The First "Wild" Onion of 2011

We visited an abandoned farm today that we've been keeping an eye on, since there's a few edibles there. I went only to check on the state of things after the rain, and in order to see how things were growing I pulled one up. Even though I'm a writer, I find it hard to express how it felt to be standing there with a dirty hand holding a gift from Mother Nature and the property's former owner. It was as if I heard a small voice whispering to my heart, 'There? See? THAT'S what your hands are meant to do!' I swear, I felt a piece of the universe fall into place. Here's the video.

Permaculture, Part 2

Produce No Waste:

By valuing and making use of all the resources available to us, nothing goes to waste.

On the land, on the farm, this is easy to understand. The animals consume and return to the eco-system in the form of their young, fiber, eggs, milk or meat. Along the way, their "waste" is composted and used to improve the soil. The compost enriches the fields and the crops enjoy heavier, healthier yields, to be consumed by both human and animal; once again coming full circle.

But in the city, this concept of "produce no waste" is a little more complex. We recycle. Magazines, newspapers, glass, plastic, office waste (including computers and assorted electronics), we can re-direct our rainwater, garden waste and kitchen trimmings are composted. Even urine can be used! Free nitrogen, anyone? I know of one heroic soul who doesn't use toilet paper. Now THAT'S reducing your waste!

So how do we reduce our waste even more? One idea is to pay attention to packaging. A friend and I had a discussion about this one day. She told me they were putting fewer bags out at the curb. Ever since, I've been wondering how my own family could produce less waste. We drink quite a bit of Coca-Cola, but much less now than we used to. I wonder which packaging harms the environment less, plastic bottles, or cans? Anyone know? We re-use our grocery bags (we have dogs), we use our backpacks when shopping and if we need more room than those provide, we always have 4 or 5 cloth bags with us. I have a few travel mugs to help me be a more responsible coffee drinker. But that begs the question...What do we do with the travel mugs when they are no longer usable? I have cups that leak and need replacing, are they recyclable? (Kudos to Tim Hortons for the .10 cent discount if you come in with any travel mug. Theirs or anyone elses) Even when we sit in, I use china mugs to go easy on the landfills.

I'm proud to say we compost, even though we live in an apartment. I get food grade buckets from Tim Hortons, so it was relatively easy to convert one into a compost tumbler. All one needs to do is drill a few holes in the bucket large enough for air to get in but small enough to keep stuff in and critters out. It's an interesting dance of 3 parts green matter to 1 part brown. Too much green and the compost-in-the-making will stink. Too much brown matter and it won't "cook", as I found out a few weeks ago. For those of you unfamiliar with composting, "green matter" is things like vegetable ends, peelings, cores, coffee grounds, tea bags and even the water the veggies are cooked in. My cold coffee goes in too unless I remember to water the tree with it. "Brown matter" in our neighborhood is the hay bale someone dumped down the road, last year's corn husks and leaves from the path beside the corn field. I make sure the composter lid is on tight and flip the bucket around a few times, roll it around a bit and take a peek to make sure it mixed thoroughly. yes, it's more work than just tossing it all out, but I know I'm giving back to the Earth. In the end, I'll have the greatest soil I've ever had, full of micro-nutrients that will give me happy plants and I'll know that I did my part to NOT clutter up our planet.

So enough from me, now it's your turn. What do you do to minimize waste?

The Mystery of Permaculture, Part 1

What is this permaculture I keep hearing about?

Permaculture: the development of agriculture ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self sufficient.

To clear it up even more, I dove further.

The ecological processes of plants, animals, their nutrient cycles, waste, climatic factors and weather cycles are all an integrated part of permaculture.

The output of one element becomes the input of another. Chicken manure gets composted to put back onto the land and improve soil. Garden trimmings, vegetable peelings and coffee grounds are also used in the same way. Viewed this way, work is minimized, "waste" is now a resource, productivity and yields increase and our environment is restored.

The first step, say the experts is observation. Wherever you want to put your garden, whether in the ground raised beds or a garden of pots and planters, watch the space for a few months first. A year is recommended. Take note of how much sun that space gets. Six hours or two? Full sun or dappled by a nearby tree? Is it in a breezeway or does it get no air movement at all? All of thee elements and more come into play. Observation also tells us what kind of soil there is in a neglected patch. White clover tells us that the soil lacks nitrogen, while the presence of dandelion, mullein and/or wild strawberries point to an acidic soil. Mullein alone is a good indicator of poor soil fertility. On the other hand, and extremely fertile soil will sprout red clover, chickweed and lamb's quarters.

Diversity is also integral to the permaculture system. Companion planting is beginner friendly, forgiving and easy to learn about. There's a wealth of information on the internet, in library books and at nurseries and even more reputable hardware stores that sell plants.

While you're still in the planning stage, think about the areas you'll be visiting most often and what plants you'll need more frequently. Obviously a balcony or patio garden has a different usage pattern than a yard, but bear with me for a minute longer. Herbs will likely be kept closer to the door. The less you use a plant, or animal, or waterer or any other part of your yard, the further from the door. The yard is segregated into zones to save steps, labour and make maximum use of the space available.

Another element is the capture and storage of energy. This can be demonstrated by the collection of rainwater, re-use of grey water, and even preserving your bounty by canning, freezing, or dehydrating. Those that have root cellars store their fruits and veggies using the earth, although there are folks out there that have turned spare rooms into "root cellars". Now before you tell me that onions and tomatoes are not a form of energy, think about it. Food gives us energy, therefore it IS energy. Solar power, hydro power, wind power,; all of these can be harnessed and stored.

Yet another part of permaculture is the value and use of renewable resources and services. A renewable resource might be a compost bin/bucket/pile. Waste goes in, soil additive comes out. Chickens, goats and rabbits are all renewable services. They all eat trimmings, the chickens love to forage for pests and in return contribute back to the overall system. Before you know it, you have more contribution in the forms of eggs, milk and fiber. They are renewable too! Chicks, kids and kits will grow to be the next generation of yard helpers, or meat, depending on how you feel about that sort of thing.

