The other day, I was driving to work and had to drive around a giant truck spraying herbicide on the side of the highway. OK, I was already in a bad mood, but still, seeing it spraying the weeds with chemicals made me cry. Real tears. Now, imagine if they were doing it the right […]
Organic Gardening
The Basics of Home Canning
by the editors of Rodale’s Organic Life Think of canning as a precision form of cooking. When canning, you will use ordinary kitchen skills but must observe instructions exactly to ensure that the food is sterilized and safe. This is one time when you definitely shouldn’t improvise. Select Jars and Lids Use mason-type jars, which […]
Yoga for the Gardener
by guest blogger Holly Walck Kostura, BSN and certified Iyengar Yoga teacher In my many years of teaching yoga, I’ve watched seasonal patterns emerge in my students’ bodies: fall’s sad farewell to summer exhibited by collapsed chests and downcast eyes; winter’s dullness that creeps into bones and muscles, creating joint pains of often unknown origin; […]
Gardener’s July To-Do List
by the editors at Rodale’s Organic Life Here’s your July gardening guide for North America’s USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 3-10. If you don’t know what zone you live in, check the map here to find out. We’ve left off zones 1–2 (far-north Alaska) and zones 11–13 (small section of the Florida Keys, the Pacific coast between L.A. and Mexico, and […]
6 Ways to Create a Backyard Bird Paradise
by guest blogger Toni Becker, member of the Rodale’s editorial team If you’re looking to soak up the sun and enjoy nature, you don’t have to go far. You can turn your backyard into a local bird hangout, even if you don’t have much space. Not only is bird watching a fun solo or family […]
6 Nontoxic Ways to Keep Wasps Away
by guest blogger Rebecca Straus, online assistant editor at Rodale’s Organic Life Aside from different nesting preferences, the main difference between bees and wasps is that bees feed their larvae pollen, while wasps—a category that includes yellow jackets and hornets—nourish theirs with insects. That means that wasps are actually great to have around the garden […]
Maria’s 5 Favorites: Bug Off…Naturally!
Yes! My favorite season is finally here with all its joys! I’ve always loved summer most of all, but the season is not without its downsides, a big one being the pesky bugs it brings. And yes, I know that many bugs are beneficial and necessary, but that doesn’t mean they need to hang around […]
Gardener’s June To-Do List
by the editors at Rodale’s Organic Life Here’s your June gardening guide for North America’s USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 3-10. If you don’t know what zone you live in, check the map here to find out. We’ve left off zones 1–2 (far-north Alaska) and zones 11–13 (small section of the Florida Keys, the Pacific coast between L.A. and Mexico, and […]
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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