Ok, we know it’s a little silly, but growing giant pumpkins is good, geeky fun.

Whether you’re headed to a U-Pick orchard this fall, or are preparing to plant your first apple tree, it pays to get the nitty-gritty on the varieties first.

Mark Lipson shares his thoughts on the organic movement today, and gives an impassioned defense to recent critiques of organic certification and its integrity.

Like fine wine, good cheese has a reputation as something that requires expert skills and special equipment to make. It’s the kind of thing there are four-year degree programs for; not something you would attempt after work one night.

The first full-time employee of California Certified Organic Farmers and the co-founder of the Organic Farming Research Foundation shares stories and humor from the early days of organics.

Fall is a winding down time in the garden, but it’s also a window where you can get a head start on next year’s gardening season. Get ahead of the curve now, so when spring fever hits, your to-do list will be a little shorter and your garden will be a little more orderly, healthy, and productive.

The good news: Organic produce is now certified by the government, widely available at big-box stores, and more affordable than ever. The bad news: See above.

Who wouldn’t want to grow herbs and veggies on the wall of their house?

Health enthusiasts happily shell out hundreds of dollars each year for herbal products of every variety, from lavender salt scrubs for the bath to peppermint flea sprays for their pets. Those purchases support the $100 billion global market for herbal supplements and remedies, but a majority of those products—or at least close approximations of them—can be made at home from plants growing in your own garden or collected from a nearby natural area.