I'm not usually one to comment on things like this.....
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My new project is aquaponics anyone tried it? apparently you can grow lettuces and swiss chard easily....seeds currently germinating0
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You can regrow your lettuce after you harvest it too...usually you can get an additional 2-3 smaller harvests just keeping the base in water and providing light.
I'm currently trying to grow some avocado from seed since I eat them just about every day...so far out of six only one is doing really well and the rest are just rooting soooo slowly...I'll give them another few weeks and if they don't shoot I'll then pitch them and start again with new seeds.2 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »You can regrow your lettuce after you harvest it too...usually you can get an additional 2-3 smaller harvests just keeping the base in water and providing light.
Isn't this great! I just learned about this last week and am currently growing Romaine lettuce. I started 2 1/2 days ago and it's grown about 1 1/2 inches. I did a bit of online research and found that there are quite a few veggies you can easily grow in the house with a little water and light.
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Pretty much every single meat and plant we eat is "genetically modified" in that it would not even exist if we did not eat it. I don't have a problem with plants being improved to feed more people or use less water or resist pests. It's not like they're injecting them with chemicals, they're just making them better. I grew up on a farm, I know how things work, and I still wont eat brown or bruised produce.2
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We have markdown areas in our stores. I always take advantage when I can. I got huge hams after the holidays for like $15 each. That's a lot of meat- delicious, delicious meat! Lol.
I insisted on a large standing freezer in the garage when we moved into our new house. It's more than paid for itself in the year we have had it.2 -
I can only eat tomatoes from my summer garden. Those hot house tomatoes in the grocery store taste like water. And they're expensive...
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As a farmer who sells produce, I find that customers want spotless vegetables. I run an organic farm and even though people understand that organic means more bug holes and imperfect fruits they still buy the prettiest and leave the rest. I can tell how much bug damage customers will tolerate and I preserve and use for myself the ones customers wont buy. They are use to buying only produce that looks good. A lot of time the best tasting stuff is number 1 on the menue for damaging insects.
NO, HYBRIDS DO NOT EQUAL GMOs. In nature, viruses do not bombard a cell until one gets through and that cell is reproduced. In nature fish genes are not transferred to tomatoes. And why are 99% of the GMOs merely current vegtables designed to take round up or other chemicals that could kill it in nature? It's so corporations can sell more chemicals not so we can raise more food with less water or to withstand more insect pressure.
If you find that heirloom varieties and your garden patch in general are not producing as you expected, it's because bug, disease and weed pressure are worst today than 10 or 20 years ago. I have been gardening or farming for most of my 60+ years and I can tell you for a fact destructive insects and disease are much worse today than ever before. And weeds have become so much more invasive. If you decide to grow organically stand by for some tough work. When I was younger, I would plant squash seed, then weed for a couple months. I would then forget about it until fall. Come fall I would harvest so much squash, I would be giving it away or at least selling it for pennies per pound.
But Not today. First you better put down mulch or your sqash will rot. Then you better have spray with some kind of antifungal or mildew will wipe out half of it. Don't forget to water and check calcium levels to avoid blossom end rot. And if that's not enough, the stink bugs, beetles and other insects will literally wipe out every plant you have if you don't use some kind of organic insect control. And then plan on weeding continuously or you'll never find where you planted them. Why it's so much tougher today is hard to say but I suspect it's the super weeds, diseases and insects from other countries that have hitched a ride on all that produce sold in grocery stores or the plants Walmart and other big box stores sell. I also think the birds, frogs, snakes and lizzards are so much fewer that the invasive insects get out of control. And then of course there is global warming that has introduced new bugs, drought and diseases to areas that never had them before. The farming environment for real organic vegtable farmers is much more difficult today than what it was 20 years ago.12 -
The produce market where we buy 90% of our fruits and veggies sells items that wouldn't pass the Beauty Queen standards at most grocery stores. (Some of them wouldn't even make Miss Congeniality.) But they've been successful for three generations now while charging a premium over grocery store prices. Apparently we have enough people in this not very large town who value taste and wholesomeness over superficial good looks.
As a bonus, this store puts slightly older produce in its markdown area, where it gets grabbed up as fast as they can put it out. And the items that are about to become unusable get picked up by a local food donation center, one of the few who accept perishable items.
