Michele Owens is in my kitchen today, talking about her love for the all-natural, and her guilty pleasures, gardening catalogs and fashion blogs.
Michele is a gardener, business writer, former political speechwriter, and author of Grow the Good Life: Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy, Wealthy and Wise (2011). She's a founding partner of Garden Rant, one of the most popular and influential gardening blogs, and writes about gardening for publications including O, The Oprah Magazine, and Organic Gardening.
She lives with her family in Saratoga Springs and Salem, New York. You can follow the progress of her 2011 vegetable garden at Michele-owens.com.
Why is living organic important to you?
It's the only thing that makes any sense. Using chemicals to grow food crops is completely counterproductive. The science increasingly demonstrates that you only wind up with more pests, less-resilient soil, and lower-quality food.
I find that the more my vegetable garden resembles a natural ecosystem, the better it does. I don't do anything anymore except mulch once a year--no tilling, no fertilizing, no liming, no fussing. And my garden is gorgeous.
Plus, I'm organic because I'm a total foodie. Conventionally grown food tastes nasty, while homegrown organic vegetables are just sublime.
What was your favorite food growing up?
My mother's spaghetti and meatballs. Those meatballs were stuffed with garlic and herbs, and her sauce was delicious. My mother is European and made everything from scratch. So while my friends were being fed Ragú and Chef Boyardee, I was getting the good stuff.
What's your go-to comfort food now?
I'm not really looking for comfort in my food. I want excitement, adventure, sex, spices, revelation....
But if you ask me which quick-cooking meal leaves me aglow on a winter weeknight, it would have to be a wonderful Indian stew out of a Madhur Jaffrey cookbook, or an equally wonderful Italian stew--maybe beef with pickles and capers--from Marcella Hazan.
What's the one thing in your kitchen you just couldn't live without?
Oh, I like nice equipment, but the only thing I really couldn't live without is my vegetable garden. I'm constantly pushing into new frontiers as a cook and an eater, thanks to the garden. I'll grow anything--I love trying the weird and unfamiliar--and then I have to figure out how to cook it, so I'm always learning something new.
What magazine, website, book, album, or product are you most obsessed with right now?
Is anything in the world more fun than a seed catalog? I adore Fedco Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and Seeds from Italy--read every word of them and order profligately from them. Spend $1.50 on a package of seeds of some unfamiliar vegetable or unfamiliar variety, and it can open up a whole new world in the kitchen.
What's the most important news story today that you think we all need to pay more attention to?
Climate change, the stress it is putting on agriculture around the world, and the challenge of feeding 9 billion people by 2050 without destroying the planet. It drives me crazy that in this land-rich suburban country, we Americans generally produce nothing in our yards but lawn clippings. I wrote my book to make new gardeners. I think everybody should grow a little food in the backyard--and not just to ease the pressure on the world's limited supply of arable land--but also because gardening makes people happy.
Where do you get your news?
Nature, The New York Times, my husband, journalist Jeff Goodell, my partners at Garden Rant, the food and science writers on Twitter, and the hilarious celebrity fashion blog Go Fug Yourself.
For more from Maria Rodale, go to www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.