All Blog Posts (142)

Hello. I made a posting many moons ago here supporting the Indiegogo fundraising campaign to create a "opensource Permaculture" This is an apology to anyone who donated to the campaign as It has yet to yield any results the creator and runner of the campaign "Sophie Novack" Has removed the campaign page and the permaculture media blog that she had ran. As I had helped spread this seemingly legitimate campaign to this community I am sorry even if no one had even donated which I know…

Greetings and Happy Spring Equinox to All,

After much debate, Matt and I are returning to California. We are selling our home here - complete with greenhouse, chicken coop and laying hens (6), organic and biodynamic soil, perennials of all kinds, fruit trees, vines, arbors, herbs and early spring seedlings ready for transplanting. Home is fully restored, 2 Bed, 2 Bath with basement, garage, and all general comforts, as well as beautiful craftsmanship and artistry throughout. All for…

By Jill Henderson - Show Me Oz-

Almost a year ago now, my husband and I settled down into our latest ‘new place’. We’ve lived quite the…

By Jill Henderson – Show Me Oz –

One of the coolest things about being a country gardener is that I am constantly surrounded by wild things. These creatures are part and parcel of a healthy ecosystem and one of the rarest and most precious gifts that one can have. However,…

By Jill Henderson – Show Me Oz

Butterflies must be one of the most beloved creatures of all time. They exist almost…

By Jill Henderson – Editor, Show Me Oz

If you started your hot and sweet peppers inside this spring, you are probably beginning to see flowers and young fruit. In our garden, the Cayenne peppers were the first to fruit, exceeding the flowering time of the Ozark Giants,…

By Jill Henderson - - Show Me Oz - -

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an ancient herb from the Legume family of plants, Fabaceae.  It is sometimes called Foenugreek, bird’s foot, Greek hayseed or goat’s horn.  Not…

By Jill Henderson - Show Me Oz

The hands of time seem to spin faster during spring than during any other time of year. This May has been disconcertingly warm, which brought about the early bloom and fruiting of many trees and plants, including this Red Mulberry tree (Morus…

By Birgit ‘B’ Bradtke – Guest Contributor - Show Me Oz

When I began growing ginger I expected it to be difficult, but it's not. I've been growing ginger at…

The 5th Annual Ozarks Sustainability Festival will be held this Sunday, May 20th from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM in West Plains, MO.

As always, the festival will be a free, fun-filled day of learning for the entire family with a focus on sustainable skills, homesteading, small farming self-sufficiency, natural health, alternative energy…

By Jill Henderson - Show Me Oz

Mention the word tea, and most thoughts turn to a strong hot cup of Earl Gray or a tall glass of sweet iced pekoe. But these days tea is more than black—it is green, or herbal, or something akin to hot chocolate. Regardless of how you have thought of it in the past, one thing is certain: tea is medicinal. And now, with the…

By Jill Henderson

This week’s article is the first in a new series I’m calling Notes from Turtle Ridge. This series is definitely more personal and less academic than my regular weekly column, but hopefully, just as informative and entertaining.

Turtle Ridge…

Anyone who lives in or visits the Ozarks invariably notices that we have a lot of spiders.  They’re  in our gardens, fields, meadows, pastures and woodlands; and sometimes, they’re even in our homes.  Love them or hate them, life in the Ozarks just wouldn’t be the same without  a few wispy strands of spider silk brushing across your face on a woodland walk or the…

B y Jill Henderson - - - Show Me Oz

Spring in the Ozarks wouldn’t be the same without gathering and preparing at least one pot of poke. At our house, this leafy perennial ranks right up there with other spring edibles such as asparagus. This week I was planning on writing an article on how to…

Do you believe that sustainability is for everyone or is it proprietary?. Open Source Permaculture, is hoping to be the largest free online resource for anyone who wants to create a more sustainable world. Imagine having all the resources you need at your fingertips to enhance the sustainability of your home or land. Anyone (including you!) could learn how to grow an incredibly productive backyard permaculture garden, just like this one:…

Jill Henderson --- Show Me Oz

Here in our little slice of Ozarks heaven, we are most fortunate to be granted the privilege of greeting every new day with a lyrical symphony of sound that has the ability take our breath away. Yet, there are those rare occasions when the sweet symphony becomes more like a raucous…

Jill Henderson - - Show Me Oz

With the recent passing of the vernal equinox and the end of the Great Sleep, Spring has asserted herself firmly in the Heart of the Ozarks. The rising intensity of the sun has enticed all living things to join in a brief, but joyous celebration of new beginnings that humans often associate with love. And love is…

By Jill Henderson - Show Me Oz

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Today is the Vernal Equinox, the celestial event that marks the point in time when day and night become equal in length and spring officially begins.  Of course, here in the Ozarks, spring has been well under way for several weeks now.  Even before the…

By Jill Henderson - Show Me Oz

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Last week we learned quite a bit about the history and uses of the deliciously edible and nutritiously dense sweet potato. With a surge in popularity among homesteaders and gourmet chefs alike, this homely root with the pumpkin-colored flesh is being grown in home gardens in quantities not seen for decades. And it’s…