I've learned a lot more than these few basic principles, but it's too much for one post. Come back tomorrow and we'll talk about waste, integration, design, change and positive impacts.

Lessons Learned In An Urban Trench

I've learned a few things this past week. (Which is the whole point behind this experiment, to see what I can learn now, before we go up north) So far, the compost in a bucket is going well. It did reach a point where it started to smell, which I sort of expected because I hadn't gotten out to get any dry matter from the woods like I knew I should. So it stopped composting. There was no heat and a gag-worthy smell. No problem, I knew how to fix this. I know a place where someone dumped a bale of hay to rot and I know where there are corn stalks and leaves from last years harvest. So off we went with compost bucket (yes, it has a tight fitting lid) and shovel. We added fallen maple leaves from last year, corn leaves and stalks out of the corn field and a little of the soil too while we scraped and shoveled all that waste matter. I made sure the lid was snapped on securely and rolled it down the road, mixing while we walked. This morning's check revealed far less smell and heat inside the bucket again. It's wet and chilly outside today, so I know that heat in the bucket means the compost is fixing itself. One setback dealt with.

I also learned it's not wise to transplant tomato seedlings. They tend to die. At best, they get shocked and don't grow. Note to anyone trying to grow tomatoes indoors; soak your seed, then plant in whatever container you will be letting your plant spend it's life in. If you must use a smaller container first, I recommend small yoghurt or pudding cups that you can slit with a knife when the seedling has outgrown it. That way, when the seedling needs a bigger pot, you slit the cup open and plant that rootmass in it's new home with as little disturbance to the root hairs as possible. Little disturbance = happier plant. Remember this.

This week taught me that peas are the easiest thing to grow, hands down. Those peas up there to the left have been the most tolerant and forgiving of any seed I have started here. The tallest is 5" high, and obviously the oldest. All are a good shade of green, the leaves feel firm and the stalks are strong. The only thing more robust than the peas is the parsley and the basil. I will not be transplanting the peas. It was always my intention to let them live their lives in that container. See how tall they grow, see what kind of pods they'd produce, if any, and just generally see how they did. With any luck we'll get enough peas to eat, and maybe even some to put up.

Another lesson to note; it is possible to dehydrate pineapple slices in an electric dehydrator with holes in the trays. I cut pieces of wax paper and rested the pineapple slices on them. For this experiment, I used a can of pineapple slices. I'll explain why in a moment. I did not turn the slices when they began to dry, and so three or four stuck to the wax paper. They were a write-off. So, if you use wax paper under the pineapple, discard after the pineapple is no longer drippy. While I was on a dehydrating roll, I also sliced up two Fuji apples. I let the slices rest in the can of pineapple juice for about thirty seconds, to prevent the apple from going brown in the dehydrator. I took the apple slices out, let the juice drip back into the can and plopped them into the dehydrator as well. So far, they are doing well. Still soft, but they are progressing as the books say they should and aren't brown. So far, so good.

That's the update from our trenches, where I'm fighting to learn all I can now, before I get to our micro-farm up north. I know urban farming is possible, hundreds are doing it all over the world. But right here, right now, in our dark apartment; I'm still learning.

Apples Here, Apples There...

There is a great deal to be said for basic food. A loaf of bread, still warm from the oven, a hearty, steaming casserole, a crisp, crunchy apple....mmmm, I haven't had breakfast yet and already I'm hungry. Not long ago we got a pretty good deal on 8 pounds of Fuji Apples. For some reason, the boys aren't keen on just biting down on one like I am, so we make more apple desserts. For many years, the apples we were buying from the grocery store would make my throat close. So I tried washing the fruit better, we tried fruit washes, we tried different types from different countries. We bought organic, and then we found a local grower. At an outdoor market one morning, I was encouraged to try a bite of an apple wedge. Tentatively, I bit. And waited. Because the reaction would normally happen pretty quickly, I knew fairly soon that the apple was going to be fine. To say I was happy would be an understatement. Ever since then, we have been careful not to get apples from too far away, and my throat doesn't close after one bite. I can only guess that I was having a reaction to a pesticide. So, when the chance came to buy 8 pounds of apples to benefit a school, my question was "Where are these grown?"

I was relieved to find out they're local. So now we have a kazillion apples. They're good for us, with vitamin C, fiber, natural sugars....all kinds of crunchy goodness. The fuji was originally developed in Japan back in 1952 and brought to this side of the ocean in the '80's. Pretty cool!

But now, what to do with them?

This weekend, I want to dehydrate as many as I can. I'm also looking into making fruit leather (also known as fruit roll-ups), apple cobbler sounds yummy too. I would make pie if I could make a decent pie crust from scratch, but it's never been a skill of mine. Apple butter sounds yummy too, as does slow baked apple wedges.

SLOW BAKED APPLE WEDGES

3/4 cup of liquid honey

1/2 cup of water

3 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 ground nutmeg

8 large apple wedges, peeled and cut into wedges

1. Combine honey, water, lemon juice and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add apple wedges, stirring to coat well.

2. Spread apples in a 10" X 15" pan, pouring any remaining liquid over the top of the apples. Cover with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes or until apples are soft. Remove foil and bake again until apples are golden and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 75 minutes. Gently turn apples once or twice during baking.

3. Pack into clean jars or plastic containers, cover with tight fitting lids. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week or freeze for longer storage.

Do Not Go Quietly Into The Night

I have certain blogs I like to read every day, as I'm sure we all do. A lot of people are talking about food this week. Food shortage, the price of oil and extreme weather are all hot topics, and they're all related, and they could individually or collectively affect the price of your day. A loaf of bread, your daily two cups of coffee and bagel, dinner, the bag of cookies or that apple you have stashed.... all of it can be affected by a two-cent jump in the price of crude oil and a bad weather event between the produce shipper and your favorite grocery store.

