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Food For Life Garden Update!

Inspiration “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” ― Bill Keane

It's been a couple of weeks since my last newsletter. I've been absolutely busy with updating and redesigning my website. I needed to move to a different platform since I've outgrown the old one and get things a bit more organized, and I'd love to get your feedback on the new look at foodforlifegarden.com.

I've also added some New Content for you! More on that below ↓

Spring brings renewal and so much is happening all at once. Seeds are sprouting, new goat babies are born and in my food forest and garden the mushrooms have been sprouting up just all over. Wow, I already put enough bags of mushrooms in the freezer for a whole year. Who would have thought that I'd be busy harvesting and processing loads of food even before the last frost date for my area. Crazy! If you'd like to grow mushrooms, now is a great time to plant them for a fall harvest.

The little goat babies are growing fast, and yesterday at midnight my third goat mama gave birth to a little doeling. Her first baby in her life. It went so perfect. Cecilia did everything right and is a wonderful mama. The baby is all black. Super cute, but really hard to take a picture of, lol. I'll try again later, but here she is:

I any case, my milk bucket is getting wet with milk again and I'll be working on some more cheese content soon. Stay tuned!

In the garden, depending on where you live, it is time to plant! In most areas, you can safely plant potatoes, all the cool weather loving plants can be sown, which includes lettuces, carrots, cilantro, and peas. And it's time to transplant brassicas, leeks and onions.

Wait on planting the tomatoes and peppers until the weather is consistently warm even at night. Also hold off on the celery, ginger and sweet potatoes for a little while longer. In the North that would mean middle to end of May or even beginning of June. In New Hampshire it was June. In Washington it depended on the end of the cool, rainy season. Tomatoes don't like getting rained on. Where I am in Missouri, my last frost date was April 19, and it's getting pretty warm out already. It's a little early to plant out tomatoes and peppers yet. But I'm hardening them off for the next week and then they'll get transplanted.

If you're in a milder zone and past your last frost date, you might start seeding some of the warm loving vegetables, such as beans, cucumbers, and squashes.

Always double check for your last frost date before you plant!

Here is a great tool for scheduling your seed starting and planting based on the last frost date which you can find here by plugging in your zip code.

Just as a reminder, and if you got my last newsletter, you already know this, but...

Don't forget to make compost if you haven't yet! You can make great compost in just 3 weeks, however it will be too fresh to till in until it matures for another month, but it will be perfect for side- and top-dressing your freshly planted garden. And if making a huge compost pile isn't your thing, there are lots of other ways to compost!

Fruit trees are best planted 10 years ago, and second best today! If planting a fruit tree has been on your wish list, don't wait, you'll be glad in a few years when you eat those fresh peaches or apples from your own backyard. Here is a guide to planting trees and another about planting a tree guild that helps attract pollinators, repel pests and will help the tree to grow up healthy!

Don't miss my guide for starting a medicinal herb garden! More about it below!

Your source for information about gardening, planting a food forest, permaculture, farming with animals, growing meat, and milking goats. Learn about making cheese and sourdough bread, preserving your harvest, traditional homestead recipes, off-grid living and more! Visit FoodForLifeGarden.com​

​GET YOUR SEEDS HERE! True Leaf Market has many vegetable varieties, as well as a big selection on herbs! Plus, they offer Free Shipping over $75.-. So get your seeds before they sell out or it's too late to plant!

New On The Blog

Make Your Own Turmeric Supplement!

There is an easy way to make your own turmeric supplement. Are you taking turmeric or curcumin for joint pain, as an anti-inflammatory aid or for immune support? Turmeric has such powerful healing properties. Many supplements offer just the isolated curcumin compound, but we’ll be using the whole rhizome in this recipe and discuss the benefits.

There are many ways we can incorporate whole turmeric in our meals and we can make tea, golden milk, or fermented turmeric paste. But none of these lend themselves well to take as a routine supplement throughout the day wherever you are. This is where Turmeric extract (tincture) comes in super handy. And it is so easy to make. Learn how turmeric tincture made from fresh turmeric can help you and how to make your own.

Make Your Own Effective Turmeric Supplement

Make A Fantastic Lemon Balm Extract!

​Lemon balm tincture made from freshly harvested lemon balm is the perfect way to extract all of lemon balm’s benefits. In tincture form, lemon balm can be used so easily even when you’re away from home. No need to make a tea. And you can even use it on a cold sore if you don’t have a salve. It’s effective, convenient, and it is super easy to make from home grown lemon balm. And if you don't know the benefits, do visit my page about lemon balm tincture to learn all about this amazing ally for your health!

Learn how to grow your own lemon balm, how to harvest it and how to make a tincture. And discover the many benefits and uses for lemon balm tincture. Let’s dive into it!

Make This Awesome Lemon Balm Tincture

Don't Forget...

Mother's Day Is Coming

And With Mother's Day just around the corner, I have curated a gift guide for moms that include beautiful and useful mother's day gifts for the garden and the home, for any budget. These will also make great birthday gifts or thoughtful gifts for any occasion. If you're not sure what to get mom, hop on over to my blog and get inspired! You'll also find a FREE printable download with 9 Mother's Day gift tag designs!

Best Mother's Day Gifts For Garden And Home

And there is still time to...

Grow Your Own Apothecary Garden!

Have you ever thought about becoming more self-sufficient and resilient? Would you love to be prepared in the case of supply-chain disruptions, devastating storms, or other natural or man-made disasters?

I know I like to be prepared for such situations, but really, I just don't want to run to a store half an hour away every time I need something! Being prepared makes you more price-hike resistant and it can save you a lot of money long-term.

Being prepared is especially important when it comes to wellness and setting up a home apothecary with first aid remedies.

If you want to start your own Apothecary garden, you might like to check out my collection of 25 Essential Medicinal Herbs to grow. There are lots more, of course, but we've got to start somewhere, right?

Learn about each plant's healing benefits and find a reference to growing conditions, what parts to use, and where to source the seeds or plants. Check it out and become more self-reliant by growing your own apothecary herbs and making homegrown teas, tinctures and salves.

Yes, I Want To Start My Own Apothecary Garden!

​Herb Seed Collection! Here is a great deal I found for a herb seed starter pack from Amazon. A collection of 36 herbs for just over a dollar a packet. I just got mine and can't wait to plant them. This contains most of the seeds to grow the herbs I mention in my post.