8 Tips when Attending the Mother Earth News Fair - Anywhere!

There is a bucket load of information at the Mother Earth News Fair! This was my 2nd year to attend. I have 8 tips for anyone attending the fair - anywhere - not just in Belton, Texas!


1. Have a written game plan before leaving the house! Go to their website and select your location.

2. Print out the schedule. Do this several days before the fair. Highlight the workshops you want to attend. Sometimes it’s a hard decision to make because of conflicting workshops! And don’t worry, there is enough time to get from one to the next unless you see something shiney along the way!

3. Print out the floor layouts (Belton has two different locations next door to one another - no driving involved). Circle the stage name and write the time of the workshop next to it. I also annotate if it’s in the “Round” building or outside (which Justin’s was outside on a cold windy cloudy day, but I would do it again)!

NOTE: For at least Belton, these 3 pieces of paper are invaluable to keep handy at all times! I find their actual program guide quite confusing. When you are in a rush to get from Point A to Point B, you don’t have time to figure out their guide!

4.  Pack a backpack (so ladies don't have to deal with a purse!) with “purse” essentials, a note pad, pen, water bottle, and maybe a snack (or two)! There are food vendors, but a bit pricey in my opinion. I’d rather spend the money elsewhere!

Once at the fair:

5. Find the stage location for your first workshop immediately! Get oriented with the layout. Only shop vendors that are close by until about 15 minutes prior to the workshop. Good seats fill up FAST!

6. Find the stage location for the next one and so on, find the stage location before shopping! Remember: the vendors will be there, but not the workshops!
               
7. Pick up business cards of products, techniques, and interests to follow up on the internet later... there is just not enough time!


8. Take pictures! This is one I took of a handsome guy named Spiderman!

              And this is a weaving loom I may build myself someday:

The following is what I did this year as I had no clue last year (my first year to attend). Preplanning made life much easier and went much smoother!

Oh, and next year I’ll leave earlier to drive the 68 miles one way (so worth it!) to make the 9:00 workshop! Had I left when I had intended, however, I would have made it... but we had “ice on the pumpkin” and it took some time for the windows to defrost!

Anyhoo... my day... I arrived in the parking lot right at 9:00! The workshop was already underway by the time I found the “stage” so I just picked up some literature, talked a bit with a Vietnam Veteran ~ after I welcomed him home ~ then went on my way. The workshop sounded interesting because I have no clue...

Surviving a Man-made or Natural Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)
David and Melodee Eishen

The workshops I did attend were amazing! I copied the descriptions from the program guide:

Introduction to Permaculture Gardening (10:00-11:00)
Nicholas Burtner – School of Permaculture Learn the basics of designing and building an ecosystemic permaculture garden. In this workshop, the School of Permaculture's Nicholas Burtner teaches how low-work methods can allow you to grow abundant and nutrient-rich foods (while working with nature, instead of against it). When you think about it, why work so hard? Understand the benefits of letting the pros (nature, that is) do the work!

(NOTE: His website is here.)

The Top 10 Things I Learned from the Great American Farm Tour (11:30-12:30)
Justin Rhodes – Abundant Permaculture What would you do if you weren’t afraid? After years of homesteading, the Rhodes family dared to ask that question. The answer led to a 50-state tour of the nation's greatest farms. Here are the key takeaways. They will change the way you look at your farm, while inspiring you to “just plant,” where you are.

(NOTE: I watched his tour as it happened via his Youtube channel! It was amazing!)

GROW UP! Elevate Your Garden Beds and Stop Being a Pain in Your Own Neck (2:00-3:00)
Shawna Coronado Since being diagnosed with osteoarthritis pain in 2015, Shawna Coronado has been learning tricks for how to reduce her chronic pain while in the garden. In this workshop, she teaches all the smart tips she knows. She shows full-color photos featuring her elevated bed gardens and teaches techniques on smart ways to grow at waist height. Learn how to grow a large volume of annual flowers, perennial plants, vegetables and herbs, and even succulents, all in a smaller space and while reducing stress on your joints and body. Stop being a pain in your own neck and back. Attend this class to get all the down low on growing up.

(NOTE: I saw her workshop last year on the "Wellness Garden" and her website is here.)

 By the time 4:00 rolled around, I just couldn’t stay for the 5:00 workshop as I was too tired by that time! But, it sounded right up my alley:

Companion Planting and Other Old Time Gardening Tips
Mike Nocks – White Harvest Seed Company Learn the pros and cons of companion planting, along with gardening practices from years ago.

