Dandelions; understanding their role

Written by Adam Mohammed

Lets take a look at the dandelion, one of our most common 'weeds', and one of my favourite. Dandelions are a 'pioneer' species, experts at living in damaged areas and repairing the soil. They're the first step in the transformation of a damaged area back to a forest. Aside from being beautiful (I always thought that a field filled with yellow flowers was preferable over short cut green grass), they're useful in almost every way a plant can be. They improve the soil, they're edible, and medicinal.

Weeds! Understanding them and their Uses

Written by Adam Mohammed

What is a 'weed'? Typically we humans describe a plant as a weed when it gets in the way of what we're trying to grow. We often react with frustration, spending vast amounts of time ripping these plants out, or worse, spraying them with toxic chemicals, all without stopping to think; why is this plant growing here? And further, what does it have to offer? Every plant in an ecosystem has a purpose, a niche it fills. Humans have been practicing agriculture long enough that our food production zones have become eco systems in themselves; along with 'weed' species that fill niches, and have evolved alongside us. When we observe any eco system (which includes human ones!), and look hard enough, we can find a purpose for every component.

Edible Forest Gardens: Part 1: Why?

Written by Trent Rhode

For thousands of years, humanity has toiled in the earth, working the land for sustenance. For thousands of years, the dominant culture’s practical understanding of growing food has remained essentially the same.

Yields have gone up, but this is mostly thanks to new technologies and increased exploitation of the environment. Even in an era of mass soil erosion and destruction of vital ecosystems, modern industrial agriculture still persists in the idea that nature can be controlled and forced into productivity. This can’t go on much longer. But what can we do?