Hillside Festival gently sits on the small island of Guelph Lake Conservation Area; as I skirted the island’s edge, encompassed by the lake’s beauty, I came across a meditation class. The class was drawing to a close, but I joined in all the same. “Now turn to the person next to you, stare into their eyes, but say nothing, just focus on your breathing”, the serene, white-haired woman softly murmured.

To turn to a stranger’s face and silently scrutinise their every feature was one thing, to know the stranger was doing the exact same to you – well that opened up a whole new realm of awkwardness. It was actually the persistent focus on my own breathing that made those ten minutes bearable. Nowadays, people associate meditation with just about everything I felt in those ten minutes: weird, awkward, stiff, powerful, peaceful and enlightening.

Even with the stereotypes often given to meditators, it’s hard to argue that there are benefits, especially in stress relief.

So why do so few of us meditate? Perhaps it is the assumption that it takes a particular kind of person to meditate and reap the rewards — yet the abundance of research conducted in the last decade begs to differ. Hundreds of participants in studies have experienced health and wellness from meditation, revealing that there is science behind the magic.

In 2012, Carnegie Mellon University published a paper that investigated loneliness. Prior to this, loneliness had been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and all cause mortality, thus the topic was duly noteworthy. A group of 40 people were split into either the eight-week meditation program or the ‘carry on normally’ program. The results revealed a significant decrease in loneliness for the meditation group, but this is qualitative data so I can understand if you’re not yet convinced by the ‘power’ of meditation. But rest assured, the study had more to offer — and this time it is of the quantitative nature.  Significant differences in gene expression were found between the two groups. Meaning that sitting quietly for 30 minutes a day can actually alter your DNA structure and subsequently the proteins produced in your body.

Meditation changing the physical structure of the brain has also been proved by a Harvard University study in 2010. The study was conducted in a similar manner to the one at Carnegie Mellon, but this time MRI scans were taken of the brain. The scans revealed astonishing differences in brain structure between those who had meditated and those who had not. For the meditation group, increased neuron densities occurred in four regions of the brain; the regions were accountable for learning, memory, and emotional regulation. ‘Increased neuron densities’ is another way of saying stronger and faster connection pathways; therefore meditating can result in you finding those lost glasses quicker, or never losing them in the first place.

If sample size and length have currently been too small for satisfaction, a 2009 paper boasts 201 participants in a five-year study. A 43 percent reduction in risk for all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction and stroke, was found in — you’ve guessed it — the meditation group.  

The ‘magic’ of meditation is also seen in a Loyola University of Chicago 2008 study, where meditation was found to reduce cortisol levels (known as the stress hormone) in women with early stages of breast cancer. Then, in 2010 the University of Pennsylvania found that meditation improved the cerebral blood flow, which in turn combats memory loss. These two examples reveal bodily changes which account for the feelings of ‘less stressed’ or ‘better memory’.

If you are still hesitant on meditating, spend a day acknowledging. Acknowledge how often you daydream, lose your trail of thought, forget something, feel tired or lack motivation.

So, sitting in whichever way you feel comfortable, focussing on your breath go in and out and letting your eyes glaze over for just 15-30 minutes a day, can have huge physical effects on your body. The technique is not easy, so do not be discouraged when you realise that your mind keeps leaping from thought to thought — just remember the three golden rules: acknowledge the thought, don’t criticise yourself and then back to the breath.

If you are still hesitant on meditating, spend a day acknowledging. Acknowledge how often you daydream, lose your trail of thought, forget something, feel tired or lack motivation. You’ll realise that all these predicaments come frequently, and the next time they do come, think to yourself ‘I need to meditate.’

Getting pulled down by life’s hectic and stressful nature shouldn’t be an excuse to not meditate, if anything, it should be a reason to meditate more, it’s like Ghandi famously said: “I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours instead of one.”

