This post highlights artichokes and why you should have a healthy serving as often as possible.

Nutritional Contents of Artichokes

Artichokes are rich in antioxidants such as quercertin, rutin, anthocyanins, cynarin, luteolin, and silymarin. In fact, the antioxidant content of artichoke flower heads is one of the highest among vegetables.

Artichokes also contain Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 and Vitamin C along with minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium and phosphorous.

A medium sized artichoke contains almost a quarter of the recommended daily intake of fibre.

Health Benefits of Artichokes

Due to their richness in antioxidants, artichokes are highly recommended for a healthy diet. Here are a few of the benefits of including artichokes in your die regularly.

1. Lower Cholesterol: They help reduce the level of LDL cholesterol and help increase the HDL/LDL ratio (which is good for you).

2. Blood Glucose Levels: They help balance the blood glucose levels and are recommended to help deal with diabetes.

3. Improved Liver Function: Artichokes help strengthen the liver and can even aid in regeneration of liver tissue.

4. Cancer Prevention: Presence of antioxidants can help prevent prostate cancer, leukemia and breast cancer.

5. Digestive value: Artichokes are a natural diuretic and improve gallbladder function. They contain a healthy amount of fibre which is essential in the digestive process.

6. Increased Bile Flow: The cynarin antioxidant increases bile flow which helps in breaking down the lipids in your diet.

7. Overall Health: Antioxidants in keep the body immune and can also help in cell regeneration, maintaining good skin etc.

8. Hangovers: Artichokes are said to be a remedy for hangovers.

If you do decide to go ahead and include them in your regular diet, why not grow them? You can buy the seeds at our website Sweet Organic Corn Nursery. In order to help you get going, we’ve written a small guide on how to plant artichokes. If you need any further assistance, do let us know.

Oh, and be sure to let us in on the progress !

I’m sure most of us have made New Year resolutions (we know people who relish the whole experience). And more often than not, these resolutions become yet another of those things we wish we could do but never have the time or motivation.

In true spirit of the new year, we’d like to add another one to your list. We compiled a small list of 10 reasons why you should plant an organic garden.

If you already are an organic gardener, pat yourself on your back and read through 10 reasons why you are a happy person!

1. Exercise and the beautiful outdoors: We weren’t meant to sit indoors throughout the day. Organic gardening is a great way to get some exercise, unwind and give yourself a little time to not think about deadlines, presentations or the fleeting worries of daily life. Did we mention fresh air?

2. Healthy dinner table: Wouldn’t you love to tuck into a dinner without wondering where the vegetable came from and how they were grown? Not to mention the tons of pesticides and chemicals that were used to mass produce them. In your garden, you are the king!

3. Environmentally friendly: Nature is a delicate balance of a thousand different things. Mass production is causing a disequilibrium that has adverse effects on the food we grow. Use of pesticides and chemicals, wastage of water and depletion of soil fertility are a few of the things that can be prevented if more people adopt organic farming.

4. Tastier food: One of the most delightful aspects of organic gardening is the quality of food produced. The personal touch that one gives to the garden reflects in its produce. Organically grown vegetables are fresh, healthy and bursting with an array of flavors that will get you addicted (in a good way).

5. Make new friends: There’s one thing most people agree about; that you can never have too many friends. Just like any other activity, gardening gets you outdoors meeting new people. These people will have a variety of interests that will definitely add a new dimension to your life. One thing you can be sure about, gardeners are some of the friendliest and cheerful people you will meet!

6. Give your children a valuable lesson: Gone are the days when kids enjoy the simple pleasures that we grew up with. These days, everything needs a battery, chip and a bright display to capture their attention. Put away the iPods and the iPads and get out into the garden with the kids. Bonding over a session of gardening will be one of the most rewarding moments you will ever share with your child. Moreover, it will instill a valuable lesson in responsible living.

7. Conserving resources: The average American eats food that has traveled over a 1000 miles before it reaches the dinner-table. The fuel spent in transportation doesn’t just add to the cost, but has environmental implications as well. We believe it’s best to source local, eat local. All the better if it’s from the backyard!

8. Variety: Did you know that there are over a hundred varieties of tomatoes? Or, that there is a whole range of peppers to suite every palate and cuisine. One of the perks of organic gardening is the access that one acquires to a whole new world of vegetable varieties. Make every guest at your dinner party ask you for the recipe to your super-secret tomato sauce. And you could recommend our seeds while you’re at it !

