a major city you may be surrounded by edible plants growing right under your nose. If you do plan to wildcraft in an urban area, be sure that you have permission to glean - particularly on private property.

The easiest way to get started with wildcrafting is to pick up a book that identifies plants that grow in your area or to take a class in wildflower, tree or mushroom identification from a local college or extension office.

Want to learn more? Read the rest here

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How To Build and Use A Solar Oven

Image by BreadnBadger via FlickrSolar ovens are cheap and easy to make and operate. I have been using solar ovens for two decades now, constructed from not much more than cardboard boxes and aluminum foil.

Cardboard ovens don't last forever, but they're so easy to make that I don't mind have to replace my old one every couple years.

I have even made a solar oven from an old pizza box, aluminum foil and saran wrap in a pinch. These are definitely not durable, but great to use in the short-term such as during a picnic or when you're camping. Just think, no stinky charcoal or lighter fluid to lug along!

For those who are looking for something that will last a long time (or if you simply don't have the time or temperment to make your own solar cooker, there are many commercial models available for purchase.

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Growing Vegetables on the Homestead

Image via WikipediaAre you interested in growing your own vegetables? Welcome to the club! There is a growing movement of people who are growing their own produce.

There are many reasons for this, including the desire for affordable organic foods, to step away from the "factory farming" model which gives us few choices and has an enormous (negative) impact on the environment, to bring food dollars home, or simply to be able to savor fresh, chemical-free, homegrown vegetables again.

Across the country, people are growing their own food in pots on the patio, in raised beds in the back yard, in plots at their local community garden or on the windowsills of their apartment.

Young and old, urban and rural, people are flocking back to edible gardening. Ready to join the movement? Read on here

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