Still MORE Reasons for Gardening: Food Price Infla

[traelin0]

What a wonderful way to start the week, all refreshed, with the first thing slapping me upside the head: All kinds of headlines about soaring food prices. As if my being on a largely vegetable & protein – no white carbies diet – isn’t bad enough, and pardon me if this dieting changes my focus to food a bit – there are umpteen zillion stories starting to surface which make me want to skip this morning’s report and go right to work in the greenhouse. Except it’s dark, so I’ll keep writing…

UN Food Price Index tops records dating to 1990

Cooking oil’s surge shows how inflation hits Chinese

And it starting to look – at a macro level – like there may be, as CBS News headlined it last week “Nowhere to Hide” from rising food prices.

The weather angle on a global scale is just coming up over the horizon of consciousness with headlines showing in specialty sites like Commodity Online saying “World food prices could go unaffordable this year.”

Especially in places like Australia where national media are ramping up headlines like the Sydney Morning Herald’s “Next shock will be high food prices“.

Read more here.

[steff]

Gardening & knowing how to can/preserve/freeze the fruits and veggies from gardening has always been a good idea. It's something that should have been passed down from generation to generation like before, but it become easier to just buy everything in a can at the store.

I'm very proud of my pantry full of home canned staples and my freezer full of fresh frozen veggies from last years garden. It's also smart to buy veggies that you can't grow in bulk from a farmer's market or local farmer and can/freeze them too.

[Deleted]

Got my peat pods to get the seedlings ready to place in the garden this morning! ;D

[steff]

our garden area is still under snow. In a month or so, hubby will start with the tilling & mulching.

[Deleted]

Yeah, ours actually has snow now too... but I'm getting the seeds started in plantable pots this year.

[marjar]

I have to find out what the heirloom tomatoes were. I bought them as lark and had the most luscious tomatoes in great abundance. They were the size of small pumpkins.

[marjar]

It isn't just about saving money. Not sure I saved any, but the veggies are so good and I didn't use pesticides.

[Deleted]

This is only our second year, last year's crop was pitiful... we didn't get it planted early enough. And I know we spent WAY more than it would have cost in the store. However, we looked at it as a learning experience and I'm sure this year's garden will be much better!

[Deleted]

Jan 17, 2011 14:22:57 GMT -5 @marjar said:

I have to find out what the heirloom tomatoes were. I bought them as lark and had the most luscious tomatoes in great abundance. They were the size of small pumpkins.

There's several different varities of heirloom tomatoes...

[marjar]

There's several different varities of heirloom tomatoes...

I know and I didn't pay attention when I purchased the seedling. It was a "I'll give it try" thing. They were incredible, even if they did kill off the cukes. The plant was huge.

[marjar]

Jan 17, 2011 14:26:26 GMT -5 @rosebaby said:

This is only our second year, last year's crop was pitiful... we didn't get it planted early enough. And I know we spent WAY more than it would have cost in the store. However, we looked at it as a learning experience and I'm sure this year's garden will be much better!

I hadn't gardened in years. The first year I returned to it was the pits. It keeps getting better every year. I'm looking forward to expanding the patch this year.


Good luck!

[steff]

I love gardening & the canning process. I have all my gramma's old canning equipment & her recipes. While I might not have saved money intitially putting the garden in, I definately save money thru the winter months by having a pantry & freezer full of veggies, pickles, jellies, and tomato sauce. This past year we planted all the peppers into pots instead of the ground, and I still have fresh peppers coming out of the laundry room. The same with some of my herb plants. The basil plant has grown more in the bathroom than it ever did outside (it'll probably end up staying there).

We also made a 2nd small garden plot for the zucchini & squash & cukes since they tend to spread out all over hte place. Learned to put the tomato plants on the outside rows since they get huge and can over shadow other things. Left an entire empty row between them and the rest of the garden. And since we tend to eat all the corn that comes out of the garden, I buy bushels of it at the farmer's market for freezing. Along with fresh black eyed peas, purple hull peas & fruit for jellies & preserves. We traded a lot of fresh veggies for strawberries & blueberries with someone who works for hubby. I traded squash & zukes to a neighbor so I could pick from their apple tree. Made them 2 peach cobblers in trade for picking off their peach tree. And while clearing out a fenceline last spring, we found that we have tons and tons of blackberries over there.

[burnsattornincan]

even if they did kill off the cukes. The plant was huge.

hhmmmmm.... are you sure you read the label and that it did not contain the word "Monsanto" on it?

