Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]

Dallas News.com ^ | March 14th, 2008 | DEAN FOSDICK

[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."

[Wneighbor]

Oh yes I do remember, that was a very special gift especially from a non Nascar person. lol Have you used that yet?

That person in the tri-oval at Talladega is ME!!!

Yes ma'am, I used it. 10 laps at Talladega with my grandkids watching me!!! The day after I drove was the race at Atlanta. My 4 year old grandson was watching the race. Kasey Kahne crashed and spun and the grandson stood yelling, "That's the car Granny drove! That's the car Granny drove!" THAT memory will also last a lifetime!

Do you have deer problems in your area?

Yes we do! There are almost always dead deer along the highways. I used to have problems with deer in my garden when I lived in the south part of the county too. A good outside dog took care of that. That's something we'll have to address when we find a place as well. Keeping deer from eating the garden. Will have to find another dog who likes to chase them! This little old dog we have now will just want to sit in front of the fire. Bless her heart she's so old she couldn't even hear if someone broke in but she's still a wonderful companion.

[Wneighbor]

I probably won’t make that move. The elevation is like 7000 feet and I remember how sick I was for about two weeks when we moved to Wyoming. Not to mention I’m beginning to hate cold weather.

I love the mountains. But the "cold" part would get me. I've got accident related issues and the cold makes it where I can't get up and work some days here. It would not be good to have more of those days.

Free rent is good though. That's what's allowed us to save up some down payment for a place. We're sorta "caretaking" this place for my mother and pay only the utilities and keep up the house. The house was vacant for 3 years after Grama died and was starting to show neglect so we've taken care of that for mom. We will still have to do some of that when we find our place but we can also do that from a home in one of these 2 counties.

[WestCoastGal]

That certainly is a precious memory.

I would love to go to Dega one day to see the race. Not sure if I will make TMS this year. I’m just glad I made it last April when Jr drove both Cup and NW so I got two days in the pits. Actually that is more fun for me than the race itself. Being up close with the cars and ‘driver’ :) was all I wanted.

I’m off to the big city, there’s a big Bass Pro Shop store where I may stop and look for that little camp stove and sterno. There’s a website called MaryJanes that has a fancy little cooker but it costs something like $79.00 which IMO is a lot for a little bitty thing.She also sells ready to mix stuff for camping.

Well, I best get busy - BBL for the draw this evening. :)

Speaking of deer, my neighbor has a German Shepherd that barks at everything, but the critters usually show up late at night when he’s not on duty. My two little ones would certainly chase them off, but I’m afraid with my mickey mouse fence that one would definitely crawl under and out.

[Wneighbor]

BTW, in the past 2 days I have put up 7 quarts and 6 pints of tomatoes, 7 quarts of dill pickled cauliflour, 4 pints of pears and 3 pints of broccoli. Dried and drying items are bananas, pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, bell pepper and jalapenos. Have added to my stock of white potatoes and sweet potatoes too. Still have some fresh broccoli, cauliflour, squash and assorted salad veggies to use. And we have eaten well again this week. Not a bad haul for composting this week. I hope this continues for a long while, it will help to keep get us stocked up for bad times.

[Wneighbor]

Since my oldest daughter & hubby live in Alabama I’ve made it there 3 times. Never been to TMS though. Never had anyone to go with and didn’t want to go alone. LOL

Don’t spend $80 on a stove! We can find you something less expensive if it’s just for emergencies even if you need something a little better than sterno and parafin.

And ya know, keep some charcoal around in something watertight cause you can make a little charcoal fire about anywhere. I keep a good bit stored airtight.

[Wneighbor]

Oh shoot, before I forget I gotta tell ya.

That big can for the hobo stove that I was tellin’ you about. With the opened holes in the side and used right side up is a good lighter for hard to start charcoals. Put a strand of cardboard (preferably dipped in parafin or wax) through a couple of the holes sticking out just enough to light the end and then stack the can full of charcoal on top of that and light the cardboard.

Make sure you’ve got a good bit of cardboard under the coals so the fire doesn’t use up the cardboard before the charcoal is lit. The parafin coating helps that a lot. Once the charcoal is good and hot you can use a pair of long pliers to pick the can up and dump the charcoal where you need to use it.

Of course, that’s all assuming you’re out of fluid charcoal lighter. LOL

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

That is absolutely gorgeous!!

At first I thought you said “Here’s a pic of my DESK.” LOL.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Thank you I will join right away.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I absolutely love Firefox. I will have to get the system admin to install it on my laptop since I don’t have admin rights on it. It’s a work computer.

