Best Sustainable Gardening and Farming Blogs 2016

The Unconventional Gardener - Emma

Emma is an ethnobotanist who loves both edible and useful plants. In addition to writing on her blog, Emma has written several books and magazines, as well as recorded a podcast about her gardening adventures - the Alternative Kitchen Garden Show.

Thoughts
As I am a Master Composter it has to be to compost as much as possible. Most garden and kitchen waste can be safely composted - even in a small space - and there’s an increasing number of options for people who don’t have a garden. Reducing food waste is important, but some scraps are inevitable, and the best use for them is in the garden!

Fresh Eggs Daily - Lisa

Lisa is a fifth-generation chicken keeper who has been raising her own chickens in her backyard since 2009. She is an aspiring herbalist who is dedicated to raising her animals as naturally as possible. Aside from DIY projects, gardening tips and recipes, she also offers “ practical, down-to-earth and time-tested advice for raising chickens using herbs and other holistic preventives and remedies.”

Thoughts
Add some chickens to your backyard. Just three or four chickens will provide enough eggs for the average family. Eggs are a wonderful protein source, and store bought eggs can't hold a candle to eggs fresh from your coop Chickens are easy to keep, don't take up much space, and in addition to delicious fresh eggs, they also provide nitrogen-rich manure for the garden.

Mulching your garden over the winter with the bedding from the coop will result in fewer weeds come spring, more moisture retention and a more bountiful garden harvest. Chickens are also wonderful bug-eaters and will help till and aerate the soil as they scratch for bug larvae and weed seeds.

Whether you have acres of gardens or just a few tomatoes in a pot on the back patio, growing your own food is not only more economical, more convenient, but more healthy for you and your family. Adding chickens completes that circle. As more and more urban areas have begun to allow a small flock of hens, checking with your local zoning laws is the first step to becoming a bit more self-sufficient.

Green Talk - Anna

Anna is the writer behind Green Talk, a site encouraging conversation about how to live a greener lifestyle and business. From green building and organic gardening, to green business and green decor, Anna writes on a wide variety of green related topics.

Thoughts
I would say to ditch the commercial pesticides and try crop rotating, companion planting, crop covers, and as a last resort to more organic type pesticides.

Sustainable Garden - Rob

Located in Nottinghamshire, England, Rob writes about sustainable gardening, wildlife, and the construction of his earth sheltered eco-home.

Thoughts
Love your soil and encourage soil biodiversity. Compost & mulch, garden organically and disturb the soil as little as possible.

Bee Keeper Linda - Linda

Linda has been a beekeeper for 11 years and began her blog as a way to record her beekeeping experiences. She aims to help people understand the whole process by posting pictures and writing details about her beekeeping journey, allowing those interested in beekeeping to have a clear understanding of what to expect. Linda is now certified as a Master Beekeeper.

Thoughts
I loved the concept that simple pictures are best. In keeping bees, I try to remember that and always do less rather than more. The more I respect the earth, the bees, the flowers, the less I will be intruding into the environment in destructive ways. So as a beekeeper, I keep my bees by supporting the strength of the hive and avoiding poisons and other "quick fixes" for the problems bees have today.

Local Belle - Anabelle

Local Belle is a blog written by Anabelle that focuses on providing inspiration for readers to grow, cook and gather over fresh and seasonal food. She encourages a connected and sustainable food system. Anabelle eats local and organic whenever possible, allowing her to connect to land, farmers, people and the community.

Thoughts
I would say start small and use your purchasing power to make sustainable purchases. That could mean shopping at your local farmer's market, buying organic produce or signing up for a CSA share. By including more local and organic foods in your diet you are supporting local economy, sustainable agriculture practices, and getting the most delicious and fresh produce available!

Eartheasy - Greg & Family

Eartheasy is a family business that has a very thorough and informative yard and garden section on their website as well as an excellent organic gardening section on their blog. Greg and his family lived off the grid for over 30 years, meaning they have first-hand experience in many fields including water conservation, raising poultry, and organic gardening.  

Thoughts
This is a tough question since we see many ways for a person to work towards sustainability. But one overarching concept that has a bearing on all gardening practices, and life in general, is to follow nature's guidance first. There are natural, nontoxic solutions/approaches to most of life's challenges if we believe in the integrity of nature and look to nature first for solutions.

Recover Green Roofs

Recover Green Roofs is a design/build/maintain firm that specializes in vegetated roofs, rooftop farms, and living walls. Their blog provides insights about many topics including irrigation, plant species, wildlife, and design. 

Thoughts
One tip we have for someone looking to become more sustainable (for gardening in particular) is to choose the right plant for the site. Study the conditions and make notes about sun and shade exposure, soil and drainage type, wind intensity, and intention of the space.

Choosing plant material that fits well with all of those conditions will reduce waste in water and nutrient amendments, as well as, reduce the costs (environmentally and economically) and time associated with plant replacement or maintenance. These are factors we take into consideration when developing a planting plan for a roof, but should be taken into account in one's garden or landscape as well.

