Sustainable living and organic fruit and vegetable production

[ClickMini]

I am really interested in learning more about the title subject. We live on 12 beautiful valley acres in Northwest Washington state, most of which are "un-used." I am in the very first stages of learning. If you have done any study in this area, please share your favorite resources with me: books, web sites, blogs, etc. I basically know nothing at this point, but feel this is something I would like to gain a deep understanding of. We have the space to do a lot. I want to learn how best to produce vegetables, fruits, and berries without the use of pesticides. We have the ingredients for incredible compost (courtesy of our horses) anyway, eh? :lol: I want to know about canning and preserving foods. I would also like to know more about some of the "home arts," such as soapmaking, etc. I have started to learn to knit and crochet, and I also want to learn to spin.

I just turned 50 years last week. I would like to spend my upcoming years getting OFF of the computer, out in the world, doing, building, creating. I am just darn sick of sitting in front of a display. Computing and the virtual world have been very good to me; I have parlayed it into a very good living. But I must admit, I am bored out of my mind with it, and feel my body is turning to stone to boot. Time to GET REAL. Help me!!! I want to learn all that I can this winter so that I can begin the implementation this spring.

Thanks!

 

[jayne]

Hi Amy! I am SO in the same boat as you...turning 49 on Sunday and really wanting to use this wonderful property to its full potential and quit eating stuff that other people make/grow and ship to a store, then I drive there to pay for it and pick it up. This is making less and less sense to me if I can do at least some of it myself. I'm also in your same general neighborhood, up in Arlington.

When we moved to this property 5 years ago, I staked out a garden spot, then all winter we emptied more than 100 wheelbarrows of stall pickings within it, right on top of the grass. We left it deep so it would 'cook'. We also quit piling it on by late February and covered it with black plastic so it could continue to get all compost-y

and then we had our neighbor with a big tiller on the back of his tractor come in early May and till the heck out of it. We had the most beautiful garden soil and even our neighbors were wanting to do the same thing. I am serious when I say I could plunge my hands easily up to my wrists in that lovely soil.

So over the last few years we've learned a lot about what we grow well and what we don't. We also learned that the pelleted bedding, when it decomposes, robs nitrogen from our soil, so I need to supplement that. We can grow potatoes, onions, peas, chard and beets like crazy. We have not yet been able to grow any decent tomatoes and only a few peppers. I figure if I want to can tomatoes, I'll get a case or two in Snohomish from that veggie stand that brings produce over from Yakima.

We have also planted raspberries, blueberries, and nut trees. The property came with two apple trees and two plum trees that more than supply our needs. We also added a dozen hens who, in addition to being quite entertaining, supply us with plenty of eggs.

That's about how far I've gotten. Oh wait, this summer I bought an 8x15 greenhouse. http://www.solargemgreenhouses.com/ I haven't done much with it, but I do have chard planted in there so we can have it over the winter, and I intend to start a bunch of garden things rather than buy starts at Lowe's. So far, to my knowledge, I have not used anything other than natural methods other than the dewormer that went through the horses and into the manure that went into the garden. I actually had an organic farmer turn down my manure for that reason, so I guess I couldn't call myself organic then. Oh well.

I appreciate what you're thinking and the road you will be taking. Oh, I do see a lot of good articles in Mother Earth News. Thanks for bringing this up.

Jayne

 

[jayne]

I forgot to add that you are welcome to come visit any time. I make a good coffee cake for visitors, too! Also, my blog is mostly about the 'farming' projects we do here and you can get an idea of the stuff we've done: www.redponyranch.blogspot.com

Jayne

 

[Shari]

Back on the old Farm...I had a small Orchard of 18 fruit trees, Many berry bushes, grape vines, Kitchen garden, Herbs and Roses.. all grown Organically. Did very well too.

Used to post photos of it back when, on this board. Some of you might remember them.

Can take awhile to get things going well. Inter plant your gardens with plants that attract beneficial bugs. In the winter I ran Ducks in the kitchen garden, and they took care off all the bugs in the soil.

I used Crushed Oyster shells and Alfalfa pellets as fertilizer. The Oyster Shells added micro nutrients to the soil and make the plants very health. And of course Horse manure!

I raised heritage breeding stock sheep, had a couple of Soay sheep, couple of goats. Raised Dutch Hook bill ducks.. my all time favorite duck! And various heritage chickens. Back then, my animals more than paid their way, even kept us going in hard times. Had a waiting list every year for my animals.

Not sure the animals would be able to the same thing, in these times.

Haven't really been able to get this place going like the old one. At this point, not sure where I am going to be living by next summer. But I still spin on my Majacraft Saxony...and hope at some point to get at least a small spinners flock of sheep in the future.

Right now I have boxes of Roving to keep me happy.