I'm not one of these "the world is over" types, but the writing is on the wall, we can't ignore it anymore. So what do we do? What do those of us in the city do if we have very little or no yard? We get creative. We get tough. We become survivors.

This is my call to action.

Start paying attention to competing grocery prices. Easier said than done, I know, I hate grocery shopping. Start saving those coupons, scour the sale papers, find them online for your local grocery stores. Buy dry goods differently. Buy a little more than you normally would if you can. Try and aim for one now, one to save. This applies to a great deal of your list. Can you get two loaves of bread this week? One for now, one to freeze. Instead of getting three apples, get five. Can you afford an extra tin of tuna? You get the idea.

Then, learn how to store these things wisely. Get a system together that will allow you to keep track of when you bought them and when they'll expire. I work in retail, so I'm keenly familiar with this system. Keep track of the things you buy for backup. Have a place you can store them so the kids won't run through your stash of animal crackers, let's say. (Mine love those packets of dried noodles and would happily eat 4 a day, per person if we let them. This calls for creative stashing)

Not everyone can afford to do this all the time. I certainly can't. We buy an extra jar of peanut butter here, an extra can of tuna there, an extra box of dog treats on pay week, and we store them in a large plastic tote bin. It might not look like we have much, but that stash has proven to be a small saving grace during weeks we hit a leaner-than-normal stretch. We do a little at a time, as we can.

Start teaching yourself what you need to know to make your own food. We've been saving a bit of money lately, and eating a little better by making more of our own bread. Not all the time. We still have lives and I still have a full-time job. But instead of buying a loaf of bread six times a week, I'd say we're down to maybe three. We have a bread maker that's seeing a lot of action these days, and the bread we're eating is better for us than that white, over-processed stuff with ingredients I can't pronounce. The bread we make still has white flour in it, I'm outvoted there, but what we're making has whole wheat in it too, and less sugar and more honey, which is healthy in so many ways it needs its own post. So we're buying less and eating healthier.

Get creative with dry goods food storage. I know of one person that has saved large pop bottles and stores their pasta, dried beans, dried soup powder, drink crystals and cereals in those bottles. Because they have next to no cupboard space, they store those bottles in a suitcase, under their bed! Now THAT'S creative!

I am lucky enough to have made a connection with a Tim Horton's coffee shop next to my store. They save me the buckets the frosting comes in and I have a variety of buckets in a range of shapes and sizes. Now we have a bucket for flour, one for sugar, a small, rolling compost bucket.... you get the idea.

As you may know, we're trying to grow our own veggies and herbs here in our apartment. We're teaching ourselves how to grow responsibly with our experiments in green manure crops, small scale composting and a soon-to-be attempted permanent indoor garden. It's not always successful, but we keep trying. Why?

Because I refuse to roll over and give up. I hear about the food shortage in Canada and it makes me angry. We shouldn't be short of food in a country that is supposed to be one of the world's greatest places to live. We have kids, so we can't just give up. We have brains and hands and we can still do something about it so that we do NOT go quietly into the night, hungry and weak.

I am not hungry and weak, I can still take even small steps to feed my family.

You can feed yours too.

Do not go quietly into the night.

Learn.

Do something.

Stand up and fight for your next meal!

Got a Ketchup Lover?

Our youngest son, B, loves ketchup on almost everything. Eggs, Hamburger helper, fries, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, casseroles....the list is almost endless. In short, he loves his ketchup. Have you priced a quality bottle of ketchup large enough to last more than a week? I have, it's frightening! The worst part is that most kids these days don't know what GOOD ketchup tastes like. Want to try making your own? it's easy! Better yet, we'll only make enough so you and yours can decide if you like it. Come into the kitchen....

(This recipe assumes you know how to process jars in a hot-water bath)

BLENDER KETCHUP

(from the Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving)

7 cups chopped peeled plum tomatoes (about 4lb/2kg) 1.75 L

1/2 cup chopped onion 125 ml

1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper 125 ml

2/3 cup cider vinegar 150 ml

1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 ml

2 tsp. pickling salt 10 ml

1 cinnamon stick, 2" long (5 cm)

1/2 tsp each: whole allspice, whole cloves,peppercorns 2 ml

1 bayleaf

cheesecloth

1. Combine tomatoes, onion, and red pepper in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Remove to a large, stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered for 30 minutes.

2. Add vinegar, sugar and salt. Tie cinnamon, allspice, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf in cheesecloth and add to your saucepan. Return to a boil and boil gently uncovered, stirring frequently, until volume is reduced by half or until mixture rounds up on a spoon without separation, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove cheesecloth bag.

3. Remove hot jars from canner and ladle ketchup into jars to within 1/2 inch or 1 cm of rim. Process 15 minutes for half-pint (250ml) jars

Makes about 3 cups of ketchup

I welcome your comments, thoughts and critiques if you'd like to leave a thought! Got a better recipe? Know an easier way? I love hearing new ideas!

New Directions

The word "survival" brings different things to mind for different people. Some folks envision a compound with barbed wire, freeze dried food and hordes of unsociable people inside waiting for the end of the world. Some folks would envision a couple living off the land, picking berries, eating cat-tail roots and drinking rainwater. Survival for other folks means working two jobs so they stay out of debt. Survival for some means working two or sometimes three jobs just to pay the bills and put food on the table.

Survival can be all of these things.

During a conversation with my sister-in-spirit this morning, I was encouraged to tell my story in the most honest, grittiest way I know how. So that's what I intend to do. Not all at once, but I will share with you the circumstances we struggle with, and how we overcome them, how we not only survive, but how we achieve happiness and comfort in our challenging times. I'll share with you how we make our grocery money stretch, how we eat more nutritiously now than we did last year and how we eke out a garden while we live in an apartment facing north. I'll share our adventure as we try and make our way back to the land, the lessons we learn while we teach ourselves how to make compost, and the trials and tribulations of learning to save seed from plants we grew ourselves. There will be food too, because we love our food. Recipes, adventures in canning and baking, and all of this surrounded by family.

