Gardening, Raised Bed Gardening, The Garden, Water & Soil

Conserve Water & Control Pests with Barrel Gardens

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GOSHEN >> Approaching the Ortlieb’s Goshen home, even the mailbox sits in a barrel. Husband and wife, both master gardeners, have filled their backyard with a massive vegetable garden all grown out of barrels. Adorning the backyard of the five-acre property are roughly 800 barrels, by Grant Ortlieb’s count. Filled to the brim with compost, the 40-inch polyethylene barrels stand about four feet apart and cover the yard, the various vegetables poking from the tops. A few houses down the street, a neighbor referred to Ortlieb as simply, “the barrel guy.” Grant Ortlieb had the idea 10 years ago. He’d been gardening for years but altered his approach as a way to control water. Grant Ortlieb initially had ten barrels catching water off the roof. He took a few of those barrels, filled them with compost and used them to grow tomatoes. “It was real easy,” Grant Ortlieb said. “They’re high and dry, the mice don’t eat them, they’re easy to find at the end of the year.” Grant Ortlieb said that he started off with a couple of barrels and it was so successful that he just kept adding more. Now, the sprawling garden has overtaken the Ortlieb’s backyard, with three types of vegetables in each barrel. This is called companion planting, placing romaine lettuce with cucumber and tomato, sunflowers with tomato and basil. Grant Ortlieb said he grows plants from “A to Z.” “Asparagus to zucchini,” he said. Despite the amount of food in their backyard, the Ortlieb’s do not sell or bring their crops to farmer’s markets. “We just give it away,” Pam Ortlieb said. “We could sell it. If people wanted to come here and buy it, it’s here.” She said they usually wind up giving the vegetables away, giving them to friends or trading […]

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Personal Care, Weight Loss

One More Reason to Act Fast – Assess Your Stroke Risk

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A story this week about  26-year-old twins who had a stroke only a few months apart  from each other may seem like an oddity to you.  While it’s true that stroke is more common in older adults, young people have strokes as well. Most people don’t realize that stroke is the #4 cause of death in the United States.  A stroke occurs when a part of the brain is not getting enough oxygen and nutrients. This can be due to a blocked blood vessel supplying the brain. Alternatively, it could be because of bursted blood vessel that results in bleeding in the brain. For those that survive a stroke, they can be left with major limitations in daily function and quality of life. The American Heart Association estimates that there are 3.8 million women survivors of stroke alive today. In honor of Stroke Awareness Month in May, let’s remember some truths and mistruths about stroke. Truth #1 – Stroke can happen at any age The story of the 26-year-old sisters who both had strokes is dramatic, but stroke is not that unusual in young people. The causes of stroke are usually different when they occur in younger compared to older people, but stroke can happen at any age. One of the twins apparently had atrial fibrillation, which is a big risk factor for stroke. Truth #2 – You can reduce the risk of having a stroke Overall, the most common risk factors for having a stroke are listed below. Many of these are factors that you have the power to change. Smoking High cholesterol High blood pressure Diabetes Irregular heart rhythm (such as atrial fibrillation ) Diabetes Obesity Lack of exercise But in younger adults, and women in particular, stroke may also be due to other risk factors, such […]

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