May in the Garden

When Food Prices Rise, Planting a Garden is Wise

Sticker shock increasingly hounds our food shopping decisions. Unfortunately, this trend is set to continue, at least through next winter, as both fuel and food prices continue to rise. Several factors are at play, forcing staple supplies to dwindle while demand increases. First, looking at the supply side, climate change and other forces have brought agricultural woes to nearly every continent.  Meanwhile, less land has been devoted to growing food; because of urbanization, industrialization, and demand for agricultural crops to produce ethanol and bio-diesel.

Demand for bio-fuels ties food prices to fuel prices, and fuel is still going up. (Meanwhile, most of our food is planted, tended, harvested, stored, and transported using large amounts of fuel, further tying the costs of food to petroleum.)  Other factors contributing to demand include our growing planetary population and the increasing middle class in China and India-- who now consume more grain and more grain fed animal products than ever before. In the world-wide economy, there are many demands on the available food. Prices are expected to continue going up until the supply meets or exceeds the demand. 

It’s Time to Get Growing!

Whether you want to help keep your families food budget in bounds, or are thinking of growing a market garden to make a little cash, there has never been a better time to get growing. While tomatoes, peppers, and summer squash are part of the pleasures of summer, with food prices on the rise, I would like to encourage everyone to plant some crops that can be saved for winter.  Here are some ideas. 

Jerusalem Artichokes are at the top of the list for productivity. Plant them now, and dig their delicious tubers beginning this fall. Each plant produces between five and fifteen pounds of food!  (They can be very expensive in catalogs; however, they are available at reasonable prices locally.)

Pumpkins and Winter Squash store well, are easy to grow, nutritious, and yummy. Seeds and starts are widely available at nurseries and generally reasonably priced.

Potatoes thrive in cool moist weather.  Anytime you find yourself in possession of sprouting potatoes you can plant them in the home garden.  Mulch them well for the best crops. I have been teaming up potatoes with squash.  If we don’t have a hot summer, at least the potatoes should produce; and if the sun decides to warm things up, the squash will help shade the potatoes.

Painted Mountain Flour Corn (not the related Painted Mountain Sweet Corn) was bred to withstand both drought and cool soils. Flour corn is easy to grow, dry, and can then be stored to use with beans in soup. You can also grind it for grits and corn meal. 

Consider growing some small grains for nutrition and food security, here are some suggestions for both hot weather and cool wet weather. (The La Nina weather pattern is predicted to continue; keeping our weather cool and moist. I don’t really trust the predictions.  I say be prepared for anything.)

Amaranth generally produces well whether the weather is hot or cool. Choose large grained varieties.

Buckwheat likes cool damp weather. Purchase it from bulk bins at health food store or larger grocery stores. Be sure you get raw buckwheat and not roasted buckwheat grouts.

Millet, pair Japanese millet which can stand waterlogged soils with Proso millet which can take the heat and is easy to thresh.

Quinoa can take cool damp weather, choose a large seeded variety.

Last but not least, add some legumes.  Legumes (beans and peas) fix nitrogen and improve the soil, and they form a complete protein when paired with grains. Most beans can be eaten green as a vegetable or let mature to dry for soup beans.  Here are a few of suggestions for soup beans that will improve your family’s food security:

Anasazi beans can take the drought, and can be purchased from bins at the health food store.

Runner Beans like cool moist weather and are commonly available in many catalogs.

Fava Beans are easy to grow and all parts are edible including the leaves, flowers, green beans, and dry beans. Available in many catalogs and also in bulk bins.

You can also do your own research on other varieties.  In fact, the more diverse the seed bank we can create in our gardens, the more secure our food supply will be. Try to choose two varieties of each crop you want to grow; one adapted to drought, and one adapted to cool or damp climates. That way, no matter what the weather does, you are prepared.

If you can get your seed started by the first of June, at the very latest, and if the weather co-operates, you should be able to harvest a bountiful crop this fall.  All the seed varieties mentioned above can be ordered from “Bountiful Gardens,” if you can’t find them locally. Their catalog and web site is very informative. You can order seeds or request a catalog on-line: http://www.BountifulGardens.org  or by phone: (707) 459-1925.

What, Me Garden?

