Skip to main content

Posts

Archives

Filter

Banana plant on last night in Florida
Iowa

From Florida to The Funny Farm

Goodbye Florida I know, I know. You have questions. Did we really say we moved from Florida to a Funny Farm in Iowa? Why in…
Heirloom apples picked from Seed Savers Exchange orchard, Iowa
FOOD!Iowa

Heirloom Apples of Seed Savers Exchange

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the heirloom apple orchards of Seed Savers Exchange this fall. Their orchards hold hundreds of heirloom…
Poison hemlock, dug out of the ground
PLANTS!Weeds

Kill Hemlock Organically

If you read my previous post on massacring hemlock, you will remember that I became the owner of a large poison hemlock grove last year.…
Old bloodhound examining flooded acreage in Sioux County, IA
Iowa

Flooded Dreams

This year started like most others for our family, with big dreams. We had no idea that they would end up as flooded dreams. We…
Heirloom apple tree in bloom
IowaPLANTS!

Grumpy Pants Plants’ Heirloom Apple Orchard

Below are varieties that we are currently growing in our heirloom apple orchard. Unless otherwise noted, these are young grafted trees that we hope will…
Asparagus, chickpeas, and baby bella mushrooms
IowaPLANTS!

How to Grow Purple Passion Asparagus

Thank you for supporting our small family farm! This post will detail how to grow your new Purple Passion asparagus plants. Purple Passion is sweeter…
Mushrooms

What Do Plastic Eating Mushrooms Eat?

What do plastic eating mushrooms (pestalotiopsis microspora) eat? If you Google this question, you'll likely find one of many websites describing a 2011 study from…
Black turmeric rhizomes (curcuma caesia) on a hand-thrown stoneware plate
IowaPLANTS!

Can Turmeric Grow in Iowa?

Perhaps you love growing your own fresh herbs and spices. Maybe you were inspired on a recent trip to a tropical location. Perhaps you simply…
Contaminated (right and bottom) and clean (left) lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) clones in petri dishes
Mushrooms

Contaminated Lion’s Mane Clones

If you are new to cloning lion's mane mushrooms (hericium erinaceus), you may wonder how to distinguish between healthy mycelium growth and contamination. The goals…
Variety of ripe pumpkins on wooden spool
Making MoneyPLANTS!

Profit From A Roadside Stand

Picture this: you plant a garden that produces far more tomatoes (or other vegetables/fruits) than your family could ever eat. You could spam your coworkers…
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) stem and seedpods in a black plastic trash bag
PLANTS!

Safely Massacre Hemlock

This post details how you can safely massacre hemlock that you find in your own yard while avoiding mistakes I made!
Weed with wilted leaves after use of backpack flame weeder
PLANTS!Weeds

You Need a Backpack Flame Weeder

Tired of hand-weeding your garden? You need a backpack flame weeder. Learn how they work and why you want one here!
All American Sterilizer
Mushrooms

All-American Sterilizer for Mushroom Production

Sterilization of Substrate for Mushroom Production The All-American Sterilizer is touted as the gold standard for home mushroom production. If you're looking into growing your…