Well, I planted some sprouting potatoes awhile back and dug them up yesterday. From what was going to be just trash (or compost) became part of tonight's dinner!! Being my first try,I was curious as to how the potatoes were looking so I dug them up. They were small but we will have almost two pounds of potatoes to go with the dinner tonight.
John Jeavons is a real believer in potatoes as a basis for a sustainable garden. Seem really easy to grow...perhaps it is why so many varieties grow all around the world.
What else has happened over the past week? Planted my Kale starts in the ground and they are looking happy. Looking forward to having greens through the winter. Bees are still buzzing about. Do not know what they are getting right now but they are as busy as they were in the spring. I also did a little slideshow for a class that I am taking at the Junior College. Here is a link.
Weekly harvest:
Day 81
1) 2 baskets of Strawberries ($4.00)
2) Three apples ($1.50)
3) 1/2 basket of raspberries ($1.50)
Day 82
1) Three tomatoes ($2.00)
2) Three apples ($2.00)
3) 1 lb grapes ($2.00)
Day 83
1) Two bunches chard ($6.00)
2) 3/4 pound apples ($1.50)
3) 2 1/2 pounds tomatoes ($5.00)
4) 1 lb. grapes ($2.00)
5) Four figs ($0.50)
Day 84
1) Three apples ($2.00)
2) Four tomatoes ($3.00)
3) 1 1/4 lb Grapes ($2.50)
4) Handful of green beans
Day 85
1) 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes ($3.00)
2) 1 1/4 pound apples ($2.50)
3) 1 lb grapes ($2.00)
Day 86
1) 1/2 lb grapes ($1.00)
2) 1/2 pound tomatoes ($1.00)
3) 1/2 pound apples ($1.00)
Day 87
1) 3/4 pound grapes ($1.50)
2) 1 3/4 pound potatoes ($2.00)
Weekly harvest: $49.50
Total Produce Harvested (Year-to-Date): $659.50
Total Honey Harvested (Year-to-Date): $220.00
Expenses (Year-to-Date): $50.00
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Days 74 - 80 Omnivore's Dilemna
I have been reading Omnivore's Dilemna off and on and I am about half way through the book. As I read the first part it really made me wonder what the heck we are doing with our meat production in the US (and the world). We have joined a local meat CSA and enjoying locally raised and grass-fed meat. Yes, we do pay more for our meat, but just as anything,you get what you pay for!!
I am now on Part 2 and Michael Pollan is discussing organic food. Phew, you think that you are doing a good job when you go to the store and buy organic...and he blew that away. For example, the locally raised organic Rosie Chicken is not much better than the typical "chicken" raised the "chicken farm". Most organic produce is grown in huge monoculture farms using production techniques that are similar to conventional...but making sure that it follows the organic rules...barely.
What to do? Local Farmer's Markets are a great solution. Or, of course you can do what we are trying to do...do it yourself!! We do not, and can not, raise enough produce for all of our needs, but we sure make a dent in the stuff that we do have to buy from "Big Organic" (BTW, as the Cascadian Farm founder pointed out, at least there are large swaths of land that are not having chemicals poured on them!!). Somebody asked me this week, "Do you just eat the same stuff all the time?" I hope you see that we do not. We do eat "in season", so when grapes are ready, we do eat grapes, and "eating seasonally" is a whole other discussion.
Well, what did we harvest this week?
Day 74
1) Two apples ($1.00)
2) 1/2 pound grapes ($1.00)
3) Four pounds tomatoes ($8.00)
Day 75
1) Two bunches chard ($6.00)
2) One pound grapes ($2.00)
3) Three apples ($2.00)
4) One basket raspberries ($2.00)
5) Two figs ($0.50)
Day 76
1) 3 1/4 pounds tomatoes ($6.50)
2) 3/4 pounds grapes ($1.50)
3) 1/2 pound apples ($1.00)
Day 77
1) Two bunches chard ($6.00)
2) Two tomatoes ($1.50)
3) 1 1/2 pounds grapes ($3.00)
4) Three apples ($1.50)
5) Handful of green beens
Day 78
1) 1/2 pound grapes ($1.00)
2) Three apples ($1.50)
3) 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes ($3.00)
Day 79
1) Three apples ($2.00)
2) 1/2 pound tomatoes ($1.00)
3) 1 pound grapes ($2.00)
Day 80
1) 1/2 pound figs ($2.00)
2) 1/2 pound tomatoes ($1.00)
3) 2 pounds zuchini ($4.00)
Weekly harvest: $61.00
Total Produce Harvested (Year-to-Date): $610.00
Total Honey Harvested (Year-to-Date): $220.00
Expenses (Year-to-Date): $50.00
I am now on Part 2 and Michael Pollan is discussing organic food. Phew, you think that you are doing a good job when you go to the store and buy organic...and he blew that away. For example, the locally raised organic Rosie Chicken is not much better than the typical "chicken" raised the "chicken farm". Most organic produce is grown in huge monoculture farms using production techniques that are similar to conventional...but making sure that it follows the organic rules...barely.