9. Organically grown vegetables (and their plants) make perfect gifts: We’ve given you 8 good reasons why organic gardening is such a great activity. Sharing your produce is like paying it forward. There’s nothing better than giving a family member, friend or a neighbor the freshness of a first harvest. More often than not, you will be growing more than you consume. Your neighbor will love you !

10. Save money: We won’t even talk about how, on a superficial level, organic gardening will help you save money. Think, instead, of hospital bills and realize that we can prevent rather than search for a cure.

We hope these are reasons enough to get you going. Remember, organically growing your vegetables is not only about having the seeds, the space and the tools, it’s more about the desire to make a difference in the way you live. We’d like to quote Alfred Austin on this, “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.”

Good luck and our best wishes! Feel free to ask us if you have any questions. We’d love to hear from you.

Oh! And in case we forgot to mention, share this with a family member, friend or neighbor who could do with some good cheer!

PLEASE REFER A FRIEND to Like our Facebook page and Follow Us on Twitter, and we’ll send you and your friend each a FREE PACK OF SEEDS for each friend you get to be a new fan and follower before the end of 2011!

Simply send us a direct message on Twitter or send me an email at kim@sweetcornorganicnursery.com with you and your friends’ contact information (name, address, email) and we’ll send out your packages of free seeds!

Thank you so much, and we wish you a very Happy Holiday Season!

Kim and Bryan

Here are some ideas for what you can plant now for a bountiful fall harvest:

Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cucumbers
Squash
Carrots
Kale
Artichokes
Beets
Bok Choy
Cauliflower
Endive
Herbs such as: basil, sage, cilantro, basil, fennel, garlic, thyme, dill, parsley
Leeks
Lettuces
Mustard Greens
Onions
Peas
Rutabaga
Swiss Chard
Turnips
Fava beans
Garbanzo beans
Lentil beans
Parsnips
Spinach
Radishes

For these varieties and more heirloom seeds, please visit our website at www.sweetcornorganicnursery.com!

Happy Gardening,

Kim and Bryan

So to that end, here is an easy and economical recipe you can do yourself. Quite honestly, it’s not going to be as rich as our Flick-A-Seed, but this soil will provide a good base soil for your organic vegetable garden beds:

Recipe for Soil for Your Organic Garden Beds:

3 bags of organic mulch (2 cubic feet each)

2 bags composted steer manure (1.5 cubic feet each)

1 bag finished compost (1 cubic feet each)

1 lb. MegaVeggie

—————————————————————-

Mix mulch, composted manure and finished compost together very well, then spread on top of your garden beds 3 inches deep. Sprinkle 1 lb. of MegaVeggie on top of the soil, then till this mix into the first 4-5″ of your native soil.

If you find bags in different sizes than listed above, simply do the math to make the ratios equivalent. The total number of bags you will need of each component will depend on how much area your vegetable beds will cover, but the above recipe will amend approximately 100 square feet.

Make sure your manure is fully composted and washed (meaning the salt has been taken out). When it is fully composted it is in a finished state so the nutrients are available to the plants.  This is important for your compost too — make sure it is “finished” compost. Otherwise, if it is still decomposing, it will rob nutrients from your plants to continue to break itself down. So, VERY IMPORTANT, make sure you use fully-composted manure and finished compost. If you are not sure they are fully composted, then do this process early enough in the season that you can let the soil rest for 3 weeks prior to planting. This will help give it time to break down further and ensure nitrogen won’t be stolen from your plants.

Also, one thing to note is that vegetable gardens don’t need to be deeper than 6”. While it’s great to till the soil below that for aeration and to allow longer root crops like carrots to easily penetrate, 90% of the feeder roots of most vegetable plants are found within the first 3” of soil. So, you don’t need to waste your money by creating the perfect soil a foot deep or more.

We hope this helps you get started on your way to a bountiful, organic harvest!

Good luck and Happy Gardening!

Kim and Bryan

Finished compost will add to the microbial activity in your soil and will replace a lot of nutrients taken out of your beds the prior season, and MegaVeggie contains 24 different organic soil amendments that are ideal for vegetable gardening – things like feather meal, kelp meal, blood meal, texas green sand, worm castings, guano and more.

