Summer time is officially here!  Which means we are spending less time indoors and more time out.  But figured I'd take a quick break to write up another post.  
I love this time of year.  The kids are getting old enough now to play on their own outside, which is great when I need to get a little gardening done.  They like to help, but only have a limited attention span so when they are done helping me out, they can go and play in the yard.  I love going camping and am excited to get my kids out for their first tent experience.  There are so many great camping places around this area, the possibilities are endless.  Another thing we love doing in the summer is going to our local farms and farmers markets and making many delicious recipes.  We have found many great local organic farmers in our area and we love all the fresh seasonal fruits and veggies.  In this post I'd like to give you a few links to our favorite places to visit in the summer if you are in the local area. 

As I said, I love going camping.  Growing up, we went camping and fishing every summer.  We'd often go with my grandparents and cousins all around northern California and they were definitely some of the best times!  We'd camp in a great little place just outside of Truckee, CA, called Tahoe Timber Trails.  My grandparents, great-grandmother, aunts and uncles and a few cousins all own/owned a lot in this little gated community campground.  We'd go fishing at nearby Stampede Reservoir, Boca Lake and Prosser Creek. It was great because they had "comfort stations" which were full restrooms with showers, a lodge with a pool table, games, and TV (which we usually only watched if a storm blew in), a swimming pool, baseball field, playground, trails, and horseshoe pits.
Another great area that we'd go to was all around Plumas County, CA; specifically in the Lakes Basin Recreational Area between Sierra City and Graeagle, California, along Gold Lake Road.  There are dozens of lakes, ponds, streams, and creeks in this area as well as many campgrounds, cabins, and lodges to stay at.  We loved camping at spots like Chapman Creek campground and going fishing in the surrounding creeks or going to Upper/Lower Sardine Lake, Gold Lake, or Packer Lake to go fishing.  We'd go swimming in Sand Pond or eat burgers at Bassetts Station and go hiking up to the Sierra Buttes (which was quite the experience for me, hiking all the way to the lookout tower, considering I'm terrified of heights).  Another great thing about these areas is you don't need a lot of money to go enjoy them.  Big bonus if you have a limited budget!  It's also just a short drive from the Reno/Sparks area, so these make great weekend trips.
While we lived in Las Vegas, it was a little more difficult to get out and camp (especially if you were looking for places near lakes and rivers).  We'd usually drive about 3-4 hours up to Duck Creek Village, Utah, which is a beautiful area as well.  There were quite a few lakes and trails in this area to fish, hike, and ride ATVs. We'd also go camping out at Dumont Dunes in California and ride ATVs.  It was quite a challenge to tent camp out there as there is no running water.  You definitely need a motor home or trailer when camping out here.  But there was still many good times and memories with friends and family to be had. I'm very much looking forward to sharing these great memories (and making new ones) with my kids now and in the future.

Now I get to give some shout outs to some of our favorite farmers!  If you are looking to meet some new farmers, a farmers market is a great place to start.  Around here, you can usually find one almost any day of the week.  Here is a great link with all the local markets going on for 2014:  http://www.ediblerenotahoe.com/2012-01-27-04-24-16/2012-farmers-market-guide.
One of the things I love, is coming home from the markets and looking at my kids' faces, which are usually covered in some sort of fruity mess from them trying all the fruit samples the vendors are giving out.
Here is a list of some of our favorite local farmers too.  When you get a chance, get out and see them for yourself!

• From The Earth - Located in Washoe Valley, NV.  Betty and Ron have been longtime family friends and we were very excited to see them growing bigger and providing great local, organic, and heirloom variety foods (fruits, vegetables, eggs, and fowl) to area restaurants and residents.  Stop by and give them a "Like" on Facebook and take a tour of their farm.  We are still enjoying some of our 24lb turkey from them from Thanksgiving (by way of canned turkey broth). They have amazing eggs and produce as well.  Their girls are quite spoiled!
• Lattin Farms - Located in Fallon, NV.  This is such a fun farm!  They have been around since the 1970's and are well established.  We've enjoyed visiting them and enjoying all the fun activities they offer  - the pumpkin maze in the fall, craft fairs, the Easter Bunny, and of course their organic vegetables and fruit. 
• Midtown Farm - Located in Reno, NV.  This is a relatively new farm/homestead that we've discovered.  They are a great little family homestead who offer classes to youngsters about organic farming and offer fruits and vegetables, eggs, rabbit, and fowl.  We picked up 5-1/2lbs of mulberries from them and enjoyed a few mulberry pies and smoothies (and still have plenty that we froze).
• Hidden Valley Honey - Located in Reno, NV.  We buy this at many locations around town including Raley's and Whole Foods.  I love their raw honey!  I also use some of it in my skin care items.
• Joy's Honey Ranch - Located in Reno, NV.  Another good local bee keeper.  We love their honey too (my kids look forward to his booth at the farmer's markets to buy honey sticks).  He is also another great source for me for local beeswax.
• Alpine Ranch Grass-fed Beef - Located in Fallon, NV. A great source for grass-fed beef and pastured pork.  We found them last year through All Natural Nevada Food Company at the local farmers markets. I love that they raise their cattle and pigs the way they are supposed to be raised.  They also deliver to Las Vegas, NV which is great for all our Vegas friends and family. 
• KT Beef - Located in Loyalton, CA.  Another great source for grass-fed beef.  We bought a very large steer from them last year with a couple of other families and are still enjoying the meat now.  I love that they also raise their cattle the way they are supposed to be raised.
• Sunny Day Organic Farms - Located in Stagecoach, NV. Another great source for organic pork.  We also found them through All Natural Nevada Food Company last year at the farmers markets.  They had the best pork sausage and chops!
• Carrol's Corner Truck Farm - Located in Yerington, NV. I love seeing them at the local farmer's markets!  Great source for organic fruits and vegetables.  I just finished making up a few batches of cilantro pesto tonight from the cilantro I bought from them this week.
• Andelin Family Farm - Located in Sparks, NV.  This is another really fun farm.  We visit them every year in the fall for all their family activities.  They have a great pumpkin patch, horseback rides, games and activities, and a new corn maze.  We have such a great time here!
  
