A sign of the times!

Taylortractornut · Dec 1, 2009

THis year has been my biggest garden. I did market garden a bit. Had enough for the freezer and to sell to 2 restaurants. I used my home made green house to start tomato and pepper plants. I sold most of them to a couple other market gardeners. This was the first year Ive ever started my own. I figured up my biggest cost was the plants. I always bought my few squash and maters and peppers from the local wally world. I bought my sqush and zuccini seeds in bulk a pound each. That equals alot of squash. I do a mix of commercial and organic gardening to that helped alot. My inlaws were raised up north a bit later than my Dad and his parents down here. They laughed at me when I told them if they didnt grow it they didnt have it and what all they did to make it. I proved to them about the growing. I know an old ouple in their late 80's that grow everything they need to eat meat to veggies. They seem even healthier than folks my age.
I can give a tip to cut the sting out of the fertilizer sting, ever week and a half or so I have a little pocket money that accumulates and Ill buy a bag of fertilizer. It adds up quick.

jinman · Dec 2, 2009

Wayne County Hose said:
As for the armegeddon end of it, you are better off with weapons than food. If I have superior weaponry, I will have whatever I want and thank you for growing it for me.

Well, Confucius didn't say this, but:

He who uses his weapons to kill farmers and take food is doomed to eventually die of hunger with a nice weapon by his side.

I still have about 50 lb of fresh tomatoes ripening indoors from my garden this year. My problem is that I grow thousands of dollars worth of food, but only have pennies worth of appetite. There's no way I can eat even a tenth of what I can grow. That guarantees I get to see plenty of smiles on neighbor's and friend's faces when I bring them tasty fresh veggies. Yesterday, my wife cooked me a huge pot of blackeyed peas from frozen ones. I ate them for lunch and dinner. I have enough left over for me and anybody who drops by with a weapon.

actionaj · Dec 2, 2009

My freezer is almost full of deer meat and few things from the garden. My garden didn't do to good this year but I have enough deer meat to last over a year. Really helps out on the meat bill.

Chuck52 · Dec 2, 2009

Blackeyed peas and most other peas and beans turn me into a biological weapon!

Chuck

2manyrocks · Dec 2, 2009

The store's tomatoes are no where close to the quality of our homegrown tomatoes. Why would I want to buy an inferior product when I can grow a better one?

forgeblast · Dec 2, 2009

Our garden took a header this year with all the rain. My potatoes and onions did great. My asparagus was just planted this year so next year ill be harvesting, same with my rhubarb. I need to get some new strawberry plants.
I ususally can a lot of strawberrys and blueberrys and make jam from them, it usually lasts us a full year with all that we put up. I will freeze a lot of vegs, i pre cut them so that if i need them for soup i can just thaw a bunch and throw it in. We have a small freezer that we keep filled but i would rather have a bigger chest freezer would help out a lot. I would love to put in a root cellar, thats in the planning stages now.
Talking with some other people other big sale items are safes, and of course ammo.

keegs · Dec 2, 2009

Same here on the potatoes but most everything else got browsed over by the deer. It's been a few years since I've gotten more than a few tomatoes. This past summer I extended the fence up about 6 feet or so but they jump right over and in. I think I may pack it in on the garden and get a bow.

SPIKER · Dec 2, 2009

forgeblast said:
Our garden took a header this year with all the rain. My potatoes and onions did great. My asparagus was just planted this year so next year ill be harvesting, same with my rhubarb. I need to get some new strawberry plants.
I ususally can a lot of strawberrys and blueberrys and make jam from them, it usually lasts us a full year with all that we put up. I will freeze a lot of vegs, i pre cut them so that if i need them for soup i can just thaw a bunch and throw it in. We have a small freezer that we keep filled but i would rather have a bigger chest freezer would help out a lot. I would love to put in a root cellar, thats in the planning stages now.
Talking with some other people other big sale items are safes, and of course ammo.

Our garden did same mostly weeded over again! the taters were best year yet! same with zucchini. ( you know you live in the country when you have to lock your car doors to keep people from leaving you Zucchini!.) Maters got the blight and the corn was blown over. Beans (green bean bush) was another banner year, but we had 40 quarts left from last year and a ton of seed so planted 3 rows and gave most of the fresh ones away that we didnt eat of the vine...

Rhubarb & Asparagus usually takes 3+ years from transplanting till healthy enough to harvest, do not take any the first 2 years from everything I was ever told & read... Be sure to keep any spikes cut off the Rhubarb (seed spikes) as this takes away form the healthy root growth. (the spikes looks like giant asparagus stalks)

Mark

Taylortractornut · Dec 3, 2009

I saw the shocked look on my feed store owners face after he told me to freeze the seeds a pound each of zuccini and straight neck squash. I told him Ill plant till the planter runs out lol. I had a fair year at the home garden the work garden did excelent. When it got dry I I went down to the spring fed pond with our water tanker on a roll off truck and flooded the rows. The squash there was planted 12 inches apart on a 36 inch row 200 feet long. Everyone at work got a bucket of squash every other day after my other obligations were met. Id take 2 buckets with me to church and leave them out on the porch when the services were over. It was worth it to see some of the older folks smiling with produce.
I have a friend that works for TSC like a store inspector, he told me that the last year or so they sold more garden tools and implements than before. I know if I plant anymore bush beans Ill have a laydown picking cart to straddle the rows, nothing like running a dozer 10 hours on uneven rubbish rocking and banging around then have to bend over picking 300 feet of bush beans.

Wayne County Hose · Dec 3, 2009

jinman said:
Well, Confucius didn't say this, but:

He who uses his weapons to kill farmers and take food is doomed to eventually die of hunger with a nice weapon by his side.

I still have about 50 lb of fresh tomatoes ripening indoors from my garden this year. My problem is that I grow thousands of dollars worth of food, but only have pennies worth of appetite. There's no way I can eat even a tenth of what I can grow. That guarantees I get to see plenty of smiles on neighbor's and friend's faces when I bring them tasty fresh veggies. Yesterday, my wife cooked me a huge pot of blackeyed peas from frozen ones. I ate them for lunch and dinner. I have enough left over for me and anybody who drops by with a weapon.

The difference is I can grow it. My whole point is, IF you are growing your own in case of an armegeddon type situation, you need to also be able to defend your property. Confucius also said he who goes to bed with itchy butt wakes up with smelly finger.