The Food Journey

     I used to be an extreme couponer.  I would walk out of the grocery store saving 50-70% off of my food bill.  I had a food stockpile that gave me a sense of security.  Power outage?  No problem.  I had plenty of food to see us through it for several weeks - until my daughter and I couldn't eat it anymore.    My couponing came to a grinding halt.  

    Everything was boxed, canned and/or processed.   Some of the cans weren't too bad like the vegetables and a few of the fruits.  However, the rest was no longer edible for us.  I had to give almost my entire stockpile to my eldest daughter and her family.  My large supply of food had dwindled to almost nothing.  After getting sick from eating a can of generic brand corn, I realized I had to switch to organic foods. I discovered a hard fact: there are little to no coupons for organic foods.

    A few weeks ago, I discovered that Monsanto is lobbying against labeling GMO products, and that some organics may begin containing them if they don't already.  This is a huge health issue for me.  I began to realize that in order to stay healthy, I was going to have to start growing my own food.  But, I live on 1/2 an acre completely surrounded by trees.  Over 40% is covered in trees and brush. When all the trees and brush have bloomed, I get little to no sun in my yard.   I don't have the money to have it removed.  Doing it myself would be very difficult.  Some of the trees are easily 25+ feet tall.

    I have started exploring the possibility of container gardening.  My first experiments are radishes and carrots (pic below).  The place that gets the best sun is my small side deck.   I have two window box planters.  I planted radishes in one, even though I don't eat them, and carrots in the other.  I wanted to experiment with it, and I know several people who will eat the radishes.  The window boxes are plastic, because they were for flowers last year, so hopefully nothing will leach into the veggies.  I will try to replace them with natural wood or terra cotta before next year.

 

   

     I bought two Heirloom tomato plants, so I can harvest the seeds and use them next year.  I haven't decided where to put them yet.  I am watching where the sun lands in my backyard.  My husband refuses to let me put anything out front where several small patches get almost full sun.

    We have wild raspberries in the backyard, but they are in awkward areas.  I don't know if I can transplant them.  I hesitate, because I assume they're growing where it works for them.  I also don't know how to take care of them, but plan on web searching that.

   I found a strawberry kit, but I'm not sure how old is it.  It was hidden on a shelf.  I planted it today, so if I don't see anything within a week or two I'll buy plants.  We are strawberry lovers here.  However, to begin with, I think I should concentrate on the one thing I use most: tomatoes.

  Salsa, chili, spaghetti sauce, tacos, pizza, salads... I use tomatoes almost on a daily basis. The two plants I bought are two different types of heirlooms.  I am going to try to get a few more plants when I can.  First, I need to see where they will do best.   I also need to protect them from wildlife.

   This is going to be one heck of a learning experience.