Yes, even you can grow a garden! Right now  many Northern Hemisphere Gardens are bursting with greens—giant red Japanese mustard, collards, kale, arugula, lettuce, and garlic chives. Spring signals the beginning of the seed setting season for these crops. Many greens are blooming now, with edible flowers. The early garlic and chives have fat buds, and the top setting onions provide some comic relief with their crazy curly not quite flowering tops.  Potato plants are surging upwards and seedling squash are getting their start. Winter parsnips are ready to be dug, while last spring’s parsnips are shooting juicy edible bolts upward to burst into bloom. Peppers and tomatoes are waiting their turn to sink their roots into deep earthworm rich soil. Meanwhile, the beneficial insects and pollinators make a happy buzz among the flowers; promising pest control this season and an ample supply of seeds for next year’s garden. If you are not sure where to start,  ask for advice at your local nursery, search this blog on the topics of your choice, or feel free to ask questions by leaving comments here. 

Not Only Can You Garden – You Can Farm!

Every economic down turn or crises offers opportunities; the next big winners are projected to be small, local, organic farms and market gardens. If you ever thought of trying your hand at farming, now would be a great time to explore the idea further. “You Can Farm, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farming Enterprise,” offers great advice.  Author, Joel Salatin, shares the ten most profitable ventures for start-ups, as well as how to grow and diversify. He encourages everyone, even those who do not own land, to not only farm, but to make good money at it. His best advice is to gain experience before investing or borrowing. He encourages all would be farmers to volunteer with local producers to learn the ropes. Hopefully, our local farmers will be increasing production (sustainably of course) and will need all the help they can get. If you’re interested, consider starting as a volunteer--perhaps in trade for produce; but you have also got to read this book. You Can Farm, by Joel Salatin, published by Polyface, Inc., ISBN 0-9638109-2-8. Available by request from book stores, libraries, and on-line.

That’s all for now folks, but I’ll meet you right here the first week of June with great ideas for getting the most out of your garden. 

Copyright 2008, Harvest McCampbell.  First published in The Two Rivers Tribune.  For permission to repost or reprint please contact me at digging_the_dirt @ yahoo.com  (take out spaces).

Thoughts on slugs and stewarding your seed bank

If one of my new neighbors had ventured out in the predawn light this morning, they would have observed me squatted down beside my plants, with a small plastic juice bottle in one hand, while I patiently picked slugs with the other.  The morning was chill, the doves sang out boldly, and as the light grew slowly brighter other birds joined in to weave the dove calls into a complicated chorus.  Picking slugs, while a rather slimy chore, has its rewards.  The lilacs smell sweeter.  The colors of the hills--so muted in the early light, gather definition; and then the trees standing on the ridge line catch the first sun rays and glow against the sky.

Picking slugs is patient work.  They are colored and shaped to help them blend in with their background—which generally happens to be the tender plants you have carefully grown from seed.  Your eye catches the sight of the prey, you squat and pluck, and then you pause, letting your eyes adjust and as they do, you notice other things.  

What called me out to the chore this morning were three young cardoon plants settled into their spots in the yard.  While they will grow up tough and architectural, while still being delectable (if the slugs let them), at the moment they are very vulnerable and they are getting hit very hard.  But once I had cleaned the few slugs from these little plants, I moved on to other garden spots—those dang slugs have been doing their best to recycle nutrients before the plants are done with them.  

I have giant red Japanese mustard growing from seed saved in my Hoopa garden.  As I have been watching it grow I have been paying attention to the colors, the leaf shape and size, and the general vigor of each plant.  I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to which particular plant I want to carefully save seed from and which one I may not allow to produce any seed at all.  In regards to saving seed, one plant is absolutely showing more vigor, it has larger slightly more colorfully leaves which are slightly more savoyed--presenting a lovely curled and crinkly texture for fresh salads.  This morning I noticed that this particular plant is also somewhat resistant to slugs; it only had a few, while some of the plants had hundreds.  In addition, I discovered this morning, that several of the mustard plants are beginning to bolt.  My favored plant is showing no signs of bolting at all. This particular plant is definitely a keeper!  (Large and vigorous, lovely color and crinkliness, bolt and slug resistant!)  As to the one I will probably pull out before it flowers—the slugs like it so exceedingly well that its leaves have been reduced to a haphazard display of lace.  While it is serving as a slug magnet now, I don’t want those genes to multiple in my seed bank, because I am trying to grow food for myself!

