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Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]
Dallas News.com ^ | March 14th, 2008 | DEAN FOSDICK

Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny

Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick

Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.

At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."

Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.

A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."

[snipped]

She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.

"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."

(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...


TOPICS: Food; Gardening
KEYWORDS: atlasshrugged; atlasshrugs; celiac; celiacs; comingdarkness; difficulttimes; diy; emergencyprep; endtimes; food; foodie; foodies; free; freeperkitchen; freepingforsurvival; garden; gardening; gf; gluten; glutenfree; granny; lastdays; makeyourownmixes; mix; mixes; naturaldisasters; nwarizonagranny; obamanomics; operationthrift; prep; preparedness; prepper; preps; recipe; stinkbait; survival; survivallist; survivalplans; survivaltoday; survivingsocialism; teotwawki; victory; victorygardens; wcgnascarthread; zaq
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To: nw_arizona_granny

62% foreign owned! That is terrible. When I was a kid everything was made in the USA. It is a dangerous precipice we are on now. Globalization has been a way to destroy sovereignty, make multinationals and individuals fabulously wealthy, and destory much of what was good about our way of life. And hasn’t helped poor countries either.

I remember as a child farms all over that grew fruit, vegetables, dairy farms. Now? All gone.


9,441 posted on 01/31/2009 10:49:29 PM PST by little jeremiah (Leave illusion, come to the truth. Leave the darkness, come to the light.)
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To: nw_arizona_granny
What is that I read, you are in the woods already, or was it for that “load “ that you needed to deliver.

Making a BIG load at end of February... Going to have to rent a tractor trailer rig for that one! Our "Galt's Gulch" is now fully furnished with all the things necessary for comfortable survival. Will move all the "accouterments" on the big run coming up.

When the flag goes up (I'm predicting June/July) all will be in place. Grabbing all the zone 4 gardening goodies I can between now and then. My better half is scouting up where to get our livestock out there... a barn raising is in my very near future!

9,442 posted on 02/01/2009 1:20:47 AM PST by JDoutrider
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To: nw_arizona_granny

Sad to say granny that our country was/is being sold off one parcel at a time. Now that we have a muslim sympathizer in charge I fear what the future will bring. If the refinery people go on strike, I fear we will be seeing higher gas prices again which on top of everything else will hurt us. This was supposed to happen at midnight, I haven’t looked to see if it did.

I never thought our country would be on the threshold of becoming a third world nation, but it seems to be heading in that direction.

Every other country in the world has coveted what we had for many years, and that jealousy becomes hate and now they think we appear weak which sadly is true and very dangerous.

People are pulling 0’s strings like a puppet and we can only hold on and fight. The only hope is to change the GOP back to it’s roots and fight back in 2010 and 12. We all must pray that it isn’t too late by then to turn this ship around before it hits the iceberg and sinks.


9,443 posted on 02/01/2009 4:41:38 AM PST by WestCoastGal (If we will hold the course, God in Heaven will raise up friends to help fight these battles.P Henry)
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To: Velveeta; nw_arizona_granny

Weld County deputies clear the scene of an abandoned car that had a potentially explosive device in it. Officers were originally chasing the driver of the car for a traffic violation. The man wanted as a fugative on an attempted murder charge last month, crashed the vehicle and escaped on foot near the border between Greeley and Evans. K-9 dogs discovered the device in the car and reverse 911 calls went out to residents. The bomb squad cleared the scene but sheriffs are still looking for the 26 year old suspect.

http://www.850koa.com/pages/breaking.html

Also found this.........

Published: Jan 29, 2009
Share This Article | Send Us A Tip
Timothy Gutianez Plans Assassinate President Obama, Bomb Mall of America
by Jack Ryan

A Colorado man by the name of Timothy Gutianez is currently on the run from authorities after he was discovered to be plotting to kill President Barack Obama.

