Slim Jim’s Lima Beans and Ham

For my choice of recipes that utilize some of the things I’ve grown this season, I went with one I like to make in the fall and winter to help fend off the chill and that’s Lima beans and ham. In this recipe I get to use some of my home grown carrots and garlic that grew this summer. In the past, I’ve even included some Yukon Gold potatoes in the recipe, but they are optional. I always try to do an overnight soak for my dried one pound of Read More …

Farming in the Rain: Sitka, Alaska

Sitka’s climate Gardening in Sitka’s climate presents several challenges. I would have to say too much rain and a lack of sunlight would have to be at the top of the list. We get a lot of rain in Sitka, some growing seasons more than others. Overcast days are plentiful throughout the growing season as well. Overcast days help to give plants a chance to recover after a stretch of constant rain. It’s important to give the soil a chance to dry out and become more stable and easier to Read More …

More Rain than Shine: Book Review of, “How To Grow Vegetables in Sitka, Alaska” by Lori Adams

My Plan to Grow When I became Assistant Groundskeeper at the Sitka Pioneers’ Home in almost five years ago I was really impressed with the amount of flowers that were now in my care. But it didn’t take me long to realize there was something lacking on the Pioneers’ Home grounds. I knew that a small vegetable garden would be a nice, attractive, and useful addition for the home. Fortunately I was not alone in this thinking as a former employee of the home had received permission to do just Read More …