Between these extremes of desirable and undesirable traits there lies a lot of middle ground in any genetically diverse planting.  My next little exercise will be to number the plants, pick a bit of mature leaf and an immature leaf from each one, and give them a taste and texture test.  I may discover an additional plant that I wish to save seed from—for its superior or diverse flavor or texture.  However, as noted above, there is only one plant that I plan on thwarting completely (unless one or more of the others really tastes terrible or has a terrible texture).  The mediocre plants may have latent survival traits that have not yet expressed themselves.  I will enjoy their bolts and flowers and immature seed pods at table, and I am sure to enjoy their seeds as a seasoning and for sprouting later in the year.  And I will also sprinkle some of their seeds around my yard.  Those that manage to grow on their own, without being tended and coddled, will provide a tough counterpoint in genetic diversity to temper the potential sissiness that could be developed in those I carefully select and grow by hand.  

In this process, two sets of factors are working towards refining the seed bank while maintaining genetic diversity.  The first set, of course, are your own preferences.  The second set –is natural selection.  With climate change very much upon us, the most adaptable plants are the ones that will survive season to season.  By allowing these adaptable plants to pass pollen back and forth with your hand selected favorites you ensure your favorites are not becoming so genetically refined that they will not also adapt.  

Hand picking slugs in the early morning hours definitely has its rewards.  Having fewer slugs in the garden is important.  But time to observe and reflect is just as valuable.  

Your questions and comments are always welcome!  Please scroll down for copyright, repost, and reprint information. 

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Links to more information on Seed Saving--

Saving Seed:  http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/09/saving-seed.html

Snow, News, Politics, and Saving Seed:

 http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/03/snow-news-politics-and-saving-seed.html

Seed Secrets:  http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/06/seed-secrets.html

A Seedy Perspective:   http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/01/seedy-perspective.html

Organizing the home seed bank: 

http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/01/organizing-home-seed-bank.html

 

 

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On the importance of genetic diversity—

 

Up with GMO and Down with Local???

http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2008/12/up-with-gmo-and-down-with-local.html

 

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On Controlling Slugs—

Slimy Slugs:  http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/12/slimy-slugs.html

What I forgot, Grandma, Shrubs, & Slugs:

http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/01/what-i-forgot-grandma-shrubs-slugs.html

 

Beer Bash News & Seedling Update:

http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/02/beer-bash-news-seedling-update.html

 

More on the Beer Bash & High Country Gardens:

http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/02/more-on-beer-bash-high-country-gardens.html

 

Empress Flowers and Ground Beetles:

http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/05/empress-flowers-and-ground-beetles.html

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For a Cardoon photo and a little information see:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=76765212483&l=048bd0fb7c

(If you can’t access the photo either send me a friend request or e-mail me at digging_the_dirt @ yahoo.com with a link to your profile or timeline and I will send you a friend request.)

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Giant Red Japanese Mustard:

http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/2006/03/giant-red-japanese-mustard.html

 

And here is a photo of an unselected batch of the mustard:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=476584352483&l=56efab7c1f

(Again, if you can’t access the photo either send me a friend request or e-mail me at digging_the_dirt @ yahoo.com with a link to your profile or timeline and I will send you a friend request.)

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 Copyright 2012, Harvest McCampbell

http://harvestsgardeningsecrets.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/harvest.mccampbell

http://www.HarvestMcCampbell.com

You may repost this article on the Internet as long as you include my by line and copyright notice with a link back to this blog.  Before reprinting in print media please contact me at digging_the_dirt @ yahoo.com (take out spaces) with the particulars. I will want to see a copy of the publication prior to agreeing and I will want to receive a copy of the publication after the article appears.

Gardening (and other) articles can also be arranged for under contract for first time rights. Please contact me at the e-mail or websites above for more information.  

Blurbs and Trials:  If you have a garden catalog, a book, a plant, or seeds that you think my readers would enjoy hearing about and that you would like to see a blurb here—please feel free to contact me.  I am, however, very picky—so only the best of the best will be discussed on my blog! 

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"We are apt to forget that the man who owns his own land and cherishes it and works it well is the source of our stability as a nation, not only in the economic but the social sense as well."   From: Pleasant Valley, By Louis Bromfield

April in the Garden

This article originally started out with a little information about the weather. And of course we know it is still unusual--but the conditions are different now then 2008. So, I am going to tell you a little about my current climate change adaptive strategy.

I have been using the little routine I first told you all about back in the beginning of 2006, which I now call my Compost Hole Technique. In each hole I have been planting greens (one plant started from seed in a small container), one seed potato, a couple of fava beans, and a few garlic cloves. If the weather ever warms up (we are expecting a minor freeze later this week) I will add winter squash seed to a few of the holes. I have teamed potatoes and winter squash up in this way in the past.

