Acorns

War and compost

Marion Owen — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:15:28 -0800

Have you ever wondered where chemical fertilizers came from?

One evening, while working at my computer I heard gunfire and mortar shells exploding in the living room. I poked my head around the corner. Black and white images of men and machines were blasting across the TV screen. My husband looked up from his chair. "It's that documentary by Ken Burns about World War II."

As soldiers stormed the beaches, I had a feeling there was one battle the 7-part series would not be covering. It's a battle that continues to this day and one I'm sure we could bring ...

What Makes Gold Valuable?

Marion Owen — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:03:04 -0800

What is more valuable, a plastic ring from a Cracker Jacks box or a gold wedding band?

An REI tent or a 3-bedroom house?

A sweater from the Salvation Army or from Nordstroms?

An heirloom rose or a fern?

Gold is not valuable in itself. It is valuable because there is so little of it. If sand were found only in small quantities, people would treasure it in their safe-deposit boxes; they would buy sand certificates, on important occasions they would exchange a little sand, and they would have the expression "as good as sand."

Are You Withering Like a Leaf?

Marion Owen — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 09:50:21 -0800

With fall around the corner, I noticed the leaves are starting to turn. So I started wondering...

Like leaves on a maple tree, we come into this life, are here for a few days, and then are gone. Nobody remembers us, and nobody misses us, except maybe the gardener that rakes a few leaves into the compost pile.

[Oh, say can you hear? Would you rather listen to this article? Subscribe to my podcast feed so you can open the attachment below or simply Download/listen here to the mp3. Or, for that matter, keep on reading...]

We can learn ...

Weeding Tips from Shakespeare

Marion Owen — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 11:48:46 -0800

In Richard II, Shakespeare uses a garden metaphor to explain the political problems of the day: England is wasting away as a result of the royal family's greediness. In one scene, the gardener instructs his helpers about weeding and pruning. The garden is England and the plant that needs weeding and pruning is the royal family.

By the same token, many plants and shrubs become thin and straggly, even choked out of existence, if left to grow without weeding from time to time. Weeds rob valuable nutrients from the soil and compete with your hard-earned herbs, flowers, shrubs and vegetables. Plus, they are often hosts to harmful insects and diseases, so it's important to eliminate weeds.

The job of weeding however, is not often embraced with joy and enthusiasm. Yet weeding, as I'll explain later can be one of your best teachers.

Want healthy kids? Turn off the TV!

Marion Owen — Tue, 22 May 2007 09:44:31 -0800

While growing up, we weren't allowed to watch much TV. Mom said it dampened a child's creativity and made kids lazy--mentally and physically. That was back in the 1950s. Since then, thousands of studies have looked at how TV affects kids' grades, sleep, behavior, and health.

TV has become a public health issue. First of all, kids get lots of information about health from TV, much of it from ads. And children tend to believe what the ads say, even though they might be untrue or unbalanced. If you don't believe it (HAH!), the next time you get tired of hearing your children beg for junk food, think about all those TV commercials.

[To listen to this article, a 3-minute audio file, subscribe to to my podcast feed (so you can open the attachment below) or to listen to the mp3 file now, simply click here]. Otherwise, heck, keep on reading...

Time to dump your rototiller on eBay

Marion Owen — Thu, 10 May 2007 10:12:13 -0800

Back in the days of Thomas Jefferson, it was believed that plant roots actually ate soil particles. Therefore, the more you pulverized soil, the easier it was for roots to eat it. Thus it seemed logical to till the earth. Centuries later, scientists now say tilling--specifically rototilling--doesn't improve the soil, it destroys it. Now what do we do?

[To listen to this article, a 3-minute audio file, subscribe to to my podcast feed (so you can open the attachment below) or simply listen to it the mp3 file now by clicking here]

Otherwise, keep reading...

Switching to organic gardening is like giving up smoking

Marion Owen — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:23:31 -0800

The number of organic gardeners is predicted to increase about 10 percent a year. What about you? If you choose to switch from chemical fertilizers to organic ones, keep in mind that the process is compared to giving up smoking...

How do I love seaweed, let me count the ways...

