The Coeur d'Alene Coop

Raising Chickens and Urban Gardening

Recipes from the 2nd Street Chicken Ranch

Simple and Delicious Heirloom Tomato Tart Recipe

Simple and Delicious Heirloom Tomato Tart Recipe

It’s definitely tomato-time! The vines at the 2nd Street Chicken Ranch are heavy with tomatoes — of all sizes and…
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Roasting Tomatoes, Grilling and Freezing Too!

Roasting Tomatoes, Grilling and Freezing Too!

Mamma Mia! We have an abundance of paste-type tomatoes at the Second Street Chicken Ranch. Thankfully, there are several easy…
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Garlic Scapes – A Simple Pesto Recipe

Garlic Scapes – A Simple Pesto Recipe

The Great Garlic Scape Last fall I planted about 50 bulbs of Spanish Roja garlic — a hard neck variety…
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How to Make Chive Blossom Vinegar

How to Make Chive Blossom Vinegar

The chive blossoms at the 2nd St. Chicken Ranch are outstanding this year.  I have several clumps of chives that…
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Cinco de Mayo Pesto

Cinco de Mayo Pesto

The May 2011 issue of Bon Appetit has a great recipe for Chive Pesto.  In addition to chives it also calls for…
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Got Green Tomatoes? This Recipe Takes the Cake

Got Green Tomatoes? This Recipe Takes the Cake

I’m still plucking pinkish-orange tomatoes out from under their plastic cocoon, but I also know the abundance of greenies hanging…
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I am a strong advocate for NOT tilling the garden. Why would you want to destroy all those good and necessary microbes and worms? While it may seem like you are fluffing the soil, you are in fact, eliminating the necessary air and water pockets and further compacting the soil. If you don't think these are reason enough, rototilling brings MILLIONS of dormant weed seeds to the surface -- and who needs that??SOIL AS HABITAT — RETIRE YOUR ROTOTILLERHumans have been plowing and tilling the soil long before recorded history. Convincing farmers and gardeners to ditch the plow and retire the rototiller is not easy. It now appears, however, that science is telling us to do just that. Most years in mid-January I attend a two-day agricultural workshop sponsored by WSU or another regional university. Because of COVID, this year I opted for virtual training from the Soil Science of America. I usually come away from these intensive sessions like a junior high kid returning from church camp — wanting to share all the things I learned. These conferences are beginning to sound repetitive, however, and that’s a good thing. As science advances it has become clear that soil health largely depends upon providing enough carbon for the trillions of microorganisms that do the heavy lifting in providing an environment that can sustain the soil’s ability to grow healthy plant material. And that means we need to change our ways of doing things:• Most importantly ditch the rototiller. It destroys soil structure which affects the soil’s ability to provide sufficient pore space for the exchange of gases, increases the chance of erosion, and accelerates the rate of decomposition of organic matter. All of these issues deplete a soil’s ability to sustain a healthy population of microorganisms.• Rotate crops in your vegetable garden and try to plant legumes in each area every three years for added soil nitrogen. This will also attract nitrogen-fixing bacteria now appears, however, that science is telling us to do just that. s the rate of decomposition of organic matter. All of these issues deplete a soil’s ability to sustain a healthy population of microorganisms.• Provide plenty of organic matter by raising cover crops, mulching (ideally with homemade compost), and by not removing last season’s roots if possible. Obviously, keeping last season’s roots is not always practical but don’t be afraid to “drill” your new seeds into plant debris left in the soil. Adding this organic matter provides food for the microorganisms.• Avoid compaction of any kind especially when the soil is wet.• Do not over-fertilize. Healthy soils need few nutrient inputs beyond the organic matter provided as a result of cover crops, mulching, and keeping roots. Mineral fertilizers provide no food for microorganisms and excess applications can become toxic to many species.MBS ... See MoreSee Less

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