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So, I was about to continue on about chickens in the dairy/co-op thread (great tips, AW1964 - thanks!) and figured I'd start a new thread before I got miles off topic...
One of the things we want to do next year is compost, plant a garden, and possibly raise chickens. The compost and garden is my idea; the chickens are DH's idea.
I've dabbled in tomatoes before and I have a pretty steady herb garden but I'm branching out into raised beds with lots of veggies.
What food do you raise at your homes and what are your best tips for starting out on this venture? Your go-to websites for reference and how-to? Things you know now that you wish you knew before?
My wife if the family farmer. This year she planted three 40ft traditional raised beds and a small box bed as a kitchen garden:
The main beds produce asparagus, rasberries, pumpkin and other squash, snap(?) peas, regular peas, green beans, toms (roma, early girls, various heirlooms), various peppers, cukes, corn, spuds, carrots, rhubarb, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower (which was supposed to be brocolli!). The carrots and cauliflower and sprouts were mostly duds, but everything else produced bundles of fresh produce all summer.
The kitchen garden was for salad greens, herbs, and cherry toms. Much more convenient to step out the door and pick than haul all the way down to the main garden. The cherry toms were still producing in the 3rd week of October.
Sorry - the pics are from spring. Top tip: those cut-off gallon milk jugs are great for protecting seedlings from late frost. Get a soil PH testing kit or device to check for compatibility or to know what to add for your plant choices. We're planning on adding a small greenhouse to get our own seedlings going. The seedlings purchased at local nurseries were not as good as the seeds we germinated ourselves. The greenhouse gives you a jumpstart on planting.
I don't raise my own food but I definitely go out and get it myself. I'm about to go clean 4 ducks when I get off work. Have another 7 marinating in the fridge for Thanksgiving. I have 10 more in my parents freezer from my hunt back home last month that will be cooked up for xmas dinner.
I'd post up some pics but I assume it might rub some people the wrong way.
The only other food I raise myself are hot peppers. I have one big plant on my balcony during the summer that I bring in during the winter. I LOVE super spicy food so I decided to raise my own. Last xmas I put some bulbs on it and made it our "xmas tree". The thing looks really pathetic in winter and looses most of it's leaves. It looked worse than Charlie Brown's tree.
we grow our own veggies..everything except corn. We used to do corn, but it takes up a lot of room. I don't mind getting them from the roadside stands and paying $3.00 for a 1/2 dozen...
one year I had hot peppers by mistake! They were mixed in with the bell peppers and I picked them all at the same time. Within minutes I had blisters on my fingers from the oil of the hot peppers. WOW, they were hot!
I gave them all away, as I don't do spicy!
we are still eating potatoes, carrots and beets! mmmm mmmm mmmmm
I miss the tomatoes... I refuse to buy whatever that red stuff is in the supermarket!
I used to grow wonderful hot peppers, but I find that the NH growing season just isn't long enough... I'm consider myself lucky to get a yield of jalopenos or serranos, and always try to leave the peppers on the plant until ripe (red) but the hotter varieties (red savina habanero, rocoto, etc) just don't get a chance to ripen for me here. Next year I'll try something called "wall of waters" and see if that works to extend the growing season...
Here's is a picture of the Red Savs that I grew living in St. Louis, as you can see it's Christmas time: EEK they pulled my picture!!! (looks like they don't allow for direct linking... AHA! I saved it onto photobucket:
Anyway, here is some info on hot peppers if anyone is interested: http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/seabreeze2k2/peppers.html a non-commercial, "frozen in time" website... You've got to scroll down to see my Christmas Peppers...
Quote:
Originally Posted by fishnfool
The only other food I raise myself are hot peppers. I have one big plant on my balcony during the summer that I bring in during the winter. I LOVE super spicy food so I decided to raise my own. Last xmas I put some bulbs on it and made it our "xmas tree". The thing looks really pathetic in winter and looses most of it's leaves. It looked worse than Charlie Brown's tree.
Last edited by Valerie C; 11-24-2008 at 08:53 PM..
Reason: added website link... added picture of peppers
The fresh flavors of garden raised vegetables is far superior to store bought. Although we also had problems with cukes and tomatoes this years, other vegetables did quite well, such as green peppers, beans and squashes.
I transplanted 12 or so wild high bush blueberries into an existing plot along with others we already had planted by the birds years ago. The one or two gallons of berries we pick is about the only harvest we freeze for winter use. Used along with our home made maple syrup, Blueberry pancakes and such, are high on our weekend menus.
And, with the economy, we are considering raising a critters next spring. It can be a lot of work and cost but time will tell. A little more consideration is planned for that aspect.
it's great hearing about all this, it's right up my alley. i harbor fancy notions of living on a small farm in NH sometime in the not- too- distant future and raising all (or at least lots) of food myself while hubby brings home the occasional deer, (all pre-processed for me of course ) ok, well, he's the gun guy, but i'm most interested in the veggie-fruit-herb aspect, would love to operate a farm stand one day- it's great hearing about what will grow up there, a greenhouse would definately be in order for jump starting all that good stuff!!! a berry patch and a small orchard would be heaven. (sigh) any one know what kind of fruit trees do best in the southern-to-mid parts of the state?
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ok, well, he's the gun guy, but i'm most interested in the veggie-fruit-herb aspect, would love to operate a farm stand one day- it's great hearing about what will grow up there, a greenhouse would definately be in order for jump starting all that good stuff!!! a berry patch and a small orchard would be heaven. (sigh) any one know what kind of fruit trees do best in the southern-to-mid parts of the state?