• Basket Case Organics - Located in Sparks, NV. While technically not a farm, I feel they are definitely worth mentioning.  We get a weekly basket delivered from them and it is awesome!  Organic fruits and vegetables (and from local sources when available) delivered to your door for about the same price (if not cheaper) than what you'd find at your local grocery store. It sure cuts down on my trips to the store and their produce is great.
• Debi Gray - Located in Sparks, NV.  A little shout out to another egg supplier of ours.  She delivers farm fresh organic eggs to our door every week and they are so yummy.  Thank you Debi!
• Heirloom Gardens - Located in Reno, NV.  I don't have any personal experience with them, but I still wanted to give them a mention.  I think this is a good resource for any of you out there who would like to start your own organic heirloom garden.
• Girlfarm/Grow For Me Sustainable Farm - Located in Reno, NV.  Another farm that I don't have any personal experience with yet, but I'm hoping that one day that will change.  I love their farming practices (organic, heirloom, sustainable) and they have some of the best Facebook updates.  I love seeing all the pictures of their farm and seeing the love they have for their animals and farm. 
• Hungry Mother Organics - Located in Carson City and Dayton, NV.  Another farm that I don't have any personal experience with. But again, I think they are worth mentioning for more organic farms in our region.
• Quail Hollow Farm CSA - Located in Overton, NV.  This is one I thought I'd throw in for my Las Vegas friends and family.  Again, I don't have any personal experience with them, but if we still lived in Las Vegas, I'm sure I would know them.  Just another great option for organic farms.
• Great Basin Community Food Coop - Located in Reno, NV.  Another great resource in Reno for local organic food.  Again, no personal experience with them yet, but hoping that will one day change.

I hope you are out enjoying the summer as well this year!  Let me know where your favorite camping spots are and who your favorite farmers are!

Spring is officially here!  Although from the weather outside, you'd think it was still winter. (Got to love weather in Northern Nevada!) Over the last couple of weeks, I've been working on getting my gardens ready for planting in the next month or two.  I love having a garden!  I grew up in a house that had a large garden out in back.  If I remember correctly, it was about 25' x 50' and we had rows of corn, green beans, numerous squash, berries, and potatoes.  I remember having to weed it as a kid and how my brother and I hated picking the rows of green beans (but then loving to eat them once it was done).  It was such a great memory for me as a kid and I hope that my kids will have the same memories as well.

For about 10 years, while we lived down in Las Vegas, we didn't have a garden.  I really would have loved one, but with a very tiny west facing backyard in Las Vegas heat (110 degrees on avg.), crummy soil, and dogs who liked to eat all our plants, it just wasn't happening. I was so thrilled when we moved back up to Sparks that our new house had a pre-existing garden with room to expand if we wanted.

The first year with our garden, we expanded from a 13' x 8' (approx.) little garden to a 23' x 11' (approx.) garden.  My youngest was about 3 months old when it came time to start planting, so with a lot of help from from my dad and husband, they helped make the expansion possible.  I forgot how well zucchini and squash do and ended up planting 9 plants.  Plus 9 roma tomato plants.  They took over the garden that first year and we gave a TON away.  I really wish I knew how to can then.  Luckily I was able to freeze quite a bit with a Foodsaver.  It was nice to have all through winter (and beyond)!  My oldest sure loved that year in the garden!  She was constantly digging and of course eating everything she could.  Here are a few pictures from before and after the first expansion:

