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Healthy, Smart, Green,
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EarthBox recently co-sponsored a Senior Citizen Expo Event, "Healthy, Smart, Green and Growing," in Prince George's County, Maryland. The event was presented by the Department of Family Services Administration on Aging, Behnke Nurseries, and the Maryland Department of Aging to discuss the benefits of growing fruits and vegetables with local seniors.
EarthBox Education Director Molly Philbin (left) demonstrates the science behind the EarthBox to Secretary Lawlah and an Expo attendee.
The keynote speaker, Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown, encouraged seniors to grow their own vegetables to reduce energy costs and to improve their health. Secretary Gloria Lawlah of the Department of Aging kicked off "Pots on the Patio," a program that will help seniors grow and eat more fruits and vegetables to save money and stave off many chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer.
The Secretary selected the EarthBox because it requires very little space, is portable, and provides high crop yields. It also conserves energy and resources by using less water and fertilizer, without any weeding, hoeing or digging.
A pilot study of four senior centers in four counties will be implemented in the next few months, with a small population of older Marylanders assisting in the development and nurturing of the EarthBox gardens. The ultimate goal is to successfully embed the Pots on the Patio program within senior centers around the State. Once this is complete, the plan is to bring the program to individual homes.
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Grab Some Free Goodies!
Want to win an EarthBox gift certificate? Just send us your best EarthBox-related recipe, article, or photo, and you might find yourself a winner.
Here are the categories we'd like you to shoot for:
- A helpful story that provides EarthBox owners with information
- A story on your most successful crop
- A photo illustrating a successful EarthBox crop
- Your greatest number of EarthBoxes in use at once
- Your best disaster story, so everyone can learn from your mistakes
- Your quickest recipe using an EarthBox harvest
- Your spiciest recipe using an EarthBox harvest
- Articles on non-traditional uses of the EarthBox
Your entry should be brief and to the point. We'll pick a new winner every month, and we'll post each month's winner in an upcoming issue.
Send your contest entries to photos@Earthbox.com, with the word "contest" in the subject line, and we'll take a look! |
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We Have a Winner!
We've chosen the latest winner in our ongoing "Grab Some Goodies" contest! Melissa Oldsberg will receive a $25 EarthBox gift certificate for her tasty recipe. We'll be posting more winners as we choose them -- and we're still waiting to hear from you!
Here's Melissa's winning entry:
"From the herbs in one of my EarthBoxes I make this recipe. It's great on steaks, chicken, as a replacement for mayo on a sandwich, and practically anything else. This recipe makes about a pint, but my family uses it up so quickly that I usually double it. It can be made as spicy or as mild as you like, depending upon how much garlic and how many hot peppers you add. Delicious!"
Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
1 tsp fresh thyme, basil, or oregano (if desired)
4-6 cloves garlic
1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar or Sherry Vinegar
3/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper, or 1 fresh Jalapeno Pepper
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 of a medium onion
1/2 cup Olive Oil, or to taste
3 tbsp fresh Lemon or Lime Juice
Optional: 1 smoked dried pepper (chipotle).
Instructions
Puree all ingredients in a food processor, then transfer to a glass container, such as a mason jar. Can be made 2 hours ahead of serving. Your Chimichurri Sauce will last for up to a month in the refrigerator. |
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Greetings!
Proper watering is essential to any plant's health. Fortunately, one of the EarthBox system's most helpful features is that it completely takes the guesswork out of watering. No matter how much water you pour into the fill tube, you can't overwater; the extra water will simply flow out of the overfill opening in the bottom of the container. Therefore, there's no need to try to regulate the moisture level in the potting medium. Easy!
Similarly, the only way you can underwater is to let the reservoir go dry -- so always keep it filled. The plants will take up exactly as much water as they need, no more and no less.
You can water at any time of the day. It's even easier if you install the EarthBox Automated Watering System (AWS), because you'll never have to remind yourself to water; the system will do it for you. Even if you have multiple EarthBoxes, you don't need more than one spigot. The EarthBoxes can be connected with tubing and T-connectors, and up to 30 can be serviced by a single pressure regulator. The AWS doesn't need a timer, so you never have to worry about wasting water; it will automatically provide just the right amount of water to your EarthBoxes. For step-by-step instructions on how to set up your EarthBox, just go to our website, click the "Easy Instructions" button, and select "Watering System Instructions" -- or simply click here. Happy watering,  Frank DiPaolo EarthBox |
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Fresh from the Forum
AWS Setup |
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 A visual puts the Automated Watering System in perspective. For more information on this and other topics, just go to the "Q&A" section of the Forum and click on "New To EarthBox? Start Here" on the first page. Whether you're just starting or are a long-time EarthBox user, you'll find some very important and helpful information on this thread. |
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Retailer of the Month
Behnke's Nurseries
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At EarthBox, we value our partnerships with our authorized retailers. There are nurseries and garden centers throughout the country that carry our systems; some even offer seminars and workshops on getting the most out of your EarthBox. This month, we salute Behnke Nurseries in Maryland, the same fine folks who sponsored the recent 2009 Senior Expo in Prince George's County, as featured in the article to the left.  Behnke Nurseries still maintains the same old fashioned principles set by their founders in 1930. They offer a wide selection of high-caliber plants, including annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, indoor plants, and fruits and vegetables. Their staff includes seasoned horticulturists, who can assist in plant choices and educate customers in plant care and landscaping.
Speaking of landscaping, Behnke's offers a complete range of landscaping services, and even has a full-service florist at the Potomac location. And in addition to plants and gardening products, they offer various workshops, demonstrations and unusual adult classes, such as a flower and garden photography safari and watercolor painting. To visit Behnke's or find out more about their products, services and events, click here. Both nurseries are open daily. 11300 Baltimore Ave. Beltsville, Maryland Tel. 301-937-1100 9545 River Road Potomac, Maryland Tel. 301-983-9200 |
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From Our Customers
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"In case there is any question:
"I bought an EarthBox back in January and planted broccoli and cauliflower. I also
had a similar size plastic tub lying around, so I planted in it as well. Check
out the difference in the photo. Both plantings have small broccoli flowers
showing, but the ones in the EarthBox are much bigger. No cauliflowers yet.
 "These plantings were done on the same day with the same size plants bought from
Home Depot." GulfScuba |
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Ordering
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To place an order, call 866-727-5532 (24/7) or visit our online store.
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About EarthBox
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The patented EarthBox was developed by commercial farmers, and proven in the lab and on the farm. Our maintenance-free, award-winning, high-tech growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork, and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden -- with less fertilizer, less water and virtually no effort. It's used successfully on a daily basis by commercial farmers, educators, and consumers. Distributors are also finding it to be a popular growing system.
EarthBox is a remarkably easy-to-set-up system that can be used to grow produce virtually anywhere. EarthBox systems have been incorporated into community gardens all over the world, enabling families and neighbors to share fresh produce, while minimizing work and expenses. EarthBoxes can even be found in classrooms. Our EarthBox Pre-K through 12th grade standards-based curriculum support packages can bring science to life, with hands-on cross-curricula lessons that teach principles of growing and nutrition utilizing the scientific method in student-driven experiments.
To find out more, visit www.earthbox.com. | |
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