One of the biggest challenges down on the Urban Farm is keeping our soil healthy. In fact it is an ongoing process of adding organic compost and a nice bit of only organic fertilizers. Healthy soil is made of five important components and when one of them is missing…well gardening becomes very hard.

• The two most obvious ingredients to soil are dirt and organic matter and are the bulk of what you see. Dirt is decomposed rock that contains many of the micronutrients and minerals that plants need to thrive. Organic material made up of sticks, leaves, compost and mulch, break down very quickly and need to be added often.

• Air space and water are the next two ingredients in healthy soil that contribute to the success of your garden. Highly compacted soil (dirt minus the air spaces) leaves no place for the roots to venture giving them no place to grow. Water for obvious reasons makes the whole process go. One caveat – roots do not travel to find water, the water needs to come to them.

So what else could there be? In my humble opinion the most important component for a successful garden — all living things that occupy the space…worms, bugs and a plethora of valuable microorganisms whose names I cannot pronounce. Without which our gardens cannot thrive. Which leads to our next big issue, keeping your garden in balance.

Nature brings a certain order and balance to our gardens that when we nurture it, the success of our plantings are greater. By adding harsh chemical fertilizers and pesticides in effect we are throwing nature balance off, making the environment more susceptible to pests. Adding lots of compost rich in microbial life, organic fertilizer and only using natural pest controls will take you a long way in keeping your garden in balance.

I have found over and over when I honor this process the bounty is great and sometimes overwhelming. Next time I’ll share a process that you can make a whole lot of great soil where you want it, in just a few months.

Planting and maintaining a garden in the desert calls for a very specific plan of action. The Urban Farm & Your Guide To Green is offering a free comprehensive guide on desert planting and harvesting, all in the easy-to-read layout of a calender.

From artichoke to watermelon, this calender provides dates and circumstances for desert planting. Along with this information, you’ll receive tips on each individual plant and how to care for it during the growing process.

Please fill out the form below and your free calendar will be available for download on the next page.  Thanks!  You are signing up to receive weekly updates and tips on living green.  We do not share this information with anyone else.  If you are not interested in receiving it is easy to unsubscribe.

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Hi all,

My gosh the holidays are upon us and we are in full swing with holiday gift giving thoughts. How often have you been given a gift and your response is “Oh you shouldn’t have” and you really mean “you shouldn’t have.” I have a brick that was given to my father in appreciation for his work. It is literally a brick of marble and bronze that I now use as a doorstop. This week’s article, aptly named “Don’t Give a Holiday Doorstop“, explores the tremendous amount of holiday stuff that quickly ends up in the landfill and gives you some solutions about what we can all do about it.

We have also put together some of our most popular bundles and products on sale for up to 33% off. Check out our specials page for incredible deals on stainless steel water bottles and accessories and bottle your own water.

Plus, we have a screaming deal on our 20oz. stainless steel water bottles 2 for 1 Super Deal! 2 food-grade high-quality stainless steel bottles for $12.99. Offer ends December 10! It’s all part of our goal to Be Green, Shop Green, and Save Green this holiday season!!!

Have an incredible Thanksgiving and a great green day.

Greg

Technorati Tags: Holiday Gift Ideas, landfill, stuff

Hey all,

Join me tonight at Changing Hands in Tempe AZ for the release of the Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Book Series – Purchase Link. Here is book four of four installments of the unique mini books I am publishing.

• Grow Wherever You Go, Discover the Place Where Your Garden Lives, By Greg Peterson
Where does your garden live? No matter where you live you can grow something to eat. Shift your thinking and you’d be surprised at the places your food can be grown! Windowsill, fire escape and rooftop gardens have the same potential to provide impressive harvests as backyard gardens, greenhouses and community spaces.

Grow Wherever You Go helps you explore and discover just where your garden lives. So whether you choose to grow a few herbs, or work your way toward creating an entire edible landscape, the process is simpler and more deliciously rewarding than you can imagine. Be creative…discover where your garden lives!

Technorati Tags: edible landscape, Environmental footprint, find your garden, Footprint, gardening, Greg Peterson, Living Green, permaculture, The Urban Farm, Urban Farm

Hey all,

Join me Monday Nov 16 at Changing Hands in Tempe AZ for the release – Purchase Link. Here is book three of four installments of the unique mini books I am publishing. It is a very interesting book exploring 14 different aspects of your environmental footprint with lots of education along the way.

• How Green Am I?, Your Personal Environmental Audit, By Don Lotter with Greg Peterson
Living green is simpler than you think. The gamut of green choices is endless, whether it’s paying a bill online, turning he water off while brushing your teeth, planting a garden or recycling. Everyday simple changes add up in a hurry. Awareness is the key!

