Dead leaves, food scraps, and grass clippings for lunch? Small animals, fungi, and bacteria called decomposers turn trash into a tasty compost treat. Learn more about compost and how you can use it in your garden or yard.
The Gaines family (from HGTV's Fixer Upper) chronicles the adventures of starting their own family garden. From their failed endeavors, obstacles to overcome (bunnies that eat everything), and all of the knowledge they gain along the way, the Gaines family shares how they learned to grow a happy, successful garden.
Once upon a time, Old MacDonald didn't have a farm. He just had a yard—a yard he didn't want to mow. But under the direction of the wise Little Red Hen, Mac learns to look at the environment in a very different way, and whole new worlds start to bloom with the help of some mud, garbage, horse poop, and worms!
Neela loves cooking with her amma and writing down the recipes in her notebook. It makes her feel closer to her paati who lives far away in India. On Saturdays, Neela and Amma go to the green market and today they are buying tomatoes to make Paati's famous sauce. But first, Neela needs to learn about all the different kinds of tomatoes they can pick from. And as Neela and Amma cook together, they find a way for Paati to share in both the love and the flavors of the day.
One Thousand Black Walnuts is a delightful, entertaining story about a farm family who gathers black walnuts to sell. While picking up the walnuts, the kids learn about this industry from their mom. Readers discover the uses for black walnuts, from shell to nut, and even how wildlife depend on the nuts as a food source.
People have been gobbling up yummy, nutritious raisins for centuries. Ancient Greeks and Romans awarded them at sporting events and astronauts have taken raisins into space. Find out how grapes become raisins, who introduced the seedless grape, and the many uses for raisins.
Grab the wagon, it's a bright autumn day and the trees are full of ripe, red apples! There's an apple festival underway at the farm and lots of work to do making cider. The visit finishes with a cider doughnut and a cup of freshly pressed cider. DELICIOUS! Told in crisp, action-driven rhymes from a young child's point of view, From Apple Trees to Cider, Please! is a realistic account of how apple cider is pressed, flavored with the charm and vigor of a harvest celebration.
One hundred years ago, a little boy watched his family and community come together to build a grand red barn. This barn became his refuge and home—a place to play with friends and farm animals alike. As seasons passed, the barn weathered many storms. The boy left and returned a young man, to help on the farm and to care for the barn again. The barn has stood for one hundred years, and it will stand for one hundred more: a symbol of peace, stability, caring, and community.
Told through exuberant rhyme, a group of children shows the step-by-step process of how America's favorite snack comes about. Beginning with the planting of seeds, the cycle moves through the caretaking of the plant (watering and weeding), all the way to its harvest. Finally, it's time to shuck, then pop the kernels, and enjoy the finished product! Complete with back matter that includes scientific facts and activities, Let's Pop, Pop, Popcorn! offers a fun introduction to the process of creating popcorn.
Gwendolyn longs for a pet. What kind? Any kind! How many legs? Two, four, ten—she's not picky! But her parents have other ideas, and instead they give her...a box of dirt. "It smells of swamp," Gwendolyn says—but her parents say it smells of possibilities. And once Gwendolyn gets savvy about seeds and soil, sun, and shade, she finds they are right. The dirt starts performing some amazing tricks, and soon she has a whole pet garden of her very own—it might not have "any legs at all, but it was alive, and Gwendolyn could tallk to it, care for it, and watch it grow." Gwendolyn's enthusiasm and pride are sure to inspire gardeners and inspiring gardeners alike.
Tori and Jade are best friends until a friendly competition to grow the most prized pumpkin nearly tears their friendship apart! Come along as they create plans, work with an agronomist and beekeeper, learn from their mistakes and successes all in an effort to grow weird, warty, and ginormous pumpkins. The summer of the prized pumpkin competition will be one Tori and Jade will never forget!
A collection of "interviews" with small girls and boys, who live, work, and love their ranching life and the animals they care for.