Community & Cooperation
How community is built (and how it is not), cooperation, and community-supported agriculture.
About this module
This is a curated view into the blog — a thematic index. Every post lives in one canonical place in the blog; this gathers those that belong to the topic.
Articles in this module
Unlike the posts below (a curated view into the blog), these are articles written specifically for this module.
- How Community Is Built — structure, trust, and written agreements, through the "Отгледано с любов" CSA experience.
Lived experience of building community — what works, what does not, and how community-supported agriculture is born.
2025
Allelopathy: The Secret Language of Plants
In nature, plants do not merely coexist — they communicate with one another through invisible chemical signals that can change the fate of the whole garden.
2020
Congratulations to Us! — CSA — Дива кухня
Today is a special day! Something of an anniversary. Exactly twenty weeks since my Fridays began like this — in at least 20 shades of green. Snow, rain, blazing heat,…
The CSA "Grown with Love" — Blog
Your garden. This is a story about the path of trust. Most of us know one another. Even if you have not come to the market to buy fresh greens,…
The CSA "Grown with Love" — пермакултурна пазарна градина
The "Grown with Love" Community-Supported Agriculture programme, or Your garden. This is a story about the path of trust. Most of us know one another.
2015
KOHLRABI (Brassicaceae) — алелопатия
Planted with onions or beetroot, it grows very well and helps their growth too. A surprisingly good companion for cucumbers, since they draw nutrients…
AMARANTH (Pigweed) Amaranthus retroflexus
This "weed", found everywhere, is in fact quite useful for loosening the soil, for crops such as carrots, turnips and beetroot. It helps…
ANISE (Pimpinella anisum) — алелопатия
This piquant spice/herb is a relative of dill and caraway. It is used to flavour liquorice, sweets, alcohol and so on. As a tea it helps treat sore throat,…
ARTICHOKE (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus)
The artichoke is in fact a thorny weed that has been cultivated for food! This gourmet vegetable does well planted next to asparagus, sunflower, corn and tarragon.…
ASPARAGUS (Asparagus officinalis)
Parsley planted with asparagus aids the growth of both. They also respond well to basil, which in turn is a wonderful companion for tomatoes. Tomatoes…
SWEET POTATO (Ipomoea batatas)
Sweet potatoes have a very high energy value, exceeded only by beans and peas. They are susceptible to fungal diseases such as root rot.
BUSH BEAN (Phaseolus vulgaris)
All bush varieties do well if there is the occasional celery or celeriac among them — say, 1 for every 6-7 bean plants. It also…
POLE BEAN (Phaseolus) — алелопатия
Summer savory, when grown nearby, improves the flavour of green beans and protects them from pests. The antibiotic properties of onion, garlic, leek, and…
BASIL (Ocimum basilicum) — алелопатия
Basil helps tomatoes cope with pests and diseases, and improves their growth and flavour. Grow it alongside them.
BROCCOLI (Brassica oleracea) — алелопатия
Like all members of the cabbage family, broccoli grows wonderfully in the company of dill, celery, chamomile, sage, mint and rosemary.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS (Brassica oleracea L. var. gemmifera DC)
Like most brassicas, this crop is subject to attack by all sorts of insects. Aromatic herbs such as dill, mint, celery and sage help in the fight against…
WATERMELON (Citrullus vulgaris)
Watermelons, like the other members of the family, are protected from pests by plantings of nasturtium around them. In the planting hole, when you set out the watermelons,…
TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum)
Tomatoes and all members of the cabbage family repel one another and need to be kept apart in the garden. They also dislike potatoes and fennel.
Stalk Celery (Apium graveolens)
Celery thrives with leek, tomatoes, cauliflower and cabbage. It and bush beans support each other. It is good to grow celery in a circle, so that its freely…
DANDELION (Taraxacum officinale)
The dandelion loves good, deep soil, like clover and alfalfa. The soil around dandelions is attractive to earthworms, because this plant is…
PEA (Pisum sativum) — алелопатия
Peas grow very well with carrots, turnips, radishes, cucumbers, corn, beans and potatoes, as well as most aromatic herbs.
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE (Helianthus tuberosus)
Also called the earth apple, it is in fact a kind of sunflower that comes from America, and its underground part was traditionally used as food by Native Americans. It can…
CAULIFLOWER (Brassicaceae) — алелопатия
One of the main pests of cauliflower — the small white cabbage butterfly (Pieris rapae) — can be repelled if celery or stalk celery grows nearby…
POTATO (Solanum tuberosum L) — алелопатия
A good companion for potatoes — improving their flavour and yield while protecting them from the Colorado beetle — is flax.
CHINESE CABBAGE (Brassica chinensis)
This really easy-to-grow vegetable, gaining more and more popularity here, is one of the oldest crops cultivated in China. Planted in the autumn…
Carrot (Daucus carota) — алелопатия
Onion, leek and herbs such as rosemary, wormwood and sage repel the carrot fly, whose larva often attacks the shoots of young plants.
Plant Guilds, or Allelopathic Interactions Between Plants
Plant guilds are a key concept in permaculture, meaning a group of different plants planted together so that each one performs a certain function…
Celeriac (Apium graveolens rapaceum)
Planting winter vetch before planting celeriac is useful for enriching the soil, so that it is loose and rich in potassium. Leek, which…
BEETROOT (Beta vulgaris) — алелопатия
Beetroot, in all its variations (leaf, sugar, salad and others), thrives next to bush bean and kohlrabi, but does not do well next to climbing bean.
CABBAGE (Brassicaceae) — алелопатия
The family includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, collard, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, mustard, leaf mustards, even turnip and radishes.
2013
How Community Is Made — Blog — Svilena Racheva
Since I have declared to the universe that I will either do things in the best way I know and always give the very best I am capable of, or else not take them on at all…
What Is a Cooperative? — Blog — Svilena Racheva
What follows is rather dry information on what a cooperative really is. We were drawn to the principles and values voted by the International Co-operative Alliance.