Here on this farm.. have 7 young fruit trees,2 old Plum and 2 old cider apple trees, couple of grape vines, raspberries and the kitchen garden I did not do much with this last year. Been fighting with this stupid gopher since I moved here.

Rose garden and hay field.

Down to three hens and one duck.. 1 outside Farm cat.. great mouser she is. One mini mare Maggie and three Icelandic horses, providing any fertilizer I may need. If you compost your horse manure 3 months(times vary depending on where you live and how you compost).. then have it tested, you will find, well at least I did, there will be no dewormer in the manure.

I would recommend starting out small...and very slowly work your way up from there.

 

[susanne]

I would recommend starting out small...and very slowly work your way up from there.

As I mentioned on Facebook, this is what we're doing. We've gone from a strictly ornamental faux farm (ornamental gardens and minis) to adding chickens and vegetables and making better use of the existing fruit (apples, raspberries and wild blackberries). Babies steps, but still steps toward a more sustainable life.

We're at the no-brainer stage, where what we do takes virtually no more work than what we were already doing.

We plan to add goats for milk, although freshening and finding homes for the resulting kids bothers me. And the garden will expand exponentially this next year.

We don't have room (at least unforested land) for wheat, but I'd love to find someone to trade eggs for wheat to grind for bread.

We'll never raise our own meat. While we don't eat a lot of meat, we do enjoy it, but I can't eat something that I've fed. Our chickens will live out their lives in graceful retirement when they're done laying -- we were heartbroken the other day when our bantam hen drowned in a water trough. So no beef cattle or hogs raised for meat. I know where they come from but won't do it myself.

As for vegetable and fruit gardening, be sure to start out with those that you love to eat. You can always add others later, but don't idealize your diet -- begin with things you love and look forward to harvesting -- it's so much fun!

Also, it helps to have others equally interested in your venture, even if you have to be a bit sneaky. I planted cherry tomatoes along with more practical varieties and other veggies and said that whoever picks produce gets to eat the cherry tomatoes off the vine -- a true treat. Let me tell you, I've turned Keith into an avid tomato man! I hardly had to water or check on them at all. Make it fun and the help will come.

I wish we had more full, all-day sun, but our forested land keeps the property taxes low, so it's a fair trade-off. We are cutting down a few poorly planted firs next to our lawn and plan to put in more fruit trees.

Start small, but plan with an eye to the future so that you make the best use of your time and resources.

Check the internet for blogs on sustainable living -- there are many, some boring, some quite enjoyable. Jayne's blog is excellent reading!

.

 

[Shari]

Susanne,

If you want milk goats and don't want a lot of kids to sell. Just get one Doe, find a line that tends to only have single kids. And a properly wethered...wether for her companion.

A single offspring, would be much easier to find a good home for.

 

[susanne]

Thanks, Shari!

My big worry is unknowingly selling the kids to someone who intends to eat them. With fewer kids, I could be pickier about buyers.

 

[jayne]

Thanks, Susanne, for you comments on my blog. I didn't know you had looked at it. I don't post there as much as I used too, as I figured people were getting tired of it as it seems like all I talk about is what's growing or being harvested, or my hens or my equines. I was beginning to think I was repeating myself! What's endlessly interesting to me might not be so interesting to others...but hey, it's my blog so I guess I'll keep at it!

Like you, I have tossed around the milk goat idea as I would love to make cheese, but I do not want to have to deal with finding home for the inevitable kids. On our little farm, once someone lives here, they stay until they go to their great reward, so it just wouldn't be practical. Oh well, we can't have everything we want.

One last thing that I want to mention here is that once you get things going like this, it is very hard to leave the farm for any length of time. My husband and I are both teachers and do like to travel occasionally, yet I really fret about leaving, and it kind of stresses me out prior to vacation as I write all the instructions down and hope I don't forget anything. Luckily, I've been training a very responsible high school neighbor girl and she did it a few times last summer and it went fine! I just need to quit worrying and believe that someone else is capable of taking care of feeding and watering and cleaning the same way I would. It does, however, make you set up systems that are easy if you find yourself trying to explain them to someone else, so there is some economy to it. Hope that makes sense.

Well, ladies, it seems we are on this quest together. I'm glad you asked the question, Amy. It's been quite interesting already.

Jayne

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I just turned 50 years last week. I would like to spend my upcoming years getting OFF of the computer, out in the world, doing, building, creating. I am just darn sick of sitting in front of a display. Computing and the virtual world have been very good to me; I have parlayed it into a very good living. But I must admit, I am bored out of my mind with it, and feel my body is turning to stone to boot. Time to GET REAL.

