Search Results for: label/Pat Bates

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Working Together to Make a Difference

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Pat Bates, with one more load for the food shelf. After almost 26 years at Gardener’s Supply, Pat Bates will be remembered for many things. To some people, she was the one who always raised her hand with a question at the annual meeting. Others will remember her as a champion for employee-ownership. To me, she is the one who reminded us that together, we can make a difference — no matter how busy we are. Over the years, Pat has been part o…

Got Chickens? Great Gift Idea

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Backyard chickens are back! Longtime expert Pat Foreman shows urban dwellers how to raise chickens in her new book, City Chicks. Pat Foreman, author of City Chicks   The cover of Pat’s new book, City Chicks I first met Pat Foreman about 20 years ago, when she and her partner, Andy Lee, were living in Vermont. Will Raap, our company’s founder, had recruited Pat and Andy to start up Vermont’s first membership…

1 Million People Want to Know

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…mal DNA. Many Americans are concerned about the negative effects of GMO use on the agricultural economy and small-scale and organic farming. Surveys show a wide majority of Americans support mandatory labeling. At least 21 countries and the European Union have established some form of mandatory labeling. Mandatory labeling will allow consumers to identify food products they want to avoid. So why not label? Well, here are some of the argu…

Harvest for the Hungry

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…pated the weekly weigh-in as keenly as any major-league sporting event. At the end of the month, the winning team was treated to a gourmet breakfast cooked by ESOP committee members. The total weight of the donations from the 15 teams was 9,200 pounds, or nearly 1 ton of food per week! This summer, the committee invited employees to plant extra vegetables, an initiative patterned after the Plant a Row for the Hungry program promoted by the Garden…

Our Support Team

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Every year toward the end of May, there comes a day when I can sit back and admire the gardens I care for — whether my own, or my gardening clients — and give myself a little pat on the back. I feel immensely satisfied looking at the cleanly edged beds, newly mulched with leaf mold. The Jardin Birdcage Supports, shown here are among my new favorites. This huge peony plant is being supported by the largest birdcage, which is 48 inches in di…

Canned goods destined for the local food shelf.

‘Goodness is in All of Us’

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A carload of canned goods, destined for the local food shelf. As we approach Thanksgiving 2012 in Vermont, we are especially thankful to have been spared the fury of Superstorm Sandy. Our thoughts are with those who were not. The storm has produced so much suffering that it’s hard to know how you can help. Like many companies at this time of year, we raise money and gather food for those who need it. Through this year’s turkey drive,…

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What to Do With Horticultural Plastic

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…. Cline, former director of the Garden’s Kemper Center for Home Gardening, started the program in 1998. The botanical garden’s Pots to Planks program sells 6″ x 6″ timbers made from ground-up pots (No. 2 and No. 5 plastics). The rigid, heavy timbers are great for raised beds and strong enough to use for retaining walls. “They are fantastic,” Cline says. “It’s a lot of plastic in one product, but we&…

This Year, Avoid Late Blight

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Like many who lost tomato plants to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Plant a diversity of tomato varieties to reduce the possibility of disease. Like many gardeners who lost their tomato crop to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet. The most important thin…

Spinosad: a New Option for Control of Lily Leaf Beetles

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…en the earth-friendly ones. At first, I tried neem, a relatively harmless spray that does wonders on aphids and controls blackspot on roses. It worked to control the larvae the first year, but I had to spray frequently (every 10 to 15 days). The second year, I couldn’t keep the larvae under control. My lily crop was hit hard, and I got few blooms. Last year, I decided to resort to a systemic called imidacloprid. The results were instantaneo…

Make Room for Parsley

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to double the amount you use in this recipe. Anytime Tabouli 1 cup bulgur 1½ cup boiling water 1 tsp. salt ¼ cup lemon juice ¼ cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh) 1½ cup finely chopped parsley 3 scallions, chopped, with greens   salt and freshly ground black pepper Put bulgur in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let sit for about 20 minutes until m…