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."

[WestCoastGal]

I’m watching all the oak tree limbs blowing hard in the direction of my windows. One is whining kind of like a high pitched fog horn, must be rubbing on something. OR it sounds like a spooky ghosty sound. Yikes. LOL

I see rain over in New Mexico, they said if we get anything it will be about 3am.

[Wneighbor]

Well praise God! I am glad ya’ll got Granny back. What a loss!!!

[Wneighbor]

Those limbs aren’t going to break your windows are they? I know you need rain, but you don’t need it raining in your window!!!

Different weather places have said different times when our rain might start - if it does. Some said this morning. ok cross those off your list. waiting to see if the night ones are right. There are a lot of darker clouds now.

The wind is still destructive though. It has all but torn apart my old stick and plastic makeshift greenhouse. Yesterday we tried to save it a bit by tying an old comforter and rope all around it just to secure it. That’s still there but the wind has torn up other places now.

[WestCoastGal]

So far, as long as the limbs don’t fly off the tree we’re good. This house is completely surrounded by trees, my friends call it the tree house.

Unfortunately there’s no way to tie a greenhouse down in this, I’m guessing the gusts are about 30mph.

[WestCoastGal]

I meant to ask everyone if they have grown blueberries?

[DelaWhere]

Oh boy,
I have tried and tried to raise blueberries - My mother tried for years before me. They live but just don’t grow!

County Agent says I should not have any problems - even made sure had recommended varieties - Fizzzzzle!

I know they will grow around here, because there is a commercial grower not far from us, but all kinds of compost, sulfur to acidify to right pH and all.

So, this year I am trying some Garden Huckleberries maybe I can grow them.

Sorry I was’nt more help.

p.s. what happens when we get to 10,000?

[upcountry miss]

We have a dozen or so blueberry bushes. They give us 25-30 quarts of VERY sour berries-nothing like the wild ones available around here. Just easier to get to and are suitable for pies, biscuits, cakes, muffins and pancakes if you add more sugar to the recipes. My daughter picks the wild ones but has to travel to her secret spots. They are much sweeter. Here in Maine, growing wild berries commercially is quite a business. I have been told that blueberries like the cold winters and they sure get cold winters here in Maine.

[Wneighbor]

Never grown any berries except mulberries. They don’t do well in my part of the country so I never gave it a shot.

My man here if from Maine. He says when we find our new place that *he* is planting blueberries. He says he’ll dig a pit and haul in the soil for ‘em. LOL - if we get to that point I’ll keep you posted.

[Wneighbor]

I have been told that blueberries like the cold winters and they sure get cold winters here in Maine.

I keep being told that when I am taken to Maine for a visit that we will go blueberrying. It sounds like something I would enjoy but I'm going to have to pick an awful lot of 'em to cart back home and put up from the looks of it.

I keep thinking that we are going to have to make this trip in August. I'm told that isn't the prime time to vacation in Maine - but I don't handle cold weather well and I want to see the country and have a great time! I can't wait to go! I would go today if we had the money for the trip! ;-)

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?page=1

I started the new thread.......

Will come back and answer posts in a few minutes.

Love to all of you,
granny

[JerseyHighlander]

bump.
Very enlightening.
thanks

[WestCoastGal]

Thanks everyone for your input.

I think I will just stick with strawberries.

We did get a little rain overnight, it’s wet outside. :)

[backwoods-engineer]

ping, great threads on survival

[WorkingClassFilth]

Look for BCS tractors on Google. Also, check out www.earthtoolbcs.com

[Joya]

Granny, will this thread continue?

Thanks for everything.

Love,
Joya

[nw_arizona_granny]

Welcome and I am so glad you found our thread, have you checked the new one too?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2181392/posts?q=1&;page=51

Yes, I have typed your name before I think, forgive me, as I am not one to remember names and the last couple days have dealt with so many new ones, that I may go into hiding for the night.

I /we tried to cram as much information as possible in the thread and there is a lot, and so much more to learn for all of us.

All you need to do is join in, post as you will and there is no need to be a lurker, we have lots of those.

We are all survivalists, the word survival means many things, tonight folks in Oklahoma are praying they will survive a tornado that hit them.

For me food and supplies are first and the knowledge to make do, if I don’t have what I wish I did have.

For some it is protecting the supplies and for all of us it is being prepared and not left on the side, asking what happened.

I pray that you and yours will always be safe and happy.

Aren’t Freepers awesome!!!!

[nw_arizona_granny]

Good, glad something rang a bell.

I love cornbread.

And applesauce.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Oddly, I am also *very* allergic to eucalyptus. Makes my throat close up and wheeze. I guess I’m just backward.<<<

I have the same problems with lots of medicine, any pain pill, gives me with drawl symptoms, feels like bugs crawling on me and sounds magnify, not fun.

I had only had about 3 codine pills, that the doctor ordered and got all strange, so the then teenaged sister went for a neighbor who called the doc and that was the end of pain pills.

No aspirin or penicillin either.

[nw_arizona_granny]

I like all vegetables as a jalapeno combo.

Love sweet dill pickles, use the juice to put onion slices in.

[nw_arizona_granny]

I should see my uncle the radio wave guru later this week. I’ll ask him then.<<<

The radio in the bedroom is on the bed and even under the sleeping bag, still won’t allow a station through the static.

Except some odd music station and I want talk radio...LOL

Please, if you think of it, do ask him.

The computer has a new power pack.