July 1st, 2011
Is There A Fungus Among Us?
The roller coaster weather pattern we experienced this spring switched back to prolonged wet and chilly weather last week. While the moisture was needed as soils were quite dry, the constant wetness creates ideal conditions for disease causing organisms. Disease causing organisms are natural inhabitants of the soil and infect grass plants when the environmental conditions are favorable or the plants become weakened by poor growing conditions. The pathogen is favored by warm, humid weather, wet or compacted soil, drought stress, and low mowing heights.
The spores of these parasitic forms of plant life are spread by wind, air, water, animals, people, insects and mowing.
Important steps to manage plant diseases include proper soil preparation, proper selection of grass seed including ones with a natural genetic resistance to diseases, and application of proper cultural practices.
If you have a fungus, spraying now with Dr. Earth Natural & Organic Fungicide effectively combats a broad spectrum of fungal diseases found in your lawn, on your vegetables, flowers & shrubs. Dr. Earth can be used both as a foliar spray for your plants or a soil drench for your lawn & trees.
Once you have sprayed the fungicide, you should then fertilize your lawn & your plants with Fire Belly Bio-Blast to reintroduce beneficial mycorrhizal fungi.
Healthy soils that have the ability to fight off disease causing pathogens increase the chances of plant survival and thus control the pathogens so they will not multiply in great numbers. Beneficial microbes fill up the available spaces in the soil so that pathogens cannot become established and destroy healthy plants.
Most lawns recover with changes in environmental conditions and proper cultural practices. For severe cases due to poor soil, poor grass selection, or excessive thatch, the best solution may be renovation. Please give us a call with any questions or to schedule a courtesy consultation for a lawn renovation.
planting for the future.
-By Maggie Oldfield Thayer Nursery
March 11th, 2011
It’s What He Does With Them That Is Impressive!
This Week’s featured member is Al’s Backwoods Berrie Co.! Read all about his passion for fresh, local & seasonal products in our stonesoup sundays blog!
March 1st, 2011
Try some amazing treats from Jack’s Cookie Jar this week at stonesoup sundays @ the farm! This Sunday March 6, 2011 Jack’s Cookie Jar will be our featured member. You can read all about his treats and what sparked his career change on our new stonesoup sundays blog!
February 17th, 2011
Andy Pollock is a self-described “midlife farmer”, whose family bought Silverbrook Farm in 1953, when Dartmouth MA was considered “way out in the country” and agricultural. After picking up his undergraduate degree from Penn State and then his MBA from the University of Maine, Andy bought a house a few towns away, worked on the business side of medicine and eventually, became a partner in a medical services company.
After a few years, Andy sold his business, and he and his wife moved back to Silverbrook where he repaired, cleared fields, replanted orchards and brought the land back into production.
With each year, the Pollock family added greenhouses, a well, a grain silo, and a new roof for the barn, plus new and newer equipment. You get the picture. Andy watched the farm expand as he and his family rented more land and added more outlets for their products.
Andy’s commitment to his farm and his employees is but one part of his greater commitment to the larger agricultural community. Forming partnerships with other local farms is key in his business plan – by providing outlets for other farms through his many business and co-marketing endeavors, he’s hoping to bring prosperity to many farms.
We’re proud to have Andy Pollock and Silverbrook Farm at stonesoup sundays @ the farm and share with him in his commitment to continue to find ways of cooperation with other local organizations to reduce waste and improve the sustainability of our local farms.
Andy thinks that his parents would be proud of his accomplishments. And so do we.
Come sample the delights of Silverbrook Farm on Sunday from 10:30-3:30.
February 2nd, 2011
Burnin’ Love Sauces, a company whose goal is to bring fresh ideas and flavors to the table, is owned and operated by Gregg and JoAnn Marsh, of Dorchester. After many years in the restaurant business, the couple set out to share their favorite flavors and creations with everyone, and created the company. The recipes have come from Gregg’s personal collection which he has built over the last 20 years. They are tried and true favorites.
The company’s four sauces will be available at the market for those pre-game drills and practices that are so much a part of the warm up to the big game.
“We use fresh local ingredients,” said Joann, “and we are always working on new flavors and ideas. These sauces are perfect for Super Bowl party items, perfect on ribs, wings and chili.”
Some of the favorites are Heartbreak Sauce, a sweet and spicy roasted red pepper sauce that goes with everything from meats to seafood and is particularly awesome on ribs and wings, Torch-ered Heartbreak sauce, which is slightly sweet but with this is the one with a fire that will leave you sweating and panting for more, 1919, a molasses based BBQ sauce, and Sweet Onion Blues, described as a marriage of wild Maine blueberries and caramelized onions, that is good for almost anything.
So, are you ready for the Super Bowl?Impress your friends and satisfy the fans with New England Chili by Burnin’ Love Sauces!
Burnin’ Love’s New England Chili
Soak ½ LB. dried Navy beans overnight in the refrigerator.
Drain and rinse the beans. In a large pot sauté a quarter of an onion diced in 1 TSP oil. When the onions are clear, add two 2 cups water, 12 OZ. 1919 Molasses Barbeque Sauce and 9 OZ. Torcher-ed Heartbreak sauce.Add beans, and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a simmer and cover.
Add 1 LB. cooked drained beef, chicken or diced extra firm tofu.
Serves 2-4.
Burnin’ Love sauces will be available every other Sunday at stonesoup sundays@the farm at Thayer Nursery in Milton.
Our seasonal market, named stonesoup sundays @the farm, is a market that will offer only local and in season items, bringing you closer to the food that you eat and to the people that produce it.
stonesoup sundays @ the farm will be open February 6th, from 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM and every other Sunday after that.
Burnin’ Love Sauces is one sizzling way to keep your Super Bowl treats all natural! Just add chicken, ribs or chili!