We all have our own set of challenges, but sometimes if we have company along the way, the path doesn't seem so dark and hopeless.

So come along with us while we travel in this new direction. Laugh with us, learn with us and enjoy the journey.

To Be A Young Farmer

I've been finding myself reading a few small farming blogs these days, and the thing that strikes me most is that there seem to be a small but persistent number who want to make it their life's work, but only circumstances prevent them from expanding. I found one or two folks in my area that do very well urban farming on very little land. I found a few more in my province that have enough room to raise a few chickens. Urban homesteaders are out there, they're just not the easiest folks to find! while I was traipsing around the internet I came across a program here in Ontario that basically hooks small scale farmers up with young folks who want to learn on the job. Craft Ontario

It's a farmer intern program. Through this program, wanna-be farmers get on the job experience, learning and hands-in-dirt training that books just can't give. Small scale farmers get help on their farms and the chance to pass on what they know. Sometimes the farmers put up the interns with room and board, sometimes there is pay involved. It sounds like a fascinating experience! I just wish there had been something like this when I was in my formative years.

I think it's great that someone has decided it's time to encourage folks who want to get into farming. Most farmers these days are challenged to think of new ways to stay competitive, no matter what size their land. There is a woman in Kitchener, Ontario that has a herbal company that she runs like a vegetable based CSA. She takes her orders ahead of planting so she has a clear idea what she needs that season. Vision, insight and goals. Awesome! There are young people in Toronto that are running flower and vegetable businesses, but using other people's yards. The home or landowner gets a lovely, productive yard that adds to the value of the land, and the entrepreneur has a place to grow what they need without the hassle of paying land tax, etc, etc. There are more perks and details than what I've mentioned here, but it's an example of new ways of approaching an interesting dilemma.

I see there are a growing number of people that want to reconnect with the land, and those that want to help those that want to reconnect.

Perhaps there is hope for society after all.

Real Food and False Calories

On our way to school the other day, my youngest son and I were talking about the Farmer's Market. He doesn't understand why I enjoy holding the vegetables, smelling the tomatoes and admiring a particular apple. I tried explaining why small farmers are necessary, but B is firmly camped in the world of Sonic The Hedgehog and all things Play Station. So he doesn't "get" my fascination with bio-intensive gardening, seed saving and composting.

I hope to introduce him to the world of fresh potatoes soon. The ones you pull from the soil, wash off and eat within two hours. I hope I can convince him that a pea inside a long green pod is pretty much the same as the ones in a can, only better tasting and much more real.. The biggest problem is that he isn't really into fruits and veggies. S, however, seems to be leaning toward gardening. He is quick to volunteer to help me plant, is always concerned about how much water the plants are getting, and has input on what we plant next. He helped me plant seeds a couple of weeks ago, and then did his best to save some lettuce seedlings after the beagle sat on the corner of a pot and knocked the whole thing over. (S seems to have saved them. We have quite a few sprouts growing haphazardly toward the sun) But I'm thinking this seed crisis of his may be the basis of a new relationship with his food. It's not easy to get kids thinking about what's on their forks. Especially on a limited budget, in the city, in the spring before a whole lot is ready to harvest.

But...

I am resolved to teach them what I can and have them along for the journey as much as I can. I will teach them what I learn about wild food, domestic food, real food and false calories. I will teach them how the parks and trails can feed them better than McDonalds can.

I know I have a long road ahead, especially with B. But I have to have faith that if I hang in there, my children will learn to appreciate the difference between a real vegetable and a colourful lump in the grocery store.

Chickweed or Stellaria media

This is known far and wide as one of the easiest plants to forage for. Easily identifiable, easy to introduce into your commonly consumed wild-foods, and high in Vitamin C.

Chickweed can be sprinkled in your soups, in your omelets, stews, or on your salad instead of that leaf of iceberg lettuce. You'll get far more vitamins and minerals from a sprig of chickweed! Enthusiasts claim that chickweed tastes much like a mild spinach. This simple, unassuming plant has levels of Ascorbic-acid, Beta-carotene, Calcium, Coumarins, Genistein, Gamma-linolenic-acid, Flavonoids, Hentriacontanol, Magnesium, Niacin, Oleic-acid, Potassium, Riboflavin, Rutin, Selenium, Triterpenoid saponins, Thiamin, and Zinc that multi-vitamins can only be envious of.

The plant that so many call a weed and try to kill can be used as an infusion to treat hoarseness and cough, a circulatory tonic, relieve constipation, and help to treat kidney complaints. New research shows the plant may be used as as an anti-histamine also! It can be used to treat rheumatic pain, ulcers and can be applied as a medicinal poultice. Chickweed has a bit of a reputation as an aid in weight loss. It's said to bring down swelling and perhaps even aid in settling upset stomachs. For anyone allergic to chickweed, reports are given that allergy symptoms do not appear when using the dried leaves.

It can be found nearly anywhere man does not want it; roadsides, your lawn or perhaps your neighbor's, abandoned parking lots and forgotten green spaces. Look for this green warrior on your next walk around your neighborhood and perhaps perk up your next sandwich or salad!

I've not tried chickweed yet, but it's on my list of urban edibles to try this summer!

Compost Anyone?