Authorities in Colorado are on a manhunt for Timothy Gutianez after he made what are being called “credible threats” against the President of the United States.

Not only did the man, who has never committed a crime prior to the threats, threaten to kill Obama, but he also threatened to bomb the Mall of America in two emails that were retrieved by police.

Gutianez wrote in the emails that he planned to commit these crimes within 48 hours.

Developing...

Said developing - but no followup

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212203942.shtml


9,444 posted on 02/01/2009 4:53:05 AM PST by WestCoastGal (If we will hold the course, God in Heaven will raise up friends to help fight these battles.P Henry)
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To: nw_arizona_granny

I love sweet potatoes and artichokes..........I will have to consider how to make my fence taller to keep out the deer. I did read somewhere yesterday about a concoction of eggs and something else to spray in the garden to keep the critters out. The rotten smell is supposed to dissipate after it dries only to be smelled by the critters. :)

I have an upper deck where I can plant tomatoes and smaller herbs and such. also, found a website that offers advice on survival gardening. Although, we have squirrels and other things that do climb the trees that lead to the deck.

____________________

Small fruits are nearly essential

Nearly everyone has room to plant a good selection of small fruits. These include strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, rhubarb, blueberries, and so forth. Luckily, once a patch of each has been established, one can readily take divisions or replant sprouts to greatly increase their food-producing capabilities.

As with the vegetable garden, one should grow as great a variety of small fruits as possible, and enough of each to put up significant jam, preserves, and canned and dried fruit. In hard times, a good loaf of hot whole wheat bread spread thickly with homemade strawberry jam, or a steaming blueberry pie, makes the term “survival” a joke. We call it living good.

You quickly discover that small fruits are a wonderful treat that can be easily turned into strawberry shortcake, blueberry pancakes, rhubarb tarts, blackberry cobbler, etc. In hard times, you don’t eat many candy bars; instead you substitute healthier fruit snacks and desserts.

Even picky eaters greatly enjoy dried fruits and fruit leathers which are easy to make at home.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/clay62.html


9,445 posted on 02/01/2009 5:05:39 AM PST by WestCoastGal (If we will hold the course, God in Heaven will raise up friends to help fight these battles.P Henry)
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To: All; TenthAmendmentChampion; DAVEY CROCKETT

koa.com

You may want to listen to the podcast for tonights John Rothman program.

The first hour was about a writers convention in a week or so in San Francisco, I think the url is: sfwriters.org

It was an hour of questions and answers on writing and publishing books......very interesting.

The next two hours are almost shocking, John talked of the Obama interview on the muslim tv channel and Iran’s letter in response and asked for the listener’s opinions on the phone call and results.

It became a “hate Israel” show......John had to cut some of the callers off, they had no reason to their statements, only hate for America and Israel.

At the end, John reminded us that this is what President Bush dealt with and what Obama will now deal with.

It was a valuable reminder to me of how many anti-American supporters there are in America, many with mid-east accents and they do not fear calling an American radio station, to spew their hate and support of the radical muslims.

Everyone should listen to them, and be aware of how hard President Bush has worked to protect this country and yes, even add President Obama to their prayer list, as a seperate prayer for safety.

Those supporters of Iran and Gaza were rabid and could not be talked to in a sensible manner...

And on the lighter note, one older lady when John disagreed with her rather radical plan to help Israel win, stopped his comments with this line:

“I am old and I am right”........LOL


9,446 posted on 02/01/2009 5:18:32 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=7451 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: little jeremiah; Calpernia

Calpernia and I found that much of America is owned by the
UN, as I recall they were called Heirtage sites, this includes part of the southern farmland, our parks, the strip along the Mexican border, rivers and far more than you would guess.

40 years or so ago, Japan bought many of our farms, now they are owned by many countries and I am not up to date on who the owners are.

Russia owns part of America, more than I thought, and this instant, I can’t recall what they owned, but was surprised when I read it.

China owns most of our coal mines.