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Festivals with clear skies are a rare sight to behold, but a festival with clear grounds — now that’s truly a sight to see. When you step onto the Guelph Lake Conservation Area, where Hillside Festival is based, festivalgoers are accosted by unique music, rather than the crunch of garbage underfoot. The noise difference occurs from Hillside organizers valuing the event’s environmental impact just as much as its musical performances. At Hillside environmental care is packed into each creek and opening with the intent that everyone who experiences the festival will finish with an energy of “See if they did it, so can the rest of the world.”

So how does Hillside earn its green badge of honour? Let’s start from the bottom. Disposing of waste is a nagging worry for every large-scale eventer, and while many are satisfied with deploying a team of litter pickers after the event, Hillside is different. Conveniently located across the festival lie numerous blocks of four coloured bins, each with a different motive and each labelling and illustrating that motive effectively. Festivalgoers gleam with pride as they separate their rubbish, knowing that they are part of the team making a difference. To prevent overfills and ensure correct sorting, teams of volunteers scurry along with wagons to collect and distribute the waste.

For the most part, what can be recycled gets recycled — but something unique happens to the compostable waste. Instead of moving the waste to designated areas to form compost for it then to only be further moved to areas that use compost, Hillside does it all on site. On the very island that Hillside Festival is based, a hole is dug and the compostable waste emptied in, then add some occasional stirring and voilà — compost. Fulfilling the full circle dream, the compost is then used on site and areas currently undergoing stresses from the festival will receive a well-deserved nutrient boost.

The distribution and usage of waste is profound, but as the old saying goes: Prevention is better than cure. About 17 years ago, Hillside put this saying into practise by introducing the Dish Ninja. At the time they cleaned the plates and bowls for Hillside volunteers only, but they knew that more could be done. Their determined wishes were soon fulfilled when in 2009 the spork was introduced; this reusable plastic spoon and fork combo replaced disposable cutlery in one swoop. 2011 saw the next step when the sporks were replaced entirely with metal cutlery. The spork, however, held on to some nostalgic volunteers who still carry it around as a fond reminder of change. Today, thousands of dishes avoid the landfill; instead Dish Ninja’s wash, rinse, dry and sanitize them all by hand. The progressive thoughts did not stop there. The installation of a solar water heater now results in a 30 percent reduction of energy consumption, while still giving Dish Ninja’s constant supplies of hot water. What’s more, dishwater is retained and used to dilute waste from Hillside’s fleet of port-a-potties, resulting in an easy flow off the site.

Preventing waste is further achieved by the prohibition of water bottle sales. Instead the City of Guelph provides Hillside with a Water Wagon where festivalgoers fill reusable bottles with Guelph tap water. The result this year was thirsty Hillsiders consuming over 17,883 litres of water; that’s 35,766 plastic 500mL water bottles not being chucked into the landfill. Better still this Water Wagon is not unique to Hillside festival, the City lends it to any nearby non-for-profit event that has over 500 attendees and in total this summer has resulted in 45,568 plastic 500mL bottles being saved. The Water Wagon dream came into practice when Guelph introduced initiatives to reduce their plastic waste, after some debating and thought processing, the idea came and was soon implemented. The company Quench Buggy built the Water Wagon for Guelph, and now offers rentals to events all round the world – making any communities’ dream of no more plastic bottles, very achievable.

As you walk towards Hillside’s main stage you will see blurs of green mixed with the blue sky. This is Hillside’s show closer: The Green Roof. This is a roof covered with hardy plants that become maintenance free in just one year. Apart from adding an aesthetic value these plants also improve air quality, provide insulation, filter heat, and provide habitats to birds and insects. Maybe on a roof, these plants and animals will finally receive some peace from us prodding humans.

The creativity, innovation and use of new technologies that Hillside embraces makes them the first ever festival to evolve with their environment. Already plans to create an Energy Park are transpiring, here Hillsiders would exercise and play to create electricity for the festival. Despite this excitement, Hillside knows not to get ahead of itself. Currently they are undergoing a huge examination of the festival and intend to create a map of how much energy went where; this will allow easy navigation of where best to next strike their keen minds.

