Monday, February 23, 2009

Garden Production

Our garden produces a good portion of our food all year long. I spend many hours in the summer canning and freezing for our winter needs. In our area, we can start planting cold weather crops sometime in early March. By April, we are enjoying fresh garden lettuce! We also can extend our growing season into November so we can still enjoy fresh veggies in late November with just a little planning.

The question has been asked about how much produce do I buy at the grocery store. Here is my best estimation. In the summer, I don't buy produce much at all. In late July or August, I might buy lettuce to make a salad every now and then. We usually just eat whatever is abundant in our own garden during the summer. I shop every two weeks, and each trip I always purchase a 10 pound bag of potatoes, a bag of onions, several cloves of garlic, a bag of baby carrots, and bananas. In the summer, this is usually all I pick up, but in the winter I add more. Often times I will add extra potatoes in the winter because we eat a lot more meals with mashed potatoes. In the winter, I always buy enough lettuce to make a couple of salads each week. I will usually purchase a pack of mushrooms each shopping trip as well. I also will grab a head of cabbage if I am making coleslaw. I have frozen cabbage in my freezer, but I can't make slaw out of that! I make coleslaw about once a month depending on the meals I am serving. During the winter months, I will usually pick up a couple of fresh broccoli stalks and a couple bags of frozen peas or frozen lima beans. I almost always pick up several sweet potatoes each shopping trip during the winter. My children love baked sweet potatoes for lunch!

Please keep in mind that I might grab something out of the ordinary for a special side dish, but that doesn't happen often. I would NEVER serve Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato Sandwiches in the winter. They just don't taste good. However, that is a common late summertime dinner at our house.

We eat vegetables with almost every meal. I usually want something green on the table. This isn't because I am such a health nut. This is because that is the way I like to eat. I eat meat, but it doesn't bother me to do without it. I like to serve roast, potatoes, and carrots with green beans or cooked broccoli or even cooked cabbage . If something happens and the green side dish doesn't get made, I am also fine to eat pickled beets from our pantry. That serves as my vegetable. I also make a green tomato side dish that I can in the summertime. On those cold winter nights that I am serving beans, I will get my veggie fix with green tomatoes.

With all that being said, that means our garden produces the rest of our vegetable needs. Keep in mind that in the summer I do purchase from local stands and other farmers for our strawberries, peaches, blueberries, apples, and corn. This year I am hoping to grow our own corn, but I will still have to purchase the other things. I am also hoping to once again have a potato patch. We have never grown sweet potatoes and those are on my list for this year as well.

I hope this glimpse into my garden will help you as you plan yours. Please keep in mind that we started out small. Our first garden produced enough to eat fresh. Our next garden produced enough to can tomatoes and green beans and a few pickles. We have been at this for 8 years and each year we add something new or learn something new. That is the fun of gardening...it is never the same. I am constantly reading to learn more or asking questions of other gardeners. It is great to get with other people and pick their brain about their gardens. Gardening is always a work in progress.

grace and peace,
julie

6 comments:

TX Doodler said...

I have a quick question about buying & starting your own seeds. Is it important to be selective in choosing which seed companies to buy from? I just don't understand why I can buy a pack of Burpee seeds from Home Depot for .99 & the mail order packs are $2.95 a pak or more. Park Seed claims that some of their hybrid seeds are "superior to disease & bacterial speck". Is it worth that much extra money? What is your take on it & where do you buy seeds to start with? Thanks for sharing your gardening experiences! :)

TnFullQuiver said...

TxDoodler,
I use Heirloom Acres to purchase my seeds. I like the heirloom varieties because I want the ability to save seeds if I choose to do so. I go grow a few hybrid things, but not many. For my hybrid seeds such as Ambrosia Cantaloupe I purchase them at our local farm store in the packets. Home Depot or Walmart would also work fine. It is just a lot more money to purchase seeds by the packet than from Heirloom acres. One packet of seed might cost $1.99 but there may only be 10 cantaloupe seeds. At Heirloom Acres, i may pay $2.50 but there are 100 seeds. (I am just making up generalizations here on the numbers because I am not exactly for sure). While the small seed packets are cheaper at Walmart, there just aren't many seeds in them. If you are only growing a small garden, it would be cheaper for you to purchase from a local store. I am not picky, but I have been VERY pleased with Heirloom Acre seeds. I have a hard time determining how much seeds I need each year. Last year I ordered WAY too much. I have kept them in a refrigerator and I am using them this year. I will not have to purchase much at all for this year so at least I didn't waste my money. I hope this helps. It all comes down to trial and error.
grace and peace,
julie

Paige said...
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Paige said...

Oh wow! I just looked at their website! I love it! Seriously, a simple, straightforward business without the hype! And some great varieties that I've only read about! Thanks for sharing!

Paige said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
TnFullQuiver said...

Paige,
The other great thing about Heirloom Acres is how helpful they are on the phone. They are willing to answer questions and spend a bit of time helping you decide. Hope you enjoy. By the way, I went to your blog last night and I am so enjoying being able to "see" your life all the way up in Maine. Love ya,
julie