Why Grow Pitanga Berries in Israel – and How to Enjoy Them
Three years ago we planted a Pitanga, a sub-tropical shrub that grows really easily in Israel and produces LOTS of very pretty berries. This year we are allowed to eat the berries (following the 3 year orlah wait). I was so excited to try one! Well, I was in for a suprise! But before I […]
Workshop in RBS: Grow Your Own Bountiful Fruit Trees
Do you dream of picking your own fruit grown in your own yard or on your porch? Join Bloomah for this inspiring and practical fruit tree workshop! What’s included? PLUS: Light Brunch Featuring scrumptious home-grown farm treats BONUS: Take home a cutting or seedling of a FREE exotic, super-easy-grow edible plant (options: thornless blackberry, pitanga, […]
My 3-Year Olive Oil Quest – In Mishpacha Magazine
In this week’s Chanukah Edition of Mishpacha Magazine you will find a feature I wrote about our 3-year quest to produce our own olive oil from the beautiful olive trees that surround us here in the Land of Israel. Expect vivid descriptions of gorgeous landscape, wrangles with taciturn farmers and tenacity in the face of repeated failure, […]
Picking and Pressing Olive Oil in Israel
Note: This article is from 2021. One of my favorite times of year Olive harvest season! This is my third year participating in this most scenic and satisfying of pursuits. I think I am perfecting my whackity-whack technique! I’ve definitely upped my game since last year. We picked 96kg over 2 days. Then we hauled […]
Why Now is the Time to Plant a Tree in Israel (Nothing to do with Tu Bishvat)
There is an old Chinese proverb that asks: When is the best time to plant a tree? We’ll get to the old Chinese answer soon, but first let’s look at the answer that most Jews would give. When is the best time to plant a tree? Tu Bishvat, of course! AKA the Jewish New Year […]
Bloomah’s City Farm in 2020: Before and After
When people visit my farm these days and see all the trees and growing beds and animal friends and all the many things going on, they immediately think that I must have been doing this for a very long time. However, here’s the truth. Today is December 31, 2020. Believe it or not, on January […]
Adventures in Olive Picking and Pressing
Recently, here in Israel we were blessed with the first rains of the winter. You know what that means, right? It’s Olive Picking Season! Over the past two weeks, I spent five mornings picking olives and pressing olive oil in a picturesque ancient olive grove on a hillside right outside my hometown of Beit Shemesh. […]
My 5 Latest Farming Failures
I’ve posted a bunch of successful projects and people are starting to talk like I’m some sort of farming wunderkind, unlike them, who are “untalented” or have “a brown thumb.” So let me know clarify: I have failures ALL THE TIME. I kill plants, I waste money, I make things that no one in my […]
Birkas Ha’Ilanos Under Lockdown
It’s the month of Nissan and we have a special mitzvah to make a bracha over fruit-bearing trees in bloom. Usually that means that we head out in the neighborhood on a delightful blossom hunt in nearby parks and gardens. This year it’s not so easy but our bewildered, news-saturated souls need this inspiring once-a-year […]