Then, ongoing, don’t forget to use MegaFish and MegaSea. These two products are the organic alternative to chemical fertilizing. MegaFish is a hydrolyzed liquid whole fish product that provides fast-acting and long-lasting nutrients to the soil that feeds the whole plant. It contains protein and three primary plant nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potash.

MegaSea seaweed contains all the beneficial trace minerals necessary for overall plant health. It does a lot of great things for plants: it helps create an environment in the soil that will help plants weather frost and drought conditions, therefore helping extend the season a bit, as well as helps raise the natural sugar levels in plants which helps ward off insect and disease problems.

If annually you add compost and MegaVeggie, you’ll be starting the season off right. Then, by using MegaFish and MegaSea thereafter (along with MegaMator for tomatoes and MegaPepe for peppers), you’ll have a fantastic 100% organic program for amending soil for a more bountiful harvest!

Happy Gardening!

    – Kim and Bryan

In looking to be more of a gardener and less of a consumer/dependent on
grocery stores, I started gardening. And over the last 3 years I have
gotten the knack down for what to do and how to do it better yet I know
I’m nowhere near knowing it all. So I come to you. Can I, with success,
create an indoor garden in my basement for over the winter? I live in NY
and the reason I ask this is I would love to buy heirloom seeds from you,
plant them and grow them over the winter and thus capture the best of the
best seeds from that harvest to use for that upcoming spring. Am I able to
pollinate a plant indoors without insects? What would I need to keep a 2
tomato plants and 2 pepper plants alive, vibrant and super healthy to make
it through a winter in NY?

So, here’s our answer!

Nick,

Here’s a link to an article on our blog about growing seedlings indoors.

How To Plant Seeds and Grow Starts Indoors

To grow your seedlings to the food stage indoors, we’re going to tweak the
above a little bit. Here goes: First of all, to grow successful tomato and
pepper crops indoors your temps inside where the plants are growing need
to optimally stay between 68-72 degrees. They can vary slightly on the low
side of those temps (no lower than 50 degrees), and can go up to 88
degrees for short periods; however, 68-72 degrees is optimal and will
ensure that your pollen is most potent.

In terms of pollinating without insects, no problem since both of these
plants are self-pollinating. However, shaking the blooms a little by
tapping the vines where there are blooms lightly before 11:00 in the
morning every day will ensure proper pollination.

Follow the raising and lowering of the lights exactly how it’s explained
in the seedling article; however, mature plants are going to need a rest
period. So, once the plants are approximately 2-3 months old and you can
see they are wanting to bloom (or start prior to 2-3 months if you start
to see any blooms). At this point, shut off the lights for 8 hours or so a
day to fool the plant into thinking it’s going through a night. This will
promote blooming.

Now, we have to address the soil issue, because in the seedling article
you are growing in a soilless mix, which is ideal for seedlings but
doesn’t provide enough nutrients for a plant to produce full-size,
flavorful fruit. So, what we need to do is transplant your seedlings at
around 10 weeks into containers that are at least 3 gallons or larger.
Add some organic potting soil to the bottom, then add some MegaBone or
MegaStart into the pot, add your plant, then fill to the top of the soil
line with more organic potting soil.

Here’s a helpful hint: If you choose 3 different cherry size tomatoes,
then you can transplant all 3 into one container. For larger varieties,
then just one transplant per container. Here is a large sampling of heirloom tomato seeds if you want to check it out. Same with heirloom pepper seeds. If you go with a few elongated, smaller-type frying peppers then you can get away with 3
varieties per container (like Sweet Banana, Jimmy Nardello, Super
Shepherd, Garden Salsa, etc. But only plant sweets with sweet, and hots
with hot).

In terms of organic soil amendments and feeding your plant, spray the leaves of your plants each week with
MegaSea, and rootfeed with MegaFish every 2 weeks. Use MegaPepe and
MegaMator as a soil side dress each week as well to ensure you can really
pull off a good crop indoors.

Keep us posted on how it goes, Nick! And send us some photos. What a fabulous idea!

Bryan and Kim

Some mixes use perlite, which is fine, but I personally don’t like the amount of energy that is needed to explode the soaked cinder sand in the kilm. Besides, all the minerals and water-holding capacity is lost through this horrible process.