Marion Owen — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:12:22 -0800

I confess. I hold a special place in my heart for seaweed. Once when I running on the beach I sliced my foot on a shell. "Wrap it in seaweed," my Mom said. The wound healed quickly. Then, after moving to Alaska I discovered the magic of using seaweed in the garden...

Why Captain Cook always sailed with cabbage on board

Marion Owen — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:33:35 -0800

During Captain Cook's first voyage in 1768, a mighty storm came up, injuring many sailors. To save the men from gangrene, the ship's doctor made a poultice of mashed cabbage and applied it to their wounds...

Learn more about Cook's cabbage, why cabbage was named Plant of the Year by the National Gardening Association and how it inspired one of the most notorious weapons of World War I...

"No more bad lunches!" cried 5th grader Rachel Biccum

Marion Owen — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 18:31:30 -0900

Rachel Biccum, a fifth-grader in Chico, California, was sick and tired of school lunches, so she decided to take action. She handed out fliers to her classmates, promoting a boycott. "No more bad lunches!" the flier stated. Rachel also encouraged fellow students to boycott the cafeteria and bring their lunches from home. They told school officials, "get rid of the processed junk, we want more fresh foods."

For Rachel and friends to ask for more fresh foods is encouraging news, since childhood obesity rates are skyrocketing. But you know, there's another way to provide fresh food at school, and that's to GROW it. School gardens are sprouting up all over the country. A growing success story, if you will...

Mow your lawn (and cut your hair!) by phases of the moon

Marion Owen — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 09:45:58 -0900

What if I told you that by mowing the lawn during certain phases of the moon meant you didn't have to mow as often? What if I told you the same system applied to cutting your hair?

HAH! Before you think I’m crazy, let's turn to the National Geographic, which says more gardeners today are turning to the moon for advice on the best time to do yard chores. The practice, called gardening by the moon, centers on the moon's gravitational effect on moisture flowing in soil and plants. The moon also controls the ocean tides and acts upon the groundwater beneath your feet.

In the 2008 election, will you focus on similarities or differences?

Marion Owen — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:05:26 -0900

I'm not a Christian Scientist though I enjoy reading the Christian Science Monitor. A front page article highlighting the differences between candidates sent me to the keyboard to tap out a Letter to the Editor. Lo and behold, the Monitor printed it on February 23:

Sleepless in Hawaii

Marion Owen — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 20:37:28 -0900

Did you know Hawaii is at war? Not with people, with coqui frogs. Here's a lesson on what to do when a tiny brown frog keeps you, and everyone else, awake at night. Wouldn't you get a little grumpy?

My husband Marty just spent two weeks in Hawaii. A good place for Alaskans to thaw out. We stayed with friends on the Big Island, near Hilo. All was bliss, until nightfall. As soon as I put my head on the pillow, I heard a strange chorus outside...

Give to Mother Earth this Valentine's Day

Marion Owen — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 08:58:07 -0900

As Valentines Day approaches, consider painting the holiday green. Green as in more healthy and natural. It's easy, and you know what? You, and Mother Earth, will love you...

What the world needs now is... this license plate!

Marion Owen — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 15:20:09 -0900

The world could use more love, right? This car was parked just a half block from my house. I was excited, I mean, how many L-O-V-E license plates can there be in this world! I grabbed my Canon digital SLR camera and, in spite of the 7-degree air temperature, I skeedaddled on over, laid down on my belly and took a bunch of photos.

Don't you think Subaru needs to use this photo in their next ad campaign?

"What the World Needs Now is Love"
by Burt Bacharach
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone.

SAVE MONEY, LOSE WEIGHT by growing your own seedlings [what the---?]

Marion Owen — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 17:58:42 -0900

I'm amazed at the power of small things that make a big difference. Maybe that explains why I'm so jazzed about starting plants from seeds. You know, small seeds that grow into big plants. Every chance I get--in my columns, podcasts, workshops, website, blog, newsletter--I spread the good word about growing your own. Here's the latest headline I used [don't laugh]: SAVE MONEY, LOSE WEIGHT by growing your own seedlings! Okay, sounds a stretch, yet it's not far from the truth...