Today I started an experiment. A tumbling composter.
It's a bucket with a tight fighting lid and a couple of holes. Into it will go all the fruit and veggie scraps, the coffee grounds and the tea bags we've been throwing out. I've felt guilty about contributing to the garbage that gets hauled off to rot somewhere else. Here in our region, there is a composting program, but the basic premise is that you bring trimmings and so forth and get finished compost in return. This assumes one has a vehicle. Which we don't.
So, in the interest of being self reliant, I am trying a tumbling system. I have heard brown to green ratios of anywhere from 1;1, 2:1 or even 3:1. I have also heard old-timers advise 1:1 and play it by smell after that. If it gets hot and doesn't smell, then things are going well.
I think the fact that it's in a bucket that can be moved, rolled and added to easily should work in it's favor.
I can't put a bin system here at the apartment, and I can't afford the over priced $150 for a larger barrel, so I've scaled back the basic premise.
We'll see how it works, and I'll keep you up to date!

Oatmeal Honey Maple Bread Recipe

Oatmeal Honey-Maple Bread

*This bread is not a considered a sweet quick bread but is sweet and a little heavier.

2 cups boiling water

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup brown sugar

1 tsp maple flavoring

1 tbs. honey

¼ cup melted butter

1 tbs. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbs. yeast

3 cups whole-wheat flour

2 cups bakers’ flour

1 tbs. gluten

In mixing bowl, combine water, oats, sugar, flavor, honey, butter, salt and cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm. Add the yeast and flours stirring to form rough dough. Knead 7 minutes by machine until the dough is smooth and satiny. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl; cover the bowl with plastic or towel and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Divide the dough in half and shape into l loaves. Place the loaves in 2 greased small bread pans. Allow to rise until they have crowned about 1 inch over the rim. Bake in oven at 350degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Screen Door Shenanigans

I learned a valuable lesson today. A few of them, actually.

First, never assume that what you think will be a quick home repair that will only take a minute in pajamas and bare feet will be easy. It won't be. Take the time to get dressed, fill your coffee cup and make sure you approach the job with a set jaw.

I didn't.

Also, make sure that you know how to put something back together if you are taking it apart. That means having the proper tools at hand, instructions or diagrams if you think you might need them.

I didn't.

I thought I could just 'pop the screen door' back on it's tracks this morning before work. HA!

This involved removing two of the heavy glass doors first, and much wrestling with a flimsy screen door, as well as much muttering, cursing and swearing at the door, and it's creator, and it's installer, and the apartment superintendents for not teaching tenants how to install the cursed doors, and... you get the idea.

Instead of fighting with it, I decided to take it out completely and replace the screen and spline. That job was done in under 20 minutes and we only got a little damp in the rain. By then I had figured out what I had been doing wrong with the door. First the top goes in, THEN the bottom. Then I had to fiddle with the springs that control the tension of the wheels. This all keeps the door on track, so it's kinda important. Seems simple enough until one corner fits snug, and one doesn't even meet the door frame. Fiddle, twist, fiddle, shut door, make a face, twist, fiddle, shut door, and so on. Finally we got it! Then came time to wash both sides of the heavy glass doors and set them back in.

At least with them, I knew what I was doing. They were a breeze.

With an hour to go before work, almost two hours after I started, I finally got the job done.

Note to self: next time, take your coffee outside with you and wear your shoes!

Why We Should Consider Growing Our Own Food

Last time, I told you I would explain why I think we should all attempt to grow at least some of our own food.

The most basic reason is cost. When you buy a loaf of bread a day, like we do here, you suddenly find that you've spent nearly $9.00 in one week on bread. The way we buy our milk, in bags totaling 4 liters, $5.89, and that lasts us roughly a week. Cereal, $3.49. Butter, $3.99. A package of 4 tomatoes, $4.00. A 10 pound bag of potatoes $3.99. Right there is $30.36. and all the signs point to the price of our food going up.

Now, I've generalized here, and I haven't talked about the cost of a salad if you buy the fixings from your corner store. I haven't talked about how it might pay to shop around; because that's not the point of this post. My point is, most of us can grow at least some of our own food, and do it more cheaply. Granted not everyone can grow their own wheat and sugar; I certainly can't. But I can make good use of the bread maker that is sitting behind me. My plan is to make two loaves a day. One in the morning, which should be ready by mid-afternoon, and another right after that one comes out. Carefully timed, the last one should be ready by the time I'm ready for bed. Yes, I have to buy the ingredients, but this way i can control what goes into my loaf. I can mix whole wheat flour with white or flax or whatever I like that week. Not only will I know my kids are getting better bread but in the end, it's cheaper to make our bread than to shell out $9.00 every week. I certainly wouldn't be spending that money every week on flour, eggs, oil, etc, even with the price of eggs! So, by making my own bread, I'm giving my family better nutrition, I have more control over what goes in our bodies, and I'm saving some hard earned money.

I don't have 4 acres to grow all kinds of wonderful things. I have a patio on the dark side of the building that faces north. Not a great growing climate. But, I'm still attempting to grow carrots, peas, tomatoes, lettuce, radishes and a few assorted herbs. Why? Well, not only do I get to play in the dirt and satisfy the gardener in me, but I also get the satisfaction of knowing I can produce at least SOME of the ingredients of my salad. Then there is the added perk of being able to offer my family veggies that actually have some TASTE to them. S will finally know what lettuce TRULY tastes like, never mind the romaine he THINKS he knows. Tomato sandwiches are a whole different experience when you can pick one, step inside your door, wash it and eat it right then. Nothing comes close to the taste of peas right out of the pod. I could go on, but you get the idea. So, I've spent no more than $1.99 each on those seeds. So for roughly $9.00 (the weekly cost of bread, remember) I have enough seeds to last me for approximately 3 years. With that amount of seeds, I could get an enormous number of tomatoes, peas, radishes, carrots and lettuce. And with only a smidge of creativity, I could grow repeat crops of most of those plants all year long. Yes, all year long. So while everyone else is paying terrible prices for lettuce, we could be eating our own.

Remember, we live in an apartment, on the dark side of the building, facing north.

If I can do this, why can't more people?

Many do.

Many want to but think it's too big a job.