Our mining properties are owned by non-Americans and the mid-east owns far more than we know of.

Old company names, that I knew of when I was involved in mining, are now owned by foreigners..

Farm land either has houses on it or is not owned by Americans.

If we come into real troubles, we will have far more trouble than we can even guess at, food being the number one problem......my opinion of course.


9,447 posted on 02/01/2009 5:44:22 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=7451 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: JDoutrider

When the flag goes up (I’m predicting June/July) all will be in place. Grabbing all the zone 4 gardening goodies I can between now and then. My better half is scouting up where to get our livestock out there... a barn raising is in my very near future! <<<

Good planning on your part.

June/July is a time frame that I am hearing on the radio talk shows.

That seems very possible, I guess I don’t have a real idea on that one, as it appears that there is a real race on to see that we fail as a country, every day something else that I get scared a little more by.

I am definately picking up riots and pay back time for all of us who did not vote for Obama.

One of the missing things this past month, has been my police scanner, so I am out of date, unless I catch a riot on the radio, Oakland has had several in the last month.

Las Vegas and Denver are having serious gang problems and race riots, a little sneaks out in the broadcasts, with their warnings to stay away from certain spots or schools that are shut down.

I hope that you are buying goats for the homestead, and hogs, for they will love you if you feed barley, corn, etc soaked in goats milk or the whey from making cheese.

The goats are easier to care for, give as much milk as you can use, don’t buy them if they won’t give over a gallon a day.

And if times are really bad, you can keep them in the house with minimum trouble and they are as much fun as a dog and will guard you, or simply go for a walk with you, they can talk, think of a siamese cat or a good dog.

You should have 2 milk goats, bred 6 months apart, so the supply is steady......I have had them go 2 years without being bred and still give plenty of milk, but about 9 months is all some will do.

Find the 4-H goat group or FFA group, for information on what is best for your area. [FFA = Future Farmers of America].

I prefer Nubian above all, but they may not do as well in the cold.

Buy a milk test sheet/pack from Hoegers [sp?] Goat Supply, it is a little card, with a chemical spot on it, if the milk has bacteria in it, it will change the color, I forget the codes, the box will tell you all about it.

Check the goats udders, they should not have sores or odd lumps in them.

If you are a beginning milker, have them put the goat on a milk stand, I have had goats that would stand for milking without a stand, and goats that I milked with one hand, while holding their leg with the other, to keep them from spilling the milk.

Cover your milk bucket with a clean cheese cloth, a large rubber band will secure it and it keeps hair and other odd things, such as bugs and even feet out of the bucket.

I was taught to take a wet towel [bucket with warm water] in it and to wipe down the udder and the under belly areas.

That not only cleans the area for clean milk, but lets the goat know that they are going to be milked.

Feed them grain, while milking, a goat mix or even grain and they will allow you to get on with the job.

Hogs would be the next choice, I fail to think of bulls or cows for emergency, as there is too much meat to care for and it is too difficult to cool it out and save the meat.

I still see Vinegaroon wash, out of Wellton, we found the bodies of maybe a hundred burros, all killed and the hind quarter removed, it had been going on for years, 3/4 of the burro wasted, to take such a small part of it.

In the western deserts, the prospectors burros were often released and their are large herds of them roaming the desert.

Kinda like, a deer or elk, designed by a committee, without antlers.

How I envy you, survival living was a lot more exciting than living in the city.


9,448 posted on 02/01/2009 6:16:12 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=7451 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: WestCoastGal

Every other country in the world has coveted what we had for many years, and that jealousy becomes hate and now they think we appear weak which sadly is true and very dangerous.<<<,

See my post above this about 3 posts, about what I heard on the John Rothman Kgo.com radio program.

The danger is here now and is coming out in the open, I can’t imagine having the nerve to say some of the things that I heard there on open air. And I have always regretted not having control over my tongue, their is so much hate in America.

