Heirloom, Hybrid and GMO seeds explained

How to turn your food scraps into compost

(Photo credit: nancybeetoo)

Composting your food scraps is a great way to reduce waste and teach your family about living a green lifestyle. It also has the added benefit of creating nutrient rich fertilizer that can later be used for your garden or flower beds. Creating a compost pile isn't difficult, it just takes patience to get it up and established the right way. The benefits of composting are numerous, and include improved soil structure, moisture retention and plant growth. If you would like to learn how to compost using your kitchen scraps, please read on.

The first step in creating a compost pile using food scraps is to determine which items you can use and which you should throw away. Good food items and packaging materials include:

• Fruit and veggie scraps
• Egg shells
• Stale bread
• Outdated dry food mixes
• Coffee grounds
• Tea bags
• Grass clippings
• Wood chips
• Sawdust
• Shred



(Photo credit: SuperFantastic)

• Paper towels
• Straw
• Dead leaves

Items that should not be composted are:

• Bones
• Meat
• Fatty foods
• Dairy
• Grease and oil
• Treated wood

For the do it yourselfers, there are a number of ways you can create a compost bin or you can purchase one at your local hardware or garden supply store or online. You will want to have your bin ready to go as you collect scraps so when you have enough scraps saved up, you can immediately begin the process of composting.Make sure you place your bin somewhere sunny, because the temperature of it will need to reach approximately 140 degrees F

Once you have saved up a 50/50 blend of green (food and plant matter) and brown (paper and wood items) scraps, cut the items down to small pieces. This can be easily done with a lawnmower. Place these items in your bin and dampen with water, taking care to not saturate the mixture. Continue to add items in a 50/50 mix as you collect them, making sure to dampen the compost as you go. You will need to turn the compost every couple of days to ensure it breaks down evenly. It will probably take several months before your compost is ready to use. You will know it is ready when it looks and smells similar freshly turned earth.

Examples of collection bins:
   

Examples of compost bins:

 

Purchasing the Best Grow Lights

If you aren't sure as to where to purchase grow lights for hydroponics, read on! It's pretty easy to find somewhere the has grow lights considering hydroponics is a growing trend. Grow lights are an important part of hydroponics, and selecting the right led grow lights can be a big decision. There are lots of different grow tents and lights available from http://www.thelashop.com. There are tons of different nutrient additives that you can add to your hydroponics set-up to make your plants successful. Happy plants are healthy plants and you can be sure that with the right nutrients, you will be growing a fantastic indoor garden. With the right supplies and the right amount of knowledge, anyone can turn into a super hydroponics grower! If you want plants that will be grown in stable environment as opposed to outdoors where weather can harm them, try hydroponics! You don’t have to wait for a certain season, you can start growing tonight if you wanted. There is lots of information available online for people to learn about indoor plant growing, and it is continuing to be a growing trend in many communities. This is very helpful to those cities that dwell in colder areas since crops are harder to grow outdoors. Hydroponics is the answer to most of outside gardenings problems! Having a hydroponics garden is extremely smart if you want to start growing food for your family all year round to save on groceries, as well as for hobby growing! No matter what the plant, with the right grow lights and nutrients you will have a wonderful garden and collection. Choosing the right grow light can be crucial to making sure your plants grow as they should.

How to eliminate GMO's from your diet: Growing your own produce part 2 which companies to avoid

(Photo credit: Campobello Island)

Monsanto is the leader when it comes to genetically modifying foods. They are currently in charge approximately 40% of the United States' seed supply. Steering clear of the seeds they own is one way to ensure you are growing organic produce, but it also chips slowly away at their bottom line. Before I go any further with this post, please note that I do not claim that the following products have been genetically modified, but the potential is there. If you want to ensure that you are not supporting Monsanto with your money, avoid purchasing seeds from the following companies:

• Anderson's Seed and Garden, Inc
• Ball Horticultural Company
• Brett Johnson
• Bunton Seed
• Corona Seeds
• David Phillips
• DeBruyn Seed Company, Inc.
• Earl May Seed and Nursery
• L.C. Early's Farm  and Garden Centre
• Farmer Seed and Nursery
• Fukuda Seed Store
• Garden Trends, Inc.d/b/a Harris Seeds
• Germania Seed Company
• Grimes Horticulture
• H.F. Michell Company
• Meyer Seed Co of Baltimore, Inc
• Mountain Valley Seed Inc.
• Ontario Seed
• Ornamental Edibles
• Otis S. Twilley Seed Co., Inc.
• P. L. Rohrer and Bro., Inc.
• Paul Skalitzky
• Southern States Cooperative, Incorporated T and T Seeds, LTD.
• The Page Seed Company
• Tomato Growers Supply Company
• Vis Seed Company, Inc.

Monsanto has also purchased the trademark names to the following fruit and vegetable varieties:

