Growing Stevia-the Sweet Herb

Growing Stevia can be difficult (from seeds). Even if you get the seeds to germinate, stevioside levels can vary greatly from plant to plant grown from seeds.

You should try to get Stevia plants that have been grown from cuttings of plants that where high in stevioside. Getting them from someone you know, and trust to know what they have.

Young Stevia plants are sensitive to low temperatures, so you should wait until any chance of frost has past and soil temperatures are into the 50/60's before transplanting them into to the garden.

Stevia plants should be put in to rows 20 to 24 inches apart, and 18 inches between plants.

Your plants will grow a height of around 30 inches high and about 24 inches wide.

Your soil should be rich and loamy . Stevia's feeder roots are near the surface, so ad compost for extra nutrients if your soil is sandy.

Stevia roots are sensitive to excessive moisture. Be careful when watering and make sure their soil drains easily. Frequent light watering is best during the summer months.

Add a layer of mulch around each plant to keep the shallow feeder roots from drying out.

Organic fertilizers like fish emulsion, cow manure, etc., are good because they release their nitrogen slowly.

Waiting as late as possible to harvest can intensify the sweetness of the plants due to cool autumn temperatures and shorter days while they grow into their reproductive state.

You should cover your plants in the early frost so you can gain a few weeks growing and greater sweetness.

When it's time to harvest, prune off the branches before removing the leaves. You can also cut the tips off the stems since they can also be high in stevioside.

If you live in a frost free climate you can leave your plants outside but do not cut the branches to short leave around 4 inches of stem. Your second year harvest will then be more successful. I use row covers to protect the plants during the winter.
If the survive, that is good, if not, I just plant new ones in the spring.

You will need to replace the plants about every 2 years with new cuttings. Stevia is akin to sage in the sense it becomes woody and will stop producing after a few years.

Cuttings must be rooted before planting. You can use commercial rooting hormones for best results.

A great site to learn more about Stevia.....

http://www.steviainfo.com

Bea Kunz/Sage Hill Farms

Summer Herbs....A Fabulous Knowing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Summer is a time to slow down and foster a renewal of those things close to our hearts...for me, that is family, friends, and community.

One of the most precious gifts we can pass on to those we care about is good, sustainable, information about the foods we eat.

In today's world of mass transit shipments, our food can come to us from thousands of miles from our homes, which most always means it has to be processed for shipping long before it is fully ready for consumption...which leaves it tasteless, without any nutritional value and in so many cases the addition of unhealthy additives.

How can we offset what seems to be a problem with no clear cut answers.

One very attainable option is your local farmers.
Look around, do some research, find the growers closest to you and promote a relationship that will lead you to better foods for you and your family.

Another great option is "herbs"...I grow these for my family and for profit.

You can grow just what you need for meal planning even if you live in a small city dwelling, with no yard space. Herbs will grow in containers and bless you with a bountiful harvest for the season.

Salads are a perfect dish for using your bounty.....basil, oregano, dill, chives, thyme and parsley can all be tossed into any salad you desire.

The health benefits from a salad with a handful of fresh herbs is mind blowing.....

Think "green", give your family a new way to think about food, plant a garden, either in the ground or in pots!

Wishing you a Joyful June!

EatWell-BeWell

Bea Kunz/Sage Hill Farms

Cauliflower And Beet Salad

You decide how much of each according to your taste.

Cauliflower, raw, cut in small pieces.
Lettuce ( loose leaf is best)
fresh,young basil leaves
Raw beets (grated)
French Dressing*

Spread beets over lettuce and dot with cauliflower as desired.
Garnish with French dressing and young basil leaves.

* French dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs vegetized salt Or Sage Hill vegetable seasoning
2 Tbs savory or chervil (dried)

Dissolve salt, sugar, and herb in lemon juice, then slowly add olive oil a few drops at a time until combined.

Enjoy!

Sage Hill Salad

Serves 4 to 6.

8 cups mixed greens (your pick)
1 cup orange segments
2 small avocado-thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered red onion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cilantro-Lime Drizzle

1 cup packed cilantro
1/2 cup Extra-Virgin Olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp rock salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of minced fresh garlic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chop cilantro either by hand or in food mill
Blend with all other ingredients

Serve on the porch with a fresh made lemonade and good friends!

Shrimp and Sugar Peas

2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs curry powder
1-1/2 lbs raw shrimp-peeled
1 lb snow peas-string and chop or use whole
1 cup lite coconut milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp rock salt

Heat oil in a wok or skillet over med. heat
Add curry powder and cook until aromatic (2 min.)
Add shrimp and peas (cook 4 min)
Stir in milk, juice and salt
Bring to a easy boil and cook another 2 minutes.

Do not over cook.

May in the Herb Gardens.

Ok...this is our second try this spring with the herb beds. March was so warm, everything popped out of the ground and took off running! But, mother nature wasn't finished with her winter blessings...so many things got zapped pretty good.

It seems as if most things are going to bounce back on their own...we have had to cut back and replant a few. That's life on a farm....one day at a time.....

Chives, oregano, dill, thyme, and sage are all looking very good.
Rosemary and lavender looks iffy at the moment....except my little kitchen garden, everything there is beautiful and in excellent shape. So I am blessed!

Not too early to start working you soil...hopefully you have a nice big pile of compost to scatter around. Just work it into your garden soil and plant directly into the compost, best fertilizer you will ever use.

A friend sent me a Comfrey plant early last year, it was beautiful but never bloomed...well, it is now in bloom, and beautiful isn't the right description...it is so amazing...I planted it right by the compost pile, so what does that tell you?

In our vegetable garden we have tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, spinach and snow peas. We also have a family of 4...rabbits.....living in the field next to the garden...I suppose there will be some munching going on, they don't eat a lot and usually just the bottom leaves, so we will try to be generous and share...only if they don't get greedy!

I hope you have a Marvelous May and plant a garden...it's so fun!

Bea Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

Sink or Swim??

Utah Woman Auctions off Great Salt Lake for a Piece of the Big Apple
PLEASANT GROVE, UTAH April 30, 2007

(PRLEAP.COM) Utah author, Kim Mutch Emerson gathered 2 cc’s of briny water from the Great Salt Lake and posted it on eBay for auction in an experiment to get to a writing seminar in New York City.

In a caper of what some might consider unconventional and others downright bizarre Utah author, Kim Mutch Emerson took a drive to the Great Salt Lake, gathered 2 cc’s of briny water and posted it on eBay for an auction. She believes it’s her ticket to New York City.

When asked why she is auctioning off this minuscule amount of salt water Emerson stated, “I’ve been invited to New York for a writing seminar held by Mark Victor Hansen. The moment I received the invitation I knew I would be at that seminar. But there was a list of things that had to happen first. I needed to trademark my teaching system before presenting it in manuscript form in New York as well as other details. Then I had this crazy idea. If Kyle MacDonald could trade a red paper clip for a house last year, surely I can auction this piece of the famous Salt Lake for a trip to New York City. After all, I am not trying to buy New York; I just want to borrow it for a day. So, you see, it’s an experiment. I’m a writer, what can I say. ”

Emerson is a public speaker, mentor and author of the Law of Attraction and other universal laws that have taken the world by storm since the release of the movie The Secret a year ago. She is putting this law to the test with her experiment. Will the world see Emerson in New York City at the end of May or will she find her dream floating in the second saltiest lake on earth?

Kim Mutch Emerson is available for interviews by telephone at 801-788-4197. To visit her eBay auction click http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220107796510 or find her at http://www.universityofprosperity.net

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Contact Information

Kim Emerson
Writing Pro
Email Writing Pro
801-788-4197

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