To make a good organic starting mix yourself, take 2 parts peat moss and 1 part black cinder sand, and mix very, very thoroughly. If you cannot find the black cinder, washed sand will work. We use a piece of equipment to do this mixing for us, but doing it by hand is fine as long as you do it thoroughly to where the pieces of peat are really small and the sand is incorporated throughout.

This soil-less mix is great to use to start seeds and when plants are very young and can be at risk for dampering off, which is a soil-bearing pathogen that can be difficult to fend off organically. (It CAN be done though, so write me if this happens). So, to minimize any risks of failure, use a soil-less mix to start your seeds.

(Note: because we have an organic nursery, we transplant our starts after 2 true leaves form into 6 packs that have organic soil, but it’s not necessary to transplant yours until 12 weeks. At 12 weeks though at that most, you should definitely transplant them into regular organic soil so that the microbes can benefit the plant and it can access a broader spectrum of nutrients.)

THE MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLES

Other than your soil, the most important things to ensure success in growing seedlings indoors is proper light, temperature, and moisture — along with one secret weapon: seaweed.

LIGHT

So how much light does a tomato, for instance, need to grow a sturdy healthy plant and not the spindly wimpy things that so many of my costumers have grown (I won’t name names ha ha ha)? The answer is: 8 to 10 hours of very direct light is ideal, but they can grow healthy in as little as 6 hours if they are placed in direct light and they are not getting a draft or cold blast from a leaking window. If your windows allow air through, you can put up a cold shield of clear plastic from the hardware store or simply some food wrap, but make sure you’re not cutting off the light.

OK, let’s say you don’t have a window that will work well (facing south is ideal), or that your wife will kill you if you get water on the windowsill or carpet. Don’t give up hope! I have a very easy and inexpensive way to pull this off. All you need is a wood bar like the one in your closest. I’m not saying you should use the one you have, but I did that years ago when I was a bachelor. (If you are married, I would suggest you purchase one from the hardware store instead of using the one holding your wife’s clothes!). Anyway, get your wooden bar and set it up in the heated garage or laundry room or wherever (before I had greenhouses, I grew anywhere I could).

Now, head down to the hardware store and buy one of those shop florescent lights that already have a plug attached. They are generally about $10.00, but find one you can tie some rope to. Place the rope around the wood bar so you can adjust the light up and down. There is only one spectrum of light that’s missing between shop florescent lights and the $100+ grow lights, and the plants don’t know the difference. Besides, in the case of tomato and pepper plants, which require a longer amount of time to grow successful starts than most other vegetables, they are only going to be under the light for 10 to 12 weeks. So, in this case, count backwards on your calendar 10 to 12 weeks from your last frost date and this will keep them at a minimum under artificial light.  OK, this is the secret! Keep your florescent light bulbs only 2 to 3 inches away from the tops of the plants. As the plant grows, just keep moving the rope so the light is always at the right distance. I should caution you about electricity and water, so be careful that you don’t shock yourself when watering and use common sense when moving the light and tying it off when you have the height you want.

This method will keep the seedlings strong and sturdy and prevent a spindly plant.

TEMPERATURE

In terms of temperature, the most ideal temperature for growing seedlings indoors is 70-85 degrees (this is especially true with pepper seeds, as they will need very warm soil to germinate). An electric heater below the windowsill — or in close proximity to wherever you choose to grow — can also help with providing heat if needed.

MOISTURE

I plant my seed only 1/8 inches deep, just barely covering them, and then I mix one teaspoon or one cap per gallon of MegaSea and water it in. This will act as a pre-soak and will help promote germination. Continue to water with the seaweed solution, always making sure to not let the soil dry out completely but don’t overwater either, until the seed has sprouted. Once it has sprouted, water with regular water (as needed) for the next 6 days, and then with MegaSea again on the 7^th day. Continuing water with this method each week. Basically, you want to give it seaweed every 7 days, and then water in between as needed, when it’s almost dry but not completely dried out.

There is so much to say about seaweed that I could (and will) write an entire article about it, but basically as it relates to sprouting seed, it is a really effective SECRET WEAPON! It is a wonderful, 100% organic product that not only helps improve germination, but also has a natural growth hormone in it that promotes rapid root growth. It will also help offset some less-than-ideal variables with watering and temperature, and it works very well on old or hard-to-sprout seed.

ONGOING AMENDING AND FERTILIZING

As far as soil amendments go, don’t fertilize until at least two true leaves are forming, which in the case of tomatoes and peppers, will generally be 4-5 weeks after planting.

