As in many other parts of the country, the Pacific Northwest is experiencing a summer of intense heat and little precipitation—and it’s only mid-season. Flower gardens and vegetable plots everywhere are wilting under the sun, as are the people who tend them. Understandably, plenty of backyard gardeners are dismayed at the prospect of having to…
When it comes to online gardening tips, a certain amount of skepticism is healthy. For example, according to one popular gardening site, when soil nutrients become depleted, “that’s where fertilizer comes in.” The site doesn’t provide any additional information or advice so the next logical question is, “What is fertilizer, anyway?” Fertilizer is any substance…
We recently received this testimonial from Nick Haldeman, an organic cranberry farmer in Ilwaco, Washington who has been using our all-natural volcanic rock dust on his crops: “Ours is only the second cranberry farm in the state to transition to organic. As part of that process, I ran a small-scale study using Cascade Minerals Remineralizing…
You’ve probably seen the label “broad-spectrum” on your sunscreen. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends using a broad-spectrum sunscreen because it protects against UVA and UVB rays. In fact, the very definition of a broad-spectrum product is a product that is effective in a wide variety of ways. While you won’t find any broad-spectrum labels on…
This article was originally published as a guest post on Growing a Greener World. The secret to growing healthy and nutritious food begins with the soil. Naturally healthy soil contains billions of living microorganisms—from bacteria to nematodes, fungi, protozoa, arthropods and earthworms. Together, they join in a carefully choreographed “bacterial ballet” in which each organism…
It’s great to see how composting is trending on social media. Suddenly, compost is “cool” again. (Figuratively, that is. Learn how to turn up the heat on your compost pile by reading our previous blog post, “Bring On the Heat: Why Volcanic Basalt is a Composter’s Best Friend.”) However, no amount of organic compost will…
As proficient as plants are, they can’t make the minerals that are essential to human health and nutrition. And while compost is pretty cool, no amount of organic matter can make up for mineral deficiencies in the soil. Minerals that are missing from the soil are minerals that are missing from the fruits and vegetables…
Why remineralize? Here are 15 good reasons to remineralize the soil: Provides micronutrients (trace elements) that are essential to plant health Is fast acting and long lasting, available to plant roots when they need them Regenerates soil while feeding beneficial soil microbes Contributes to increased growth and vigor of all plants Leads to more nutritious fruits…
The weather is cold and blustery, which means that soup season is officially here. Nothing beats a bowl of hot soup to feed the stomach and nourish the soul—except perhaps a loaf of hearty, home-baked bread. Sure, bread gets a lot of bad press these days (too many carbohydrates! too much sugar!) … but there…
At its most basic, hydroponic gardening refers to the practice of growing plants without soil. Given the massive degradation of our earth’s soils over the past century (which requires ever-increasing amounts of fertilizer to produce even moderate yields), it’s not surprising that more and more growers are turning to hydroponics to produce the crops that…