To them I say...nah. Start small. Don't start with tomatoes if you don't want to. Start with radishes. They're easy to grow, can be grown indoors most of the time if you have a light source like a full spectrum bulb, which you can buy at your favorite hardware store. Don't like radishes? No sweat, what about lettuce? It can be grown in a planter, it's easy to grow and grows fairly quick so you don't have to wait months to get yummy results.

The hardest part of any of this is making sure you have enough light while they're indoors.

When we have sunny days here, I haul all the plants outside to get sun and fresh air. the hard part then is making sure the squirrels stay out of them. I have a plan for that too, I just need to get to the hardware store. (More on my squirrel-proof plant cage later) With only a little creativity and very little work, I'm growing some of our own food. Convenience (I can harvest in my pajamas if I like), cost saving, more control over what we eat, less reliance on our local grocery store, and I am assured of no pesticides or growth hormones.

Seems like a bunch of good reasons to grow what we eat.

Learning and Trusting Yourself

I saw a quote recently in my email, “Garden like your life depends on it, because it does!”

This will be a harsh reality for many, and I’m learning all I can now so that when we are in the position to feed ourselves, I’ll be able to. I want to give us the best odds possible, so I learn and experiment now.

I’ve taught myself about green manure crops in theory, now I want to be able to grow my own soil amendments. In pots, on my patio. Why?

How many times have you nursed something through life in a pot on your patio or balcony, or even in your yard, harvested it and wondered what to do with the soil. A lot of apartment dwellers have. Here’s my answer, grow a legume until just before flowering, then take garden scissors and clip as much of the greenery into as small pieces as you can manage. Take a trowel and cut into the soil, break it up well and then turn the greenery under the soil. You’ve just “tilled” your crop under. Now let it sit for a month.

Why?

Because this will encourage the breaking down of the plants. The root systems of legumes have already brought nitrogen to the upper layers of soil and once the greenery starts breaking down, it will enrich the soil. You’ll want to turn the soil every now and then with your trowel, just to make sure things are breaking down the way they should. Now, instead of soil that’s been stripped of nutrients, you have a richer soil, one more ready to help you grow bigger, better radishes.

Now what?

Now you find radish seeds you like, heirloom preferably. Why? Because as much fun as garden catalogues are to look at, I don’t want to have to buy seed every year. I’d like to provide my own seed. Why should I give my hard earned dollars over to some big seed company? Anyway, soak your seed overnight on some moist paper towel. Some folks say that the paper towel isn’t a good idea because it may have chemicals in it that would suppress the seed’s ability to sprout. It’s a valid point, but I’ve never had that problem so far, so I carry on with what’s worked. I moisten the paper towel, and start as many seeds as I think I can handle planting the next day. I can’t always buy soil when I’d like, so I’m faced with two considerations: do I have a pot and do I have soil? Let’s assume I have both. My moist paper towel is in an aluminum pie plate, waiting for my seeds. Why one of those pie plates? Because I have them. You know the pies folks bring as a holiday contribution? I wouldn’t feel right just throwing the pie plate out, so I re-use them as seed starting plates. so with however many seeds I want to sprout, carefully spaced on the paper towel, I root through my closet for a plastic bag. I always seem to have at least one clear one, so I’ll grab it, put the pie plate inside it and make the top surface as snug as possible. This provides the seeds with a mini-greenhouse environment. Now they have moisture and humidity, and they happily send out a tiny root.

The next day, open the plastic bag, peel back the paper towel that covered the seeds and plant these in the re-enriched soil that held the legumes only a short time ago. Cover the seeds with a small amount of soil, so you can’t see them anymore and mist the soil gently. If you can, place the pot(s) in either a sunny windowsill or under a lamp. I don’t have sunny windowsills, but I do have a full-spectrum craft lamp on a goose-neck. So I put my seeds under the lamp and have the light a mere 6 inches away from the soil. In less than a week, I have green sprouts. Seems pretty easy, right? Radishes are among the easiest seeds to sprout. They’re forgiving and eager, and it won’t be long before I’m crunching into little red goodness.

Next time, why I think we should all learn how to grow our own food.

Ingredients On A Package of Carrots ...

My experiment into the world of container gardening is going slow but okay I think.
The tomatoes need to be replanted into their own containers, as do the radishes.Today S and I prepped a few pots out on the patio and planted some rainbow carrots and leaf lettuce. I'm hoping that if he helps grow the lettuce, he'll be more inclined to eat it when it's time to harvest. Same with the carrots.

I found a delightful spot to harvest dandelions. I never see a dog down there, so I should be able to use all the parts without worrying about what's peed on them. As a bonus, it's right near the trillium patch, so hopefully I'll be able to get pictures of those at the same time! I was going to get the dandelions this afternoon, but I've messed up my back. Sitting still is fine but walking is sore, so I've been resting it a lot this weekend. I see on the web and in books that one can use the dandelion flowers for candies, but I'm not sure if I'll be using them for that. I know I want the leaves and roots though! We'll be using the leaves in soups and stews, that way, the kids won't see them in there, but they'll get loads of vitamins. B is the picky eater, and if all he eats is a small bowlful of the broth (in carefully disguised chicken noodle soup), I'll know he still got vitamins and minerals you just can't get in a pre-made, store-bought vitamin!
I've been reading a lot lately about simplicity, how we've processed our food to death and how so many of us have been filling our need with stuff. We feel an emptiness,many of us go out and buy something. There comes a time when we don't want it any more, we stuff it aside. or we eat, or we ... fill in your crutch here. We all have one. In the interest of a speedy meal, we support the production of fast food. Open a box, drop it in another box that nukes your food and voila! you have dinner! One of these days, read what's in a microwave dinner. Trust me, you'll think twice before eating it.
I've started reading the sides of boxes and realizing I can't pronounce half of what makes up my dinners. So then I reach for something with more pronounceable ingredients.
Not easy when you work retail, but it's a start.
Instead of grabbing a frozen whatever from the cooler, I've been trying to reach more for nuts and seeds, and yoghurt, and bagels. Not as filling, but at least I have a better idea of the contents of my stomach.