By reading How Green Am I? you will discover many places where you can paint your life a little greener. Using Greg Peterson’s ‘No Suffering Allowed” attitude, this book covers the 14 areas that make the biggest impact on our environmental footprint.

This is the most comprehensive footprint-measuring tool on the market. Simply by filling it out you will transform the way you live.

Technorati Tags: Don Lotter, Environmental footprint, Footprint, Greg Peterson, Living Green, permaculture, The Urban Farm, Urban Farm

Hey all,

Join me Monday Nov 16 at Changing Hands in Tempe AZ for the release – Purchase Link. Here is book two of four installments of the unique mini books I am publishing. It is a delightfully written and illustrated book by Rachel Bess on keeping chickens in your yard. I even learned some thing when reading it.

• Fowl Play, Your Guide to Keeping Chickens in the City, By Rachel Bess with Greg Peterson
Why should you keep chickens in your back yard? Think fresh eggs, the thrill of the daily hunt, the chickens tilling your soil, eating your food scraps, weeds, seeds and bugs then providing great fertilizer.

“You can learn so much about life from chickens,” explains Michelle M., a busy nurse, wife and mother of seven. “I’ve learned that keeping chickens is good for my soul.”

Anyone can do it…no roosters required. The secrets to your success easily unfold in the pages of Fowl Play. Read and gather your rewards.

Technorati Tags: Chickens, Greg Peterson, Keeping Chickens, Living Green, permaculture, Rachel Bess, The Urban Farm, Urban Farm

Hey all,

Here is the first book of four installments of the unique mini books I am publishing – Purchase Link.   Join me Monday Nov 16 at Changing Hands in Tempe AZ for the release. See below for more info.

• My Ordinary Extraordinary Yard, By Greg Peterson
You can create your own urban farm. Creating your own urban farm is as simple as planting you flowerbeds with edibles. The payoffs can include home grown food and a deeper connection to the earth. In this unique mini-book, Greg Peterson shares how his yard went from grass and hedges to his very own Urban Farm, full of vegetables and fruit trees with plenty to share. His motto ‘food grows abundantly – lets grow it and give it away.’ This insightful book about how Greg’s Urban Farm came to be will inspire you to create your own urban farm.

The Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Book Series
Greg Peterson and Rachel Bess Present at:
Changing Hands Book Store
6428 S McClintock Drive
Tempe, Arizona 85283
7pm
Monday November 16th, 2009

Greg Peterson and Urban Farm Press presents a new and unique series of mini books designed for the busy, fast-paced life we live. The series, called The Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Series, feature palm-size, single topic, and well-researched mini books that are concise and to the point with each book exploring a different aspect of living a green (sustainable) lifestyle. Topics are addressed in a guilt-free, action-oriented and upbeat manner. Designed as a quick study, the books bridge the gap between facts and action and are written in an inspirational manner for anyone with an interest in green lifestyle changes and sustainably oriented processes.

Technorati Tags: Greg Peterson, Growing Your Own, Living Green, permaculture, Sustainability, Urban Farm

Please join me for my book release and signing of
The Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Book Series
Greg Peterson and Rachel Bess Present at:

Changing Hands Book Store
6428 S McClintock Drive
Tempe, Arizona 85283
7pm
Monday November 16th, 2009
Contact: Greg Peterson, The Urban Farm, 602-279-3713

Greg Peterson and Urban Farm Press presents a new and unique series of mini books designed for the busy, fast-paced life we live. The series, called The Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Series, feature palm-size, single topic, and well-researched mini books that are concise and to the point with each book exploring a different aspect of living a green (sustainable) lifestyle. Topics are addressed in a guilt-free, action-oriented and upbeat manner. Designed as a quick study, the books bridge the gap between facts and action and are written in an inspirational manner for anyone with an interest in green lifestyle changes and sustainably oriented processes.

The mini-book format features:
• 3.5” by 5” size
• A low price of $7.95
• 8,000 to 15,000 words
• Highly topic specific material
• A quick, engaging, inspirational read, and
• Communicate the point using less paper.

The current series contains the following four books to be followed by an additional six planned for release in 2010:
• My Ordinary Extraordinary Yard, By Greg Peterson
• Fowl Play, Your Guide to Keeping Chickens in Your Yard, By Rachel Bess with Greg Peterson
• How Green Am I?, Your Personal Environmental Audit, By Don Lotter with Greg Peterson
• Grow Wherever You Go, Discover the Place Where Your Garden Lives, By Greg Peterson

Each book contains helpful, factual and interesting information designed to inspire readers into action.

Urban Farm Press and Your Guide To Green are established, reliable sources of information on green living. Therefore the information is educational, fact-based, substantive, and well-researched — based on well-documented sources. Books are written in an upbeat, positive, non-preachy, no guilt voice that is fun and easy-to-read.