Hillside is on the forefront of change; they beam the way through a stunning, green-lit path, evoking an undeniable passion that one-day they will be just one of the crowd.

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Living in Kitchener in 1989-92, I was introduced to Danny’s music by some friends who said I had to come and hear this “kid” play at a local club. From the first time I saw him on stage he was full of energy, incredibly creative, and seemed to pour all of himself into his performance. Many years later, he continues to be all of these things and yet genuine and relatable in spite of his incredible success. It was truly my pleasure to catch up with him at Hillside Festival 2014 in Guelph and have a few minutes to chat.

I’ve been a fan for many years, since Wednesday Night Blues Jam at Pop the Gator. Can you start at the beginning for me? What drew you to music in the first place?

That’s a hard question. All I know is that when I was tall enough to reach up and bang the keys on the piano I was doing it. I loved the technical part of music too. I do all of my own recordings and I love working with the microphones and other machinery. My dad used to have the old reel to reel machines and I used to love playing with them when I was a kid. I would record my voice on it and play with it and change the speed of my voice. Then I would put the tape on backwards and play it backwards. So since I was young I loved the engineering of it.

I didn’t do well in school because my head was in a cloud of music stuff and everyone was telling me “you can’t do that” and my guidance counselors were saying “you’ve got to get serious Michel” and I never did. I just ignored everyone and kept my eye on the prize. I don’t know, maybe I am where I am because I was too stubborn to get off this road.

Being musically curious is different from having a desire to perform. So, how did you know that you had something to say with your music?

I’ve only felt that lately. I’m in my forties and I kind of feel like I’m just getting it in a lot of ways in my life. Musically I write songs slower now and I take a lot of time in between because I’m finding it really hard. I want to say something. I don’t want to just put more songs into the world like abandoned kids who don’t really have a heart or home or feeling. A lot of my old music feels a little like that to me. I guess that’s a big question when you’re a musician “what am I going to say?” I’m going to get on stage and sing some stuff, and I could sing about a tragic relationship and heartbreaking things but we’ve all heard that and we all know that. I want to try to say something that means something. So that’s just been happening with the last few records, changing the way I write.

Can you talk a little bit about how you became interested in the project that you have in Belize with the school?

I was living in Belize and spending a lot of time in this community that I really liked. I made the video for “Feather, Fur and Fin” there and a lot of the kids from the school are in that when they were little and I felt that I should give something back. I didn’t want to be a tourist that just comes to take something from the community and leave. The school had asked me if I could help out to raise some awareness and so I took that on and started a little fund. We’ve raised $66,000! I love doing it and it’s an ongoing thing. I go down there when I can and try to be there for graduations, paint classrooms and help out.

Is this when you became interested in the music in Belize?

Yeah. I had been going there a lot and so wherever I go in the world I want to know about the music, especially if it’s different. I was learning all about the Garifuna music, Andy Palacio and Paul Nabor who are cool artists down there and then I learned about the Garifuna Collective and I had this crazy idea that I would make a record with them. I somehow talked them into it! We made a record and it was an incredible experience. I can’t believe I actually pulled it off now that I look back at it. We toured with nine people across North America and I was the tour manager. I feel like I can do anything!

How did you meet Chris Hadfield? I’m guessing it was his video of “Space Oddity” (in space!) that drew you in. I’ve heard you play more than a few Bowie songs over the years.

We met at the Ottawa Folk Fest and have done a few things together since then. It wasn’t the Bowie song at all. It was just him. I’m a space nerd and I’ve been following him for years. I’m also following the astronauts who are preparing to go to the space station this November. I watch all the launches and landings. If you told me I could have dinner with Dylan, Bowie or any of my heroes OR Chris again, I would pick Chris in a heartbeat.

What is special about Chris that puts him at the top of your “people to dine with” list?

