Posted on 01/06/2012 9:53:54 AM PST by JustaDumbBlonde
January is not the most hospitable month of the year to be sure. If you're like me those cold dreary days are best spent curled up in a chair (for the guys that don't *do* curl -- sit there very manly) with a cup of tea (insert the manly beverage of your choice) and a stack of garden catalogs that you need a front-end loader to move (got you with the front-end loader, didn't I?).
I've got to hand it to the catalog people, the covers are exceptional this year and, by golly, with all of the $25 to $100 coupons right there on the front ... I saved $475 just walking in from the mailbox!
Your first five minutes spent thumbing through will tell you something, regardless of which catalog your choose: Prices. Are. Up. Must be that ol' supply-n-demand thing, because I choose to believe that MY favorite seed suppliers would never take advantage of a market that is growing by leaps and bounds as people discover that you can feed your family the highest quality foods and save money at the same time. Not to mention, you know exactly how your food was handled and by whom. It must be said -- produce from Mexico just doesn't have the same tropical appeal that it once did.
These are the catalogs I've received as of this morning. I've put these in the form of a link that you can take to that company, if you so desire. You can request a catalog of your own or, do what I do, which is peruse the paper catalog and then place an order online.
Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co.Please let us know about your favorite catalogs and gardening-related companies. I know that we all love to discover something new that will further our fun in the garden.
Musser Forests, Inc.
Michigan Bulb Co.
Agri Supply
Growers Supply
Stark Bro's Nursery
The Greenhouse Catalog
Gardener's Supply Company
Totally Tomatoes
The Cook's Garden
Burpee
Henry Field's Seed & Nursery Co. *
Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co. *
Jung's Seeds & Plants
R.H. Shumway's Illustrated Garden Guide* Henry Field's and Gurney's are one and the same group. I suspect that Burgess is also owned by them, but haven't confirmed
Baker Creek is a good company. I haven't ordered from them in a couple of years.
Thanks for the link. I’m currently in town, so my space is rather limited (and there are restrictions against livestock). But I am saving up for the down payment on a house with 20-40 acres out in the country. I hope to be in a position to do some serious looking in about two years.
Does anyone know if there is a good book on farming A-Z out there? I’ve read Joel Galatin’s “You Can Farm” and it just does not have much hardcore information.
How much land do you need to farm to sustain a family of four?
I am pumped! Over the weekend my brother in law gave me 5-6x6 double surface ribbed greenhouse panels plus several other smaller pieces. Now I am looking for ideas for frame construction. I have always wanted a greenhouse!
Don’t forget the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company.
The best boudin in Pine Prairie didn’t happen to come from a place called Guillory’s Market?? They have the best in the area!! Our granddaughter lives in Alec and we go down to visit 2-3 times a year. Not only does that place have the best boudin, but you should try their stuffed quail, andoulli, stuffed pork chops, stuffed chicken and ponce. We bring back a cooler full every time. They will break down the packages and vacuum pack them for us so they travel better.
Oh, sure; leave it to you! EVERY link I was going to add that wasn’t on the original list, you covered.
Now I have no reason to post. /sulk>
“Well, it’s one of those ‘southern’ things. We season our beans, greens and peas with the salt pork and we leave the salt there on purpose. Then we don’t have to add as much additional salt. I grew up on the stuff in all of its salty splendor when fried, even though normal people would remove it. I can’t explain it.”
My people came out of the Carolinas, through Kentucky and Tennessee on their way to Missouri. Curing meat was a survival skill back in those days and something that we’ve carried on to this day. Our Michigan relatives refer to country ham as ‘fried salt’, but a pot of beans or collards without a big hunk of country ham cooked in isn’t fit to eat.
Worms, you say? Stick with the Red Wrigglers; never mind the hype about “super-worms”, etc.
Haven’t bought since about 10 or 12 moves back, while still in SoCal; but I’ve been checking: Uncle Jim’s seems to be the best bet. Lots of vermiculture information on the site, as well...just ignore the “country-folksy” dialect. :-)
http://www.unclejimswormfarm.com/
Our friends swear by New York Worm Farms, which is also good, but a bit pricier.
I tripped on something while filling the bird feeders yesterday morning and whacked my head on the sidewalk but got my hands down enough to break the impact but still had a small knot.
Nothing against Murray McMurray, but you may want to check out Welp, also. http://www.welphatchery.com/
Their site isn’t quite ready for the new year, but should be in the next week or so.
I got excellent service from them; the birds were very vigorous and healthy; and the price/bird includes shipping.
Down side is their Web site seems to be Java-based, so doesn’t allow you to open a breed in a new tab; that can be a bit exasperating if browsing.
I’ve never heard of a corn stove. Is it one of the old fashioned iron stoves, like we used to have?
I cut my salt port into chunks for boiling veggies. I love the taste of salt pork after its finished seasoning everything.
Yep, Guillory’s Specialty Meats. The andouille is fabulous and the boudin was amongst the best I’ve ever eaten. After my doctor’s appointment this afternoon, I’m going to get them to cut a london broil to put on the smoker, and pick up some gator tail too. At least 10 lbs. of boudin and there is no tellin’ what else. Last time I had them cut 2 beef tenderloin steaks that were 3 inches thick. They sliced like warm butter after I grilled them. Now that I’m drooling ...
As much knowledge as you possess, there is always something you can post.
I hear ya!
See, you DID find a reason to post! Thank you so much for the link ... I will check them out.
You lucky dog! That is fantastic! I'd love to see photos when you get to building.
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