My Review of Farming the Woods at Permaculture Magazine

It has been my great pleasure to review books on a somewhat regular basis for Permaculture Magazine. One of my latest is of Farming the Woods by Ken Mudge and Steve Gabriel. I won't repeat every word of my review here, but I will say it's a book that should be added to the shelves of those who like to eat and do so sustainably. It was inspiring, informative, and hopeful. Read the review and then add it to your collection. You'll be glad you did.

http://www.permaculture.co.uk/book-reviews/farming-woods

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Finding Heirloom Seeds in Japan

Drying pods of heirloom Hutterite Soup Beans. Since moving to Japan eight years ago, one of my greatest challenges as a farmer-gardener has been to find heirloom or open-pollinated seeds. The majority of seeds available are not GMO (genetically modified organisms) as Japan, at this point, doesn't accept this material. Most seeds, though, are nearly all F1 varieties. Heirloom and F1 Varieties In plant breeding, F1 is the name given to the first generation of a cross between two true breeding parents. For example, if I decide to cross an Amish Paste Tomato with another heirloom variety tomato such as Emmy, in hopes of getting a gold paste tomato, the resulting generation of fruit is F1. In order to get that tomato of my culinary dreams, I'll need to choose members of that first generation that are headed in a direction I like - early ripening, medium-sized fruit, good taste - and save their seeds. I'll plant them and repeat the process again and again over time unti

Satoimo: One of Japan's Favorite Slimy Things

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Goma Ai Shingiku - Sesame and Chrysanthemum Greens

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Japan Farmers Markets

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