One common misconception is that seeds should be fertilized immediately; however, Mother Nature did a wonderful thing by putting everything that the seed needs to prosper inside the seed itself. Further, nitrogen can actually help set up a situation for pathogens to breed, so by NOT fertilizing in the very beginning, you are actually helping the plant and giving it the chance to reach infancy.

Earlier I said to use seaweed immediately, so wanted to clarify that seaweed is low in nitrogen, and the growth properties it has offsets any of the risks. Plus, it is actually a disease-preventer because it will raise the sugars to help fight off disease and pathogens. And again, it promotes rapid root growth and that’s what you are really after.

So, again, it’s unnecessary to fertilize until two true leaves form. At that point, it’s past the most critical time and they are old enough that you can safely give them some fish emulsion, which will supply them with the nitrogen they need. I only use fish emulsion that is a hydrolyzed type like Sweet Garden Organic’s MegaFish or Neptune’s Harvest brand. Most other brands have the protein removed to make animal feed and the oil to make makeup, and they are really inferior products.

DO NOT USE CHEMICALS, as this will weaken your plant and destroy your soil, especially if you are planning to grow organically. If you do, it’s like you’re setting up a death zone in your garden. This is the main reason I started to grow my own starts. It just didn’t make any sense to me to buy a chemically-grown store bought seedling that would end up ruining hard work and time and money that I had put into building my organic soil.

The other advantage of growing your own starts is that the skies are the limit on what you can grow! There are thousands of heirloom and other wonderful varieties you can grow that you will never find in nurseries as seedlings.

I hope this information was helpful. If I can be of any help, please call me at Sweet Corn Organic Nursery, or visit www.sweetcornorganicnursery.com, click on the “Ask Bryan” button to send me your question, and I will get back to you shortly.

God Bless and Happy Gardening. And remember to “Feed The Soil, Not The Plants.”

Bryan

(Note: when this article references 10-12 weeks, we are using tomato and pepper plants as the example, since they are some of the longest vegetable plants to sprout and grow. Timing could be less than 10-12 weeks for tomatoes and peppers if soil temperature is increased with an electric grow propagation system or heating mat, which could decrease the total time to 6-8 weeks. Also, while these growing instructions apply to most vegetable and herb seeds of any kind, timing will obviously vary depending on what is grown. We will be writing more on this in the future).

If you want larger bulbs, here’s some other tips. Grow the onions until the stalks are about 9” tall, then trim the green stalks in half (so about 4-5” remains of the stalk).  Then, let them grow again until they are about 12” tall, then cut in half again to 6”. Do this 3 times, which will force more energy into the roots and will promote larger bulbs.

Then after 3 times, wait until the onions mature. When you see 4” of dead brown at top of the stalks, cut water off to the onions at this point and wait a month before harvesting. This will promote a better storage capability for the onions and better sweetness. At this point, knock over the stalks with rake in one direction 90 degrees down to the ground, leaving the bulbs still in the ground. Then after a week, pull the bulbs and lay them on that side, and let them dry for at least 2 days. Then flip them over the other direction and dry the other sides. By letting them cure at least 3 days in the sun, it will make them less acidic and it will turn enzymes into sweetness so they won’t affect sensitive tummies.

Then, after this, don’t remove the dirt on the onions themselves because this will fool the onions that they are still in the ground and they won’t start to break down. This will give you 6 more weeks of storage. You can simply braid them if you like and hang them in cool spot. Onions that generally only last about a month can last up to 3 months this way!

Organic gardening is not as difficult as many beginning gardeners believe it is. Quite simply it means you are going to plant your garden without using synthetic fertilizers, for making the plants grow and chemical pesticides to control the bugs. It really falls back to the farming principles used centuries ago before all the toxic chemicals started to be spread and spayed on all our plants and the ground.

The best way to make sure you get the biggest returns from your labor, regardless if its going to be flowers, herbs, veggies or a mish mash of several plants it’s best to have a detailed plan. And the best time to formulate your plan is in the fall or autumn, right after the fall growing season ends. This way you will have enough time to prepare the ground before the spring planting season begins.

Now is the time for you to actually determine what your selected ground is going to need, in the way of the proper nutrition to help your vegetation grow. Your plants will do well if they can receive about six hours of sunlight per day. In almost all cases positioning of your planting area in the south-east part of your ground will give more than adequate amounts of sunshine.