What to do? Local Farmer's Markets are a great solution. Or, of course you can do what we are trying to do...do it yourself!! We do not, and can not, raise enough produce for all of our needs, but we sure make a dent in the stuff that we do have to buy from "Big Organic" (BTW, as the Cascadian Farm founder pointed out, at least there are large swaths of land that are not having chemicals poured on them!!). Somebody asked me this week, "Do you just eat the same stuff all the time?" I hope you see that we do not. We do eat "in season", so when grapes are ready, we do eat grapes, and "eating seasonally" is a whole other discussion.
Well, what did we harvest this week?
Day 74
1) Two apples ($1.00)
2) 1/2 pound grapes ($1.00)
3) Four pounds tomatoes ($8.00)
Day 75
1) Two bunches chard ($6.00)
2) One pound grapes ($2.00)
3) Three apples ($2.00)
4) One basket raspberries ($2.00)
5) Two figs ($0.50)
Day 76
1) 3 1/4 pounds tomatoes ($6.50)
2) 3/4 pounds grapes ($1.50)
3) 1/2 pound apples ($1.00)
Day 77
1) Two bunches chard ($6.00)
2) Two tomatoes ($1.50)
3) 1 1/2 pounds grapes ($3.00)
4) Three apples ($1.50)
5) Handful of green beens
Day 78
1) 1/2 pound grapes ($1.00)
2) Three apples ($1.50)
3) 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes ($3.00)
Day 79
1) Three apples ($2.00)
2) 1/2 pound tomatoes ($1.00)
3) 1 pound grapes ($2.00)
Day 80
1) 1/2 pound figs ($2.00)
2) 1/2 pound tomatoes ($1.00)
3) 2 pounds zuchini ($4.00)
Weekly harvest: $61.00
Total Produce Harvested (Year-to-Date): $610.00
Total Honey Harvested (Year-to-Date): $220.00
Expenses (Year-to-Date): $50.00
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Days 67 - 73 Winter Planting Begins
The light is changing and the temperatures are dropping. Still harvesting quite a bit from the garden, especially fruit. Grapes and apples every day. Tomatoes are beautiful. Figs just beginning. Kids eating all of the raspberries before I get home from work!! Strawberries have had a stellar year and still going strong in mid-September!!
Winter planting. Just planted seeds for Dino Kale and spicy salad greens. I generally start my seeds in started pots to give them a good start without snails. I have a set-up that allows me to hang the starter flats just below a section of opaque roof. Gives the starts a place to sprout in a great light and nice and warm. Also keeps any sneaky slugs and snails out until I get them in the ground...and by then they have a good advantage over the pesky critters.
I will plant garlic later this fall after the tomatoes are gone...
Harvested the past week.
Day 67
1) One pound Fantasy grapes ($2.00)
Day 68
1) One apple ($0.50)
2) Three pounds tomatoes ($6.00)
Day 69
1) 1 1/4 pounds apples ($2.50)
2) Basket of Raspberries ($2.00)
Day 70
1) Cucumber ($1.00)
2) Three tomatoes ($1.50)
3) 1/2 pound grapes ($1.00)
Day 71
1) Cucumber ($0.50)
2) Two tomatoes ($1.50)
3) Two bunches Chard ($6.00)
4) 3/4 pound grapes ($1.50)
5) Three apples ($2.00)
Day 72
1) One pound cucumbers ($2.00)
2) 1 1/2 pound tomatoes ($3.00)
3) 1 1/4 pound grapes ($2.50)
4) One apple ($0.50)
Day 73
1) One tomato ($1.00)
2) One apple ($0.50)
3) Basket Strawberries ($2.00)
4) Two figs ($0.50)
5) 1/2 pound grapes ($1.00)
6) Basket Raspberries ($2.00)
Weekly harvest: $43.00
Total Produce Harvested (Year-to-Date): $549.00
Total Honey Harvested (Year-to-Date): $220.00
Expenses (Year-to-Date): $50.00 (water and seeds)
Winter planting. Just planted seeds for Dino Kale and spicy salad greens. I generally start my seeds in started pots to give them a good start without snails. I have a set-up that allows me to hang the starter flats just below a section of opaque roof. Gives the starts a place to sprout in a great light and nice and warm. Also keeps any sneaky slugs and snails out until I get them in the ground...and by then they have a good advantage over the pesky critters.
I will plant garlic later this fall after the tomatoes are gone...
Harvested the past week.
