Community Steward
Useful writing on growing food, preserving it, sharing it, and keeping more life local.
6/29/2026
Sweet potatoes need heat, time, and a different approach than most garden crops. This guide walks you through growing slips, planting timing for Zone 7a, care, harvest, and the curing process that turns them into all-year pantry food.
6/28/2026
A practical guide to growing onions in Zone 7a, from understanding day length and choosing varieties through planting, growing, harvesting, and storing your harvest.
6/28/2026
A practical guide to growing onions in Zone 7a, from understanding day length and choosing varieties through planting, growing, harvesting, and storing your harvest.
6/27/2026
A practical guide to growing garlic in Zone 7a. Learn hardneck vs softneck varieties, fall planting timing, seasonal care, harvest and curing, and storage that lasts until next fall.
6/27/2026
A practical guide to growing garlic in Zone 7a. Learn hardneck vs softneck varieties, fall planting timing, seasonal care, harvest and curing, and storage that lasts until next fall.
6/26/2026
A practical guide to growing winter squash in Zone 7a, from choosing varieties and planting timing to dealing with squash vine borers, curing, and storing your harvest through winter.
6/25/2026
A practical guide to growing cabbage in Zone 7a. Learn variety selection, planting timing, seasonal care, common problems, and how to harvest and store your heads through winter.
6/21/2026
Carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, and parsnips: a beginner guide to planting, caring for, and storing root vegetables in Zone 7a.
5/23/2026
Growing Onions for the Home Garden: Your First Crop From Seed to Storage Onions are one of the most practical vegetables a beginner can grow. They require almost no special equipment, they grow in containers and raised beds as well as in-ground plots, and once harvested they will store for months in a pantry without electricity or refrigeration.
4/15/2026
Food drying is one of the oldest preservation methods and one of the simplest. Learn how to dry fruits, vegetables, and herbs at home using either a dehydrator or your oven.