The current owner is slightly younger than I so I'm hopeful this market will last out my time. We'd be very sorry indeed to lose them.3 -
cedarsidefarm wrote: »As a farmer who sells produce, I find that customers want spotless vegetables. I run an organic farm and even though people understand that organic means more bug holes and imperfect fruits they still buy the prettiest and leave the rest. I can tell how much bug damage customers will tolerate and I preserve and use for myself the ones customers wont buy. They are use to buying only produce that looks good. A lot of time the best tasting stuff is number 1 on the menue for damaging insects.
NO, HYBRIDS DO NOT EQUAL GMOs. In nature, viruses do not bombard a cell until one gets through and that cell is reproduced. In nature fish genes are not transferred to tomatoes. And why are 99% of the GMOs merely current vegtables designed to take round up or other chemicals that could kill it in nature? It's so corporations can sell more chemicals not so we can raise more food with less water or to withstand more insect pressure.
If you find that heirloom varieties and your garden patch in general are not producing as you expected, it's because bug, disease and weed pressure are worst today than 10 or 20 years ago. I have been gardening or farming for most of my 60+ years and I can tell you for a fact destructive insects and disease are much worse today than ever before. And weeds have become so much more invasive. If you decide to grow organically stand by for some tough work. When I was younger, I would plant squash seed, then weed for a couple months. I would then forget about it until fall. Come fall I would harvest so much squash, I would be giving it away or at least selling it for pennies per pound.
But Not today. First you better put down mulch or your sqash will rot. Then you better have spray with some kind of antifungal or mildew will wipe out half of it. Don't forget to water and check calcium levels to avoid blossom end rot. And if that's not enough, the stink bugs, beetles and other insects will literally wipe out every plant you have if you don't use some kind of organic insect control. And then plan on weeding continuously or you'll never find where you planted them. Why it's so much tougher today is hard to say but I suspect it's the super weeds, diseases and insects from other countries that have hitched a ride on all that produce sold in grocery stores or the plants Walmart and other big box stores sell. I also think the birds, frogs, snakes and lizzards are so much fewer that the invasive insects get out of control. And then of course there is global warming that has introduced new bugs, drought and diseases to areas that never had them before. The farming environment for real organic vegtable farmers is much more difficult today than what it was 20 years ago.
Where do you find genuine heirloom seeds?
Thoughts on the Dorito Effect? Cornucopia?
Always appreciate your insights, thx.0 -
@cedarsidefarm. One of these days I'm going to make it up to your farm if for no other reason than to enjoy rural NC. I'm in down in the Congested Area of Relocated Yankees.
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Where do you find genuine heirloom seeds?
Thoughts on the Dorito Effect? Cornucopia?
Always appreciate your insights, thx. [/quote]
Baker's Creek heirloom is a good source for heirloom seeds. Many times I've swapped with other farmers for a unique variety like apple melons from a couple in Kentucky who got it in South America. One of my favorite melons of all time. Takes a beating and just keeps producing and producing through drought and bugs. I think Bakers is selling his seeds now. If you get them, make sure they turn yellow before you pick them.
Flavor is complicated and dependent on where you are. I use to sell in a small town farmer's market and anything with a strong flavor like herbs, radishes and chicory leaves for spring salad wouldn't sell. But at a big city market these items sold easier though not as easy as the blander lettuce, tomatoes and eggplant. I do notice that hot and spicy is now in style and I can sell 11 different varieties of radshes many very hot where 5 years ago, most people only wanted the bland little, round, red, hard radishes sold in grocery stores. Have you read the book?
I'm not sure of what you mean by Cornucopia though.3 -
cedarsidefarm wrote: »Where do you find genuine heirloom seeds?
Thoughts on the Dorito Effect? Cornucopia?
Always appreciate your insights, thx.
Baker's Creek heirloom is a good source for heirloom seeds. Many times I've swapped with other farmers for a unique variety like apple melons from a couple in Kentucky who got it in South America. One of my favorite melons of all time. Takes a beating and just keeps producing and producing through drought and bugs. I think Bakers is selling his seeds now. If you get them, make sure they turn yellow before you pick them.
Flavor is complicated and dependent on where you are. I use to sell in a small town farmer's market and anything with a strong flavor like herbs, radishes and chicory leaves for spring salad wouldn't sell. But at a big city market these items sold easier though not as easy as the blander lettuce, tomatoes and eggplant. I do notice that hot and spicy is now in style and I can sell 11 different varieties of radshes many very hot where 5 years ago, most people only wanted the bland little, round, red, hard radishes sold in grocery stores. Have you read the book?