So it was about this time that I started learning more about GMOs (2012).  I always knew I wanted an organic garden, especially with the kids and dogs eating straight from it.  I also started learning more about heirloom plants vs. hybrids.  For those of you who don't already garden or know the difference - heirlooms are plants that have been breed for generations and take on the characteristics of both parent plants.  They carry these traits down from generation to generation.  They are also open-pollinated, meaning they are pollinated by the wind or by bees.  Most of them are considered to be at least 50 years old or more, although this is subjective.  Hybrids are a cross from two different types of a plant (i.e. two varieties of tomatoes) and are bred for certain characteristics.  They are named for their generations (i.e. F1 for first generation, F2 for second generation, etc.) and they are breed through human manipulation.  The hybrid plants may not continue to produce the same traits that they were bred for over time and instead revert back to what one of the parent plants traits were.  Some subsequent generations may also be sterile (will sprout, but will not produce fruit).  GMO seeds should also not be confused with hybrids.  Hybrids are made through traditional breeding methods while GMOs are made in a lab by inserting DNA from other species into the seeds which couldn't happen naturally in nature.  There are some pros and cons to both heirloom and hybrid.  Heirlooms can be a little trickier to plant, especially if you are used to hybrids.  They can be a little less hardy and more susceptible to pests than their hybrid counterparts.  Heirlooms typically taste much better than hybrids though.

For the 2013 planting season, I went with almost all heirloom varieties.  We also expanded again.  I kept the original expanded garden and added an additional garden to the side of the house where it was all open still.  I also added a few container gardens on the patio.  This was definitely another experimental year for growing.  I like to rotate where my crops are grown and also do companion planting.  By doing this it helps keep the soil from being stripped of nutrients and also can help with pest control.  I also started making my own compost the year before, so this was added into the soil as well for extra nutrients.  I learned my lesson from the year before and didn't plant as many zucchini and squash or tomatoes.  However, this created problems of its own.  In the original garden, we had an infestation of squash bugs, as I call them.  I think they are actually stink bugs and they can take over a plant and practically kill it.  So I only got a few zucchini and squash this last year, but it was much nicer than the previous year.  The tomatoes were moved to containers on the patio.  Unfortunately there was no other flowering plants close by and therefor no bees to pollinate either.  I ended up having to hand pollinate the tomatoes all season and ended up with only a few.  Luckily some friends and family had more than plenty they were willing to part with and I was able to learn to can and make marinara and tomato sauce for the first time.  Here are a few pictures from this last years gardens:

This year will probably be another experimental year as well to see what will work best in the containers and the other gardens.  I'm also planning another small expansion, although this one is much less labor intensive as the others were.  Since the pumpkins and squash took over the last years garden, they are being moved to some empty spots around the yard so they have plenty of room to grow.  I'll be adding a few new flowers and other bee-friendly plants to the container areas in hopes the bees will frequent the area a little more and do some pollinating.  Here's a little preview of this year's garden:

I love that my girls love to help with the garden!  They love to dig in the dirt (what kids don't?), plant the seeds and cover them, play with worms, watch the plants grow, and of course eat everything straight from the garden.  Last year we wouldn't even make it out of the garden before all of the strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries were eaten.  They are constantly snacking on cilantro, basil, onions, lettuce, and other herbs too.  Funny how when I bring the veggies in the house, they suddenly don't taste as good to them.  Guess they like them as fresh as possible!

We are planting another almost all heirloom and/or organic seed garden.  I love getting my seeds from Seed Savers.  They have a pretty extensive catalog and the shipping has always been really good.  There are plenty of other heirloom seed companies out there as well.  If there are things from Seed Savers that I can't find, I'll go to some of the local nurseries that sell organic/heirloom seeds/seedlings as well.

Here are a few fun facts about gardening that I love.

• Gardening can relieve stress.  The simple act of digging in the earth and trimming plants can help your mind decompress .
  
• Gardening is good for your mental health.  Studies have shown that gardening can help improve depression symptoms.
• Gardening is exercise.  (In case you didn't already know this.) It gets you out into the fresh air and sunshine too!  And it's an exercise that you're more likely to stick with.
• Gardening is good for brain health.  Some studies have shown that the physical acts associated with gardening can help lower your risk of developing dementia.

If you don't already garden and you'd like to start, but are afraid to... don't be!  It really doesn't take much effort or space.  I don't have much of a green thumb (just ask my house plants), so if I can do it, anybody can.  All you need is the right mix of soil & compost, water, and sun.  Thank goodness for our sprinkler system!  My houseplants might actually survive if I could remember to water them more consistently.  If you have good soil, regular watering, and the right amount of sun, nature will take care of the rest.  You also don't need a lot of space for a garden.  We are fortunate that we have enough space in our yard for such large gardens, but if you don't, container gardens are great!  There are so many things that can be grown in containers either outside on a patio or even inside (especially during the winter).  And one of the best parts about gardening is that it's pretty cheap to get started.  A packet of seeds costs between $1-$5 with about 25-100 seeds (depending on the type of plant) and each full sized plant can give you many pounds of free food.  And you can't go wrong with free food!

Here are a few links if you'd like to learn more about gardening or stop by your local nursery and ask how to get started:
Seed Savers - http://www.seedsavers.org/
Organic Gardening - http://www.organicgardening.com/
List of Heirloom Seed Companies - http://www.off-grid.info/food-independence/heirloom-seed-suppliers.html
Mother Earth News - http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/our-favorite-heirloom-seed-companies.aspx#axzz2xQZdgT9q