If it gets hot the squash take over and they will provide the potatoes with some shade. You won't get lots of potatoes, but they will hold their own and produce enough to replant. (And if you don't get around to digging them and replanting them they will take right off early next spring.) If the weather is cool and damp, the squash will languish and isn't likely to produce much (but likely enough to get seed for next year), while the potatoes take off and keep you from going hungry.

This little strategy has kept me in garden staples in years past, and I think it will work for many of us this year too!

Here’s another root you can plant now: Jerusalem Artichokes for Heat or Rain

Jerusalem artichokes actually have nothing to do with Jerusalem or artichokes. They are related to sunflowers, native to North America, and have been used for food by people native to the North East Woodlands and the tall grass plains since ancient times. Jerusalem artichokes are considered carbon-fixers, as they extract large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, which they use to grow their sturdy stalks and produce an abundant crop. They also scavenge nitrogen and are considered beneficial around compost and manure piles, and stock and animal pens. The excess nitrogen that may be found in these areas can leach into our ground water and our rivers and streams, where it is a pollutant that contributes to unhealthy algae bloom. Jerusalem artichokes absorb the nitrogen and turn it into organic matter. This is a great crop that is good for you and good for the environment also.

These tasty and productive tubers do fabulous here in the Klamath Trinity region. They like full sun but will still produce in partial shade. Watch out, Jerusalem artichokes grow from six to fifteen feet tall, and they have a tendency to sprawl. A sunny spot along a fence or a building makes a good choice, just be prepared to cut any stalks that lean the wrong way. Be sure to plant plenty, as our local gophers will want their fair share. However, they are so prolific that even when the gophers have free run you should have plenty eat and to give away. They can also be planted in raised beds with hardware cloth bottoms or in oak half barrels that have drainage holes. That way you don’t have to plant enough to share with those dastardly little diggers.

Jerusalem artichokes are propagated from their tubers, which can be planted right now. Check with your local nursery or your favorite health food store--many will have tubers or starts available. (If you have trouble finding them, drop me an e-mail harvest95546@yahoo.com. Use “JA” as the subject line. I will make sure you find some starts.) The tubers should be planted about three times as deep as they are thick, orientating them in the ground so the most pronounced eyes or buds are pointed up. (If you plant them too shallow they will be more prone to sprawling.) The plants will grow faster, taller, and be more productive in good garden loam, however, you can still expect a sizable crop if you grow them in heavy clay or sandy soil. They benefit from a little summer time irrigation if the weather is dry and the leaves start looking droopy, but they can withstand a fair amount of drought, and they should also survive and produce during cool wet summers. Leave the plants in place until late October or early November. If our fall frost arrives late, the tops will be decorated with tons of bright yellow to orange daisy like flowers. The flowers are great for arrangements, if you can reach them, and they attract butterflies and other beneficial insects.

Once the plants are done flowering or the tops have been killed by frost, you can begin to dig your tubers. Expect each plant to produce five to fifteen pounds! They keep best in the ground, so only dig as many as you want for a few days at a time. (Be sure to leave a few behind, for next year’s crop.) These tubers can range in size from a few ounces up to two pounds each. They are odd shaped and knobby and can be a little difficult to wash. However, they don’t need peeled, and they only have fifty calories per full cup. Jerusalem artichokes taste best raw. They are crisp, sweet, and crunchy. (Think water chestnuts or jicama.) I like to eat them just like an apple. They can also be diced or grated into salads. Cooked, they make great mashed potatoes, and they can be added to soups, stir fries, stews, and casseroles. After cooking they have a mild but distinctive flavor and their texture is similar to cooked parsnips or turnips.

I will offer one small word of caution. The starch in Jerusalem artichokes is in the form of inulin, which is considered very beneficial for diabetics. However, some folks find that eating Jerusalem artichokes feels like a belly full of beans; especially the first time they give them a try. So start with a snack. Later, if you like, you can think about working up to a whole meal. You will find a gourmet recipe in Buried Treasures, Tasty Tubers of the World, and lots more by searching on the Internet.

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“No ray of sunlight is ever lost, but the green it wakes into existence needs time to sprout, and it is not always granted to the sower to live to see the harvest. All work that is worth anything is done in faith.” Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, 1952

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That’s all for now folks, but I’ll meet you right here the first week of May with great ideas for getting the most out of your garden.

Copyright 2008, Harvest McCampbell. Originally published by the Two Rivers Tribune