Comments on: Turn Your Backyard Into a Snack Yard With Edible Landscapes

By: Succulent and Plants

Succulent and Plants — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 12:04:40 +0000

Thank you for the great article.
Growing your own food can be challenging yet very rewarding!

By: Melinda Hemmelgarn

Melinda Hemmelgarn — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 05:22:14 +0000

As a registered dietitian, and Board member of Beyond Pesticides, I advocate for replacing lawns with organic kitchen gardens and edible landscapes. Growing less grass and more vegetables, herbs, fruits, and native flowers beautifies our neighborhoods, adds value to our homes, and attracts birds and beneficial insects. Edible gardens also contribute to both mental and physical health, and provide science/nature education for children.
For years, I’ve nurtured my soil, and fed my family nourishing food just steps from my kitchen door. Then a new neighbor behind me, and two others down the street employed a lawn chemical service that uses a product called “Horsepower” (manufactured by Nufarm) which contains dicamba, an herbicide that kills broadleaf “weeds” and can easily drift onto neighboring yards. I lost my tomatoes, peppers, basil, kale, spinach, green beans and more this summer, all because a few people wanted a monoculture lawn.
What many people don’t realize is that lawn chemicals are toxic to more than targeted weeds – they disrupt soil microbes, poison air and water, and drift with wind. Children and pets are especially vulnerable to these toxins. And dicamba is especially problematic because in hot weather it can lift and move via “vapor drift.” “Horsepower” in particular has no warning label advising applicators not to use this product in hot weather. TruGreen (formerly Chemlawn) uses a product that contains both dicamba and 2,4-D. Most lawn service providers use products that contain one or both of these driftable chemicals. And these companies have an incentive to apply their chemicals often, because with each application, they can bill the homeowner. .
In response to the stench and damage from these chemicals, several neighbors have joined together to form a committee that both educates and encourages neighbors to ask questions and request organic alternatives. We are also helping neighbors recognize what herbicide drift damage looks like. The University of Minnesota has a helpful guide: https://extension.umn.edu/node/40266 And Beyond Pesticides has many helpful resources: http://www.beyondpesticides.org
It’s important to have civil conversations with neighbors, and try to build community resiliency around good food..

By: Rushid Stambuli

Rushid Stambuli — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 23:35:21 +0000

I’m interested in farming

By: Mamun

Mamun — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 05:10:36 +0000

Potato

By: Ezeh Ignatius Ikechukwu

Ezeh Ignatius Ikechukwu — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 09:12:40 +0000

Please educate me on modern mushroom farming methods. I am a Mushroom farmer from Nigeria. Help on getting an off taker / market for fresh and dried oyster mushroom will be appreciated.
Thanks.

By: Jeff Davidson

Jeff Davidson — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 03:28:08 +0000

Awesome, thanks I always wanted a garden that I can feed my family on. I was always thinking about breakfast and dinner but never thought of doing snacks and other foods like that.
great idea I can expand to the hole naborhood to getting involved.
thanks again

By: Judith A Gleco

Judith A Gleco — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 14:49:49 +0000

In reply to Beverly Borwick. How do you keep your neighbors dogs from using your beautiful food scape as a toilet.

By: Beverly Borwick

Beverly Borwick — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 23:19:41 +0000

WOW! I love the concept of an edible garden walk! To gladly share with family, friends and neighbors! Now that’s what I call a “Neighborhood”!

By: Claude LeBlanc

Claude LeBlanc — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 19:08:16 +0000

Looking forward to following