• Beans: Aliconte, Brio, Bronco, Cadillac, Ebro, Etna, Eureka, Festina, Gina, Goldmine, Goldenchild, Labrador, Lynx, Magnum, Matador, Spartacus, Storm, Strike, Stringless Blue Lake 7, Tapia, Tema
• Broccoli: Coronado Crown, Major, Packman Cabbage: Atlantis, Golden Acre, Headstart, Platinum Dynasty, Red Dynasty Carrot: Bilbo, Envy, Forto, Juliana, Karina, Koroda PS, Royal Chantenay, Sweetness III 
• Cauliflower: Cheddar, Minuteman 
• Cucumber: Babylon, Cool Breeze Imp., Dasher II, Emporator, Eureka, Fanfare HG, Marketmore 76, Mathilde, Moctezuma, Orient Express II, Peal, Poinsett 76, Salad Bush, Sweet Slice, Sweet Success PS, Talladega 
• Eggplant: Black Beauty, Fairytale, Gretel, Hansel, Lavender Touch, Twinkle, White Lightening
• Hot Pepper: Anaheim TMR 23, Ancho Saint Martin, Big Bomb, Big Chile brand of Sahuaro, Caribbean Red, Cayenne Large Red Thick, Chichen Itza, Chichimeca, Corcel, Garden Salsa SG, Habanero, Holy Mole brand of Salvatierro, Hungarian Yellow Wax Hot, Ixtapa X3R, Lapid, Mariachi brand of Rio de Oro, Mesilla, Milta, Mucho Nacho brand of Grande, Nainari, Serrano del Sol brand of Tuxtlas, Super Chile, Tam Vera Cruz Lettuce: Braveheart, Conquistador 
• Melon: Early Dew, Sante Fe, Saturno Onion: Candy, Cannonball, Century, Red Zeppelin, Savannah Sweet, Sierra Blanca, Sterling, Vision 
• Pumpkin: Applachian, Harvest Moon, Jamboree HG, Orange Smoothie, Phantom, Prize Winner, Rumbo, Snackface, Spirit, Spooktacular, Trickster 
• Spinach: Hellcat 
• Squash: Ambassador, Canesi, Clarita, Commander, Dixie, Early Butternut, Gold Rush, Grey Zucchini, Greyzini, Lolita, Papaya Pear, Peter Pan, Portofino, President, Richgreen Hybrid Zucchini, Storr’s Green, Sungreen, Sunny Delight, Taybelle PM Sweet Corn: Devotion, Fantasia, Merit, Obession, Passion, Temptation 
• Sweet Pepper: Baron, Bell Boy, Big Bertha PS, Biscayne, Blushing Beauty, Bounty, California Wonder 300, Camelot, Capistrano, Cherry Pick, Chocolate Beauty, Corno Verde, Cubanelle W, Dumpling brand of Pritavit, Early Sunsation, Flexum, Fooled You brand of Dulce, Giant Marconi, Gypsy, Jumper, Key West, King Arthur, North Star, Orange Blaze, Pimiento Elite, Red Knight, Satsuma, Socrates, Super Heavyweight, Sweet Spot 
• Tomato: Amsterdam, Beefmaster, Betterboy, Big Beef, Burpee’s Big Boy, Caramba, Celebrity, Cupid, Early Girl, Granny Smith, Health Kick, Husky Cherry Red, Jetsetter brand of Jack, Lemon Boy, Margharita, Margo, Marmande VF PS, Marmara, Patio, Phoenix, Poseidon 43, Roma VF, Royesta, Sun Sugar, Super Marzano, Sweet Baby Girl, Tiffany, Tye-Dye, Viva Italia, Yaqui
• Watermelon: Apollo, Charleston Grey, Crimson Glory, Crimson Sweet, Eureka, Jade Star, Mickylee, Olympia

How to eliminate GMO's from your diet: Growing your own produce part 1 choosing safe seeds

One of the simplest ways to eliminate GMO's from your diet is to grow your own fruits and vegetables whenever possible. However, even this undertaking comes with a lesson of things to look for and avoid. Monsanto now controls 40% of the American seed industry and 20% of the world's. Avoiding them may seem daunting, but it is doable. The companies listed and linked below have all taken the Safe Seed Pledge. You can order from them and feel confident you will now be growing genetically modified produce for your family.


The Safe Seed Pledge
Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants.


Adaptive Seeds 
All Good Things Organic
Amishland Seeds 
Annie’s Heirloom Seeds 
Aravaipa Heirlooms
The Ark Institute 
Backyard Beans and Grains Project 
Backyard Heirloom Seeds & Herbs
Baker Creek Seed Co. 
Beauty Beyond Belief 
Botanical Interests 
Bountiful Gardens 
Cloudview Ecofarm
Crispy Farms 
Diane’s Flower Seeds
Direct Garden Seeds
Ed Hume Seeds 
Family Farmer’s Seed Co-op 
Farm Direct Seed 
Fedco Seed Co. 
Filaree Garlic Farm
Garden Medicinals and Culinaries
Gourmet Seed 
Grow Organic 
Heirloom Seeds 
Heirloom Solutions
High Mowing Seeds 
Horizon Herbs 
Hudson Valley Seed Library 
J.L Hudson 
Kitchen Garden Seeds 
Knapp’s Fresh Veggies 
Kusa Seed Society 
Lake Valley Seeds 
Landreth Seeds 
Larner Seeds 
The Living Seed Company 
Livingston Seeds 
Local Harvest 
Moonlight Micro Farm 
Mountain Rose Herbs 
My Patriot Supply 
Native Seeds for the Arid Southwest
Natural Gardening Company
New Hope Seed Company
Nichol’s Garden Nursery
Organica Seed
Organic Sanctuary
Osborne Seed Company LLC
Peace Seeds
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply
Prairie Road
Renee’s Garden 
Restoration Seeds
Sand Hill Preservation Center
Sage Thymes
Seed for Security
Seeds Trust
Select Seeds
Siskiyou Seeds
Southern Exposure
Sow True
St. Claire Heirloom Seed
Sustainable Seed Co
Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants
Tomato Fest
Trees of Antiquity
Turtle Tree Seed
Underwood Garden Seeds
Uprising Seeds
Victory Seeds
Vermont Wildflower Farm
White Harvest Seed
Wild Garden Seeds
Wildseed Farms
Wood Prairie Farm

Part 2 of this article will include a list of seed companies and heirloom varieties owned by Monsanto.