Special?! He lived off-planet for 166 days. Who else could have cooler stories than that?

A lot of your songs have some reference to the environment or at least being conscious of taking care of the earth. Was there an event that inspired you?

Yeah there was an event actually. I was living out on Puslinch Lake, which is near Cambridge and we’ve had a cottage there since I was a kid. I basically watched the city come creeping up onto that lake. People always said that homes could never be built along Townline Rd because it’s Puslinch County and it would never happen. But then they just plowed down the entire forest and put up like a billion box houses and then the sprawl moved right in. Living there I wondered about the animals. Where did all of the deer go? So that inspired me to write that song “Feather Fur and Fin”.

Is there another environmental issue that concerns you that may be material for an upcoming song?

Oh, ah I don’t know where the next songs are going to go. I don’t know yet. I’m supposed to be making a record and I have nothing done.

When you don’t know where you’re going next with your song writing, how do you find your inspiration?

I don’t really know. My last record got a nomination in the world music category, so I’m thinking “I don’t know am I a world artist now?” It was the first time I was put in a category. I don’t know if I should make a folk record or rock record, another world-feeling record? I don’t know. So I’m looking at a blank canvas. I need an adventure. The songs will find me – I’m just waiting. You can’t rush creativity.

Danny Michel has some great creative things on his plate right now. On June 27, 2015 Michel launched his new web show Dan’s Space Van. Danny interviews special guests, and of course musical performance features prominently. And if you live near Toronto, watch for School Night Mondays at the Dakota – more special guests and always sold out. http://www.dannymichel.com/

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In his brief career, Phil Ochs wrote over 100 songs – many of them about civil rights and other caring social/environmental observations. “When I’m Gone” was just one of his many anthems pointing toward a better world. From a songwriting standpoint, Elephant Revival does not appear to be influenced by Ochs’ music, but on the spirit level, there is arguably a connection. The quintet’s sometimes haunting, sometimes celtic, and sometimes downright rootsy sound very often gives voice to the Earth itself. With all of the socio-ecological projects and sensitivities that also connect the group, Elephant Revival have transcended the essence of folk music to a 360° approach on planetary care. Intentionally or not, they are in sync with Ochs’ song. “… Won’t be asked to do my share when I’m gone / So I guess I’ll have to do it while I’m here.”  

I spoke to the two women of the group: washboard wonder Bonnie Paine and violin virtuoso Bridget Law. I started the conversation by asking about the second song, “Remembering a Beginning”, on These Changing Skies (their newest album at the time, and one that I could not stop playing after picking it up at Hillside 2014).

What came into your head to write “Remembering a Beginning”?

Bonnie: I had read a book called The Spell of the Sensuous [Language and Perception in a More than Human World] by David Abram and he was talking about how everything is communicating. If it can appear visually, then it is communicating, and that’s its form of communication. To acknowledge that just brings such depth into everything and so I kept thinking about the sky. The album before this is called Break In the Clouds and I had been trying to figure out how to draw clouds. They’re never stagnant. They’re constantly changing. They don’t even look real when you are looking at them and so to draw them and make them look real is really hard. So I kept thinking about sky as an entity that communicates – and if it could communicate all the changes that it has seen, and the way that it encompasses our planet – how amazing that would be. We were travelling along the San Andreas Fault and I kept thinking about how the land had changed and would change from that fault line, and the sky’s perspective of it.

You folks are associated with some pretty amazing organizations. The Conscious Alliance looks like a beautiful effort. Calling All Crows  – can you tell me more about them?

Bonnie: Our friend Chad Stokes is the one who introduced us to the organization. I think he’s a big part of who started it. It’s his foundation. Chad is the front man of a band called DISPATCH and they are an amazing group of people. They do a lot of work for hunger and they were working with women in Africa who were given stoves because a lot of women were getting abused on their way to gather firewood. The proceeds also went to help women from the injuries they had gotten from being raped on those journeys. So a lot of it is for empowering women plus helping the homeless.

