sustainable-food-production / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

FSC certified wood carries the FSC certification labels
Wood and organic materials

All about FSC certified lumber & wood products - Why FSC certification is important

What is "FSC Certified" lumber? The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, not-for-profit organization created in 1994 whose mission is promoting responsible forest management and the production of sustainable lumber and wood products via their "FSC wood certification labels".  Their goal is to protect n...

Stairs made from reclaimed barn beams
Wood and organic materials

All about wood

Finding sustainable wood: We live in a country with over 400 million hectares of forest, so the supply is there; it's simply a case of properly managing it. That also means that when we cut one down, we should plant another. Wood is a renewable material, requires little processing and can almost always be purchased loc...

7 Principles of a super abundant, solar, year round greenhouse
Greenhouses and Sunrooms / Solariums

7 key principles for an abundant greenhouse

As a native Californian transplanted into a much cooler climate (Western Quebec), I find myself mourning the loss of fresh local seasonal fruits and veggies all year long, which I understand is a first world problem on a few different levels. All that to say, that I often get to dreaming about and researching what's po...

Flow Frames: A father and son revolutionize beekeeping and put honey o
Food production

Flow Frames: Revolutionary beekeeping puts honey on tap.

Can you imagine having honey on tap straight from your beehive? That is exactly what father and son team Stuart and Cedar Anderson aim to bring to market with an Indiegogo campaign they are launching later this month. Update: It launched yesterday! Don't miss out, one day into the campaign and they have raised over 1.9...

Sustainable Habits at Home Make a Difference
Lifestyle and environment

Simple and affordable ways to live more sustainably every day

Let's be inspired, every day According to a recent survey sponsored by Google of more than 3,000 Americans by using a type of AI called natural language processing, which is where they cluster and analyze thousands of opinions by theme to identify how people felt about environmental issues.  The keyword for how we feel...

Climate change impact of diet
Lifestyle and environment

how your diet affects climate change

How does diet affect climate change? Dwindling water is the next big global resource crisis looming over us, and soil depletion isn't far behind. Living in a green home doesn't instantly equate to a low-impact lifestyle, if for example you have a long gas-powered daily commute and you eat a 12 ounce steak every night. ...

The Pros & Cons of Lasagna Gardening for Growing Food
Food production

Lasagna Gardening: the pros & cons of a lasagna garden

As with any easy gardening technique, there is a lot to consider regarding lasagna gardening that specifically relates to its many benefits and ease of application. One of the main ‘pros’ of lasagna gardening is that it can be an easy way to smother out weeds and grass while enhancing soil over time, which is an ideal ...

Lasagna Gardening - How to Build an Easy Vegetable Garden
Food production

Lasagna gardening - the easiest vegetable garden at home?

Lasagna gardening - what is it? The easiest way to turn a backyard lawn into an organic food-producing garden is by building a lasagna garden, as there is no digging required. The first thing we will clear up for any rookie gardeners; we aren’t planting noodle trees where we will be harvesting penne and rigatoni. Not e...

Growing Food Indoors, Vegetables for Homes & Apartments
Food production

Food & Greens can be grown easily indoors - here's how!

A certain level of independence and a real sense of satisfaction can be gained from the growing hobby of gardening at home to produce food crops! As with any hobby, starting small and making a success of it encourages the whole family to get off the couch and their screens and into the garden. One of the easiest ways t...

How to use dead leaves in the garden in fall? © Robert J Pierson
Food production

Is raking up dead leaves in fall a good or bad idea ?

Who hasn't played in a huge pile of fallen leaves, all raked up vigorously into neat piles on the lawn on a beautiful autumn day? While it's a great fall activity for kids and dogs to enjoy, and makes for a nice-looking lawn and flower beds before winter, raking leaves may not be the best plan for the garden and in gen...

Tips for Urban Gardening and Gardening in Small Spaces
Food production

Grow food at home: 8 great tips for growing food in small spaces

Many of us look forward to the unmistakable taste of fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruit, especially those that come from our own soil. For those of you who would like to grow food at home but have limited space, don't despair. Your dream of home-grown food is still within reach. You may be wondering how to grow ...