Once the proper location has been determined the next step is preparing the ground where you will be planting. To make the weed and grass removal successful you should perform the initial removal, then go back again a couple of weeks later and remove the weeds and grass which will have grown in the meantime. Turning the soil over two or three times with a rest of a couple of weeks in between helps to make sure you have weeded the roots out as well from the soil. Then mix in organic manure from chickens, cows or horses. Then laying a thick layer of wood chip or shredded newspaper on top will help to mulch the soil from drying out too much in summer, and protect the soil in winter.

You can also create an on-going compost cycle in your garden plot by simply digging in your fresh kitchen plant waste in spots that you rotate around the patch. This is a much simpler way to feed the soil than the compost bin, if you are unable to get that delicate balance right. Buying some worms for your soil is also a good idea if you don?t see them as you dig your soil. They are the best way to break down foods, aerate and fertilize the soil all year around.

Most people believe that chemical insecticides are essential to keep a garden under control. People think that without using chemical based pesticides, you just can?t control bug infestations. However, one of the best all natural ways to control the pest is to use their mortal enemy, birds.

It is very simple to attract birds to your garden every year, especially if you provide them with sheltered nesting areas. Not only do you furnish a nesting area for them but make water fully accessible to them. You can put something as simple as an attractive, large, water container or bird bath. Once the birds have been drawn to your garden and realize they can feast on your bug infestation your problem will be solved. And if you also provide some birdseed for the colder months the birds will know to always come back to your garden each season.

Also make sure you always plant plenty of flowering bushes that attract the bees and ladybird beetles. Learn the insects that help to pollinate your crops and that kill the destructive bugs. It is all about just helping Mother Nature to do what she does naturally.

It also makes sense to simply plant a bit more than you know you will need for your personal use. One special reason I will cover more later in this article. But the main reason is to make allowances for the fact that you will lose a percentage of your crop to insects and birds, so why not simply plan for that loss in the initial planning anyway. You should after all, help to feed the insects and birds that will help you fight off the rest of your predators.

It also just makes common sense that with an organic garden you will be healthier as you are not breathing in toxic sprays you use, or absorbing chemicals on your skin while you work in the garden. You will not need to spend so much time in your garden wearing breathing mask, eye goggles and gloves!

An hour a day of working in your garden will also improve your health and help in weight loss (burning calories), improve your blood pressure levels, strengthen the heart and lungs, build muscle, sharpen the mind. You will relieve stress and sleep much better.

You will receive such a sense of well being when you have a fruitful harvest, you just can?t beat it. Your family, friends, co-workers will also be grateful for any of your crop that you share. You will know you have done your part to help ?Mother Nature? return to her natural state and touched all the other human beings by doing so.

What other ways can you share the benefit of growing an organic garden?

Did you know that there are even bigger benefits in organic gardening besides having a more beautiful garden or eating healthier veggies and fruits? Actually there are more special benefits than most people and organic gardeners ever think about.

You can help improve the lives of people in your local community or around the world. It is true. Did you know you can feed children around the world with your organic garden? It’s really quite simple and only takes a little more planning and work on your part.

When you begin to plan your own personal natural garden you simply plan to layout a larger garden and plan for a bigger crop to harvest than you would need for your personal use. It doesn?t make any difference if it?s for flowers, veggies, fruits or bushes to beautify your yard. That is right! Just make it BIGGER. Then when it is time to harvest your crops, you will have more flowers, plants and veggies than you can possibly use by yourself.

Then, instead of carting buckets of spare fruit & veges to your workplace to give away,
instead take the bounty to the local Farmers Market or the Flea Market and sell it. You should not have any problem at all selling ORGANIC produce, whether it is fruit, vegetables, flowers, or potted plants you strike from cuttings. The fact that they are organic will be a huge advantage, and means you can ask for premium prices and you may end up with a pocket full of cash.

You should find that most shoppers are generous, especially if you put up a big sign telling the shoppers that 100% of all profits will be donated to XYZ Charity.

Then take the cash from your market sales that day and donate it to your favorite “Feed The Children” charity. When you do this a starving child will benefit from your garden, long after you harvested your crops for your personal use.

And this is only a few of the multiple benefits of organic gardening, as you will discover for yourself over the years ahead.