The news says a 24 hour postponement on the refinery strike.

The news also, says that Israel has said it will respond to the 2 missiles fired at them tonight by Hamas.

That bit of news did not come out while the John Rothman show was on.

It is true, once the leaders worried that the south would seceede from the union, but today, they are un-concerned by the fact that we are being taken over by foreign interests.

Follow the money’s trail.


9,449 posted on 02/01/2009 6:26:16 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=7451 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: WestCoastGal

Timothy Gutianez Plans Assassinate President Obama<<<

I thought that I heard he had been arrested, and is 20 years old. I have never seen that last name before.

How stupid can one be, to send emails with threats, is sure to get you arrested.

The last news that I heard on KOA radio, left me wondering what was really going on with the car bomb.

Now they are saying “the car is now safe”, no details on what was in it.

This was the second threat to Obama case for Denver, there was one during the convention, makes one want to know how many there have been?

Thanks for posting the updates.......

And if you find the Gunny Bob [a Freeper] page for broadcasts, he says he has a page of ‘the wrongs of Obama administration to date”, it was 33 a couple days ago, he says he will add to it as long as he is in office.

Gunny Bob has a good program at times, he is on 7 to 10 pm and knows his terrorist info..

You can listen on line.


9,450 posted on 02/01/2009 6:35:29 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=7451 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: WestCoastGal

Your place sounds lovely, I am glad for you.

One of the best ideas that I have read for keeping deer out was to lay old chicken wire on the ground around the garden, they had good luck with it, as the deer do not like walking on it, so stay out.

The last time that I planted for long time, I bought fruiting Mulberry trees, as I decided that I could grow them in the desert and they would also suit the taste buds that wanted berries.

I love mulberries, did as a child.

They are not for the city, too messy.

Yes, there are many plants that could be planted and used to make jelly with, I think it was Raintree nursery in the Oregon or Washington area that offered a collection of native fruits for planting, LOL, must need more coffee, can’t recall the names of them, awww, here are some, huckleberry, buffalo berry,bush cherry, LOL, there are many of them.

It takes no more effort to grow a plant with food on it, than it does a flower or lawn.


9,451 posted on 02/01/2009 6:47:12 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=7451 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: All; TenthAmendmentChampion; DAVEY CROCKETT

Post 9446

Is wrong, John Rothman is on kgo.com in San Francisco.

Koa is Denver.

Sorry for the mistake.


9,452 posted on 02/01/2009 6:50:17 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=7451 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: nw_arizona_granny

Is Gunny Bob still on the radio, I don’t see anything posted by him since last December? Prior to that he had a cardiac problem in August where he was rushed to the hospital.


9,453 posted on 02/01/2009 6:52:20 AM PST by WestCoastGal (If we will hold the course, God in Heaven will raise up friends to help fight these battles.P Henry)
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To: WestCoastGal

Yes, Gunny Bob is still on the radio, 7 to 10 pm at 850koa..com or 850 on the am radio dial.

His trip to the hospital has not slowed him down, he was in the middle east on a terror advising trip a week or so ago.

His heart attack did get his attention, I suspect that he now faces the fact that he is no longer a young Marine.

He can be very good and now that he has been exposing some of the Obama faults, the liberals are not calling him...LOL


9,454 posted on 02/01/2009 6:56:34 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=7451 [Survival,food,garden,crafts,and more)
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To: nw_arizona_granny

Oh good, I’m glad to hear that. We need every voice to speak out against the wrongs being done in DC.

On another subject,I was just thinking about the goat that was out on the highway a few weeks ago while I was on my way home. I always stop and pick up lost dogs, but a goat?? I didn’t as I figured it wouldn’t get in the car. However, about an hour later someone drove down our road which is not paved and dropped the goat off about 100 yards from me as I was walking the dogs. I put the dogs up and went back out and the goat saw me and came over. :) It was friendly and I couldn’t figure out what to do with it. LOL I walked back to the back of this property, she followed me about another 100 yards to the neighbors who have goats, but they weren’t out so she had no friends to visit with. I left her back there to eat grass and later she was gone.