I think there is an increasing cultural backlash to all this tech as you've got some twenty years on me (happy birthday, by the way!) and yet I'm already feeling a strong urge to get away from technological immersion myself. It annoys me when I find myself walking along a city street staring at my cell phone! I'd much rather be spending time with friends in person and the only reason I end up on Facebook and forums and lists so much is because most of my friends are spread across the country. When I do get time with friends in person at horse shows, while traveling, etc., I never feel any urge to go online except to look something up or briefly share my pleasure with friends who are far away. I'd really like to get rid of my laptop, stop using a computer at work and just have one big desktop computer in the family room for graphic and blogging projects and my smart phone for quick stuff on the go. I want to return technology to the place of a tool for me, not a way of plugging into life as it currently is.

Going to the UK was a real wakeup call. I found after three weeks of traveling with a close friend, getting plenty of sleep, eating regularly, and DOING things outdoors each day that the last thing I wanted to do was settle in front of a computer screen at home and breathe recycled office air during the day. I know that I will never be one for growing vegetables and such as I don't even like to EAT most the things I could grow

but I'm definitely reconsidering the where/how/why of my life and pondering some deeper questions. I'd love to move somewhere with spectacular scenery, wild weather and wildlife, get a job as a park ranger, search and rescue rider, craft store employee, whatever, and spend a lot more time meeting people and making things. I grew up with three apple trees, a plum tree and a pie cherry tree in my yard along with wild blackberries and huckleberries but sadly those have all stopped producing fruit for lack of husbandry. I would like to replant a few small fruit trees like that and some grape vines, raspberry canes and blueberry bushes as I can't get enough of plucking wild berries off the vine. I want my kids to grow up with that too. Fresh-grown fruit and animals- that's the way to real happiness. I'll hit the farmer's market in whatever small town I live in for the stuff I'd rather not grow myself.

Leia

 

[Bess Kelly]

Well, I can say that Mother Earth News is a wonderful info source and has evolved.....like so many things.......from a little publication that had so many REAL self-sustained farmers, to a modern mag with schooled contributors and a more polished look and read. It's a happy/sad evolution. Having a few years on you guys (soon will be 65) I can certainly say that the old issues have some extremely inovative DIY articles

Reading this earlier today, I didn't reply as I needed to leave for work. But, I kept thinking that I used to keep a nice sized garden, canned much of it, raised beef, hogs, chickens, had riding horses that I actually had time to ride, kept the house done, baked couple times a week, cooked dinner every day, raising 2 elementary school youngsters and working full time!!!!!!!!! Geeeeesh.....HOW??? Well, no home computers to steal my time was one way

In fact, a major way.

I could do without a lot of today's way of living .. back then we actually answered the phones in the office, wrote receipts by hand and so on. Today, we punch buttons to let the automated voice know what we need. My mother (bless her 85 yr old heart) just can't manage the auto refill "voice" for her RX refills....she calls me, I call them in. Somewhere along the technology highway, we seemed to have lost a LOT of personal interaction and it has affected our lives -- not always well. I often find myself replying to someone in a store as I think they are talking to me but, alas it is often to their earplug

Seems everyone, at all times, is on a phone call. Most families don't even know what sitting down to dinner actually means/is. Ahhhhh, I regress.

OK -- back to self-sustained. Great concept, works well, we should all do more of it! BUT, it does take a lot of time. AND a well maintained garden can produce far, far more than you may realize. Go small until you find your needs. It is a lot of work, very gratifying, but still a lot of work.

My secret? I always wanted a milk cow!!! I've had milk goats who produced more than I needed, great milk......would love to get (and may) another good milking Nubian. But, need a few cheese recipes to make along with yogurt, etc. A miniature Jersey is my dream purchase

For now, I'm planning to plant a small garden in the backyard where I used to have a pool set up for my grandaughter....I'm planning to put a straw bale garden there and a plowed area elsewhere.

Neither will be really large but, provide all the veggies we will want.

Some of my fondest memories are of visiting my grandparents at their small farms and milking cows, collecting eggs, harvesting the garden, sitting in the canning sheds, riding on the plow mare, helping bake biscuits on a wood stove. Not as thrilled with the outhouses but, sure do remember them! Oh, yeah, no electric!! And a real well, drop the bucket and pull it up. Guess some technology is welcome

 

[susanne]

Guess some technology is welcome

I love your post, Bess!

I read a couple of blogs of people who have gone totally off-grid -- composting toilets and all! (YECHHH!!!!!) I admit and accept my limits, lol.

There are those who approach sustainability as one more way to follow the crowd -- just another fad. Leia is smart in recognizing that there is little point in growing food she wouldn't eat (although my sister, who gardens for the sake of gardening, grows some veggies just to give away).

The whole point is to have a choice. To know that you don't have to buy pre-packaged, flavorless food shipped from distant locations. Buying at the farmers' markets is a great step, as it gives you better food AND helps local farmers.

While it definitely can be hard work, especially getting started, it's also a lot of fun. I can entertain myself for hours out working in the garden. And the chickens are an unexpected delight!