Reply #38: And legumes are so easy to grow...

[theHandpuppet]

We've been experimenting with an organic garden (using strictly heirloom or non-hybrid seeds) and have found that with even a small plot of tilled ground you can grow an amazing variety of foods. (We are using the raised bed system in our in-town home.)

Peas, including snow peas, can be grown over a long period of months, and beans are remarkably prolific and resilient. We have grown several kinds that are great for dry storage and plan on doubling our bean crop this year. Pintos, black beans and navy beans, along with peas, can be easily stored for year-round use. Covert even a small part of a basement into a food pantry or cold storage and you're making a good start. A food dehydrator is another good investment, and there are solar dehydrators easily available.

In addition, there are a number of crops that be harvested year-round. We were able to harvest giant parsnips and carrots (planted in what was once an old stone well) and brussels sprouts even in the dead of winter, and we live in West Virginia! Time to retrain your palate for veggies such as turnips and parsnips, (which are hardy, cold-resistant and make great stews!) as well as old-fashioned greens like Kale which are not only loaded with vitamins but can be harvested after frost. BTW, we do our own composting (not too successfully so far) and use composted cow manure for fertilizer and companion plantings to repel pests.

Last spring we planted dwarf apple trees and grapes and it looks like they will be doing well this year!

Folks, the time to start implementing your plans is NOW. Having some control over your food source is a good place to start. Cold framing, raised beds, dwarf fruit trees, learning how to store, preserve and dry foods... these are all things you can do NOW even with a minimal plot of land.

Someone else here mentioned "Mother Earth News" as a good resource. I would HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend this magazine and consider it one of the best investments my partner and I ever made.

My apologies for rambling on, but I just got off the phone with the city engineer regarding the installation of some solar panels and my brain is still whirling. Whew! Try getting info on solar in rural WV!