Day 67
1) One pound Fantasy grapes ($2.00)
Day 68
1) One apple ($0.50)
2) Three pounds tomatoes ($6.00)
Day 69
1) 1 1/4 pounds apples ($2.50)
2) Basket of Raspberries ($2.00)
Day 70
1) Cucumber ($1.00)
2) Three tomatoes ($1.50)
3) 1/2 pound grapes ($1.00)
Day 71
1) Cucumber ($0.50)
2) Two tomatoes ($1.50)
3) Two bunches Chard ($6.00)
4) 3/4 pound grapes ($1.50)
5) Three apples ($2.00)
Day 72
1) One pound cucumbers ($2.00)
2) 1 1/2 pound tomatoes ($3.00)
3) 1 1/4 pound grapes ($2.50)
4) One apple ($0.50)
Day 73
1) One tomato ($1.00)
2) One apple ($0.50)
3) Basket Strawberries ($2.00)
4) Two figs ($0.50)
5) 1/2 pound grapes ($1.00)
6) Basket Raspberries ($2.00)
Weekly harvest: $43.00
Total Produce Harvested (Year-to-Date): $549.00
Total Honey Harvested (Year-to-Date): $220.00
Expenses (Year-to-Date): $50.00 (water and seeds)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Days 60 - 66 Transitions
As I documented last week, the three day heat blast really took its toll on the cucumbers and zuchinni. I plan on taking out the cucumbers soon and was going to just let the soil rest...but as we were eating dinner last night, my 4-year old daughter said that she wanted some dino kale. That is a great choice for a winter green since kale can produce through the coldest of months and according to my sources can even be better if it gets some frost. I may also plant some spinach now since it grows so quickly and is quite versatile. Oh yes...cannot forget the garlic!! We have been using garlic at an incredible pace, for I planted enough and harvested enough for a years worth of consumption. Easy to grow and it really makes a difference.
Now is also the time to start thinking about some cover crop and should either order some seed for winter cover crop.
We are two months into the year and we have already recorded over $500 worth of produce from our small garden. Anybody who says a garden is not worth it should be sent to this blog!!
Harvested the past week.
Day 60
1) Two pounds tomatoes ($4.00)
Day 61
1) One pound apples ($2.00)
2) Two bunches chard ($6.00)
3) 1/4 pound tomatoes ($0.50)
4) 3 1/2 pounds cukes ($7.00)
Day 62
1) Two tomatoes ($1.50)
2) One apple ($1.00)
3) 1/2 pound Fantasy grapes ($1.00)
4) One meyer lemon ($0.50)
5) Two zuchinni ($1.50)
Day 63
1) One pound Fantasy Grapes ($2.00)
2) One apple ($0.50)
3) One tomato ($0.50)
Day 64
1) 3/4 pound green grapes ($1.50)
2) Two bunches chard ($6.00)
3) One apple ($0.50)
Day 65
1) Three tomatoes ($1.00)
2) One apple ($0.50)
Day 66
1) Two baskets of Strawberries ($4.00)
2) Five poound of green grapes (for freezing...great summer treat!!) ($7.50)
3) One tomato ($0.50)
Weekly harvest: $49.50
Total Produce Harvested (Year-to-Date): $506.00
Total Honey Harvested (Year-to-Date): $220.00
Expenses (Year-to-Date): $26.00
Now is also the time to start thinking about some cover crop and should either order some seed for winter cover crop.
We are two months into the year and we have already recorded over $500 worth of produce from our small garden. Anybody who says a garden is not worth it should be sent to this blog!!
Harvested the past week.
Day 60
1) Two pounds tomatoes ($4.00)
Day 61
1) One pound apples ($2.00)
2) Two bunches chard ($6.00)
3) 1/4 pound tomatoes ($0.50)
4) 3 1/2 pounds cukes ($7.00)
Day 62
1) Two tomatoes ($1.50)
2) One apple ($1.00)
3) 1/2 pound Fantasy grapes ($1.00)
4) One meyer lemon ($0.50)
5) Two zuchinni ($1.50)
Day 63
1) One pound Fantasy Grapes ($2.00)
2) One apple ($0.50)
3) One tomato ($0.50)
Day 64
1) 3/4 pound green grapes ($1.50)
2) Two bunches chard ($6.00)
3) One apple ($0.50)
Day 65
1) Three tomatoes ($1.00)
2) One apple ($0.50)
Day 66
1) Two baskets of Strawberries ($4.00)
2) Five poound of green grapes (for freezing...great summer treat!!) ($7.50)
3) One tomato ($0.50)
Weekly harvest: $49.50
Total Produce Harvested (Year-to-Date): $506.00
Total Honey Harvested (Year-to-Date): $220.00
Expenses (Year-to-Date): $26.00
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