Grow Dandelions , They Aren't Just Weeds Anymore !

If you asked someone what they thought of when the topic of weeds came up , nine times out of ten you probably  would get the answer , " dandelion " . The eradication of this broad-leafed , yellow flowering plant is foremost on every urban gardener who has ever attempted to maintain the perfectly manicured turf grass.

Tools have been created just for dandelion eradication. I remember as a boy , spending many hours out in the yard with one of these long handled tools , designed with a metal forged fork on the end to pop up the deep tap roots of the dandelion . It was kind of like fighting a raging wild fire with a damp wash rag . The more dandelions I popped up , the more there seemed to be .

I remember my Dad one spring day in late April , when the dandelion population was particularly advanced in our front yard , and their white , fluffy , seed heads made it  look like it had snowed several inches over our entire lawn , reached a breaking point .

. He brought out the big gun , our large shop vac and a long extension cord . With the click of a switch and a loud roar , he began to grimly vacuum the seed heads off those pesky weeds. After a short time of vigorous suctioning  he knew the war was lost. The dandelions had won again , and would once more reign supreme in our beleaguered yard throughout the summer.

My view , however , of the dandelion as a noxious weed  has changed over the years after numerous studies and articles came out declaring the incredible nutritive and healing properties this plant contains.

Earthworms - Nature's Mini Rototillers.

Have you ever been faced with soil that appears hopelessly dead ?

Maybe you've just moved into a new subdivision where the soil is extremely dense and compacted , left over form heavy equipment and foot traffic during the house construction.

Or perhaps you live in an area that's arid desert and your soil is dry , compacted sand.

You want to put in a nice flower bed along the front side of the house or put in a big vegetable garden out back. How can you begin the process of building great, fertile soil in a seemingly lifeless environment ?

The answer...Enter the lowly earthworm. Yes , the answer to reviving poor soil is to introduce it to a thriving community of slippery , slimy , hard-working , earthworms .

Of Glaciers, Volcanoes , Rock Dust, And Nutrient Rich Soils.

Here's the question of the day : " What do glaciers and volcanoes have to do with growing great fruits and vegetables ? " ...Well , directly these gigantic blocks of ice and fiery mountains of hot lava don't really work wonders for us in the garden.

However it's the aftereffects of these processes when added to our soils in the form of rock powder that can totally transform our fruits and vegetables into mineral rich produce.

Over thousands of years , glaciers crush rock onto the earth's mantle. Volcanoes erupt spewing forth minerals from deep within the earth. Other forces of nature such as wind blow the dust known as loess all over the globe.

Rushing rivers deposit mineral-rich alluvial deposits.

Within the silicate and glacial moraine that are the end result of these forces of nature are rich deposits of up to one hundred minerals and trace elements necessary to the well being of all of life and the creation of fertile soils.

Glacial moraine and other rock powders can be added to our soils to create a sustainable and superior alternative to the ultimately harmful overuse of synthetic fertilizers , pesticides, and herbicides.

The New " Micro Eco-Farmers "

Gerald Celente, founder of the Trends Institute who correctly predicted the 1987 Stock Market crash and the break- up of the Soviet Union years before these events occurred , also predicted that by the 21st. century, organic microfarms of ten acres or less would begin to challenge the food-giants.

According to the USDA , farmers' markets, one of the main outlets for small organic farms , grew in record numbers , increasing by 63 percent by the end of the last century.

That increase grew to 79 percent in the last nine years of the 21st. century.

The Rodale Institute reported that community supported agriculture , a form of small sustainable farming, was booming across America.

Meanwhile, the Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association reported up to 75 calls per day from people looking to connect with a small , local farmer.

Today, many people are realizing that corporate agribusiness is failing them when it comes to obtaining fresh, healthy foods. The gaps the industrial farms are leaving are fast being filled by the local growers.

Food Fascism And The Food Safety Modernization Act.

Back when small farms were our main source of food production for the surrounding communities, free enterprise reigned supreme.

Today with food industry giants such as Monsanto, Cargill, and Tyson ruling the roost, farmers have basically become indentured sharecroppers.

As subsidies are pumped into big agribusinesses , they grow what the government tells them to grow.

A few days ago I came upon an article addressing this very issue by someone named Eric Blair.

In his article he says: " The food engineers at General Mills and others weave corn, wheat, and soybeans into chemical concoctions that end up in brightly colored packages -- some even come with free Chinese-made toys. The finished product develops from a Genetically Modified base, using multiple poisons to glue it together, demonstrating that the monopolies and their regulatory lapdogs care not for our health. "

I couldn't have said it any better than that. Take a look around your local supermarket and you'll have to agree that the majority of the groceries that we bring home to our pantries are slickly packaged chemicals , preservatives , and taste enhancers , disguised as real food.

Blair goes on to say :" But what about voting with our pocketbooks, isn't that a free market? Surely that is what we have been taught. Yet, all 16 flavors of Cheerios -- which give the appearance of free choice -- are all made by General Mills from a genetically modified corn base. This illusion of choice hides the monopolistic nature of food."

Now enter Senate bill S.510 Food Safety Modernization Act , which has apparently already passed the House as HR2749. Some believe the bill to be the ultimate in food fascism , claiming that the FDA will regulate and micro manage even small farms and co-ops to the point where it will become illegal to grow, share, trade, or sell homegrown foods.

Eliot Coleman, Author of The Winter Harvest Handbook, Speaks About His L...