I'm not sure of what you mean by Cornucopia though.
Thanks.
I have listened to the Dorito Effect, expertly written and read, and it made me look at most food with an eye (and nose and tongue... ) even more jaundiced than before.
The Cornucopia Institute (Cornucopia.org) promotes healthy food practices and regulations on behalf of small family farms and consumers. Among other informational offerings, they have scorecards for the most common organic products and producers.0 -
Heirloom seeds by mail= treehugger.com/lawn-garden/10-best-seed-companies-selected-by-readers.html
In Canada only: https://heritageharvestseed.com/catalogues.html
In US: https://heritageharvestseed.com/catalogues.html
seedsavers.org/catalog
treehugger.com/green-food/4-heirloom-non-gmo-seed-sources-foodies-kitchen-gardeners-and-chefs.html
Our local communities run a big International Seed Day (end of April) Seed and Plant Exchange out here, kinda like a big farmers' market day. There are a lot of small commercial organic farms and market gardens in my area. A few are quite large and grow herbs and plants for Natural Factors vitamins & supplements.2 -
I have listened to the Dorito Effect, expertly written and read, and it made me look at most food with an eye (and nose and tongue... ) even more jaundiced than before.
The Cornucopia Institute (Cornucopia.org) promotes healthy food practices and regulations on behalf of small family farms and consumers. Among other informational offerings, they have scorecards for the most common organic products and producers. [/quote]
I'll have to look up Cornucopia. Sounds like an interesting organization. We go through Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) for our certification and work with Animal Welfare Approved to treat our farm animals humanly. Some of these organizations even give out grants for start up farmers.
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cedarsidefarm wrote: »I have listened to the Dorito Effect, expertly written and read, and it made me look at most food with an eye (and nose and tongue... ) even more jaundiced than before.
The Cornucopia Institute (Cornucopia.org) promotes healthy food practices and regulations on behalf of small family farms and consumers. Among other informational offerings, they have scorecards for the most common organic products and producers.
I'll have to look up Cornucopia. Sounds like an interesting organization. We go through Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) for our certification and work with Animal Welfare Approved to treat our farm animals humanely. Some of these organizations even give out grants for start up farmers.
Cornucopia sounds like it might be your cup of tea. I was referred by the manager of a small health products store. I had asked how they figure out which "organic" and other self-denominated "healthy" food to order, and he showed me the Cornucopia scorecards for eggs, dairy, pet food and other products they carry - very illuminating.
(The 20-year old store recently suffered the indignity of a Whole Foods build 3 blocks away. Sounds like they're holding their own, though.)
Here are Cornucopia's action alerts seeking support for wholesome regulatory and legislative decisions.
Articles from Cornucopia's news briefs are interesting, though not particularly uplifting much of the time (mostly relating to BigAg's ominous entries into the organic marketplace and regulatory system
).
PS Thanks for doing what you do!
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cedarsidefarm wrote: »I have listened to the Dorito Effect, expertly written and read, and it made me look at most food with an eye (and nose and tongue... ) even more jaundiced than before.
The Cornucopia Institute (Cornucopia.org) promotes healthy food practices and regulations on behalf of small family farms and consumers. Among other informational offerings, they have scorecards for the most common organic products and producers.
I'll have to look up Cornucopia. Sounds like an interesting organization. We go through Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) for our certification and work with Animal Welfare Approved to treat our farm animals humanely. Some of these organizations even give out grants for start up farmers.
Cornucopia sounds like it might be your cup of tea. I was referred by the manager of a small health products store. I had asked how they figure out which "organic" and other self-denominated "healthy" food to order, and he showed me the Cornucopia scorecards for eggs, dairy, pet food and other products they carry - very illuminating.
(The 20-year old store recently suffered the indignity of a Whole Foods build 3 blocks away. Sounds like they're holding their own, though.)
Here are Cornucopia's action alerts seeking support for wholesome regulatory and legislative decisions.
Articles from Cornucopia's news briefs are interesting, though not particularly uplifting much of the time (mostly relating to BigAg's ominous entries into the organic marketplace and regulatory system ).
PS Thanks for doing what you do!
Thanks for the link. I already got tied up in a story about Organic Hydroponics. To me the two words just can't be in the same sentence and I have always thought those winter giant sweet peppers were hydroponics. I've bookmarked it for later reading....thanks again for the info.1
