! Y Some of the benefits of incorporating willows into your farm.

Emai

Hey, Yora

As a small-scale farmer, gardener, or homesteader, you know that we're always looking for innovative and sustainable ways to improve our land and increase productivity. That's why I wanted to share with you

Willows are versatile and fast-growing (up to 10 ft. per year) trees or shrubs that offer numerous benefits to farmers, homesteaders, gardeners, and landholders, including:

1. Cut Branches for the Floral Industry
   From the beautiful catkins in pussy willow bunches to the twisty branches of curly willow and fantail, willows are highly popular for both wholesale and retail customers! It’s a great cash crop in early spring, when not much else is available!
   

2. Livestock Feed
   Willows are a great source of food for livestock. They can be pruned regularly to provide fresh, nutritious feed for your animals, especially goats, sheep, and even geese!
   

3. Cut Sticks for Propagation
   Willows are propagated by cut sticks or rooted sticks, and are popular with customers for landscaping and wildscaping. We’ve had great success with selling rooted cuttings (takes 3-5 weeks) in our spring plant sale.
   

4. Basket Making
   We’ve all seen willow baskets, and the willows to produce them are easier to grow than you think!
   

5. Medicinal Properties
   Willows contain salicin, a natural form of aspirin, and have been shown to have pain-releasing and anti-inflammatory effects.
   

6. Rooting Hormone
   By soaking willow branches in water, a natural hormone called auxin is released, which stimulates root growth in other plants.
   

7. Pollinator Habitat
   Willows produce early-season pollen, providing a valuable food source for pollinators like bees. (Check out the bees harvesting pollen here on our farm last week.) This can improve crop yields.
   

8. Renewable Energy
   Willows are a great source of biomass, which can be used to produce renewable energy. They can be harvested every 1-3 years, providing a reliable source of fuel for your farm.
   

9. Erosion Control
   The extensive root systems of willows can help stabilize soil on slopes and prevent erosion, protecting your land from erosion damage.

Here at the Farm on Central, we offer a range of willow varieties that are well-suited to different growing conditions and purposes, including soil improvement, cut bunches for florists, basket weaving, and beneficial pollinators. Most willows will work well from zone 3 to 8!

Check out our willows here.

Michael

P.S. We're getting lots of interest in our ginger seed that we released earlier this week. Some quick FAQs

How do I grow ginger?

We'll include full instructions with your order. 2 lbs will plant up to 10-20 ft, 8 lbs will plant 40-60 ft. We've seen folks successfully grow it as cold as zone 3 with a hoophouse or greenhouse structure.

The full case is killing me on shipping.

That's the nature of USPS! Buy three 8 lb bags and the flat rate will be $14x3 or $42 for shipping.

Other questions, email us at hello@growingfarmers.com!

Where do I go to buy seed?

shop.growingfarmers.com