It’s Friday and only two days until Spring officially arrives! Woot! Why not take today to chat about outside stuff?
First, I hope you’ll take three minutes to watch the “Backyard Food Production” video trailer. Amy at Homestead Revival peaked my interest about this and I purchased their full-length video, well worth the $29 or so it cost.
In a nutshell, it’s a video about how to grow all or most of your own food. There are so many techniques discussed that I can’t go into it all in one post. Let me say that I could only dream about doing what Marjory at Backyard Food Production does! She grows almost all of her family’s food and meat and is quite an inspiration. She is a “recovering engineer”, as she calls herself and let me tell you that she has done her homework!
However, one key point that stuck with me since I’ve watched the video is the fact that in order to continually tax your soil with crops, you must be very serious and deliberate about replenishing/fertilizing your soil with compost and manure. She describes several methods that they use.
Compost is like black gold, any gardener will tell you that. Yet, I can’t make compost as fast as I need it. I have two large outdoor bins but it’s just not enough.
Also, my outdoor bins will only decompose so fast in the winter months. Bringing in manure is another option (the goats should help with that!) but composting with worms, or vermiculture has got my attention lately.
Amy wrote a great post about vermiculture that you may want to read. The basics are not difficult to understand, the bottom line is that worms can eat your kitchen scraps faster than the scraps can decompose outside in the winter! In the warmer months, I will do both but in the cooler months, worm compost is a must for me. Worm composting can be a great option for those unable to have a compost bin in the yard, the bin can be kept in a corner, pantry or garage. More info available at www.redwormcomposting.com.
google images
What is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is a wonderful supplement or alternative to a farmer’s market. Usually a CSA takes place between a farmer and a group of interested people. The group members pay a fee, depending upon their family size and needs, directly to the farmer. The farmer provides each member with a “box” of produce each week/bi-weekly or monthly, which can be picked up at a designated place, often times at the farm itself.
Around here in the summer, I hear my friends squealing about their “Happy Boxes” as many of them are part of a CSA in the area. The variety of produce, nuts and flowers that they receive makes it all the more fun as they never really know what is in season that particular period of the summer.
A CSA could be a less expensive option for your family than a farmer’s market. Call a couple of the larger nurseries in your area and ask about them.
*****
Want to get the best of what the sun can offer you for free? Check out this article about using the sun to your benefit.
What are YOUR thoughts concerning the post today?
PDF 
About kmorris
Follow the Tribe!