Urban Farm Hub

Making great pickles is easy! Here’s what you need:

Kosher or pickling salt

A few grape leaves for crunchy pickles.

Fresh cucumbers with the blossom end cut off to prevent softening.

Garlic

Dill

Pack grape leaves, cucumbers, dill and garlic into clean jars and cover with brine solution.

Cover and let the pickles sit until the desired level of fermentation is reached. They will be cloudy and bubbly.

It usually takes 5 to 10 days for pickles to ferment enough for a good, snappy taste. At this point you can put them in the fridge. They’ll continue to ferment but much more slowly.

Nearly done!

How do you know if a plant might make a good dye? Rub it between your fingers and see if it stains. If it does give it a try!

To help the dye “bite” the yarn or fabric you need to use a mordant. Pickling alum is one I like to use; easy to find and non-toxic. Different mordants will give various shades so try a few!

Use the least processed, non-machine washable wool you can find. If it’s been treated it won’t take dye well.

Believe it or not this is grey from bright red day lillies!

Oregon Grape – I’ve just tried the berries but I’ve read the leaves and roots can be used for a yellow dye.

Purple from Oregon Grape with alum mordant.

Oregon Grape

Deep yellow from mature dock seeds.

Pale green from fennel

Walnut

I used some alum but due to the natural tannin in the walnuts a mordant isn’t needed. The color is fairly long lasting and it’s a good idea to wear gloves!

Walnut stewing

Mulberry from Richland, WA.

Here’s wool dyed with mulberry. The different colors result from longer and shorter times in the dye bath.

Lady’s Bedstraw

Here’s the color when the roots are used.

Here’s the color produced from using the flowers with an alum mordant.

Tansy makes a nice yellow and it’s a noxious weed so no guilt in picking it!

Bracken fern

Tansy in the middle and Bracken fern on each side.

Bracken in a cast iron pot.



Ruby glowing tart currant jelly is one of my favorites. This year we had enough berries to make a bit of this luscious treat.

Currants

Cook berries over low heat, mashing to extract juice.

Done

Put berry mash on a tea towel suspended over a bowl and let juice drip through for at least 8 hours. Resist the temptation to squeeze the bag as this will cloud the jelly.

Measure the juice then put the liquid and an equal amount of sugar in a pot and cook until it thickens. It’s important to stir constantly or it will quickly burn.

Pour into jars. Jelly will set as it cools.

Have you ever wondered where the name rosary comes from? Originally the beads were made from rose petals!

Here’s how you can make your own scented beads.

Pick lots of petals. They don’t need to be fresh but a strong scent will result in more perfumed beads.

It’s ok to collect petals over a few days.

Put petals in a blender with water and blend until they are a fine purée. The smoother the blend the smoother the final beads.

Next step is to evaporate off enough water to make a moldable clay. I used a crockpot but you can also use the oven on a very low heat. High heat destroys the odor.

Ready clay pulls away from the side and is easy to shape.

Beads will shrink to half their size. I used a nail to make the hole for stringing.

Drying beads. Turn them each day or dry them on a screen. Some got moldy on the side touching the mat.

Finished necklace! The beads smell wonderful and body heat releases more perfume. Beads may stain clothing so do be careful what you wear them with.

Image via Pexels

By Maria Cannon

Gardening used to be a way of life. Even if they weren’t farmers by trade, most people had to grow their own food in order to ensure they had enough to eat throughout the year. Children learned to till, sow, harvest, and preserve as soon as they were old enough because, in many cases, their family’s life truly depended on how well the garden grew.

In the past few decades, food has become less expensive and easier to access. We certainly don’t have to grow our own food anymore, with grocery stores and fast food restaurants on every corner. We enjoy a bigger variety of food than ever, and most of it is available year-round. On top of that, urban areas are expanding, houses are getting closer together, and a lot of people don’t have land for a traditional garden. As a result, tending a garden has fallen out of fashion. 

But like the old adage says, “What is old will become new again,” and the home garden is making a comeback. Farmer’s markets are popping up in every town, and people are finding ways to grow their own fruits, veggies, and herbs instead of buying them at the local superstore. Why? As it turns out, gardening offers many amazing benefits, only one of which is healthy, delicious food.  

First, gardening is earth friendly. If you’re looking for a way to “go green,” growing your own food is a great place to start. Food you buy at the store requires more resources to grow and transport than food you grow at home. When you garden with sustainability in mind, you can reduce your water usage, fuel consumption, and overall carbon footprint since plants naturally absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Moreover, a garden is the perfect place to use food scraps as compost and recycled rainwater for irrigation. Gardens also naturally attract beneficial insects like honeybees. 

Gardening builds community. Back in the day, fresh food from the garden was a valuable commodity. Everyone knew who in town grew the best tomatoes, okra, green beans, and cucumbers, and you could sell, barter, or trade your food for just about anything you needed. In the south, it’s still not uncommon for a friend, family member, or neighbor to stop by and drop off a bag of summer squash the size of footballs or more sweet, red tomatoes than you can count. While social interaction may be a simple side effect of gardening, it’s one of the pastime’s most important benefits. In rural and urban areas alike, groups are even coming together to plant and maintain community gardens in order to combat hunger and improve access to fresh, healthy food.  

On top of all that, gardening is good for you. All the digging and squatting and walking around the garden gets your heart rate up, improves dexterity in your hands, and gives you a healthy dose of Vitamin D. Because it’s physically demanding, gardening counts towards your weekly activity goals. Some studies have indicated people who garden have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke and a stronger immune response. Of course, having a variety of fresh, healthy food at your fingertips isn’t bad either. Eating food free of preservatives, pesticides, and artificial additives is known to promote good health. 

Last but definitely not least, gardening is fun. We all know hobbies are good for your mental health, and gardening is one of the most popular ways to enjoy your free time. In addition to being just plain enjoyable, all that time in the garden leads to lower levels of stress hormones, improved mood, and a sense of satisfaction. In short, gardening makes you happy, and it may even help ward off depression and lower your risk of dementia later in life. 

While growing your own food is no longer a necessity, the benefits of gardening are still numerous, and a new generation of gardeners is emerging to take advantage of them.