Home Farm Produce

Home Farm Produce

We have a small home farm, well, that’s how we think of it. It is more of a teeny tiny carved out section of our suburban yard

Each year we plant tomatoes not only because we like them but also we know that they will grow for us. We planted potatoes because some of our store-bought ones started to sprout and we figured we might as well give them a chance. We planted the bottom of a red-leaf lettuce when I read somewhere that it would grow, and it has; we’ve been enjoying the crispy new leaves in our nightly salads. The zucchini plants have grown high and with the bright yellow flowers, we expect some yummy veggies soon.

Last year we bought a small, thornless blackberry bush. It produced a few berries but most of them went to the birds before they ripened. This year the bush spread out, sending shoots in a wide circle. I haphazardly tossed some netting around them to see if we would get any berries for ourselves this season. Boy, are we getting fruit!

We wrapped screening around the plantings to keep out the squirrels. We (mostly my husband) fertilize the plants with natural products and water them but otherwise we kind of leave them alone. Yes, I talk to them, telling each how much I appreciate its providing us with such beautiful, edible products.

We are delighted with it all, considering we really know not much about farming; we are more improvisers than farmers. But our home farm produce connects us with something larger than ourselves. Each time we bite into a tomato that has come from our own garden, we pay attention – to its flavor, its value. When we pick the berries, we know exactly where they have come from. We are all part of nature. What a joyful thing to experience.

Two sites to help you make your own vegetable garden:

http://www.vegetable-gardening-online.com/making-a-vegetable-garden.html

http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/vegetable-gardening/5069.html?SC=XNET9465

Brussels Sprouts on the Stalk

Brussels Sprouts on the Stalk

Years ago, when my children were in elementary school, I used to bring in raw foods to show them how our food grows. Peas in the pod, corn in the husk, strawberries on the vine, peanuts in the shell, you get the idea. Can’t do that today, of course, but it was interesting to see their surprise at the natural state of things.

My local Trader Joe’s, in the past couple of years, has been bringing in Brussels sprouts on the stalk. I find I am just as excited to see how they grow as the kids were back then. There is something satisfying in connecting with the emerging process. Seeing the tomatoes grow in my garden is extremely pleasing.  To watch each stage of a tomato as it develops, to hold it in my hand while it is still warm from the afternoon sun, is a treat. 

Origins are intriguing. They hint at possibilities. They are Act One in an ever-changing play. Each beginning brings with it unknown potential that responds to nurturing or its lack. It expresses its uniqueness even within its group identity. Every grape in a bunch is different even if they all taste sweet.

Brussels sprouts are a good example of hidden promise. They are rather strange looking and not always the favorite choice of diners but they pack a nutritional wallop that should have us clamoring for them. Here is a profile that should have you looking at Brussels sprouts with respect: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=10

I think that seeing how our food grows is important. It helps to keep us interrelated within the chain of life. Our supermarkets are filled with artificial products that contain non-food additives, which we are learning are not in our best interest to ingest. The fewer the ingredients, the better. We should be able to pronounce the ingredients. And do we really want food that has an extended shelf life? Fruits and vegetables in the produce aisles are identifiable, fresh, and, if organic, pesticide free. I would love to see everyone have access to real food and to make choices that support healthy eating.

The US Department of Agriculture has some simple tips to help you eat well:

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips.html

We Have Potatoes!

We Have Potatoes!

I took some time off from talking about my backyard to just enjoying it. (I hope some of you missed me.) The heat has been oppressive so we have been watering a lot and trying to remember to drink more water ourselves.

Even so, the small vegetable garden we planted was showing signs of distress despite our watering. (Here is where we really show our city roots.) The potatoes, which had sent out such beautiful stems and leaves seemed to have given up. The leaves wilted and the ground looked forlorn. So we decided to dig up the plants, replenish the dirt, and plant something else. We were happily surprised to discover potatoes were under there after all! Not a whole lot and some were not very large but they existed. This was from a couple of potatoes that had sprouted and graced my kitchen windowsill for some time this spring. They were so vibrant that they just called out to be planted.

Everything is a learning experience. We learned that these were our seed potatoes, the potatoes from which the others would sprout. And we found out that it was time to harvest when the stems died back. We did the right things but from intuition rather than knowledge. We’ll know better for next year. Lucky for us, we planted some more seed potatoes (in different spots of our yard) for the sheer joy of them growing. They seem to be flourishing. Can you see me grinning?

This is a great site for the basics:

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/potato.cfm

Summer Squash

Summer Squash

I love this season. It’s exciting to see the vegetable plants starting to sprout. They express themselves so beautifully, even in our makeshift garden. They don’t seem to be bothered that we have so little space for them – only our small side yard has the needed hours of sunlight. So we grow one or two plants wherever we can fit them, starting vines in pots and letting them reach out across the lawn.

On one of our recent trips to the nursery, we were attracted to the squash seedlings. There are so many squash varieties that it is almost impossible not to find one that appeals. They tend to be fast growers, good for those of us who are impatient for home-grown goodness. We put in a couple of Yellow Straightneck plants and now there are flowers bursting into bloom. Underneath we can see the beginnings of the veggies. I understand that it is best to pick them when they are about six-inches, not too large. When the light yellow turns to darker yellow they are over-mature and the plant slows down its production so it pays to be ready when the squash is.

Squash is nutritious and delicious. I am already thinking of recipes – sautéed with chopped scallions, some sliced mushrooms, and a dash of apple cider vinegar perhaps, or maybe sliced lengthwise, brushed with a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with fresh basil (I love basil), and baked, or just plain steamed - all good.

I am enjoying the process, seeing the leaves and flowers unfold, checking on the daily growth of the veggies; whatever we get to eat is a bonus. For me this is dabbling in a mini-farming adventure but it has helped me to appreciate the true farmers of the world.

Extensive info about summer squash:

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/ssquash.cfm

and do click on the link for Basic Gardening – it will get you off to a great start!