Signs of Spring

Hands in dirt: sure sign of spring.

The first week of March marks the very beginning of the growing season up here in the North Country: prepping and planting seeds, stocking the greenhouse, turning our compost, and getting the rows in the garden ready.

First, we went out to the compost heap and shoveled beautiful, black dirt into old plastic bags to use as potting soil. Then we took all our flats out of the greenhouse and set them up on the picnic table:

Our weekend intern, Shani, at left, and our latest resident, Sue.

Here are Shani and Susan filling the trays with dirt:

To make labels for the plants, Shani cut up empty plastic water bottles and Susan used a Sharpie to write out the names of the veggies we were planting. Once we pushed the seeds into the dirt, it was out to the greenhouse with the soon-to-be sprouts:

To keep the babies hydrated, we're utilizing rainwater from the catchment system installed last summer:

This week we'll be filling the greenhouse, moving the compost heap, and beginning construction on a new chicken coop for our incoming feathered friends. Spring is upon us!

If you'd like to volunteer with us, e-mail info@betterfarm.org.

Gutter Protection

Gutters are a no-brainer for most homes—which is why we've been doing

a lot of research

on the outdoor pipes here at Better Farm. We're pretty excited about galvalume gutters, but the price tag for replacing existing systems vs. enhancing what you have is enough to give pause to anyone intent on keeping the water out of his or her basement (and maybe

into

his or her rain catchment system?).

This is mostly a money-crunching issue. The cost effectiveness of cleaning your gutters out as opposed to buying a system promising to remove the need for gutter maintenance varies from home to home.

Here's a great calculator

designed to help you decide what's most appropriate for your needs.

Gutter protection

is a big consideration when choosing a system for your house. For one thing, without protection you're looking at hefty bi-yearly bills for gutter cleaning, replacement, and general upkeep. Mold, mildew, fungus, fires, ice, standing water, mosquitoes, clogs, and leaves all count as your enemy when working with gutters—careful planning is in order. What's cheapest up-front isn't always the best long-term decision; and things like location and climate can make all the difference in the world.

Whether you're replacing an old system, adding fresh to a gutterless house (as we are), or tacking a

gutter protection system

to what you've already got, it's important to do your research.

While you're shopping around and searching for price comparisons and product reviews, there are a few things to look out for:

• Gutters and gutter protection that are fire-resistant and flame-retardant

• Systems that are mold-, mildew-, and fungus-free

• Filter and guards that encourage fast-flowing water to reduce ice and its inherent damage (and mosquitoes!)

• Systems that won't steal the show from your home—gutters should blend!

• Easy or low-cost installation

• Warranties—some of the best systems and gutter protectors we found have up to 10-year warranties

• Systems that will work with rain catchment systems (water your lawn with a clear conscience next summer!)

• Rust- and corrosion-free systems

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the issue as we stew over what system to get on Better Farm next year!