It’s simply rewarding.

• My Ordinary Extraordinary Yard, By Greg Peterson
You can create your own urban farm. Creating your own urban farm is as simple as planting you flowerbeds with edibles. The payoffs can include home grown food and a deeper connection to the earth. In this unique mini-book, Greg Peterson shares how his yard went from grass and hedges to his very own Urban Farm, full of vegetables and fruit trees with plenty to share. His motto ‘food grows abundantly – lets grow it and give it away.’ This insightful book about how Greg’s Urban Farm came to be will inspire you to create your own urban farm.

• Fowl Play, Your Guide to Keeping Chickens in Your Yard, By Rachel Bess with Greg Peterson
Why should you keep chickens in your back yard? Think fresh eggs, the thrill of the daily hunt, the chickens tilling your soil, eating your food scraps, weeds, seeds and bugs then providing great fertilizer.

“You can learn so much about live from chickens,” explains Michelle M., a busy nurse, wife and mother of seven. “I’ve learned that keeping chickens is good for my soul.”

Anyone can do it…no roosters required. The secrets to your success easily unfold in the pages of Fowl Play. Read and gather your rewards.

• How Green Am I?, Your Personal Environmental Audit, By Don Lotter with Greg Peterson
Living green is simpler than you think. The gamut of green choices is endless, whether it’s paying a bill online, turning he water off while brushing your teeth, planting a garden or recycling. Everyday simple changes add up in a hurry. Awareness is the key!

By reading How Green Am I? you will discover many palces where you can paint your life a little greener. Using Greg Peterson’s ‘No Suffering Allowed” attitude, this book covers the 14 areas that make the biggest impact on our environmental footprint.

This is the most comprehensive footprint-measuring tool on the market. Simply by filling it out you will transform the way you live.

• Grow Wherever You Go, Discover the Place Where Your Garden Lives, By Greg Peterson
Where does your garden live? No matter where you are you can grow something to eat. Shift your thinking and you’d be surprised at the places your food can be grown! Windowsill, fire escape and rooftop gardens have the same potential to provide impressive harvests as backyard gardens, greenhouses and community spaces.

Grow Wherever You Go helps you explore and discover just where your garden lives. So whether you choose to grow a few herbs, or work your way toward creating an entire edible landscape, the process is simpler and more deliciously rewarding than you can imagine. Be creative…discover your garden!

Technorati Tags: Greg Peterson, Living Green, permaculture, The Urban Farm

Hi all,

One of the cool things that I learned early on was how to can the produce that I grew. I can’t really tell you why I was interested, but in high school I made an offhand comment to a friend’s mother that I would like to learn how to can. She responded by teaching me

It is actually a very easy project to ‘put up’ that which we grow. There was a second benefit for me in that instance – I began learning about the community building process, which is reflected in my life today. In this week’s article, I reflect back on the difference Community Preservation has made.

I have also been busy at work writing several books and an email series on living green. I would be grateful if you would check them out. The first two titles have already been released, with more on the way! Check out “My Ordinary Extraordinary Yard / Fowl Play Book COMBO“. I field a lot of questions about where I live, how the gardens work, how water is managed and how to live more green lifestyle. My Extraordinary Yard answers these questions and more, in a short 28 page read. “Fowl Play” is about chickens. If you’ve ever thought about raising chickens (I do for eggs), know someone who does, or have run into the odd hurdle, than this book is for you! 2 books for a great price. Read more about this offer.

Don’t foget aobut my awesome RePEaT Bamboo Utensil Set & Holder deal. These sets are perfect for your lunch-on-the-go and make uniquely great gifts, too. Find out more here!

Have a great green day!

Greg

Technorati Tags: canning, food, preservation, preserves, Preserving food

Hi all,

One of my favorite building materials is free. Yes, I said free, and it is available literally by the ton just waiting for us to pick it up.

“But wait, there’s more!” The best part is the owners are usually thrilled to let us haul it off. It is affectionately called “urbanite” and is a mixture of broken up and discarded concrete pieces. From sidewalks to pool parts these concrete cast-offs make great flooring or, as I did here at the Urban Farm, stacked from pieces into a nice retaining wall.

In this week’s article, I explore a few different ways that you can create your own urbanite masterpiece.

On a separate note but just as planet-friendly, I have put together a fantastic deal on our RePEaT bamboo utensil set and holder. The cutlery is made from quickly renewable and natural bamboo. The holder is made from recycled pop bottles. Lunchtime has never been so green and our sets are a great complement to your stainless steel lunchbox.

Have a great green day!

Greg

Technorati Tags: concrete, construction, flooring, reclaiming, recycling, urbanite, walls