#zone4b

Gardening journal for September 25, 2026. The hot chilies are dehydrated with solar power. The dehydration process has been relatively safe. Kitchen gloves are required safety equipment. The process of grinding the dehydrated chilies to deploy with a spice shaker is dangerous as tiny chili dust floats in the air. The N95 mask is effective protection. Some of these will be served on spicy popcorn. #MaskUp, #gardening, #minnesota, #nodig, #Zone4b

Team activities on August 5, 2026. 1. Harvest and wash elderberries in the pleasant conditions. 2. Observe a variety of pollinators on the native plants, the painted lady butterflies are numerous. 3. Plant more native plant starts as the existing plants bloom. It’s rewarding to add diversity to the habitat as the existing native plants are feeding pollinators. #threegoodthings, #minnesota, #nativeplants, #pollinators, #rewilding, #Zone4b

@Broadfork@mastodon.green The May 5th compost report is eventful. Green manure clippings were harvested from the raspberry area, and spread on the compost. The compost temperature as we start is a few degrees warmer than the nodig garden. This is 63 F (17 C). The whole of the pile was flipped from right to left. The runner ducks help. The overnight lows are around freezing. #compost, #minnesota, #Zone4b, #ducksofmastadon,

A solar power system, strawbale cob construction, greenhouse enthusiasms and the Southern Minnesota climate get you something like this. We are mostly off grid #Minnesota, #zone4b, #solar

@ericalaeta@ruhr.social @Broadfork@mastodon.green This interior photograph shows the rectangular wheat straw bales, the wire mesh, and wet brown clay plaster. Timber framing is visible around the door and above the window. The clay plaster is mixed in a tub mixer and then applied by hand. The ingredients are clay from the site, rough sand, wheat straw and water. One label is cob material. The window shows the wall depth when using wheat straw bales for their insulation properties. #cob, #Zone4b

April 30, 2026. Gardening journal. Thank you to the soil. The planned garden planting includes beans, beets, and chard. The best of the Hidatsa Shield beans will be planted. The biggest Hidatsa Shield can be sorted by hand and eye. The seeds for the beets, Arikara Yellow bean, and Cherokee Trail of Tears bean are from Seed Savers Exchange. The soil temperature is 11 Celsius. The frost warnings are for two more nights. #minnesota, #nodig , #zone4b, #indigenous, #growyourown, #gardening, #compost

Sunday, April 19th. These kimchi vegetables are two days into a short fermentation. This is a Korean Kkakdugi recipe from Maangchi. The garden shared new chives, nettles, and grow light daikon radishes. The fermented garlic ingredient is from 2024. The Korean chili powder is sharing all the red hues. #fermentation, #kimchi, #Kkakdugi, #Maangchi, #minnesota, #zone4b.

Saturday April 18th. Garden journal notes. The perennial nettle plant is wonderful. This harvest aspired to be steamed with sambal kelapa spiced carrots. This is an early green for southern Minnesota. Also the plant spreads aggressively by shallow runners and deep runners. Also the common name is stinging nettles. #nettles, #growyourown, #nodig, #compost, #minnesota, #Zone4b, #gardening

@Broadfork@mastodon.green, @LifeTimeCooking@mastodon.au The Garden Amendment book is a great reference book. It’s on the kitchen table today. #gardenamendments, #fermentation, #soilbiology, #nettles, #comfrey, #dandelion, #minnesota, #Zone4b

Sunday, April 12th. The bloodroot plant is a lovely sign of spring. The plants make happy colonies, spreading by rhizomes and seed dispersal. The pollinators appreciate the early blossoms. And later in the season the ants like to carry the seeds off as treasure. #nativeplants, #pollinators, #minnesota, #zone4b

March 18, 2026. Field notes. The wind and heavy snow of the weekend covers native plants. This round headed bush clover stem is sturdy, often lasting two winters. This stem will return to the upright position as the snow melts. These plants have lovely winter color and striking seed heads. The seeds are attractive, they are small legumes. #minnesota, #nativeplants, #pollinators, #megafauna, #Zone4b

@joewynne@mindly.social Thank you for adding diversity to the habitat for the pollinators. The stiff goldenrod is an attractive plant through the seasons. We also have stiff goldenrod seeds doing the cold stratification in the refrigerator. #nativeplants, #minnesota, #Zone4b