Happy Dancing Blog

Jenny Hill

Sep 55 min

Enhance Perennials This Fall

Tips from garden experts on how to divide perennials in the fall.

Purple Reigns in New Varieties Grown in HDT Gardens

HDT Team

Aug 93 min

Purple Reigns in New Varieties Grown in HDT Gardens

The Happy Dancing Turtle garden team planted several different purple vegetables in the garden this season. You may be accustomed to...

Let's Go Nuts: A New Opportunity in Agriculture

Jim Chamberlin

May 233 min

Let's Go Nuts: A New Opportunity in Agriculture

Happy Dancing Turtle is looking for landowners interested in planting a new and exciting crop – hybrid hazelnuts. They will be seeking...

Jenny Hill

May 94 min

Raised Beds Elevate Garden Options

Raised bed gardening is more than just a trend. It has some real advantages in terms of space, ergonomics, and logistics. It is easier to...

Grow with Community Gardens & Seed Libraries

Jenny Hill

Mar 284 min

Grow with Community Gardens & Seed Libraries

The latest snow/rainstorm may have sent you back indoors to try to plan your garden. Maybe you are an experienced gardener and you have...

Pools of Energy Key Frame to Soil Health

Jim Chamberlin

Mar 225 min

Pools of Energy Key Frame to Soil Health

I was at the Minnesota Organic Conference many years ago, sitting in a session on testing soil biology. The presenter was showing a...

Jenny Hill

Feb 23 min

Nature, Conservancy, & Miscellaneous

More than 45 workshops make up the 18th Annual Back to Basics. From Zero Waste to Gardening to Clean Energy, you can get your...

Jenny Hill

Jan 193 min

Want to DIY? These Workshops Can Help

For the 18th Annual Back to Basics, there are more than 45 workshops on a wide variety of topics. From Zero Waste to Gardening to Clean...

HDT Team

Dec 13, 20232 min

Winter Care for Indoor Plants

Indoor plants brighten our lives by providing much-needed color in the winter months. Research suggests they may also reduce stress and...

Getting Your Pollinator Friendly Yard Ready for Winter

HDT Team

Oct 12, 20233 min

Getting Your Pollinator Friendly Yard Ready for Winter

The population of pollinators is declining worldwide. Habitat loss and lack of food for pollinators are the primary reasons for the...

Long Game of Soil Health Reduces Drought Impact

Jim Chamberlin

Sep 26, 20233 min

Long Game of Soil Health Reduces Drought Impact

Well into the drought this summer, I drove by a corn field east of Brainerd and was surprised how healthy the corn looked. Just a mile or...

Jim Chamberlin

Aug 7, 20232 min

Digging Into the Lives of Dung Beetles

Dung beetles came late in my soil health journey. More than three decades after becoming an “organic” farming advocate, the dung beetle...

Garden Tips: Recipes with Nettles and Chive Blossoms

HDT Team

Jun 15, 20233 min

Garden Tips: Recipes with Nettles and Chive Blossoms

“Use what you've got" is a phrase that is a building block for sustainable living. In this post we share two recent examples of seasonal...

Jenny Hill

May 18, 20232 min

Garden Updates

Gardeners Dave and Anna brought in the first harvest from the hoop house this week! It was made up of lots of greens: spinach, arugula,...

Jenny Hill

Apr 21, 20233 min

Garden Tips: Seeding, Thinning, Tamping

While hardy (and understandably grumpy) Minnesotans weather yet another rain/snow “event,” steadfast gardeners like Dave and Anna at...

Garden Tips: Soil Blocks, Watering, Succession Planting

Jenny Hill

Mar 24, 20233 min

Garden Tips: Soil Blocks, Watering, Succession Planting

The HDT garden crew, Dave and Anna, recently took a video and some photos as they worked on soil blocks. The resulting blocks were moist...

Bringing It All Together for Soil Health

Jim Chamberlin

Mar 3, 20234 min

Bringing It All Together for Soil Health

The Change Exchange discussion group the last couple of months have focused on the life under our feet. This month we bring it all...

Jim Chamberlin

Dec 2, 20224 min

Celebrate World Soil Day

World Soil Day is December 5th and is dedicated to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable...

When the Weather Gets Cold, Local Eaters Get Creative

Jenny Hill

Oct 28, 20224 min

When the Weather Gets Cold, Local Eaters Get Creative

Do you have a summer and winter diet? Many of us do, at least to a certain extent because it seems more fun to eat melon in the summer...

Jenny Hill

Oct 21, 20223 min

Getting Your Pollinator Friendly Yard Ready for Winter

The population of pollinators is declining worldwide. Habitat loss and lack of food for pollinators are the primary reasons for the...