Bridget: It’s set up as a fan outreach program so that the fans can get involved with volunteer programs and different volunteer opportunities in their area. So every time Chad Stokes plays a show in any city, he comes early and he does some sort of volunteer event. He hosts it with his friends and fans to bring people together, and bring awareness to different issues – both in that area and in international issues like the one Bonnie discussed.

So it’s like a benefit for that organization plus an outreach?

Bonnie: Yeah – It’s set up so that the fans can talk to them and get pamphlets so they can get some kind of idea of what kind of work they are doing.

With that kind of engagement, do you see any sort of payback?

Bonnie: One thing that’s really nice about that particular group is that a lot of the younger kids get involved. It gives them another opportunity to know the artist. Maybe they can’t go to the show because it’s not an all ages show, but it’s another opportunity to get involved. I think that’s great thing – anything you can do to incorporate the teens is really special.

What comes first – music or environment?

Bonnie: I think they’re pretty intertwined. The inspiration for the music comes from natural settings for the most part – and finding peaceful places, so one wouldn’t really exist without the other. It’s such an integral part of the birthing of the songs in the first place, so in a way, that comes first or we wouldn’t really have anything for people to enjoy.

Were you folks friends before you had a band together?

Bridget: Yes – for a couple of years.

Were you on similar paths at the time – same interests?

Bridget: I definitely feel that [environment] is an ideal for us. That [environment] is a value that was really important to all of us, and in the end this connected us. Festivals like Hillside are opportunities where you witness people who care and want to be connected and want to learn, and want to share information. So the environment is what’s calling to us; it’s what’s asking us to be aware of it right now. By travelling with the music, I feel like we are kind of ambassadors for the land – we are trying to be.

How do you inspire that caring?

Bonnie: That’s why I love music. There’s something different about telling somebody about their connection to the planet. Music brings a feeling. You don’t necessarily use words to impart that to somebody, but music gives you a sense of the inextricable part that you are to everything.

Bridget: Music’s like an invitation to feel those thoughts and emotions together all at the same time and you’re not really sure what you are sensing, but the poetry and the way that you know we are all feeling is like a greater message that we can just tap into.

This is old news to you and I hope that you don’t mind my asking this question, but you have such a poignant story on your website about two pachyderms – elephants to be specific – how they lived together for 16 years, then separated by zookeepers. Within days of the separation, both elephants died. How did you hear about that?

Bonnie and Bridget [mashed story; now a proverbial folktale]: Our bass player [Daniel Rodriguez] busked in front of the elephant cage in Lincoln Park zoo in Chicago, where he grew up. He knew that two elephants had once lived together there and one had been sold to the Salt Lake City zoo. He sought out rest of the story and was very touched. He felt the desire to bring them and us together. We were scattered all around the country and he saw this as a sign for us to come together as a tribe.

What song or event inspired you – made you realize that things had to change? Was there anything that lit a fire in your belly?

Bonnie: There were multiple things. I remember going to a Montessori preschool and there was by the light switch a picture of the planet Earth. Basically it was a reminder to turn the lights off whenever you leave one of the stations. That was the first time I remember that yeah – these lights use energy. That was one of my early recognitions that you need to be conscious of how much you use. Still at my dad’s house where I was born and raised, you have to build a fire for hot water. That was one of my chores in the morning. It made me aware of the use of fuel and how much we use.

Bridget: My mom took me to Hands Across the World once when I was three years old. It’s hard for me to remember because I feel like I’ve always grown up with that notion. I grew up in a liberal part of the city and I went to Waldorf school so it was definitely instilled in me. But I remember Hands Across the World. I was really young and it was such a beautiful thing. It was all across the State of California. My mom tells the story that I heard about this event (or she old me about this event), and I told her that we had to go. So she took me. I believe at the time, it was a protest on a power plant that was going into part of California.

Have you noticed a rise in environmental consciousness (for example, beyond recycling and composting) in your circles?