[DelaWhere]

One advantage to the Sterno type stove is that if necessary, you can make your own cans of fuel...

I found this in some stuff I had saved years ago for a recipe that fits the survivalist in me -

Make Your Own Gelled Alcohol Fuel - Canned Heat

Extreme do it yourselfers can make their own gelled fuel at home with by mixing alcohol and calcium acetate (C4H6CaO4).

The following instructions and measurements are from the Montville High School Science Departmental.

1. Add 25g of crushed chalk or egg shells (calcium carbonate-CaCO3) to 100ml of vinegar (water and acetic acid - CH3CO2H) and stir for about 5 minutes. This should produce carbon dioxide (CO2), calcium acetate (C4H6CaO4) and water (H2O) plus leave you with some left over chalk (CaCO3). If you are guessing on how much chalk to add, just make sure that there is a little extra after 5 minutes of stirring.

2. Remove the excess chalk by filtering your mix through some filter paper (coffee filter or napkin can be used). Set a funnel in a jar, place your filter in it and pour your suspension through it.

3. Mark the level of your solution in its container and allow your solution to evaporate off about half that volume to remove the excess water.

Place your solution in an oven set on low heat or place it out in the sun to dry. If you went to far - just add the missing water.

Note - if you like, you can dry out your solution completely and store the remaining dried calcium acetate for future use.

4. If your solution isn't already in the container you want your gel in, then pour it in there now.

5. Add 30ml of alcohol (ethanol, methanol, or isopropanol) to your solution and watch the gel form. Do not stir.

6. Once the reaction in complete, pour off any extra fuel. Seal the can and store till needed.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

That is great!

[DelaWhere]

If cooking, baking or canning might needed, there are the old kerosene burners to consider.

#2628 14-wick 9,000 BTU Single Burner Stove $39.95

St. Paul Mercantile

I use the 22-wick model for canning on the porch - keeps the kitchen much cooler when doing peas, corn, green beans, limas, etc. batch after batch.

Oh, and the kerosene stores very well for years and years with no deterioration. :)

[Wneighbor]

Whoa! That is a very cool survival recipe! Thank you for posting it. Am copying, printing and saving now with my “need to know” stuff. Thanks.

[Wneighbor]

I use the 22-wick model for canning on the porch - keeps the kitchen much cooler when doing peas, corn, green beans, limas, etc. batch after batch.

I am hoping to get a wood stove to use for outside canning. I know where a couple are in junked state right now and am just waiting to find the house to see about hauling one off. But, you are right, kerosene is a great storing fuel, we have a large heater here for emergencies. After looking at that website I think I'm going to have to see if I can't rig some cooking on the one we have. I hadn't thought of it before.

Most of my adult life I lived without air conditioning in the house. and I agree with you about canning in summer. It was hot! I always got the kids one of those 18" deep WalMart pools in summer to keep cool, I'd go out and dunk in the pool in the middle of canning with my clothes on just to cool off. I was in my 20's and early 30's then. I think the heat would get to me even worse like that now. LOL hot flashes donchaknow.

[WestCoastGal]

I didn’t get to Bass Pro Shop today. There’s never enough time to do everything. I will probably buy the one online that uses sterno. I like the price of that. :)

I did order the seeds today from the Missouri organic farm so now I need pots. I may go by the local nursery, I know the guy who just bought it and it looks like he lost a lot of trees in big black pots so he may want to get rid of those. I hope!

[WestCoastGal]

thanks, it is a cute place just a little bit small for all my stuff. The trees do keep it somewhat cool in summer.

[WestCoastGal]

Someone turned me on to Firefox about a month ago and I love it too. I particularly like the fact that it saves the tabs just as you left them so you can go back.

I was having trouble with IE but Firefox runs very smoothly.

[DelaWhere]

If you are looking for big pots, check with some local landscapers - they put the plants in then have to get rid of the pots and around here they are charged a premium to take them to the landfill since they don't decompose. Usually they will be glad to save the cost of hauling and the tipping fee at the dump.

I have been given a whole 4X8 trailer full a couple of years ago just by asking and he was really glad to get rid of them.

[WestCoastGal]

Thanks DelaWhere that’s a great idea.

[DelaWhere]

LOL at least in Central TX you could use a swamp cooler (oops - Aspen Pad Evaporative Cooler)or a mister. Up here the humidity is so high that they don't work very well.

How are you getting all that produce to can this time of year? From my 11 years living in North Central Texas, I learned that there was just a barbed wire fence between TX and the North Pole, and that was only one strand which enhanced those Blue Northers. Of course the offset was 50's and 60's or more a few days later.