For my climate it is time to put in fall veggies... barely time that is... I am separating off branches of my sweet potato plants, and sprigging them in the dirt hoping to create more sweet potatos before winter... First frost here is usually in november... So I still have time to get potatoes in the ground, and start some more spinich ... possibly broccoli and cabbage ... they like it cooler ...
Im covering areas of the garden with my black tarp to kill off the weeds and compost them into my soil.. trhen I will pull and rake the remaining vegitation out of the area ready for planting... then I may even amend the soil with some compost.. We will see.
for the better part of the production year my garden reamined fairly weed free but 3 weeks of no attention has seen nature take back over .. and leaves me with a lot more work !
I know I can get my gardens production to be great and cover several seasons but it is a learning process for me as I discover which plants can tollerate being planted late and which cannot..
I will of course let you know !
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
the economy and being green
The fed drops interest rates, and consumer confidence wanes? sound familiar? the housing market slumps , and people are invested deeply in the stock market. milk has increased by over 21% eggs 33% solution? Well mine is ... get a couple hens and start milking my goat. Only trouble with that is, in the US many states now make it illegal to milk and consume your own dairy. did you know that ? the corporations that control US dairy have pushed to make it illegal for you to drink share or sell your own milk or goats milk.
there are facts in the world, Food is a marketable comodity. people need food shelter and clothing. so I can spin yarn and grow food 2 down . most food travels a minimum of 3000 miles to reach your table . it stands to reason then to buy local helps the environment.
when you buy local produce, and from local farmers for your meat and dairy , you encourage those around you who farm, to increase their production.
I helped feed 5 added families produce from my garden this year. I will next year try to offer some for sale at my local farmers market , only I will try to grow unique and gourmet items.
but because of the prices of food increasing I will put up more food. I will can and freeze as much as I can store. it is local and as long as my freezer is efficent and an energy saver, it should be better than having my food shipped in from China .. or the honduras. So besides veggies, I will be putting up lamb and chicken, and I guess in the spring when my goats "freshen" I will learn how to cleanly milk them and begin using that too.
there are facts in the world, Food is a marketable comodity. people need food shelter and clothing. so I can spin yarn and grow food 2 down . most food travels a minimum of 3000 miles to reach your table . it stands to reason then to buy local helps the environment.
when you buy local produce, and from local farmers for your meat and dairy , you encourage those around you who farm, to increase their production.
I helped feed 5 added families produce from my garden this year. I will next year try to offer some for sale at my local farmers market , only I will try to grow unique and gourmet items.
but because of the prices of food increasing I will put up more food. I will can and freeze as much as I can store. it is local and as long as my freezer is efficent and an energy saver, it should be better than having my food shipped in from China .. or the honduras. So besides veggies, I will be putting up lamb and chicken, and I guess in the spring when my goats "freshen" I will learn how to cleanly milk them and begin using that too.
a comment on things to do !
Helen said...
I love water bottles -- they let me carry water in a perfect sized container -- anywhere! And I drink a LOT of water if I have one w/ me. I WISH they'd make a nalgene bottle in the easy to use size... but until they do, I buy one or two bottles of water in the evil plastic, but reuse them to death. Eventually, someone will decide that my empty water bottle is really trash, and recycle it before I can stop it... but for now, we rotate about a six-pack worth through the refrigerator, refilling whenever we drink from them. It doesn't eliminate the plastic use, but it sure cuts down.
August 13, 2007 12:17 PM
Great idea Helen !
every little bit helps!
I encourage everyone I know to change out light bulbs for the more efficent flourescent bulbs.
i have even bought friends who were on a tight budget a pack of 5 or so. We ALL know the regulars will burn out, and if money was tight then they will eventually uise the flourescent ones to be able to not have to run to the store. lol and maybe the better bulb will just "stick"
I love water bottles -- they let me carry water in a perfect sized container -- anywhere! And I drink a LOT of water if I have one w/ me. I WISH they'd make a nalgene bottle in the easy to use size... but until they do, I buy one or two bottles of water in the evil plastic, but reuse them to death. Eventually, someone will decide that my empty water bottle is really trash, and recycle it before I can stop it... but for now, we rotate about a six-pack worth through the refrigerator, refilling whenever we drink from them. It doesn't eliminate the plastic use, but it sure cuts down.
August 13, 2007 12:17 PM
Great idea Helen !
every little bit helps!
I encourage everyone I know to change out light bulbs for the more efficent flourescent bulbs.
i have even bought friends who were on a tight budget a pack of 5 or so. We ALL know the regulars will burn out, and if money was tight then they will eventually uise the flourescent ones to be able to not have to run to the store. lol and maybe the better bulb will just "stick"
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
thinking green
thinking green helps. When i purchase things I ask myself if I can recycle the packaging or if it is bio degradable.. I know we do not have much in the way of recycling in my area, so when I buy a soda in a single serve, I buy it in an aluminum can. Aluminum is the one metal I am certian that my landfill removes and seperates. They dont remove MANY plastics.
I try to recycle anything I can that works in my compost pile, and food scraped from plates, feeds the chickens. so, the same energy, grown, cooked, and eaten, then possibly wasted by being tossed out, gets used yet again , feeding something else that while it emits co2 , is not emitting MORE co2 by being fed a processed grain as well as anything I can come up with.,
Speaking to my hay grower, there have been droughts and hay shortages in parts of the country that are driving buyers to our area, to buy hay.. they are inadvertently driving up the price of our hay. Making us look worried at the price our hay may cost us by the end of the upcoming winter.
I try to recycle anything I can that works in my compost pile, and food scraped from plates, feeds the chickens. so, the same energy, grown, cooked, and eaten, then possibly wasted by being tossed out, gets used yet again , feeding something else that while it emits co2 , is not emitting MORE co2 by being fed a processed grain as well as anything I can come up with.,
Speaking to my hay grower, there have been droughts and hay shortages in parts of the country that are driving buyers to our area, to buy hay.. they are inadvertently driving up the price of our hay. Making us look worried at the price our hay may cost us by the end of the upcoming winter.
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