Planting your own Garden

Welcome back to the Coverin the Bases section of Ridin Out the Recession with Dub and Deb! Deb and I have so far discussed food storage. In this we talked about the pro and con issues of home canning, and the use of the Foodsaver Vacuum Sealing System. Both these types of food storage Deb and I find very beneficial and work really, really well for our needs. If you haven't tried them yet, we both highly recommend you look at one, and if at all possible, both systems.

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Last time we discussed having a source for water. If you've ever been without power for any length of time due to storms, floods, whatever, we feel water is something you really need to look at, too. Water is not a luxury, it is a necessity! If any way possible, you need a backup water supply. As we showed in our example, a hand pitcher pump works extremely well for Deb and I here in Florida. This I'm sure is not the case for everyone due to water table depths, types of soil, rocky, etc., but talk with people in your area to see if you might be able to come up with a solution for your own needs. Possibly if you have figured out a way to have an accessible supply of water in regards to your own area, how about commenting in our column to help out other people who might not know a solution at this point. Today we're going to talk about a another subject Deb and I have considered and did what we felt necessary, in regards to coverin' our own bases, in regards to ridin' out the recession. So let's get started.

Gardens:

This subject here was of vital concern to us as well, and I'm sure you can see immediately why this would be a concern. The first reason is merely to offset food cost, but if you've eaten fresh, right out of the garden produce you see there's a tremendous taste difference as well. It's just plain better! Secondly, we've said before that if we don't work, we don't eat it's that simple, no ifs, ands, or buts. With this being the case, our garden may quickly be going from simply offsetting our food cost, to being one of our major food sources. This could literally happen overnight. Once again, you need to do what you feel you need to do in regards to your own family. If you feel all this is "hogwash," that is your prerogative, but nothing is a given in today's political, or societal environment. There are areas of unrest spanning the globe, and don't think for one minute something can't happen, because in reality it can. Here's a comment from True Patriot:

"Thanks so much. This is very helpful. We all certainly need to begin stocking up. I have no doubt we may be facing food riots very soon. "The stores are shelving smaller sizes and higher prices on most everything. "Thanks for all of your tips." Thank you, True Patriot!

Stop and think about what the man has just said...what if this does come to pass? Are you and your family in the best shape you can be? An extra bag of rice, beans, flour, cornmeal...all these are relatively cheap, but all filling. Do you see what's going on in the Middle East? Imagine that continuing to "flare up." What could fuel possibly rise to? All our groceries are delivered to the markets by trucks, trucks run on what? You got it! What would $10-$12 a gallon fuel , or even higher for that matter, do to food prices? Our corn reserves today are lower than they've been in the last 15 years. Do you know how many corn by-products there are, hundreds if not thousands. I've gotta tell you guys, I'm not a nutcase, though Deb may disagree, nor am I a "Rambo type" survivalist, BUT I am a realist, and if you can't look around you in today's world and not be concerned with anything we're talking about here, I'm sorry, but you're living in a box! If you'll take a look at the gardening tips section of Ridin' Out the Recession, you'll see we posted a video of a couple and their backyard garden. Their entire backyard I believe they said was 35'x50'. This isn't a very big area but they had utilized their space very well. Their main garden area was a 13'x50' with two or three smaller areas. I think they called it their "Gerald Celente Urban Area Depression Garden." The video again was shown to show everyone the possibilities that are out there in regards to gardening, and that you don't have to live in a rural environment to have a true productive garden. What's the old saying, "Good things come in small packages," and this is a prime example of that! If you're not very knowledgeable in, or don't have any type of gardening background, honestly don't let that stop you! Talk to friends, neighbors and your own family members. I'm sure all would be glad to furnish you with tips. One piece of advice I'd recommend you do, is buy a 2011 Edition of "The Old Farmer's Almanac." That is unless you don't read this column until after Dec. 31, 2011, and if that was truly the case I'd suggest you can this last bit of information and actually buy a 2012 Edition! LOL! The Almanac, though is a wealth of information plus I feel it's got good reading in it too. Many of these things the Almanac show you things I'd heard talked about by my Granddaddy, my Dad, and several of Deb's family. This is planting by the Moon's Phase. Just a couple of examples:

• Plant flowers and vegetables that bear crops above ground during the light, or waxing of the Moon; from the day the Moon is new to the day it is full.
• Plant flowering bulbs and vegetables that bear crops below ground during the dark, or waning Moon; from the day it is full to the day before it is new again.
• The Almanac also tells you the dates to plant the different varieties of plants as well, throughout each area of the country. To me, it is very helpful in regards to all this.

