Go Green for Valentine's Day

When I was growing up, my mom used to send me a valentine's day card in the mail with the sentiment "from Guess Who"  Thinking back on that - what a sweet thing for her to do.  What a great way for her to let me know she was thinking of me, and would mail me something even though we lived in the same house.

Everyone likes to get mail!

If you want to show someone you care about them this February 14th - send them a card, and include something they can plant and watch grow.  For those of us in the northeastern corner of the United States, March is the month when we start tomato and pepper seeds inside on a sunny windowsill.  I've posted earlier about the simple steps to start seeds, so why not send a Valentine's Card with a few seed packets in it?  Then, your beloved can grow their own fresh, organic, and local food or flowers that they will enjoy the rest of the year. 

If your beloved is an avid gardener, then consider a selection of seeds - like this Garden Seed Collection or a Gift Certificate from a seed company.  Alternatively, you could sign them up to get fresh and local vegetables from a farm through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  A great source for CSAs near you is Local Harvest, a national web site that has CSAs, Farms, and seed sellers like Frog Pond Gardens too.  Even if you don't send seeds, send something and have the best day ever!

How are local growers doing?

 Have you been wondering how local growers (farmers, dairies, seed growers, and cooperatives) are doing?  Well those of us close to it wonder about it all the time.  We are constantly told that more and more people are "buying local" and want to raise their families knowing their farmer. There is a great site out there that allows you to search by location (zip code, city or state) to find farmers near you.  

Local Harvest:  www.localharvest.org

For those of you who sell your own agricultural products, this site also has a way for you to list items in a "store".  In all disclosure, Frog Pond Gardens has a store on Local Harvest, but I've found it a useful tool to find other farmers and growers near my home here in eastern Massachusetts.  It lists Farmers Markets and CSAs as well!