CSA - community support agriculture. Basically like a community farm, people pay you to grow produce for them. You can do 5 members or 100. It's got some advantages over doing farmer's markets, but that's also debateable. Basically, you grow the produce and the deliver boxes of it to subscribers (or they come pick them up). Most subscribers pay in the beginning of the season which really helps because when farming, that's when cash flow is needed the most. Good point about the water. I think my concern was, since I've never actually done the lasagna beds before, is that if I don't water the layers quite well then wouldn't the weeds underneath the cardboard on the bottom have an easier time surviving? I thought it was the combination of the wet & thickness of it (plus the weight of the mulch on top) that killed off the grass beneath. Am I incorrect in my thinking? I was only thinking about doing the watering initially when establishing the beds, but I wouldn't worry about it after that, as I add more mulch over the years. And another good point about the trees. Those will definitely be going in ASAP as $$ allows. My husband and I are both students and so cash flow is tight but plan on getting quite a few fruit/nut trees by the end of the summer for sure. If I have to start them from seed, I'll get it done.

There's no need to use vermiculite. Idaho gardener mentioned sulfur and coffee grounds to combat the high pH that is fairly common in the intermountain west. since you're planting in a lasagna garden, the pH of the soil won't be a factor. Although coffee is acidic, the acid is water soluble, so the acidity ends up in the cup and the grounds are pretty close to neutral. You should also test the soil before doing anything about pH. Although most of the intermountain west has high pH soil, My understanding is that there are some places in and around Denver that have acidic soil (I think I read that it has to do with something in the granite).

-- I'm curious about your comment on pulling up the weeds will bring up more seeds to the surface? I am by no means an expert of any sort, but I am happy to share what I do know. Like many others here, I always thought pulling out the roots was the only way. Let me esplain. I think we (as gardeners) have much to learn about weeds, how they grow, and can out compete the plants we nurture - seemingly with little moisture, nutrients, or care. How & why is that? I do NOT have those answers but certainly find it fascinating to say the least. First of all, there are weeds that are annuals or perennials. Also worth noting is there are many weeds which can be eaten, some which provide more nutrients than the plants we do nurture and decide to eat. I have much to learn in this area - if I am not mistaken one such weed is purslane which I have heard contains more (is it) Omega 3? than fish oils? I have not mastered the weed ID thing myself but am told any weed worth eating will of course be pleasing to the taste. I am approaching this weed eating thing with caution and by no means am I recommending it for everyone. But I am told it is not at all like knowing which mushrooms to eat. In any case, I was lucky enuff to sit in on a presentation by a UConn Professor/Scientist who says that some weed seeds can lie dormant in the soil for up to 40 years (read that as forty years). Do we have vegetable seeds that will last that long? Not many if we do. He claimed that it is believed that all these seeds need to trigger is a flash of sunlight, to know they are close enuff to the surface to germinate. Which is yet another reason NOT to till the soil. And that pulling weeds out will pull up more weed seeds to continue the cycle. Learning this, I have begun to just carry a pair of scissors with me an just snip off the weed at soil level. Further that depriving weeds of moisture and/or sun will limit their germination. This is why mulches work to keep weeds down. Of course mulches include newspapers, cardboard, leaves, or generally any organic matter or something to block the light, it could be a ground cover (a living mulch). Whether those weeds will sprout again depends on if they are annuals or perennials. But I think it does help to bring many under control. I had a very bad infestation of bindweed last year, likely brought in by using OPL's but learned to identify the young seedlings, and have made a huge improvement this year by simply yanking (or snipping) them in early spring, when they first sprout. Each year I hope to be able to identify a few more weeds, working towards also learning which ones are edible and worth letting grow. I have, for years now, been removing most any weeds BEFORE they went to seed and with the use of mulches have many under control. When I first began composting, I refused to put any weed seeds in my compost in fear of just spreading more of their seeds. I think the main focus of lasagna gardening is weed suppression by smothering any existing weeds and never turning the soil to disturb buried weed seeds, leading to "fewer" weeds. Perhaps reading during this heat wave will be time well spent. ps. It's 52 degree here right now - too cold to garden ;-) I have been of the opinion that if you do NOT want to weed - do NOT garden, buy your veggies at the store ;-) Now I am thinking they may be useful nutrients for the table. HTH in some small way, Gumby_CT - who wishes he had known about Lasagana gardening many years ago.

I was intrigued, since that seems to be the universal description, so I ran it down. The All-Clad site even says "porcelain" but doesn't explain. A customer review on Cooking.com says "heavy, non-metal insert". Here's a description from Metrokitchen.com: With the All-Clad Copper-Core porcelain double boiler insert, you can melt chocolate or gently reheat foods with confidence. This duo features a 2 quart sauce pan made of five layers of metal, including a core, copper layer to generate optimum heat distribution and conductivity. The 1.5 quart insert has a porcelain base to be placed over gently simmering water. You'll gain optimal temperature control of delicate ingredients without the threat of scorching or burning foods. This set comes with two lids to fit each piece individually. The All-Clad Copper-Core porcelain double boiler insert includes the following items:* Exterior pot is a 2 quart All-Clad Copper Core sauce pot* Insert is white porcelain with a capacity of 1.5 quarts* The porcelain comes with a stainless ring that fits around it. This ring has a handle to make the insert easier and safer to remove from the exterior pot* All-Clad stainless lid* Fully-clad All-Clad Copper Core cookware is made in the USA. Lids are currently being made in Asia. AHA! Progress! Then I found a much better picture on good old Houzz: Here's another view from Jlhufford.com It's a porcelain bowl grafted onto an All-Clad pot handle! It's actually a pretty cool design. It gets to be their signature stainless steel, but still a perfectly non-reactive interior. They have a larger one that they say is non-reactive because it's 18/10 stainless, and that's sort of true, but the porcelain is better. :) The picture at Chef's Arsenal that confounded you is probably of that bigger insert. OTOH, the shape isn't the most convenient looking. I haven't found a picture of the interior, but, for whisking, a true bowl shape works better, and, especially, a wider opening so you have room to work sideways, rather than up and down. Pyrex, Duralex, Arc and Anchor Hocking all make appropriate glass bowls. :) They're often sold as cheap open stock at grocery stores that have housewares sections, and they also come in nesting sets. Very useful things to have around. I have the Arc set, an extra from the "Arcoroc" days that was my mothers (most useful size and most used) and an extra set of the four smallest. You could check the market for a good bowl to use as a double boiler. :)