Deb and I'll be starting to plant our garden March 4^th. We'll share some pictures with ya'll. We'll be planting sweet corn, beans, cucumbers, broccoli, squash, onions, peppers, and maybe the best in my opinion, tomatoes. We started gardening in earnest a couple years ago. We have a little tractor and disc and we turned up originally a 100'x100' plot. After using the disc to break the ground up to begin with, I now till it using a walk behind tiller. We ended up fencing in an area of 100'x50'. This size garden allowed us to put up over 200 quarts of peas and we froze over 200 ears of corn last year, plus we ate out of it and gave food away too. I'm sure this spring we'll at least double the size at some point to have more area for our late summer, early fall planting. On the original 100'x100' we had 20 tons of chicken manure brought in, spread it, then I cut it in, on and off for about six months, because using that much, it would have burnt up anything you tried to plant, if I hadn't continued to cut it in and mix with the existing soil. The original dirt is basically sand so we had to build the soil, and this is where the chicken manure came in. Now we're on a program between crops. I open one end of the garden fence and let the cows come in and eat what's left. I then keep the fence down and hay 'em in the garden spot so that they contribute to the soil as well. Their manure, plus the little bit of hay remnants all are turned back into the soil. Over the winter, I have a couple guys that work for us go through the pastures and load the gator up with cow manure, bring it into the garden area, spread it over the whole area, and let it lay about a month. Then we till it in and do it twice more over the winter. As a matter of fact, we just tilled the last manure we'd spread earlier in the month this morning, and started bringing it in one more time. We'll finish in another day or two, let it sit a week or so, till it in and start the planting this coming month. We cover it in manure 3 times over the winter, continually building up the soil. We used a 6' tall small panel livestock fence to close the garden area off. We had to because of our cows, but also have to keep out wild hogs, and deer. I know the deer will clear a 6' fence just like it ain't there if they want, but so far they've not been a problem. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one, but still have 5' of fence posts left standing in the air that we could put up another 6' run of fence on, but so far haven't needed it. We have about 25-40 wild turkeys each morning that come eat up under a big ole Live Oak, I feed them there so we can drink coffee on the porch and watch em. Deb calls em our "Obama turkeys" since they all come up looking for a handout! In closing today I'd really like to stress to you the importance I feel in regards to you starting to garden some. If you haven't done much of it, start off simple, a couple tomato plants, some pepper plants, squash, whatever you and your family like to eat. I believe once you start it'll grow on you, and it's something the whole family can be involved in. Good, clean quality time with your kids as well. But remember, times don't look too swift out there right now, and me personally, I don't look for anything changing dramatically for "the good," in the near future. Gardening could literally be food in your family's mouth if these economic times continue! Let's all hope and pray I'm wrong in my feelings, because I'd be one "happy camper" if I were. Food is once again an investment in today's times. Worst case scenario food wise for our family is this...everything turns absolutely rosy in the morning, the economy explodes with growth, job openings reach the best levels we've ever experienced in our Country's history...guess what? We'll eat what we put up, and have saved money in the process, a win-win for us! Think about it! Thanks for stopping by, and God Bless you all. God Bess the United States of America too! Dub...out! Oh, shoot! I almost forgot, I have a great email from Roger, I'd love to share with you guys. I know you'll enjoy it, plus listen to what he's tellin' you and his own experience with job loss, and what it meant to him to be gardening, home canning, etc. This is a great testament for what we're telling you in regards to Coverin' the Bases, while Ridin' Out the recession! Listen Roger, thanks so much for takin' the time, first to stop by, and secondly to take the time to share with us! Great stuff and good, solid info! You also sound as if you may be quite a "character" in your own right! Dub and Deb

"Hi guys! This is Roger up in Virginia. I married a north of the Mason Dixon line girl from the other side of the tracks 25 years ago and she barely knew how to cook. "Over the years she's been amazed that I had known and kept secret all those old techniques that my grandmother and my mother had shown us kids over the years when they were alive. "They both passed years ago, and I managed over the years to collect all the canning stuff up and store it. When we moved to Stafford, Va. I bought a rotor tiller and started putting in small patch gardens and terraced hill side gardens around on the property. I started raising tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, corn, onions and potatoes. "I started canning things a couple of years ago when things were going well financially for us and just storing them in case things ever went south. The wife used to laugh at my quaint little country ways until I lost the job I had for worked for the last 15 years. Those days here and there during the summer canning and storing have paid off during this economic downturn. She's glad that I acquired the things to save a dime these days. "I raise the garden stuff, hunt when things are in season and fish out on the Potomac River during the summer. I bought my vacuum seal machine a couple of years ago and next to the canning equipment, it was probably one of the best purchases I've ever made. That thing sure makes frozen meat storage nice neat and easy. You can repackage the meats from the grocery store and mix in the wild game and fish during the year to stock up for the cold season. It works for the long term storage of certain things, too. Like survival packaged bulk rice, dried beans, bulk oatmeal and such. Something of interest that I came across recently was vacuum sealed bag material that protected the contents from light and provided an even longer shelf life for stored food stuffs. "Ha! Guess I'll have to show the wife the new sewing machine I bought last year and just stored away with the old one I've been keeping for years. She doesn't sew either! Guess I'll have to show her a trick or two with that. Ha! My mother and grandmother didn't miss a trick! They even showed us how to milk the cow, churn the butter, collect the eggs and kill, pluck and store those 8-10 lb roasters. The vacuum seal technology will make that routine pretty easy when we get to that point where I can raise chickens and get 'em to stay quiet to avoid hearing from the neighbors. "Anyway! Keep up the good work and I'll keep an eye out for your articles."

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