Bonnie: Yeah – I don’t have to explain why I bring my own thermos and to-go containers any more. People used to look at me like I had some kind of neurosis or phobia or something. I’d get overly explanatory and say things like “It’s because I want to reduce trash … those things just don’t disappear even if they’re recyclable.” Now everybody knows, and it’s a relief to not have to explain that.

Bridget: People take steps where they can, and they are learning to take steps where it’s possible. Our government and different organizations are trying to make that easier. I think we’ll see a lot of changes over time.

Where’s your favourite place on Earth? Where do you like to be?

Bridget: I’m a big fan of this spot by the Colorado River. We live in Colorado, and I spend a lot of time paddle boarding at this spot. The Colorado River is endangered. It doesn’t make it all the way to the Gulf [of Mexico]. But it’s flowing really well right there so I’m not very far from the headwaters. It’s just this amazing place where 20 minutes before, you are at the top of the continental divide where there’s still snow till July, and you come down into this valley and it’s desert and red dirt. It feels like a really sacred place to me and I spend a lot of time there. I think I’d call that my favourite place to be. The Colorado had a good year – we’re pulling for it.

Bonnie: There’s a lot of places I’ve seen in National Geographic where I would love to go. But Spring Creek in Oklahoma, where I grew up – at Tahlequah – there’s a natural spring-fed creek with bluffs and it’s just beautiful, very clear, clear water. It’s a very peaceful and magical place. There’s areas of it where you can still see water bubbling up from the ground. All my family is there and we have some really sweet memories. Lots of owls and wildlife – yeah, I love Spring Creek. I hope it stays clean. It’s part of one of my goals in life to figure out how to help that place stay clean. There are so many pig and chicken farms that get set up along bodies of water. I’ve watched most of them change really quickly and I’m so glad this one hasn’t yet.

You’ve witnessed a lot of initiatives at various festivals and I love that you say that this is the most environmental festival. It’s the most environmental one I know too. But other festivals have interesting ideas to steal too. Are there any ideas that you can share here?

Bridget: More yoga is always good.

Bonnie: I was thinking about the boat that we rode over [to the island]. It would be kind of neat if there was the option – I’m grateful that there’s a boat at all, but if it didn’t use fuel. If we could paddle across –

Bridget: Yeah – because then you’d feel really involved in the water too.

Bonnie: That would be really nice. We have a friend [Scotty Stoughton] who has a festival called Camp out for the Cause and he’s a big supporter of paddle boarding.

Bridget: That festival is actually located on that spot that I was talking about on the Colorado River. It’s on Memorial Day weekend. You should go, it’s really neat. The whole festival is a non-profit festival raising money for disaster relief – Haiti – it puts instruments into the hands of kids, and things like that. It’s very cool. And there’s a yoga class between every main stage set. You can get on a paddle board right there at the festival,  and ride it for miles down the river – and then they’ll take you back.

And there’s a gentleman in Toronto who hosts a bike-powered festival. The whole festival is powered by the crowd bicycling. He loves talking about environmental initiatives and he’s a real sweetheart. You should talk to him.

Check out Elephant Revival tour dates.
Their new live album Sands of Now will be released on July 24, 2015.

The post If the Sky Could Talk appeared first on A\J.

Among DIY, active living, arts, music, food and environmental workshops on offer, I attended a days worth of seedy – in a good way – sessions on sprouting, rain gardens, micro-farming and seed saving. Here are some of the ways I learned to grow healthier food, tame water run-off and get the most out of my garden.

Over one hundred workshops, demonstrations and interactive sessions take place at the annual Hillside Festival in Guelph, Ontario amid the music of the festival’s five stages.

Among DIY, active living, arts, music, food and environmental workshops on offer, I attended a days worth of seedy – in a good way – sessions on sprouting, rain gardens, micro-farming and seed saving. Here are some of the ways I learned to grow healthier food, tame water run-off and get the most out of my garden.