Which is entirely the whole point behind growing my own food.

(wildlife seen today: White-crowned Sparrow)

Cover Crops and Why We should Grow Them

For all of you who I have blathered on to about cover crops (sorry mom), I offer this as a more logical explanation. It is possible in a home garden...I'll let Mother Earth News, and Barbara Pleasant, explain it.

Cover Crops: Options, Tips and Advantages for the Home Garden

By Barbara Pleasant

There are three main ways to improve your soil — grow cover crops, mulch the surface with biodegradable mulches, and/or dig in organic soil amendments (such as compost, grass clippings, rotted manure or wood chips). All have their advantages and none should be discounted, but cover cropping is the method least likely to be practiced in home gardens. There is a reason for this: Information on using cover crops is tailored to the needs of farmers who use tractors to make short work of mowing down or turning under cover crops. But when your main tools for taking down plants have wooden handles and you measure your space in feet rather than acres, you need a special set of cover crop plants, and special methods for using them.

How Cover Crops Help

A cover crop is any plant grown for the primary purpose of improving the soil. Since the early 1900s, farmers have used cover crops to restore fertility to worn-out land. In addition to helping bulk up soil with organic matter, cover crops prevent erosion, suppress weeds, and create and cycle soilborne nutrients using the power of the sun. Recent advances in soil biology have revealed two more ways cover crops can improve soil.

Rhizodeposition is a special advantage to working with cover crops. Many plants actually release sugars and other substances through their roots. They are like little solar engines, pumping energy down into the soil. With vigorous cover crop plants, this process goes on much more deeply than you would ever dig — 6 feet for oats and rye! If you are leaving your garden beds bare in winter, you are missing the chance to use cold-hardy crops such as cereal rye or oats to solar-charge your soil. Thanks to this release of sugars, the root tips of many plants host colonies of helpful microorganisms, and as the roots move deeper, the microbes follow.

But so much for scientific talk. If you’ve experimented with cover crops, perhaps you have dug up young fava beans or alfalfa seedlings to marvel at the nitrogen nodules on their roots, or watched a stand of buckwheat go from seed to bloom in four weeks flat. Or how about this one: It’s April and the soil is warming up and drying out. After loosening a clump of fall-sown wheat with a digging fork, you pull up a marvelous mop of fibrous roots and shake out the soil. What crumb! The soil’s structure is nothing short of amazing! These are the moments an organic gardener lives for.

Bio-drilling is what happens when you use a cover crop’s natural talents to “drill” into compacted subsoil. For example, you might grow oilseed or daikon radishes as a cover crop where their spear-shaped roots will stab deep into tight subsoil. Bio-drilling action also takes place when deeply rooted cover crop plants penetrate subsoil and die. Then, the next crop grown may actually follow the rooting network mapped out by the cover crop (see illustration in the Image Gallery). Maryland researchers were able to track this process using special camera equipment (a minirhizotron), which took pictures of the interactions between cover crop (canola) and crop plant (soybean) roots. As the canola’s deep roots decomposed, soybean roots followed the trails they blazed in the subsoil, hand in glove. In addition to reduced physical resistance, the soybean roots probably enjoyed better nutrition and the good company of legions of soil-dwelling microcritters, compliments of the cover crop.

Dozens of plants have special talents as cover crops, and if you live in an extremely hot, cold, wet or dry climate, you should check with your local farm store or state extension service for plant recommendations — especially if you want to use cover crops under high-stress conditions. Also be aware that many cover crop plants can become weedy, so they should almost always be taken down before they set seed.

How to Take Cover Crops Down

Speaking of taking down, this is the sticking point for most gardeners when it comes to cover crops, which is why it’s a good idea to start small with your first cover crop plantings. Traditionally, cover crops are plowed under, but most gardeners chop, cut or pull them, and use them for mulch or compost. Or you can assign the task to a flock of pecking poultry. All are sound methods, and it is possible that composting cover crop plants produces a more balanced soil amendment compared to chopping raw-crop residue directly into the soil. Pulling plants saves time, too, because you don’t have to wait three weeks (or more) to plant, in order to avoid possible negative reactions between rotting plant residues and the plants you want to grow. For example, the cover crop known as sudex (a fast-growing sorghum-Sudan grass hybrid) produces gargantuan amounts of biomass (leaf, stem and roots), but fresh sudex residue in the soil inhibits the growth of tomatoes, lettuce and broccoli. Oats, wheat and other cover crop plants also produce allelopathic substances that can temporarily hinder the germination and growth of other plants, too, but not in quantities sufficient to cause serious disturbances in the garden. If you chop in fresh cover crop residues, just plan to wait two to three weeks before sowing crop seeds.

Top Cover Crop Options

The following cover crops work well in a wide range of climates and situations, and they’re not hard to take down, as long as you do it at the right time and in the proper way. We’ve selected these six because they are easy to manage using hand tools, grow during different seasons and provide multiple benefits in the garden.

During the summer, buckwheat (Fagopyron esculentum) is in a class by itself as a cover crop. Seeds sown in moist soil turn into a weed-choking sea of green within a week, with many plants growing 2 feet high or more and blooming in less than 30 days. Should you need to reclaim space that has been overtaken by invasives, buckwheat can be your best friend. In my garden, buckwheat has been a huge ally in cleaning up a spot overrun by dock, bindweed and other nasties that grow in warm weather. For two years, each time the noxious weeds grew back, I dug them out and planted more buckwheat. Throughout the battle, the buckwheat attracted bees and other buzzers in droves. Fortunately, even mature buckwheat plants are as easy to take down as impatiens — simply pull the succulent plants with a twist of the wrist, or use a hoe or scythe to slice them off at the soil line. You can let the dead plants die into a surface mulch and plant through them, gather them up and compost them, or chop them into the soil.

