This year, I intend to use a garden seeder to assist with planting. I have spent a great deal of time deciding on what seeder to use. In fact, I’ve put this decision off for at least the past year as I could not make a decision. Since the cost of even the simplest seeder [...]
Many of the most useful vegetables are neglected in the majority of home gardens. Okra, Swiss Chard, Leeks, Brussels Sprouts, Scotch Kale, and Kohlrabi tend to be overlooked, yet they are all appetizing, healthy additions to the table, and require no special conditions to grow.
Okra
Okra, or gumbo, as it is invariably called in the [...]
Paramount to the agrarian lifestyle is frugality. Avoid debt, don’t buy new when used will do, make what you can yourself. In other words, be a good steward of your money. This applies to gas as well. But it doesn’t make a lot of sense to drive around town looking to save a nickel finding [...]
According to the results of the most recent Census of Agriculture, we may be witnessing the return to small, diversified, family farms. This article in US News and World Report indicates that new farming techniques make small farms more viable and demand for fresh organic food is increasing. With the current economic environment, it should [...]
When talking about self-sufficiency and zero inputs, the thoughts of most folks turn to organic farming, composting, natural growing methods, and raising your own food. But what about your energy inputs? If you run a vehicle or a tractor, what do you fuel it with.
The thought of fuel inputs has been on my mind as [...]
I have made a significant dent in the daunting task of ordering this year’s seed. I have put it off several times throughout the winter, primarily because we intend to expand our growing this year to include selling at farmer’s markets. This requires quite a bit more planning, especially because I don’t want to over-order [...]
The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden
In a style reminiscent of Erma Bombeck, Alexander takes on a hysterical journey through his “quest for the perfect garden.” I found myself unable to put this book down, [...]
I had every intention of getting this blog going last year. My mistake was setting it up in the spring when I was actually at the height of planting my garden. Then one thing led to another and, as anyone can plainly see, it was shelved. Well, it is high time to pull this idea [...]
Welcome to The Suburban Agrarian, a blog by Chad Butler.
This is not my first blog by any means. I have been involved in blogging for a number of years, going back to early 2003. My primary blog (http://butlerblog.com) focuses primarily on WordPress, its development, and the plugins I have developed for it. That is also [...]