(NOTE: I'll have to do some website reading on my own about White Harvest Seed Company)

I wish I hadn’t gone crazy at the Book Fair but it’s one of my weaknesses! I love to actually hold a book in my hands. So, I bought 2 signed books that I love, but I found out this morning I could have gotten a better price on Amazon! Oh well. Lesson learned! I was "in the moment."

101 Organic Gardening Hacks Eco-friendly Solutions to Improve any Garden

  and

Grow a Living Wall: Create Vertical Gardens with Purpose: Pollinators - Herbs and Veggies - Aromatherapy - Many More

I hope to see you at the Mother Earth News Fair in 2021!!!

Wicking Tub

I’ve been wanting to create a “wicking tub” (or four) for quite some time, but didn’t have the dirt! Now that I do, I worked on setting up my first one yesterday in between the blessed rain. I followed Sean's directions:



After drilling a couple of holes on the top and near the bottom of each jug, and drilling 3 holes about 6" up from the bottom of the tub, then cutting the PVC pipe at an angle, I was ready to fill it up with dirt.

But— I didn’t fill it all the way ~ yet ~ as the dirt is heavy mud right now after the 1.4" plus of rain we received! The few partial shovels of dirt I managed to get hadn’t been covered with the tarp. I thought it would shovel okay... nope, not for this woman!

Rather than putting store bought fertilizer in the mix as the youtube videos indicate, I will do the “lasagna method” of layering with kitchen scraps (that the chickens can’t eat), a tad of coffee grounds, some leaves, and a bit of shredded paper. This will all slowly decompose over the next couple of months. I won’t be planting anything until after our “last expected frost” date which happens to be April 1st. Even then, according to my maternal grandmother - an avid gardener - warned never to plant until after Easter. This year, Easter falls on April 12th. I wonder who will be correct - the Farmer’s Almanac or my grandmother?

If I do get overly anxious and plant according to FA, I will keep a close eye on the weather. If we expect freezing temps, then I will cover with the Garden Fabric Plant Cover I bought!

Side Note: I will be getting the soil tested, but results won’t be back until mid March. Until then, I’m winging it!

Got Dirt!

Yes! Delivered yesterday!

I now have a nice big pile of rich looking dirt! As it dumped out of the truck, it didn’t appear to have much rock mixed with the soil. This was/is a nice surprise knowing what the ground looks like around here!

I didn’t make it out to pick up the decomposed horse manure that I mentioned last time. That’s okay. I’ll use the readily available cow poop from our pasture! If I get super energetic, a neighbor invited me to get poop from Max the Horse!

With the predicted incoming rain over the next couple of days (we’ve received 1.4" so far today!), we covered the mound of dirt with a tarp. It will be a while before I can really start spreading it all out. That’s okay. We need the rain. Hopefully, in between downpours, I can get the newspapers and cardboard put in place. I truly believe/support the “no-dig” method of gardening! It worked wonderfully last year!

By the way, I’ve got “green” growing in the milk/water jugs from my winter sowing! All but 3 (the tomato seeds) have sprouted so far! Maybe by the time this rain spell is over all will be showing signs of life!
       
I even “sowed” an avocado pit yesterday - just to see what happens! It’s never worked for me before with the toothpick & water method. Of course, it hasn't yet sprouted!

Goodness... pulling weeds for the chickens is very easy this morning!

Planning the 2020 Garden

I know I must have lots of tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, onions, and garlic planted for our homemade hot sauce. That’s a given.

As I mentioned last time, I ordered and have received a variety of seeds. Some for us, some for the chickens, some for the bees. Most of the ones for bees are also “eye candy” for me, to make my heart happy. Honestly, everything/anything that grows makes my heart happy!

I know I went a little overboard with buying sunflower seeds... four different types! It’s okay to call me obsessed. In my defense, what better specimen could I grow that one can see the Fibonacci sequence? I’m thrilled I went overboard because of all the benefits sunflowers bring to the dirt and birds and bees and me! It was interesting to read the Fun Facts About Sunflowers!

Speaking of dirt... I need dirt! I need good soil because more than last year, I’m planning raised beds - due to the armadillos! So, I’ve ordered 6 yards of soil that will arrive Monday - weather permitting! It’s coming from “a pit on a creek in an old hay field” which should be good rich dirt! I also found a nice pile of decomposed horse manure I’m picking up on Sunday - as much as we can load! Mixing the two should make a nice growing medium for the upcoming garden.

I’m looking at lots of work between now and April 1st (our last expected frost date)! I can hardly wait!