Finding warmth, simplicity and our grandparents love in a potato

Marion Owen — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 16:09:47 -0900

Maybe you've decided for this year, to treat yourself better. Or maybe you've come to the conclusion that your family ought to eat together more regularly, and that fast food several times a week is simply bad for both wallet and waistline.

Sound too lofty? Too hard to implement with your busy schedule? Nahhhh. Let's start with fast food and go from there...

[FUN STUFF! Listen to my audio article, a 3-minute, mp3 file which includes an on-scene interview at Seattle's Pike Place Market, by clicking here or subscribe to my podcast feed so you can open the attachment below]

Otherwise, keep reading. You'll eventually come to a cool recipe at the end...

Don't check your email on Sundays: 12 little New Year's resolutions that produce big results

Marion Owen — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 11:15:00 -0900

What is it about making New Year's resolutions? We decide to exercise more, eat better and weed the garden more often--knowing full well that these decisions will come and go like the weather.

So why do so many New Year's resolutions fizzle? Experts say change is possible, but to succeed, our desire for change must come from within, not from peer pressure. I'm sharing four simple steps to help you make--and keep--your New Year's resolutions. Even better, I've come up with a short list of 12 little resolutions that are not only do-able, they're lovely...

"Little green balls of death": Brussels sprouts hold lessons of life

Marion Owen — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 14:55:03 -0900

Seattle's Pike Place Market is an open-air, farmers market buzzing with activity. You can find Alaska salmon and dried flowers; T-shirts and olive oil. Vendors do whatever it takes to get your attention. It worked for me. I spotted a sign that read, "Brussels Sprouts: Little Green Balls of Death."

I decided to ask the guy standing behind the vegetable display. Mike Osborn's his name...

"So Mike, what's with the sign next to your Brussels sprouts?"

Charles Kuralt's Miracle Christmas Tree

Marion Owen — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 15:37:01 -0900

Charles Kuralt wrote about a special outdoor tree that came more alive during the holidays. "Trees just don’t grow up here on the high plateaus of the Colorado Rockies--everybody knows that. Trees need good soil and good weather and up here there's no soil and terrible weather. That's why the tree is a kind of miracle..."

Plus, are you considering a live Christmas tree this year? From a tree's point of view, it's sheer torture...

Beauty in a snowflake

Marion Owen — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 16:18:19 -0900

It took me years to learn how to photograph snowflakes. And now, I am pleased as punch to tell you that the National Wildlife Federation has chosen one of my photographs for their popular line of greeting cards. (To see a larger image (and yes, even to order a few cards), click here.)

How do you photograph a snowflake? It took a lot of research and trial and error. First, using a wooden toothpick, I "capture" a real snowflake on a glass microscope slide coated with a liquid plastic resin, which has the consitency of corn syrup. The resin replaces the water, leaving a perfect replica which I then photograph under a microscope. In case you're wondering, I haven't found two identical snowflakes. At least not yet. From rainy, snowless Kodiak Island-- Cheers, Marion

To Walk in Your Shoes

Marion Owen — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 17:37:13 -0900

In January, a tattered paperback fell off the shelf in Powell’s bookstore. Since then, I’ve inhaled a genre of books with a zeal I can’t explain. Thus, while researching my presentation, Creative Value-Added Marketing for the Tilth Producers of Washington conference my heart kept saying, "Tell the truth."

What’s this? In my workshops I always encourage the audience to be caring and "mindful of each step," as Bob Griffiths puts it. But this was different. My heart was telling me I could no longer pass off what I was learning, as messages meant only for me.

On one hand, Gandhi, Dr. Wayne Dyer and others* were whispering, "Don't hold back, Marion." Yet their wisdom flies in the face of what we accept as moral business practices; tactics that cause dividedness, not unity; doubt, not fear; anger, not love. And we wonder why we still go to war.

Charles Darwin's love affair with earthworms

Marion Owen — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:42:07 -0900

Once upon a time in 1837, after returning from his 5-year trip aboard the Beagle, Charles Darwin took some time off. One day, while roaming the countryside with his uncle, they stopped to watch an earthworm s-l-o-w-l-y pull a leaf into its burrow. Fascinated, Darwin fell in love with worms. How could such a lowly creature capture the attention of a distinguished scientist like Darwin?

