by Briscoe White | Dec 10, 2010 | Life on the Farm, Miscellaneous |
Now that fuel prices have risen to such high prices, heating a greenhouse has become an economic hardship. For twenty years we happily burned LP gas for heat and felt we were not only economical but also being kind to the atmosphere. As fuel prices began to increase a few years back, we began to explore new fuels to heat our greenhouses.
Being in a rural county in which logging is the second largest industry after farming, we knew wood was our fuel of choice. It requires some work, but wood costs have been about twenty percent of LP gas cost. The two things we had to get used to was stoking the furnace and getting used to the blue- black column of smoke rising from the nursery. It was hard for us to believe wood was more environmentally friendly than gas, which makes no visible exhaust.
Further research found on the Office for Resource Efficiency website, has proven that wood is better environmentally even if it does look worse. Wood carbon is already here with us where as fossil fuels are adding carbon that has been in deep storage for eons. LP gas is methane that is about twenty five times the greenhouse gas carbon is. Gas escapes to the atmosphere from the well to pilot lights and reeks havoc in the atmosphere. So even though it stinks and our clothes smell like wood smoke, it is the better fuel.
Lastly we had to reconcile our love of trees with the huge piles of wood we burn. We worked out a deal with a local logger where they cut the slash for us. Slash is the limbs and smaller trees that are normally left in the woods, so we feel we are not responsible for cutting trees just for us. This is not a perfect system but it does remind one of the old days. Fuel is cheap, so turn up the heat!
by Briscoe White | Dec 2, 2010 | Growing, Herbs, Life on the Farm, Miscellaneous |
Our seedlings are growing strong to ship to your door!
Temperatures are dropping outside and everyone is gearing up for the holidays, but here in the greenhouse, we’re thinking only of spring! Our slow-growing seedlings have been germinating and getting ready for weeks, and they’re just about ready to transplant and stretch their young roots. With help from our flat filler, thousands of new seedlings will soon move on up to their bigger pots!
Ino working hard in the greenhouse!
Slow-growing plants like Chives, Feverfew, White Sage and Vervain can take weeks, months, or even years (if it’s Bay) to mature enough for transplanting. Here at the Grower’s Exchange, we take our time with our young seedlings, patiently watering and waiting for the day when they can ship out to your door.
These little plants will be waiting and ready to be added to your garden in March. Stay tuned for growth updates!
by Briscoe White | Nov 22, 2010 | Containers, Indoor Gardening, Inspiration, Miscellaneous |
As the holidays quickly approach, we’ve started thinking about some of our favorite aromatic herbs that will help bring your home to life this season. It’s time to toss out those artificially scented candles and store bought fragrances and go all natural instead!
Hyssop
Hyssop has a long been popular for its warm anise fragrance. Used originally by the Ancient Greeks to cleanse their homes and temples of evil spirits and misfortune, Hyssop’s rich sweet smell continues to permeate homes across the world. A terrific medicinal herb as well, Hyssop has proven in modern medical trials that it may act as an herbal deterrent to symptoms of HIV. A member of the Mint family, Hyssop makes a wonderful addition to any wreath or centerpiece for an all natural perfume as inviting as the smell of holiday cooking!
Patchouli
Another cousin from the Mint family, Patchouli has been a friendly favorite well before Woodstock! Patchouli’s leaves are chocked full of its warm, earthy aroma and its essential oils are used by many as an herbal perfume. When warmed, these oils emit a stronger fragrance. Try dabbing a little on a cooled sixty watt light bulb, and once turned on, the smell of Patchouli will begin to heat and waft throughout your home! Patchouli oil also makes a great skin conditioner to help keep your skin soft and supple against abrasive winter winds. Try introducing this sweet scent of the Sixties to your family this holiday season by mixing it in with wreaths or centerpieces!
Sage
You may be familiar with tried and true Sage varieties that make great culinary companions like Garden Sage, but for gorgeous centerpieces and fragrant house plants, try planting Purple Sage! Slightly less aromatic than Garden Sage, Purple Sage makes up in beauty what it may lack in scent. With alternating green and purple leaves that grow more vibrant as cooler weather sets in, Purple Sage will make a terrific addition to any wreath or holiday decoration. The dusty purple contrasts nicely with Magnolia leaves, Evergreens and Hyssop and the faint scent of camphor will remind you of a home cooked meal.
Mint
For a more traditional holiday smell, celebrate the season with Mint! Used in many holiday drinks, Mint is an extremely fragrant herb that conjures memories of candy canes and visions of sugar plums. Whether added to hot chocolate, utilized in a savory centerpiece or just grown in a decorative pot or container, Mint makes a great holiday scent. The menthol in Mint’s essential oils will bring a cool, fresh breath to your home during those stuffy winter months. Try a modern twist on an old favorite herb and give the spicy Cuban Mojito Mint or lemon-scented Citrus Kitchen Mint a try!
