Harvesting Rainwater

It's raining gold!  Well - maybe it's just raining, but when you live in a drought-stricken part of the country, it may as well be gold.

Catching that liquid gold in a bucket or barrel can conserve energy, water and money.  This is especially applicable for those who operate on well water, which uses an electric pump each time you turn on the faucet.

Whether you position a large barrel under the downspout from your roof gutters or simply place a bucket or two in the yard when rain is forecast, harvesting rainwater is a simple way to keep it green while saving some green.

For more information on harvesting rainwater, check out The Texas Manual of Rainwater Harvesting.

The Texas A&M System Agri-LIFE Extension also offers extensive information for a number of applications on their website.  Click here for more details.

Roadside Treasure

Going green isn't just about recycling.  Reusing old items or re-purposing found ones is a large component of responsible stewardship. 

Credit: MARTIN BOND/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

As road crews cleared trees and debris along the highway we live on to make way for the new roadway, they simply mulched these small trees and shrubs and left the piles of wood chips along the road.

I can only assume that they are counting on the wind  and the local wildlife to scatter these piles.  I don't know if they were counting on the local farmers to scavenge them - but scavenge them we will!

Credit: ADAM HART-DAVIS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

These fresh wood chips are from local trees and are obviously not treated with any type of chemicals or pesticides - oh... and they're free!

Be on the lookout for finds like this one anywhere there is road construction.  It was literally the jackpot for us.  It will be used to mulch rows of nursery trees this spring when they are planted.  It will help to control soil erosion, while aiding in moisture retention - allowing us to conserve water.

It is the trifecta of wonderful old roadside "junk".

Welcome to the green farm!

Even The Fuddy-Duds Are Going Green

Farmers can be fuddy-duds.  I can say that because I come from a family of them - which technically probably makes me one too.  (A farmer, not a fuddy-dud.  I'm too young to be a fuddy-dud - and I will try my best not to use that word again in this post.)

You might think that getting farmers to "go green" would take an act of congress, but farmers were truly the first in the movement.

Farmers have always treated the quality of their land and crops with a fervent zeal that is unrivaled.  They were among the first to harness clean wind energy to pump water.  They made the effort to control pests with natural methods and herbicides rather than dangerous chemicals, because, after all, their families were going to eat those crops, too.



Instead of buying new things, farmers often choose to reuse something else - like how they often fix a worn out fence post with a large thick branch.  (Signature handy work of my dad and grandpa.)

In all seriousness, though, my goal is that the posts you will find in the "Green Farmer" section of this blog will provide valuable information to everyone from the seasoned farmer to the weekend gardener while offering a forum for innovative and creative methods of responsible stewards of our environment - and maybe even each you how to save some green along the way.

Welcome to the green farm!

Old Pumpkin = New Christmas Decor

Don't throw your pumpkins away after Halloween or Thanksgiving.  Dress them up and give them a second life with some spray paint and silk flowers.

I've kept it simple with white spray paint and a poinsettia and pine sprig, but you can use gold  or silver or even glittered spray paint.

These pumpkins have been a part of my outdoor decor from September to December this year.

Talk about stretching your dollar.