Spinach scare: A lesson in disguise for you and me

Marion Owen — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 09:48:53 -0800

The recent spinach scare, where E. coli-tainted spinach killed one person and hospitalized hundreds more, brought to the table the importance of food, that is, where it comes from and why we should care...

Most of the food we buy travels great distances to reach our plate. A head of lettuce for example, travels about 2,000 miles from farm to market. These distances, measured in “food miles,” reveals how most of us are overly dependent on outside sources for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[Note: Hey, now you can LISTEN to this article (just 3 minutes long) by subscribing to my podcast feed (so you can open the attachment below) or you can listen to the mp3 file now by clicking here]. Otherwise, keep reading the article. You'll be glad you did!]

Let your thoughts dissolve the 3 kinds of violence

Marion Owen — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:52:37 -0800

Every week in Kodiak, Alaska, a small group of dedicated people stand in a clump of birch trees near the post office. Rain or shine, they clutch handmade signs. Drivers acknowledge them with a thumbs up, a honk or cold silence…

What do you know about breast cancer and diet?

Marion Owen — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 14:47:33 -0800

Her plea for help surfaced one morning in my inbox. I'm sharing it here with the hope that together we can find some resources for this woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer:

Dear Marion,
I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and have to be on chemotherapy in two weeks time. I was checking out your website and it is interesting to read about organic gardening. If you know of any source or organic foods that are good for breast cancers, I'd sure appreciate it. I live in Sacramento...

One Leaf at a Time

Marion Owen — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 09:48:03 -0800

After 20 years of cheerleading and pleading with plants to grow in my tiny Kodiak Island plots of compost, seaweed and volcanic ash, I've come to accept that my garden is more than soil that yields food and beauty. It is my teacher, and its lessons universal. I've learned patience while waiting three weeks for carrot seeds to germinate, and the value of "slow gardening" by picking lettuce leaves unhurriedly so as not to harm innocent bystanders. As Ecknath Easwaran reminds us in his book, "Love Never Faileth," "Hurry makes for tension, insecurity, inefficiency, and superficial living."

But on that morning, my lesson was as subtle as a drop of water, yet as large as the ocean...

How to live to be 120 years old

Marion Owen — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:36:30 -0800

The numbers are amazing...

According to Discovery Health's calculator, between today (August 23, 2006) and my birth date, my heart has beat 1,911,301,056 times. That's assuming that in a typical minute one's heart beats about 72 times. You can do the math to figure out when I was born, but I'll save you the trouble: March 4, 1956, (or as I like to tell the person behind the counter selling me wine: 3-4-56. Cool, eh?)

The number jives with what the sages of India have maintained for centuries: There is a fixed number of times the heart is meant to beat each year. The number is something like 40 million. While you can argue about the precise number (by all means, use the calculator), I think you'll agree that the heart, like any sturdy pump, has a limited working lifespan. So, what's the point?

Clear the magnets! Post this chart on your fridge today!

Marion Owen — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:48:28 -0800

OK, so you love Ben & Jerry's ice cream. But did you know that Ben & Jerry's Organic is owned by food and personal care product company Unilever? And when you sip Celestial Seasonings tea did you realize you are dropping pennies into the pockets of Cargill, the giant agribusiness-chemical giant? For an eye-opening look into the Who's Who of the organic food industry, post this Organic Industry Structure Chart on your fridge.

The chart (in a pdf format), compiled by Phil Howard, PhD, illustrates companies and their--often large--parent corporations. It may change the way you shop for food.

Curse Wal-Mart or Love People?

Marion Owen — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 11:13:04 -0800

I needed sheets, towels and pillow cases. But in Kodiak, Alaska where I live, the choices for linens can be summed up in one word: Wal-Mart. So I climbed into my late model Subaru and drove to the giant box store, never realizing the life lesson waiting for me.

The cash register rang up a total of $250. I felt a little sheepish buying so much from a store that is bashed to pieces in the movie Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. Yet my guilt was quickly displaced with gratitude toward the clerk who cheerfully went beyond the call of duty