The reason I thought of this and began to think I should have kept her is this.........

Homegrown dairy products

Okay, so far you have a good vegetable plot, small fruits, small grains, and an orchard and meat/egg supply started. It’s time to think about dairy products, particularly milk and cheese. After that stored dry milk is gone, your family will want something to replace it. And what is more natural than learning to run a tiny kitchen dairy and cheese plant? All dairy products are quite easy to produce at home, and as with almost everything else, it’s much better when homemade.

I’ve made cottage cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella, colby, cheddar cheese, sour cream, cheese spreads, balls, logs and sandwich loaves, ice cream, ice milk, sherbet, and more regularly at home, both from cow and goat milk. Butter and whipped cream are easier to do from cow milk, as the cream quickly separates out, floating to the top. Goat milk is naturally homogenized and it takes more “doing” to access the cream. Both animals’ milk produces good-tasting dairy products.


9,455 posted on 02/01/2009 7:05:49 AM PST by WestCoastGal (If we will hold the course, God in Heaven will raise up friends to help fight these battles.P Henry)
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To: nw_arizona_granny

Easements are another form of ownership too. ie., development rights, roofs of buildings/homes, water and more.

If you have a property did and it says, easements, not known, have a deeper search done.


9,456 posted on 02/01/2009 8:44:01 AM PST by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: nw_arizona_granny

You always seem to know the comforting things to say. I start for the phone several times a day to tell “Auntie” something. She married late in life, had no children, so she was foster grammy, Auntie and great Auntie to all neices and nephews (including my five children.) Living next door, she always had a surprise in her pocket every night when she came home from work. My five would wait on the doorstep for her arrival and run down the path to see what that nights surprise was. How they loved her!! Every Sunday, she collected the neices and nephews to take to Sunday School where she was a teacher. She served her God well and I am sure she has a special place in heaven reunited with her beloved hubby, who was also a very special person.


9,457 posted on 02/01/2009 1:02:13 PM PST by upcountry miss
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To: WestCoastGal
In hard times, a good loaf of hot whole wheat bread spread thickly with homemade strawberry jam, or a steaming blueberry pie, makes the term “survival” a joke. We call it living good.

Gotta smile on that one! Our "survival" redoubt includes an up and running Hot Tub! I DID say "Comfortable" Ey? LOL!

9,458 posted on 02/01/2009 5:06:49 PM PST by JDoutrider
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To: nw_arizona_granny
Nubians were my goat of choice when I owned a small farm in the past. I haven't heard they didn't do well in the cold climate. I had a couple of toggenbergs at the time as well, bet they would do better in the colder area... not sure of their milking abilities as they were used to keep the weeds and what not down.

One of our Nubians was a star milker (thirty five or so years ago, it might have been three stars?). I let my wife (at the time) do all the goat business as I had no time between the horses, gardens, and two jobs!

9,459 posted on 02/01/2009 5:16:29 PM PST by JDoutrider
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To: nw_arizona_granny

Thank you so much for the welcome. I have to thank West Coast Gal for pointing this thread out to me.

I have gardened for years and always been able to preserve what I grew. I am just a novice who’s spent years trying to learn the little bits of things I *wish* I had learned from my great grandmother before she passed on. I’d have been many steps ahead in the prepared-ness department had I known as a teenager that I should be standing in her kitchen learning everything she did.

I thank the Lord that He has given me many good family members and neighbors from whom to learn as I believe that each day now draws me closer to using the information not just for my own enjoyment and feeding but as a necesity for survival. I praise God that He caused me to want to learn these things BEFORE they were needed.

My prayers are added for your well being and the perfect return of your computer.


9,460 posted on 02/01/2009 6:03:50 PM PST by Wneighbor
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