If, as some people think, Indian corn isn’t edible, then the only possible conclusion is that the American Indians spent countless generations breeding and growing it only to decorate their wigwams. In a subsistence society, this doesn’t seem very likely. ...
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Barley an inch
During the reign of King Edward II, in the early 14th century, the inch was defined as “three grains of barley, dry and round, placed end to end lengthwise.” Is it still true today? ...
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Bright orange flower: Butterfly Weed
Around the end of June, this orange flower begins to appear in better fields and pastures throughout the US midwest. Its striking vibrance often causes people to stop in their tracks and wonder, aloud, about exactly what it is. ...
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Dead man’s fingers
On a stately winter day, a newly punctured path in the feral woods presents a curious sight: is that a glove, discarded, poking from the leaves? ...
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Old Rawsonville : Setting the record straight
This marker and its slow drip of random itinerant readers have probably been the primary source of information shaping local awareness of the lost town of Rawsonville, Michigan. ...
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Scourge of the forest: Oriental Bittersweet
For years now, I have periodically engaged in a bitter personal vendetta, directed toward the invasive species that have confidently taken up residence on my property of mixed hardwoods and grassy meadows. ...
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How to make maple syrup over a fire
Once having handcrafted a few wooden spiles in the dead of winter, the temptation to collect maple sap at the earliest signs of spring becomes irresistible, and provides a perfect excuse for spending several hours by a bonfire. This article describes a simple way to collect maple sap from your maple trees and make it into maple syrup, over a roaring fire. ...
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Rise your bread with sweet-corn meal
If you wish to live life deliberately, I recommend a program of avoiding simple conveniences, in favor of difficult but more deeply satisfying alternatives. ...
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The ongoing saga of the one-way produce box
Although vegetables and fruits are commonly delivered to your local grocery in sturdy boxes, the produce distribution network does not accommodate their reuse. As a result, landfills are being filled with astounding amounts of wax and plastic crates. What are the reasons behind this pattern of activity, and can it be changed? ...
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The wirebound crate: Poised for an unexpected comeback?
Meet the wirebound crate -- familiar primarily to farm workers and backroom grocery clerks, it is a lingering but rapidly disappearing throwback to a simpler time, when sustainable packaging was the default. ...
