How "red" is KY? (gardens, special education, best)

[dixiegirl7]

Originally Posted by missymomof3

I completely agree! I think it is more about the convenience/laziness than anything. I have seen babies with kool-aid in their bottles many times

That really drives me crazy or when they put babies to bed with their bottles in their mouth and it rots their little teeth before they even come in. My sister worked for a dentist and saw a lot of that.

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by dixiegirl7

That really drives me crazy or when they put babies to bed with their bottles in their mouth and it rots their little teeth before they even come in. My sister worked for a dentist and saw a lot of that.

I agree! I don't know if it is because so many young mothers are just ignorant of it or just too lazy to care.

[llgator]

Originally Posted by bowlinggreenorbust

You could give me all the seeds in the world and in a couple of YEARS I MIGHT be able to grow something. That's just no something I know how to do.

I realize this is going FAR off-topic but since this thread wandered into this direction, here's a thought. I'm not sure you you're really interested in learning but I've been growing a small garden for a lot of years and I love it. It's not too hard and there's nothing better than eating produce that you've grown yourself. Let me tell you how to get started with the perfect (IMHO) small garden. I grow tomatoes, green beans, and basil. That's it. I buy the rest at the farmer's market as it comes in.

If you want to try the little garden, here's how you do it. Next spring, choose a sunny spot in your yard or a flower bed and use a spade or rent a tiller and break up the soil. It's best to start out with a small space and just a few selections. Buy 4 or 5 tomato plants at a local garden center or discount store and put them out when the ground warms up---well after the danger of frost. Keep them watered well while they become established. Also buy a packet of green bean seeds (Kentucky Wonder or Blue Lake pole beans) and some bamboo poles. Construct 2 or 3 bamboo teepees and plant the seeds around the base of your teepees---usually around Derby Day is the right time. The pole bean plants will climb the teepees and bear green beans all summer for you. Be sure to get pole bean seeds, not bush beans. Bush beans typically bear for a shorter time and take a lot more space so go with the pole beans. Another reason to grow pole beans is that they look very cool and are easy to harvest. Last, buy some basil plants at the same place you buy the tomato plants and the bean seeds and plant these in the same sunny spot.

Yum! There's nothing better than having sliced tomatoes and a "mess" of freshly snapped green beans from your own patch. The basil is a perfect complement to the vegetables and is also wonderful to make pesto to be tossed with pasta. For a great internet resource on home gardening in Kentucky, refer to the University of Kentucky's Agriculture publication: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf

In the meantime, I hope you've already found both the farmer's markets in Bowling Green, open on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Home and the other one on Scottsville Road in the Hobby Lobby parking lot.

You should also check out this website: Home They grow wonderful vegetables locally and will email you weekly about their current fresh crops if you sign up for their newsletter. They are legendary for their fresh asparagus in the spring and their farm fresh eggs are really wonderful too!

[bowlinggreenorbust]

Originally Posted by llgator

I realize this is going FAR off-topic but since this thread wandered into this direction, here's a thought. I'm not sure you you're really interested in learning but I've been growing a small garden for a lot of years and I love it. It's not too hard and there's nothing better than eating produce that you've grown yourself. Let me tell you how to get started with the perfect (IMHO) small garden. I grow tomatoes, green beans, and basil. That's it. I buy the rest at the farmer's market as it comes in.

If you want to try the little garden, here's how you do it. Next spring, choose a sunny spot in your yard or a flower bed and use a spade or rent a tiller and break up the soil. It's best to start out with a small space and just a few selections. Buy 4 or 5 tomato plants at a local garden center or discount store and put them out when the ground warms up---well after the danger of frost. Keep them watered well while they become established. Also buy a packet of green bean seeds (Kentucky Wonder or Blue Lake pole beans) and some bamboo poles. Construct 2 or 3 bamboo teepees and plant the seeds around the base of your teepees---usually around Derby Day is the right time. The pole bean plants will climb the teepees and bear green beans all summer for you. Be sure to get pole bean seeds, not bush beans. Bush beans typically bear for a shorter time and take a lot more space so go with the pole beans. Another reason to grow pole beans is that they look very cool and are easy to harvest. Last, buy some basil plants at the same place you buy the tomato plants and the bean seeds and plant these in the same sunny spot.

Yum! There's nothing better than having sliced tomatoes and a "mess" of freshly snapped green beans from your own patch. The basil is a perfect complement to the vegetables and is also wonderful to make pesto to be tossed with pasta. For a great internet resource on home gardening in Kentucky, refer to the University of Kentucky's Agriculture publication: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf

In the meantime, I hope you've already found both the farmer's markets in Bowling Green, open on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Home and the other one on Scottsville Road in the Hobby Lobby parking lot.

You should also check out this website: Home They grow wonderful vegetables locally and will email you weekly about their current fresh crops if you sign up for their newsletter. They are legendary for their fresh asparagus in the spring and their farm fresh eggs are really wonderful too!

I'm really hoping we're buying by next year so I CAN have a garden! I was at the farmer's market today! I picked up some bell peppers from one man and was off looking at other stuff. He came running after me with a bag saying "You would have been mad if you forgot these!" I assured him I sure would have! When I got home I realized I was already holding the bag from his booth! He sent me home with 4 bell peppers and a bunch of eggplant

And thank you so much for the link to O'Daniel. I had it bookmarked on an old computer, and I haven't been able to find it since!

