Dear Customers & Readers, Our talented friend, Linda Marcille who created these extraordinary paintings, has fallen ill and is looking to sell them immediately to pay for medical expenses. All 5 paintings in the series are available and we are hoping to keep the collection together. If you or someone you know is interested in acquiring the series, please reach out to us on Facebook or Contact Us. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring a priceless art collection into your home, office or museum. Read More
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Much of the food grown in our edible landscape is perennial. We have fruit trees, nut trees, and long-lived and self-seeding greens: sochan, nettle, wood sorrel and lamb’s quarters, to name a few. Once established as part of the landscape, perennials and self-seeders won’t rely (much) on human hands. Convenient! But annual crops are an important part of the landscape, too. Inter-cropping the annuals with the perennials can be beneficial to both.
Preparing the ground for sowing corn
This year I wanted to make a “milpa.” This is a term for the ancient practice of interplanting corn and other plants in a way that benefits the ecosystem. It’s commonly called the “three sisters” although we have more than three sisters, and even a few cousins 🙂 Wild raspberries and strawberries, yarrow and goldenrod for the bees, and many greens, including lamb quarters, lady thumb, and sheep sorrel, all play their parts.
Preparations for cornfield. Photo taken last November
We mow the meadow, so creeping perennials with robust root systems tend to win out. Last November, in order to kill the grass we cut a 30′ x 30′ section as low as possible to the ground, and then mulched heavily with grass clippings, leaves, and wood chips from a hardwood we felled nearby. This worked well to delay the emergence of grass in spring, but it didn’t kill it completely.
One block of emerging popcorn
Later on, loads of compost were added on top to block out sun from the creepers and feed the crops we wanted to encourage. Overplanting, and then thinning, can discourage weeds. It also keeps the ground shady and moist for the young plants.
Knee-high!
Corn needs to be planted in dense blocks to encourage pollination. It emerged after Spring rains–no watering needed. The corn is now in the reproductive stage, with tassels releasing pollen daily and cobs thickening as the kernels develop.
Our meadow “milpa” in late July. Winter squash, beans, nettle, and of course corn.
So far so good! Stay tuned and we will see what we get.
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We’ve had a few customers find us lately, because they’re looking for “responsible furniture”. After thinking about that term, I googled it and not much came up. So I’m taking a shot at breaking it down. Ken and I started Vermont Woods Studios with the goal of serving people who want responsible, eco-friendly, locally crafted, wooden furniture. In that spirit, here’s what I came up with in the who, what, where, when, why and how department of responsibly made furniture.
In this post, we’ll look at the who, what, where, when, why and how of responsibly made furniture.
Small businesses are made of big people like these craftsmen and women at Maple Corner Woodworks. We work to deliver beautiful handmade furniture to your home, but also to make the world a better place.
Vermont Woods Studios was selected for Daniela’s article because of our expertise in sustainable furnishings. All of our furniture is made in Vermont, using sustainably harvested North American wood and local craftsmanship. Shown above is one of our best sellers, the Classic Shaker Dining Table in solid walnut wood with matching walnut dining chairs.
Copeland Furniture is one of Vermont’s most recognizable high-end furniture brands. Since 1976, Tim Copeland and his family have been building a reputation for world-class furniture in a variety of crisp, clean designs. Based in Bradford, Vermont, Copeland specializes in mid-century modern wood furniture. In their own words, Copeland calls their furniture “transitional. Neither strictly contemporary nor traditional but rather a combination of elements that incorporate classic proportion with modern simplicity.”
Here’s what our customers are saying about Copeland Furniture:
Beyond their capabilities to create biodiverse ecosystems and turn greenhouse gases into clean oxygen, trees also provide one of the most versatile materials on the planet- wood. In addition to being used by carpenters and builders for framing houses, wood is perhaps most commonly used for furniture and flooring, here in the US and around the world.
When properly maintained, wood lasts a long time- generations. But part of maintaining wood means adding a finish. Using a finish on wood furniture and flooring helps modulate the humidity content of the wood. When wood dries out too much, it is prone to cracking and splitting, so it’s important to seal in the appropriate moisture content.
There are lots of options for finishing wood, but when it comes to furniture and flooring, most products fall into one of these categories: oils, varnishes, polyurethanes, lacquers, and waxes.
Save 20% Storewide* at our Memorial Day Furniture Sale
During our Memorial Day Furniture Sale, you’ll find great deals on solid wood furniture for every room in your home and still have plenty of time to enjoy all your Memorial Day holiday activities. Save 20% off our bedroom furniture, kitchen and dining furniture, home office desks, file cabinets and bookcases and occasional furniture. Start your summer on the right note knowing that you’re getting the best quality fine American made furniture at the best price.
