Time to Plan for the Spring Growing Season

Since it appears there will be no economic recovery for the majority of Americans this year, it's pertinent that we continue to prepare to live with less money. That doesn't necessarily mean a lower quality of life, especially when it comes to good food. Speculation is that more families will garden this year and that seed supplies will sell out even faster than in 2009. January is a good time to order seed and plan.

For those of us who were around in the late 60's, early 70's, the Whole Earth Catalog was our 'bible' to self sufficiency. Between it and the tales of the great depression from our parents and grandparents it was a starting point whose time has come again.

Whole Earth has a website here if you want to take a look back at it.









From the Daily Survival comes a link to a ton of information on self sufficient living. Since there's a globalist plan to turn the U.S. into a third world country, some of the info may come in handy.

It's 13 gig of pamphlets, instructional manuals and how-to guides for the third world. A combination of resources by a whole alphabet soup of governments and NGOs like USAID and Peace Corps. You can find detailed, easy to read instructions for raising just about every kind of livestock and edible plant, how to build or make simple farming and building machines and how to build everything from houses to water rams to fish farms.

Your tax dollars probably paid for it, you might as well get some use out of it.

http://www.cd3wd.com/cd3wd_40/cd3wd/index.htm

Organic Gardening is a long time source of gardening info and not to dissuade you from subscribing to the print edition but most of the information needed is available not only at their site but also throughout the net with simple searches.

Seedman.com is an excellent source of all kinds of seeds. It's even recommended by the local farmers co-op for some things that they don't carry.

And don't waste any kitchen scraps and organic material. Compost it. If you don't have room for a compost pile or just don't want to fool with it, there's always trench composting which can be utilized easily.

The main thing is to do a little planning, a little more learning and keep a little more change in our pocket instead of spending it on high priced organic produce or low quality factory farm foods. We'll always need that extra change for something else.

Plant Early, Plant Often

middle TN 4/20/09

One thing I learned about gardening from the old timers many years ago was that in order to get really good cool weather crops you have to plant as early as possible. It pays off to prepare your beds during the winter and be ready to plant when the opportunity arises. Raised beds are a plus. Due to rain and cold, I was actually about a week late from what I planned and most of the early crops didn't go in until March 3.

We've been eating lettuce and spinach salads with a little broccoli, spring onions and chives added in for the last three days so that was only 42 days from planting to first meal. The potatoes and peas are coming along nicely as are the 21 six inch high garlic plants from two bulbs. We should have salads everyday for another 6 weeks.

Not everything has gone so well. About half of the Vidalia onion plants died and the cabbage plants are not looking good. Perfection is rare in an early garden.

With a little weather cooperation, all of the summer crops except sweet potatoes will be planted by this weekend.

As food prices take a big chunk out of everyone's budget, I have a feeling we will need all of the good fresh food we can grow, eat and preserve.

Gardening still remains one the endeavors we can undertake for ourselves and our families without government interference. At least for this year.