Backyard gardens become source of income

upi ^ | May 21

[JoeProBono]

Los Angeles, which has a growing number of people selling home-grown fruit and vegetables, is halting enforcement of an ordinance against the practice.

The Los Angeles City Council said it is suspending enforcement of a 1946 ordinance and weighing a new measure, the Food and Flowers Freedom Act, which would allow for the growing of "berries, flowers, fruits, greens, herbs, ornamental plants, mushrooms, nuts, seedlings or vegetables for use on-site or sale or distribution off-site," the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

The measure comes as an increasing number of local residents and people across the United States are turning to their home gardens as a source of supplementary income.

Cam Slocum, 50, said he grows beefsteak tomatoes and salad green baby mache in his back yard and sells them to restaurants. He said he has 10 regular clients and he wants to add 20 more to keep his garden profitable.

Ken Takayama, chef de cuisine at French restaurant Melissein Santa Monica, said locals are increasingly coming into the establishment aiming to sell their vegetables. He said the number has been steadily increasing since the economy first started tanking three years ago.

"Every day, every week, it's something new," Takayama said. "You name it, they have it."

[Red_Devil 232]

Wow! 3-4 ft. high? Sounds quite high for a raised bed.

[rintense]

The co-op is retirees, so it was ergonomically designed. In fact, one of the local garden centers has the same raised flower bed concept (no photos on their website, though).

A bed that high makes sense ergonomically, but also if you're concerned about critters in the garden. My squirrels are pretty wily, so I'm sure they'd scale the sides with no problem. But rabbits are pretty much eliminated with beds that high.

[Ellendra]

That’s giving me a couple of ideas to try out. Not sure about the main garden (everything used on the garden must be hauled by hand/backpack up a tall, steep hill), but there’s a part of the hill near the roadside that’s eroding, where I want to terrace it, maybe pvc pipes pounded in vertically and filled with soil? They’d probably need rebar reinforcement but that’s not too hard. Then I could plant invasives in the pipes themselves . . . hmmm . . .

[dennisw]

lol sign of the times

[dennisw]

I like chard a lot and it’s better than spinach in my book. They are first cousins in the same vegetable family.

I like chard better because it is much easier to clean and does not spoil/rot as quickly. Chard is great in a salad or cooked with just a little water and salt and black pepper. You can put the ribs in the pot first for a few minutes simmering then add the leaves which cook much quicker.

Put chard on plates and drizzle a bit of olive oil on it. Delicious