Five years ago, I walked out into the yard of the house I was renting and hung a bird feeder. “I like birds,” I thought. “Perhaps I’ll enjoy watching them […]
Farm & Garden
What would it look like to grow, harvest, and protect our bounty?
Browse all Farm & Garden stories below or dive into a topic:
ON THE LANDSCAPE
The Winter Forest Has Its Sounds
Listening to the wind, waves, and the calls and silences of the great horned owl
The cold season has its own aesthetics. Bare. Subtle tones. Grays, browns, tans, blacks, the dormant green of pines. Blue air at dawn and dusk. The sky and ocean wearing […]
ROOTS
Growing the Eastham Turnip Is a Labor of Love
Heirloom seeds put down roots where the land will allow
EASTHAM — Orleans farmer Judy Scanlon can still recall the moment her interest in the Eastham turnip was sparked. “I was driving with my mother, just exploring, when we saw […]
TAKE YOUR PICK
The Other Oyster Fest: Eastham’s Salt Pond Sundays
Here, people follow the tides together, with permits and pails
EASTHAM — First light breaks on a balmy November Sunday. Dried leaves rustle in the steady breeze, but otherwise the waking world is hushed, silent even of birdsong. I have […]
GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK
A Late-Season Bounty of Blooms and Seeds
With Paula Erickson, in a garden that’s still coming into being
Text and Drawings by Abraham Storer Paula Erickson recently moved from Wellfleet to Truro, where establishing a garden has been a priority for her. It’s an expansive plot and has […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
Leaning In for a Closer Look at Spiders’ Worlds
Orbs, funnels, and tangles made by nature’s master weavers
This is the season of misty mornings. The air is heavy with moisture that settles into the fields and forests as the sun rises. As this veil of dew comes […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
The Fort Hill Cottonwood Speaks
Resting on her side, a tree downed by a storm still has a story to tell
EASTHAM — The road to Fort Hill winds through low, rolling fields. Just before it climbs the last hill to the parking area overlooking the inlet, it passes something that […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
In the Province Lands Dunes, Listening
On being where the wind gives voice to the world
I began the day with the intention to be silent. There was no one to speak to other than myself. The kettle on the black cast-iron burner whispered a low […]
UNDERSTORY
Under the Power Lines, an Edible Forest Grows
Initiative expands an area protected from herbicide spraying
HARWICH — The Food Forest Initiative of Cape Cod has found a way to protect a section of Eversource’s right of way off Bay Road from herbicide application, planting it […]
FORAGING
The Many Happy Returns of the Mushroom Hunters
Foragers keep old traditions and create new ones here
The Red Ones and the Brown Ones My friends Vida Rimkuviene and Daneta Kerikas from Boston finally took me with them on their annual mushroom hunt. I’ve never foraged mushrooms […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
The King and Queen of the October Meadow
The reasons why goldenrod and aster make a perfect combination
When October rolls in and the sun is a low, luscious gold, the nights rich and cool and purple, two flowers bring us the colors of how October feels. Sunny […]
GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK
Harvesting Kale and Beets and Planting Garlic
A Q&A with Sarah Naciri at the Truro Community Children’s Garden
Text and Drawings by Abraham Storer Sarah Naciri runs Sustainable CAPE’s Community Children’s Garden at the Truro Public Library, where she leads children in planting, cultivating, and harvesting vegetables. Last […]
THE HALF SHELL
Six Tips From Behind the Raw Bar
It takes leverage, not brute strength, to shuck a Wellfleet oyster
WELLFLEET — Lili Hay has been shucking oysters since she was seven years old, though she says her technique has evolved since then. “My dad taught me,” she says. “But […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
Look Closely: Now Comes Our Moment of Fall Color
In swamp maples and marsh grass and tupelos, the Outer Cape’s true colors are revealed
I was driving the other day on a back road, winding my way out toward the ocean, and I saw something I’ve seen many times before. But on that day, […]
QUAHOGGING
Happy as an Eastham Clam
A walk on the tidal flats, rewarded by sunsets and an old-fashioned chowder
EASTHAM — Patience, perseverance, and 25 dollars. In Eastham, if you have all three, you can buy a year’s worth of serenity, plein air exercise, and sustainably harvested seafood: you […]