In late summer, while the soil is still warm, you have a fine opportunity to try barley (Hordeum vulgare), a fast-growing grain that’s great for capturing excess nitrogen left over from summer crops, which might otherwise leach away during the winter. Barley often suffers from winter injury in Zone 6, and is often killed altogether in Zone 5 and above. This is good! The dead barley residue shelters the soil through winter, and dries into a plant-through mulch in spring in cold zones.

Early fall is the best time to grow the dynamic duo of soil-building cover crops — oats (Avena sativa) mixed with cold-hardy winter peas (Pisum sativum). When taken down just before the peas start blooming in spring, an oat/pea combination cover crop is the best way to boost your soil’s organic matter and nutrient content using only plants. Both make a little fall growth when planted in September, and in spring the peas scramble up the oats. On the down side, one or both crops can be winterkilled before they have a chance to do much good north of Zone 5, and in more hospitable climates it will take some work to get the plants out of the way in spring. Do it by mid-April, because the job gets tougher as the plants get older. Cut or mow them down first, and then pull and dig your way through the planting. A heavy-duty chopping hoe works well for this.

Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) needs a good head start on winter, too, but it’s hardy to Zone 4 and gives a huge payback in terms of soil improvement, and saved time and labor. Unlike many other cover crop plants, you can quickly kill hairy vetch by slicing just below the crown with a sharp hoe. When hairy vetch is beheaded about a month before it’s time to plant tomatoes and peppers, you can open up planting holes and plant through the dried mulch — no digging required.

Late fall is not a lost season for cover crops, but in most climates you’re limited to cereal rye (Secale cereale), the cold-hardiest of them all. Rye will sprout after the soil has turned chilly, but be sure to take it out early in spring, before the plants develop tough seed stalks. Or let your chickens keep it trimmed; leave the birds on the patch longer in spring and they will kill the rye for you. If you’re looking for a cover crop you can plant in October for cold-season poultry greens, cereal rye is probably the best choice.

In any season, you may find many more great cover crops in seed catalogs, or among your leftover seeds. As you consider possibilities, think about plants that quickly produce an abundance of leaves and stems, but are easy to pull up or chop down if you decide you don’t want them. Bush beans, leafy greens or even sweet corn can be grown as short-term cover crops, along with annual flowers such as calendulas and borage in early spring, or marigolds and sunflowers in summer. Teaming up a flower with a cover crop plant is always fun, whether you’re planting sulphur cosmos with cowpeas in summer, oats with dwarf sunflowers in late summer or bachelor’s buttons with crimson clover in the fall. Whatever you do, just don’t leave your soil bare or you’ll be missing out on a chance to capture solar energy to recharge your food web.

Little Red Globes of Happiness

This morning I've soaked 12 radish seeds, and once they have a little green showing, I'll plant them in their own little containers. They are of the "Cherry Belle" variety. I bought these in downtown Preston a few weeks ago.

My plan is to plant radishes once a month, in the hopes that I'll have a good supply. Time was when I was the only here who liked them, but I'm thinking now S might like them as well, since he's developing a liking for spicy and hot things. Some people say these radishes are hot, but I would say they have a little bite.

I wonder if I can dry radishes? Wonder if they can be pickled?

Also in my plan is to plant lettuce, for salads and sandwiches.

Damn, I'm going to need more soil!

Speaking of soil, we're looking into worm composting under the kitchen sink. By all accounts, if the worm composting is done correctly, they shouldn't escape and there should be no smell. No commitments yet, we're still looking into it.

I've also been learning a bunch about cover crops as green manure. What types do what, which grow in my hardiness zone, which of course will include Searchmont one day. but that's so much info, it'll be another post entirely.

Must get ready...off to OSC Seeds in Waterloo for seed shopping! Woot!

Blissful In Searchmont

My name is Carolyn, and I have "Barnheart"

What is Barnheart? Well, let's let Jenna explain...

Barnheart is that sudden overcast feeling that hits you while at work or in the middle of the grocery store checkout line. It’s unequivocally knowing you want to be a farmer — and for whatever personal circumstances — cannot be one just yet. So there you are, heartsick and confused in the passing lane, wondering why you cannot stop thinking about heritage livestock and electric fences.

Yup. That's me. I drool over seed catalogues for fun. I read homesteading books on a busy city bus. I daydream about being able to grow vegetables that are the earliest, most productive, most odd colored, and so on. I constantly gnash my teeth that I live in an apartment building, on the shaded side with a northern exposure.

I would like to make my own cheese, and then have the option of smoking it in a smoker.

I would like to be able to sell seedlings that came from seed I collected from plants I grew the year before.

I would like to have even just 2 acres of even halfway decent soil, be allowed to have a composter and a rain barrel, maybe a few chickens, and grow all kinds of things.

But I can't. Not here anyway.

So instead of giving into despair, my partner and I came up with a plan.

Under advisement from dear friends and family, we assessed what we'd need to live where we wanted.

With the help and support of family (they know who they are), we can see how we're going to get there.

Now, as our ten year old son will attest to, I like to have a plan. I am known for having backups, and then having backups for my backups.

Plan A ~ Move to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.Get a house with a yard, even just to rent, get a job. Grow as much as we can while still leaving some yard for the dogs.

Plan B ~ Move to Searchmont, Ontario, while looking for a job and home with a yard. Live with the folks while the big search is on. Help them with their garden, expand Mom's small scale selling operation, which includes baked goods, seedlings and knitted wear.

Neither plan is perfect, both involve sacrifice and hard work.

But I have to tell you, life in Searchmont with the family I've been missing keenly appeals so much, it makes me wonder if barnheart can be painful.

In Searchmont, I won't have a barn, but it's as close to a real farm as I can ever see me having.

And right now, I would be blissful in Searchmont.

Btw, the picture back at the beginning of this post is our Tiny Tim tomato seedlings!

Day 40 and still growing!