Lemon Verbena
Lemon Verbena blends pleasantly with the Mentholated smell of Mint to really make your home smell cool and clean! Terrific in teas Lemon Verbena has a strong lemon scent that will remind you of Summer, all Winter long. Whether used in holiday decorations, family meals or just grown on a sunny window sill, Lemon Verbena will be a delight all season long. For a blend of citrus perfumes, try creating a tea or arrangement with Lemon Verbena and Citrus Kitchen Mint. Let sunny Lemon Verbena chase away the Winter blues!
by Herb Exchange | Nov 15, 2010 | Herbs, Miscellaneous, Recipes |
With dropping autumn temperatures, there’s nothing like a nice zesty dish to warm up your night. Give this recipe a whirl, utilizing three of our favorite herbs. It has quite a unique tang to it, combining lots of fresh mint and jalapeno peppers. If you prefer, this dish would also be great with chicken instead of tofu.
Vegetable Citrus Mint Stir Fry
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
3-4 Garlic Chives, minced
1 block firm or extra firm Tofu, well pressed
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
½ Onion, diced
1 Zucchini, chopped
4 stalks Lemon Grass, well minced in a food processor
2 tsp Sugar
½ tsp Salt
1 tbsp fresh Ginger, minced
1 Jalapeno, minced (or to taste)
1 ½ cups packed Citrus Kitchen Mint leaves
1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar (or White Wine Vinegar)
pre-cooked Rice
Preparation:
Sautee the garlic, tofu, red pepper, and onion for about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, and continue to cook until the veggies are soft and the tofu is golden brown.
Remove from heat.
For sauce, place the remaining ingredients (except rice) in a food processor and process until mint is finely minced.
Add sauce to the tofu and veggies and reheat, just until hot. Serve over rice.
by Kenan White | Oct 28, 2010 | Miscellaneous |
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt or 1/3 cut nonfat Greek Style yogurt
1/3 cup lowfat buttermilk
3 tlb mayonaise
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tlb finely chopped fresh Garlic Chives
Salt and Pepper
Mix ingredients, chill and enjoy with fresh veggies.
by Briscoe White | Sep 7, 2010 | Exploring, Inspiration, Miscellaneous |
Every wonder where that phrase comes from … read this!
A very attentive customer pointed out that we were quite adamant about NOT printing a catalog – we had really good reasons under our Facts and Questions Section on the website. Pretty impressive reasons.
But, wait, we do print a catalog .. huh?
So, you might ask: Why did you start printing a catalog?
Good question. And, we understand the question. There are costs to that glossy piece of print – expense to us and the environment. We held out for a long time but we did a cost – benefit analysis and then factored in the many requests we have gotten over the 3 years on the internet, and we decided that it was time. Being long-time gardeners, we know the anticipation waiting for a catalog to arrive in the mail. It’s cold outside, cloudy and cold, and there is nothing better than settling in with the newest plant catalog with its glossy promises of spring.
The negative points of a catalog are obvious – number of direct mail solicitations, the fact that over 95% of those contain almost no recycled content and the amount of trees used. However, on the other side is that we ONLY send catalogs to our customers and anyone else that makes a direct request. We figure that if you go to the trouble to call, write or email, you must really want one.
Our catalog uses 100% Post Consumer paper to print our catalog; we are using paper containing wood fiber that has been recuperated entirely from paper used by consumers through recycling programs and has been de-inked. The paper is FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council) meaning that the paper is 100% post-consumer content. The paper has been manufactured with no chlorine, and has been certified by the CFPA (Clorine Free Product Association) and has been processed using green energy – the gas used in the paper making process comes fro the decomposition of waste. Therefore, it is a BIOGAS product. Lastly, the paper is certified as a Permanent Paper meaning that it can resist aging fore more than 100 years and is certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). So, please do your part – if you really don’t want the catalog, PASS IT ON to a friend or neighbor. And if you must toss it, please recycle.
Here is what we do know:
50 percent of consumers polled by the Environmental Research Associates said they no longer buy a particular brand because the product, packaging or manufacturer is detrimental to the environment.
Here is what we want:
To protect our resources and provide our customers with all the information they need to make the right choice we constantly update our website to make sure that you have all that you need to make the right purchase from the right company! And, we want to give you the option of also ordering from a catalog that was printed and distributed the RIGHT way. We are really proud of our catalog and hope that they bring enjoyment to our friends!
And, contrary to popular belief, a little boiled crow ain’t bad …