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by llgator

I realize this is going FAR off-topic but since this thread wandered into this direction, here's a thought. I'm not sure you you're really interested in learning but I've been growing a small garden for a lot of years and I love it. It's not too hard and there's nothing better than eating produce that you've grown yourself. Let me tell you how to get started with the perfect (IMHO) small garden. I grow tomatoes, green beans, and basil. That's it. I buy the rest at the farmer's market as it comes in.

If you want to try the little garden, here's how you do it. Next spring, choose a sunny spot in your yard or a flower bed and use a spade or rent a tiller and break up the soil. It's best to start out with a small space and just a few selections. Buy 4 or 5 tomato plants at a local garden center or discount store and put them out when the ground warms up---well after the danger of frost. Keep them watered well while they become established. Also buy a packet of green bean seeds (Kentucky Wonder or Blue Lake pole beans) and some bamboo poles. Construct 2 or 3 bamboo teepees and plant the seeds around the base of your teepees---usually around Derby Day is the right time. The pole bean plants will climb the teepees and bear green beans all summer for you. Be sure to get pole bean seeds, not bush beans. Bush beans typically bear for a shorter time and take a lot more space so go with the pole beans. Another reason to grow pole beans is that they look very cool and are easy to harvest. Last, buy some basil plants at the same place you buy the tomato plants and the bean seeds and plant these in the same sunny spot.

Yum! There's nothing better than having sliced tomatoes and a "mess" of freshly snapped green beans from your own patch. The basil is a perfect complement to the vegetables and is also wonderful to make pesto to be tossed with pasta. For a great internet resource on home gardening in Kentucky, refer to the University of Kentucky's Agriculture publication: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf

In the meantime, I hope you've already found both the farmer's markets in Bowling Green, open on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Home and the other one on Scottsville Road in the Hobby Lobby parking lot.

You should also check out this website: Home They grow wonderful vegetables locally and will email you weekly about their current fresh crops if you sign up for their newsletter. They are legendary for their fresh asparagus in the spring and their farm fresh eggs are really wonderful too!

I have had a garden every year for the last three years. Don't do like I did my first year, I had a HUGE garden and got overwhelmed. Right now I have pole beans, tomatoes, okra, zucchini and sweet potatoes (they take a while). The first year I had everything you can think of and the dang animals kept getting ahold of some of it (my yard had woods running along two sides of it) and I kept getting poison ivy lol Just be careful, keep it managable and you'll be fine.

[llgator]

Hey BGorbust....if you haven't already registered to vote, DON'T forget!

You have to register at least 28 days before the general election. It will be here before you know it! Here's the Kentucky Secretary of State's website where you can get registration instructions, print the form and mail it. Kentucky: State Board of Elections - Register to Vote

[RUBIES77]

Originally Posted by Jamie40829

I cant see how this state could vote for a republican again after what has happened to the economy the past 7 years..... the last I checked we were number 10 in highest unemployment? Has that changed any? But yeah it will go red again this fall I would guess.

With Obama in place, I doubt the economy is going to get any better!

[bowlinggreenorbust]

Originally Posted by llgator

Hey BGorbust....if you haven't already registered to vote, DON'T forget!

You have to register at least 28 days before the general election. It will be here before you know it! Here's the Kentucky Secretary of State's website where you can get registration instructions, print the form and mail it. Kentucky: State Board of Elections - Register to Vote

Wed night I packed up and moved back to Texas. I don't know if it's for good or just temp. But it looks like I'll be voting here.

[llgator]

Well, very best of luck to you!

[blue_eyedgirl]

Originally Posted by timelesschild

I understand. I notice that you and Dixie Girl (and myself) have parents and grandparents who have handed down the growing-vegetable lore. Many of the folks who don't know how, don't know how because they haven't been taught.

Sandman is also correct in that none of us are owed anything.

The bottom line is that people do not grow gardens because they don't know how. And although it is of course possible to grow gardens in Kentucky, there is a reason why people kept moving on from Kentucky back in frontier days - and the reason most-often cited was that the soil is somewhat poor and hard to work. Add to this the problem that many people have been raised to watch eat junk food in front of the television, and voila, you have a situation where gardens are simply not considered as a food source by many.

I agree that it would be better if people were growing gardens.

My grandparents on both sides were farmers in Grayson County and my parents put out an enormous garden every year. It produces so much that my poor mama can't even give it all away. I do believe that gardening and putting up your own vegetables is a rapidly disappearing way of life and that is so very sad. Yeah, I grew up with junk food but I also grew up with fresh meats and vegetables. I was allowed junk food as an occasional treat but it wasn't something we ate everyday. Out of all my siblings I am the only one who developed an interest in gardening and making my own food. I would much rather have food (veggies, meats, dairy, etc.) that is local and home grown than the alternative. Now if I could just master the art of making my own bread I would be set!

I have never heard before that the soil in Kentucky is "poor and hard to work." Is this more of a regional occurance? Sorry if this has already been answered. I haven't read all of the respones yet.