[steff]

dem, the basil plant ended up in a long planters box with 2 asparagus ferns that sits along the stainedglass window ledge next to the tub. I was surprised at how well it has done and how it didn't get woody and I love being able to just go grab some fresh basil anytime of the year. I love the smell of rosemary, but can't stand the taste of it. I planted several plants along the path I'm starting in my "work in progress" rose garden.

If we could just get to the end of the rock obsession the last owner had. the lady LOVED her rocks.

[handyman2]

Gardening is a great idea. Fresh vehhies to eat and can. No high chemical content etc.
However it for the most part not a money saver. By the time you buy the seeds, burn gas to till the soil, rent or buy a tiller, buy canning jars and ingredients, burn electric or gas to can etc. Those veggies are expensive.
Aw but what the heck it is a lot of fun, good taste, the pleasure of eating what you have grown and know if there should be a food shortage you will still eat. To heck with the cost question.

[traelin0]

Well said, handy.

[steff]

Well consider that you don't have to buy a new tiller, new jars (just seal lids), new canning equipment each year. And once you get it down to a science/art after a couple of years, you do actually start to save money thru the year. No you aren't going to save money the month you put out the initial $$ for the plants, gas for tilling (which can still be done without a tiller in a pinch, not easy, much more work, but CAN be done). You will start seeing the cost savings during the off months from the garden. Instead of having to go buy it at the store, you have it in the pantry or freezer. Heck, I'll go as far as saying that you can save money on Xmas gifts buy making your own preserves to give out as gifts. Still costs less even when you factor in having to buy new jars to replace the ones you gave out.

There's lots of good and savings that can come from gardening and learning to can your own veggies. If nothing else, when the sky falls and the food chain collapses, I'll have food. and, even as a dastardly liberal, we have guns.

[Tennesseer]

Jan 17, 2011 15:27:51 GMT -5 deminmaine said:

The basil plant has grown more in the bathroom than it ever did outside
Nice! We bring several herbs in, but have never had much luck with basil, which is one of our favorites. It doesn't die, but it gets "woody", and it doesn't thrive or grow.

Deminmaine: for growing basil you need to make sure it never starts growing flower heads. Once it starts that the leaves start declining in quality. Keep picking leaves and pinching it back so you don't end up with a woody stem.

[handyman2]

Demi: The basil plants grow better in the bathroom than outside.
Now what the heck are you planting them in in the bathroom?

[marjar]

I think there is a sense of satisfaction in eating foods you've grown. Plus, nothing tastes as good as fresh out of the garden.

Canning and freezing - you know what you're eating.

[traelin0]

Wow, a thread we all seem to agree on?

[marjar]

Basil, I think, needs a lot of light. More light than other herbs. My daughter as an Aero garden in her apartment and she has basil all year. The gardens are amazing, btw.

[marjar]

Jan 18, 2011 6:51:40 GMT -5 deminmaine said:

Regarding the Basil I think the failure for it to flourish inside has to do with temperature and light. We notice in the spring that the basil does not do well until it really warms up. Then it grows like a weed! And yes Tenn, we do pinch back the little buds as they start to form to keep it growing. When we bring it in before the first frost it is first shocked by the transplantation. After that it (I think) suffers from the cooler autumn temps of upper sixties inside the house, as well as decreased amounts of sunlight.
Oops, just saw your post mar, you made the same point. OK, so I'll Karma-lize you.
This thread drew decent response as it drifted from it's OP into gardening. I may start a gardening thread in the healthy living forum to see if there is any interest.

Thanks.

I suspect the resurgence in gardening has many reasons. Folks are looking for ways to save money with food costs. Also, having a garden makes us feel like we are doing something, in a time when we may feel quite helpless.
It can give us a sense of providing for ourselves during times of economic hardship and upheaval. The need to return to simpler times and back to basics is probably another reason. Working the soil and nurturing plants can bring a sense of comfort and peace. Doing something productive and communing with nature sort of thing.

Yes, I think the thread would be a success.

[traelin0]

marjar, I agree with all of the above wholeheartedly. Now that you mention it, it does allow one to connect with nature at its very core. It was surreal, watching my seeds grow into these incredible...things.

[marjar]

Jan 18, 2011 13:30:51 GMT -5 @traelin0 said:

marjar, I agree with all of the above wholeheartedly. Now that you mention it, it does allow one to connect with nature at its very core. It was surreal, watching my seeds grow into these incredible...things.

It is surreal and rather Zen. It is also therapeutic. I find weeding a great way to get rid of anger and frustration, while watering gives me a sense of nurturing. A sense of satisfaction comes while harvesting. You feel like you've accomplished something positive and worthwhile.