Beekeeping Like a Girl - Hilary

Hilary is the founder of the urban beekeeping business Girl Next Door Honey located in San Diego, California. She practices natural and treatment-free beekeeping. Her blog was created to help new beekeepers succeed and to educate the public about bees and beekeeping.

Thoughts
I believe beekeeping connects people to the world they live in and inspires them to make positive change to improve that world. Beekeeping transformed my world view. I am so much more aware of my environment now. I know what flowers are blooming and when. I pay much more attention to weather patterns.

I'm hyper-conscious of what chemicals my neighbors are using. I think more about where my food came from and wonder about the bees that pollinated it. I have learned so much about native bees when before I was indifferent to them. Actively pursuing a passion, like beekeeping, that connects you to the natural world's rhythms is key to living sustainably.

Garden Ambition

Garden Ambition is run by Lucy Clark. Her blog documents her successful experience in gardening. Garden Ambition is the perfect website for beginners and for those who hesitate in trying gardening for fear of failure. You can find a wide selection of helpful articles that talk about a variety of topics about garden maintenance, growing specific plants, and increasing productivity. It also provides comprehensive reviews of different garden tools and equipment.

Garden Aware - Shad

Shad is passionate about organic gardening and therefore started his personal site with the aim of inspiring and educating both beginner and advanced gardeners, through tips and high quality gardening information.

Milk Maid Marian - Marian

Marian and her family live on an Australian dairy farm. Their farm is rain-fed rather than irrigated and it has been in their family for generations. They blog about their daily life as dairy farmers and provide tips and information about the dairy industry.

Tiny Farm Blog - Mike

The Tiny Farm Blog has been live since 2006 and is a photo-journal of organic market gardening. Mike grows local food on two acres of land and shares tips and details of his journey along the way.

Chiot's Run - Susy

Chiot’s Run is a journal describing the author’s adventures in organic gardening and simple living through both text and photos. She is trying to live a simpler life by eating locally and by gardening.

Seasonal Wisdom - Teresa

Teresa, the author of Seasonal Wisdom, is trained as a Master Gardener.  She’s a “writer, author, speaker and consultant about gardening, fresh foods, seasonal folklore and other topics, including social media.” She is passionate about both sustainable family farms and local foods.

Fresh Organic Gardening

Fresh Organic Gardening is an organic gardening blog that provides gardening techniques and tips. They encourage organic gardening because of the importance of preserving nature and creating a more environmentally conscious world.

You Grow Girl - Gayla

Gayla’s “laid-back approach to organic gardening places equal importance on environmentalism, style, affordability, art, and humour.” Her project’s aim is to promote exploration, excitement and a DIY approach to growing plants. She is a writer, photographer and designer of best-selling gardening books.

MrBrownThumb

MrBrownThumb is a blog intended for newbie gardeners. The author has a small garden and many houseplants, and uses the blog as a place to share his gardening adventures. The blog began in 2005 when the author started blogging about the DIY/frugal/how-to/recycling path.

The Beginning Farmer - Ethan & Rebecca

Ethan and Rebecca did not grow up on farms, but are now fulfilling their dream of living on a farm.The blog is a journal of their journey as farmers, sharing their research and experiences as farmers. They farm without any chemicals on their land and their animals are naturally and humanely raised on their 40 acres of land, of which 17 acres is a wooded area. Their animals are not given or fed antibiotics or hormones.

Tree Planting Blog - Jeremy

Jeremy is a tree planter who has documented his eight seasons of tree planting on his blog. Alongside blogging about his seasons tree planting, Jeremy also offers guides and other stories to educate and inform readers about life as a tree planter.

Farmgirl Follies - Jennifer

Jennifer is a lifestyle blogger and writer. She collects both old and used treasures, is an aspiring foodie, book-a-holic, and homeschooling mom.

Farm Fresh Fun - Leslie

In 2004 Leslie and her family bought an ancient brick farmhouse and started to raise animals and grow crops. Leslie loves “all things old, organic or original.” Her family tries to follow as many organic practices as possible on their farm.

Planet Natural

The planet natural blog focuses on organic gardening, sustainability, and natural lifestyles. It provides readers with how-tos and general information on a wide range of topics such as heirloom vegetables, growing landscapes, composting and soil health.

Cold Climate Gardening - Kathy

Cold climate gardening is a blog written and designed by Kathy to help gardeners successfully garden in cold or short-season climates. It includes DIY tips and ideas, recipes and detailed information on plants.

C'mon, Let's Plant a Tree - Vinayaraj

C’mon let’s plant a tree is a blog that encourages tree planting. It also tells the stories of tree planters, farmers, and wildlife enthusiasts in India and across the globe.

Our Little Coop - Emily & Kevin

Our Little Coop is a blog about Emily, Kevin and their children's journey to becoming more self sufficient. Follow them as they live a simpler life while reconnecting with both the earth and each other. Their family gardens, cooks, makes crafts, and homeschools among many other things.