Farm boy

Mason and I are spending lots of time outside these days. One way he tells me that he wants to go out is by pulling on his rubber boots (sometimes on the right feet!). It's a skill he recently acquired, and it is so fun to see how proud he is when he gets them on. He absolutely loves helping with chicken chores, playing in the dirt, moving rocks, looking for bugs, watching the birds...no matter what it is we're doing, I'm constantly reminded of the importance of him having time to explore the natural world. I love that Mason is learning about the cycle of the seasons, where food comes from, and how he is connected to the soil, the rain, the bugs, the sun. Gathering eggs is one of Mason's favorite chores, and it's worth losing an egg now and then to see the pure joy he takes in collecting them. He also loves shoveling dirt, or as he calls it "Mason move dirt!" We are building a raised bed in the back yard right now, and he helped carry some of the smaller rocks to build the wall. This morning he helped shovel the soil and add some compost. He'll help with the entire process as we add more soil, plant seeds, watch them grow and harvest the food. One of the highlights of his morning was playing in the wheelbarrow after we unloaded some compost...

Spring awakening

Even though spring in the valley isn't always my favorite time because of the wind, I love, love, love seeing the perennials in the herb garden wake up after a winter rest and once again poke through the soil. Here are some of the first to make their appearance this year! Dandelion (more about her later)

The chives are always the first to appear and I've already enjoyed cooking with them!

Strawberries

Valerian

Hyssop

Yarrow

Comfrey

Echinacea

Rhubarb Chamomile This brings us to the herbal tip of the week...and our herb is Dandelion! There are so many wonderful attributes of this humble garden "weed" that it could have a whole blog to itself. The whole plant is a wonderful ally for health...roots, leaves and flowers. So many people seem to wage war against this supreme herbal medicine, perhaps because that long tap root anchors dandelion so well to the ground. I wonder if these misguided gardeners would feel the same way if they knew that dandelion creates drainage channels in compacted soils, restores mineral health, aearates the soil and attracts earthworms. And if you still really want it out of there, why not harvest it as a superb food and medicine instead of attacking it with herbicide? There are too many medicinal properties to list here, so for now lets focus on the leaves. If your family is anything like mine, you're really craving green food this time of year. We can't seem to get enough of it. It amazes me how Mason always seems to know exactly what his body needs, and right now it's greens, greens, greens. Dandelion greens are such a wonderful, nutritious food. They are alkalizing, great for the kidneys, stomach and liver, a digestive bitter and a great food for "spring cleaning" your body. They are very high in Vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium, iron, and the B-vitamin complex...and that's just the beginning. We like to throw a handful of young dandelion greens into our spring salads, and cook with them as a green in practically everything. I recently made a quiche with dandelion greens, onions, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes...yum! There are lots of great dandelion recipes to be found. Susun Weed has an inspiring section on dandelion in her book Healing Wise. Remember, the greens are tastiest (to most) before the flowers appear. As far as harvesting dandelion, take care not to take her from an area likely sprayed with herbicides. Many natural grocers now carry dandelion greens as well. Get to know dandelion...she just might teach you a thing or two! And, eat your greens!