During these somewhat difficult times, it’s always wise to think of Christmas as more than a time to give gifts that people and children will never use.  You may tend to give gifts that you would have fun with or would use, not them.

My son recently told me to not give my grandson toys anymore because he never plays with them.  So this year I am going in what may seem to be a very radical direction.  I am getting my grandson, son and daughter-in-law a garden greenhouse.  I know they have had a tremendous problem making ends meet with the high cost in gas and food.  This will give them a way to help themselves this year and for years to come.

It may be a very untraditional gift but these are untraditional times.  More and more I am convinced that we all need to participate in helping ourselves through sustainable living practices.  I can’t think of a better way to help my kids and grandkids than giving them a way to help themselves.

My wife and I were just watching the news when a piece came on about urban farming.  Of course I was glued to the tube at that point. 

Will Allen, a former NBA star, is CEO of Growing Power, a company that has developed an urban farm right in the middle of Milwaukee, WI on 2 acres of urban land.  What really caught my eye was his method of farming fish along with growing vegetables.  The water from the fish tanks is routed to the plants that filter the water and then the fresh run off goes back into the fish tank.  The ultimate in going green! 

I am incredibly impressed with Mr. Allen’s entire process of farming in an urban neighborhood.  He is able to sell an entire weeks worth of vegetables to the inner city neighborhood for a family of four at the price of $16.00!  Talk about taking care of people who need it the most. 

It was also heartening to see that other land owners of inner city land are coming to Growing Power to emulate the process in their neighborhoods.  This is going green at its very best!

Have you ever bought less-than-quality produce from the store?  Have you bought produce only to have to throw it away days after it was bought due to it being prematurely rotten?  That’s what happens with store bought produce more times than we would like to admit.  Maybe it’s time you pondered the concept of starting your own garden. 

Many people brush the idea aside due to the time and effort involved.  That is especially true for winter gardens but winter gardens are entirely doable and have wonderful benefits.  In fact, winter produce grown by you will simply taste better than its store-bought equivalent and typically contains more sugars by being exposed to the colder climate.  That is what makes it taste so much better!  It is also higher in vitamins because of the rate at which it is eaten after production (hopefully right out of the garden) and won’t incur any damage through the labored and long shipping process.

Another huge benefit to winter garden is that you’ll be able to control how your food has been handled and grown – if it’s been doused in pesticides or not.  You won’t be able to get over how enjoyable it is to plant, tend and harvest delicious foods in the midst of the dreary days of winter.

If you have had issues with the bugs who are the vegetarians in your garden, and they won this year, you may want to look into ladybugs as the eco-friendly help you need in your garden for next years crop.  It’s those pesky produce eaters that cause all the insect problems as they munch on the leaves and roots of our beloved plants and literally suck the nutrients right out of them.

As delicate and friendly as the ladybugs look, they are carnivores.  This means they eat meat and the meat they eat are those vegetarians competing with you for your fresh vegetables.  You will want to make sure you read and follow any and all instructions that come with the ladybugs.  If you don’t, they will simply fly off to find a more inviting garden.  A simple search in Google will help you find out where ladybugs can be purchased.

If you throw your newspaper out or recycle it, you may want to save a few days worth to help control weeds in your flowerbeds.  You can use old newspapers to smother the weeds in and around the plants you actually want to grow.

There are several different ways to spread the newspapers.  One is to lay them out over the weeds and growth you don’t want in your flowerbeds and put about 3 to 4 inches of organic material over the newspapers.  It will take about a season for the newspapers to break down and, in the mean time; it rids your flowerbeds from the unwanted growth.

The other way works really well.  You wet the newspaper before you lay it out over the unwanted weeds and grass.  It tends to sty in its place while you lay it out and then cover it with the organic material or mulch.

Either way will work for you and it’s easy and you won’t have to pulls weeds for the rest of the year.  It’s even more exciting when you discover that next year you won’t have to pull them either.

Will it really be the tomatoes next time, the spinach, the peppers?  What will be the next salmonella outbreak and why some people will never be affected?

The answer to the first question is an easy one.  No one knows what food source will be infected with salmonella and potentially transferred to the tables of America.  No one knows because the powers that be from the FDA (Food & Drug Administration), congress and down, we no longer have the protections on our food source that we once had.

At least that’s what you’ve been told.  However, since the fifties more and more families have been giving up their gardens and buying everything from the local grocery store.  It is easy and mindless and is proving to be dangerous, which brings me to the people who will never be affected.

These are the gardeners in your neighborhood, your local farmers and those who purchase from the local farmers.  These people know where their food comes from, when it was picked and what chemicals, if any; have been used on their foods and they’re taking it to the next level.

For the first time you will see greenhouses going up like never before.  The modern greenhouse allows you to grow year-round and with the easy greenhouse kits, anyone can put one up in their backyard.  When you are growing your own, you won’t worry about the next outbreak because you won’t have too.

Most everyone knows the benefits of using newspapers to cover where you would like to place a garden to rid yourself of weeds, etc.  However, it’s also a great way to establish a floor for the spot you would like to place a greenhouse.

The first thing to do is determine where in your yard you have space that is also level.  Most greenhouse kits will need to be built on level ground.  Then determine how big your green house will be; do you prefer an 8 x 8 or maybe a 12 x 16?  You will need to know that in order to measure out the foundation for your home greenhouse.

Drive a stake in the ground at one corner and measure out your foundation from corner to corner (remember the size greenhouse you are getting) and stake the other three corners and pull the string tight revealing the exact size you will need for your foundation.  Always take a tape measure out and double check the measurements.

Lay out the newspaper (about 6 to 7 layers) to cover the entire area.  You can wet it in a bucket or have a water source handy to spray the paper to stay down as you lay it out.  Once you have it laid out it’s up to you what material you would like to have for a quick foundation.  You can choose an organic material such as mulch or a rock or gravel material.

The main things you will need to watch is to make sure the newspaper is totally smothered and can still get moisture.  You can also use newspapers underneath several kinds of flooring to keep your greenhouse floor nice and clear of weeds and unwanted grasses.

Looking out the back door; what do you see?  Are you one of those people who rewrap your old greenhouse frames with plastic every year?  You keep thinking; next year you’ll look into a more durable, sustainable, efficient covering for that frame that may last more than one season at a time.  If so, this is the time to start thinking about what’s going to happen to that old greenhouse once it has a new skin.

There are a lot of different coverings you can use to replace the old skin, from different plastics to glass.  They come in all shapes and sizes and are shipped from UPS to freight.  You can get one layer or double walled, custom to one size fits all and all you have to do is find the one that fit’s your frame and your budget.

If that sounds too hard, you can cover it again with cheap plastic and replaced it again next year.  It will tear, sweat, leak and mildew just like it always does.  You most likely pay more to cover that frame every year than it would be for a long term solution.  Some guaranteed up to 8 years.  Of course, you may like covering that thing every year.

I have recently been introduced to the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act that was enacted during the Clinton administration.  This act protects any donor, food bank, soup kitchen, food pantry or other group helping feed those in need, from liability.  This includes any food that is donated or distributed in “good faith” by anyone.

The reason you should be excited about knowing about this act is it enables you to give your garden overflow to those in need.  In fact, fresh produce is the most difficult and most needed items for food pantries and food banks to get their hands on and to stock.

If you have ever thought you wanted to be a part of the solution and didn’t know how, here is your chance.  Contact your local food bank and find out when and where they are collecting and take and donate your surplus produce.  If you don’t have a local food bank contact Second Harvest Food Bank as it is one of the largest food banks in the US.  Happy donating!