Soon to Sow!

Yesterday, the seed starting soil arrived! So much for our “Amazon Day” because it wasn’t scheduled to get here until today! I’ll take it!

Then I went crazy this morning shopping online at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds! I can hardly wait to get the seed packets!!! This is what I ordered...

Abe Lincoln Original Tomato  SKU: TM260
Bonny Best Tomato SKU: TM181
Classic Beefsteak Tomato SKU: TM111
Plantain - Purple Perversion SKU: HB275
Dwarf Coral Garden Mix Cockscomb SKU: FL266
Lemon Queen Sunflower SKU: FL722
Arikara Sunflower SKU: FL736
Mongolian Giant Sunflower SKU: FL721
Gold Ring Sunflower SKU: FL727
Old Homestead SKU: BN105
Superschmelz or Giant White Kohlrabi SKU: KL103
Red of Florence Onion SKU: ON103
Sugar Snap Pea SKU: SN106
Red Malabar Spinach SKU: SP107
Komatsuma Spinach Mustard SKU: OR102
Yellow Scallop Squash SKU: SSQ108

The goal today is to prep the milk & water jugs I’ve collected, and from the friends that have collected for me! I will soon make another trip to gather from others as I know I don’t have near enough on hand.

In my last article, I explained the “winter sowing” technique I’m planning to do. It’s getting to be that time - finally!

I have a few seed packets left over from Botanical Interests I ordered last year I can work on while waiting for the “rare seeds”!!!!

I double checked our expected last freeze date from the Farmer’s Almanac resource.

I also ordered from Amazon a Frost Blanket Cover because I learned last year, sheets don’t cut it! The Greenhouse Hoops will keep the fabric from touching the plants. And, I did get the clips to keep the fabric secured against our winds.
 

Because of the blasted armadillos, I will have to have more raised beds... but that’s another story for another day.

Happy Gardening! 

Winter Sowing

At our last Garden Club meeting, a member mentioned, “Winter Sowing” and briefly explained the milk jug concept. Then she said, “Do a Google!” Oh my. When life allowed a few days later I did just that!

Of the various YouTube channels I watched, one highly recommended using oil-based Sharpie pens to note the type of seeds and when sowed. She claims they will not rub off the plastic! Last year I used “regular” Sharpies and made - what I thought were cute - plant labels from cutting up milk jugs. After a few times of getting wet (from the little rain we received) the writing simply disappeared! I’ll try the oil based Sharpies (I had never heard of them before!) and hopefully they will stay!

Another creator shared how she uses string tied to the milk jug’s handle. She annotates in her journal one string = a certain type of seed, two strings another, and so on. I’m not excited with that labeling method!

I found the Juicing Gardner on YouTube and she shares numerous tips using all sorts of jugs, and also about in-ground planting using all sorts of containers for domes!

Last month I began requesting FREE seed catalogs from companies! The most impressive catalog came from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds! It’s more like a book - 146 pages worth! I HIGHLY recommend this one!!!

 Their website is amazing! Of course one can order directly from their website, but there is another level of contentment sitting in a comfortable chair, holding the catalog in your hands, going through it page by page! It’s what I love to do on a cold winter day! 

I’ve seen The Whole Seed Catalog on the shelf at Walmart, but never looked at it closely to know it is also from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds until I saw it on their website!

I received the FREE catalog in the mail several weeks before Jessica of Roots and Refuge Farms shared on YouTube a 3 part series touring their place!

           
Simply amazing!

This makes me excited to do winter sowing! And now I must make the decisions... oh which ones to sow!

What would you grow?

Dairy Goats?

While visiting the Heritage Homestead over in Waco I sampled fresh Goat Cheese with a hint of orange and ginger. It was amazing! I didn’t think I liked anything goat. I’ve reached out for anyone local selling homemade cheese to no avail.

The Homestead Craft Village is such a lovely place Momma & I will visit again - by ourselves - when it’s not a cold rainy windy day.

For a few days I silently pondered adding a dairy goat to the mix. I considered different things like where could I graze her/him, and the resulting babies. How much space would they need, what breed would be best, what type of structure would be needed, etc. Then I decided to watch some YouTube videos on how to milk a goat.

It’s not often I say to myself, You are just too old to start raising dairy goats! This is certainly one of those times!

But... I had already joined some Facebook groups. I’ve learned a lot... like the mini breeds, and came across this sweet face at Rural Space Ranch (not too far from here either)!

Tugging my heart!

We’ll see... it’s not over.

Maybe when I hit 70!