Sprouting

It’s about as local as you can get: your own kitchen. And not only that, it’s the original just add water mix.  Sprouting starts with a handful of seeds and as little as a glass jar and straining mesh. With a little care – proper rinsing and draining – you too can have super-nutritious sprouts ready to make into salads, dressings, soups and smoothies.

Workshop organizer Adam Popper had an array of samples, already sprouted. Memorable options were broccoli – definitely broccoli tasting, but also with a nippy note that it outgrows – and daikon radish sprouts, characteristically spicy.

On my first go, I’ll be starting out with clover and alfalfa, said to be easy seeds to start with. After a few days of some routine soaking and draining I’ll have a jar of sprouts. High quality sprouting seeds can be found at many health food stores or sourced online. To learn more, check out sites like SproutPeople or consult a how-to for timing and techniques.

Rain Gardens

We build our cities and subdivisions with hard, solid surfaces. Sewer overflows, quick moving storm water, run-off pollution and even leaky basements can often be traced back to a disregard for permeability in our built environments.

What’s more, the green spaces that we do have don’t make the most of unpaved space, often absorbing and sequestering a fraction of the water that rain-loving plant species and better-planned gardens could. Workshop hosts Crystal Bradford and Liam Kijewski (wildlifegardening.ca) made this point with a comparison of root depth among species of grass – sometimes similar to the untrained eye above the surface, but vastly different below, where the differences in root growth are such that they can be measured in feet.

The size, location and design of rain gardens are specific to a given site, taking advantage of existing flows of water and soil conditions and accounting for existing infrastructure. Rain gardens thrive on a mix of grasses, sedges, ferns and flowers, all planted with an eye for low-maintenance, hearty root systems and tolerance for variable water conditions. Planting native species can also be a great way to help reverse extirpation of insects like moths and butterflies.

Slowing down the rate at which water moves through urban areas is key to lessening our impact on local watersheds. Rain gardens can even be a way to mitigate property damage otherwise caused by errant flows of water with nowhere else to go.

Micro-farming and Seed Saving

Between minding the A\J booth and catching some tunes, I managed to make the second half of Meredith Sweeney’s session on mirco-farming. Hillside advice: it’s easy to lose track of the time, so plan accordingly.

Micro-farming proves that you don’t need great, open spaces for a great, hearty yield. Sweeney led a whirlwind tour through the full catalogue of backyard farming possibilities, from herbs to poultry. With a bit of forethought, you can cultivate a garden where each component introduces a new synergy into the plot.

When gardening at home it’s sometimes easy to focus planning efforts on the beginning of the season, rather than the end as production winds down. In a separate workshop, Aaron Lyons gave an impassioned introduction to home-scale seed saving (and a glimpse at larger-scale seed cultivation).

When you save seeds, you affect how that variety propagates. The varieties that we enjoy – like heirlooms, with their untold histories – are a result of generations of fussiness over which seeds to keep and which to discard. When you keep seeds from individual plants with the characteristics that you like (say, your earliest ripe tomatoes, or slowest-to-bolt herbs), you are selecting for that characteristic. You can also do the opposite, by rogueing ­– weeding out the individuals that you find lacking and keeping the rest.

Some plants, like cucurbits (squash, cucumbers and melons) must be grown with buffer zones between varieties of the same species in order to end up with true seeds (seeds that produce the same plant). As a general rule, hybrid varieties are not true to seed.

Some seeds need processing before they can be hurried away. Tomatoes, for example, require a fermentation step to remove their coating, while others like squash require only a quick rinse. All seeds will need a place to dry out for several days. Once dry, it’s important to keep seeds away from moisture, which can encourage mildew and rot. And don’t forget to label your finished product with the variety, year and any other important notes. You’ll thank yourself in the spring.

This is part of a series of posts inspired by Hillside, of which A\J is a proud media sponsor and attendee.

The post Learning to Grow appeared first on A\J.