While the autumn season may not evoke the feeling of new beginnings like spring does – unless you’re heading off to school – sometimes, it yields new things anyway. Here at Mother Earth News, each season brings fresh lessons to share with our readers. Maybe we’re learning new techniques for preservation, trying new methods for growing foods and flowers, or attempting new ways to save energy before heading into the colder months.
This September, our team will be embarking on a new-to-us collaboration at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival in Albany, Ohio. We invite you to come visit with some of our contributors, including Erin Hamilton, Janice Cox, Bevin Cohen, and Matt Wilkinson, and join a workshop or two on preserving a heritage pantry or growing your own mushrooms. Maybe you’ll be inspired to start a new venture, or make some new friends.
That said, not everything is about the brand-new; sometimes, we’re smack dab in the middle. Harvest time is neither the beginning nor the end of our gardens’ yearly journey. During this time of seasonal transition, we hope this issue’s techniques will serve you well, whether you’ve just planted your first plot or you’re a longtime farmer. Steven Biggs reveals that you can grow lemons in containers year-round, and the Shockeys share the timeless technique of preserving green tomatoes through salt-pressing.
For most gardeners, dealing with pests and pestilence is also nothing new. If you’re coping with pesky critters or wilting plants and looking for a fix, we’ve got you covered with “Solve Your Garden Problems” by Susan Mulvihill and “What’s Eating My Plants?” by Erin Snyder – pair these with Nicky Schauder’s online permaculture gardening course to go even more in-depth.
Finally, no harvest would be complete without sharing our garden-fresh food with others; our pizza series will guide you through making a versatile gluten-free pizza dough, topping it with your home-canned pizza sauce, and, for the adventurous among us, cooking it in a How to Build an Outdoor Pizza. Whether you try one or all of these, you can bring your friends, old and new, together to enjoy a shared meal overflowing with your garden bounty.
Whatever beginnings, middles, or endings this season brings, we hope you’ll continue to share those stories and pictures with us by emailing Letters@MotherEarthNews.com. So, get out there, play in the dirt, and enjoy making new memories during this beautiful season.