Lowered Expectations

Who among us hasn't lowered their expectations for garden vegetable production this year? I know I have, yet a couple of things have surprised me. I've tried to grow onions for the last 4-5 years, and finally this year the soil has been amended enough that I actually grew a few! (Not enough, but it's a start.)

I already posted my garlic and shallot harvests; both produced enough to see me through the winter.

Lemon Squash

I harvested quite a few Costata Romanesco zucchini (now finished, many used in frozen quiche for winter meals) but the lemon squash continue to proliferate. I'm amazed at the insect resistance. I've given some away, shredded and frozen some, but most have been sliced half an inch thick, steamed for 3 minutes, and dehydrated. I'm out of freezer space!

Red Kuri winter squash

My biggest disappointment is in the winter squash, planted on my new hugelkultur berm. Some of it is due to hot and dry weather, but the rest is because I didn't get the berm well-covered with soil, and it dries out quickly even with daily watering. I'll add more soil and mulch this fall after the squash are finished and it should be more productive next year... plus the logs will be decomposing and hold more water. I do have a few Red Kuri growing, just not enough to feed me all winter.

I still have hopes for a few pole beans. The photo above is the Cherokee "Trail of Tears" which is an unassuming black bean that I grew just for the name, and to save some heritage seeds. I don't have pods yet on my Kentucky Wonder Beans... danged rabbits keep eating the plants!

I have a few tomato and pepper plants scattered around the garden, but zero hopes of any of them fruiting.

Now that I've collected (and caused the demise of) about 10,000 Japanese Beetles, I should have a few filberts and some fall rhubarb. Plus, I have enough dandelion greens for a soup kitchen!

The War on Front Yards

Can you believe this gorgeous vegetable garden in Quebec is illegal? The owners have until July 24th to dismantle it or face legal action.

Something is very wrong in the world when crappy foods and hunger abound, and yet this kind of thing is allowed to happen.

Source

Overlooked or Forgotten Heroic Actions, "Granny D"

Doris Haddock, called "Granny D" by her grandchildren, burdened by arthritis and emphysema, walked 3,000 miles from California to Washington, DC in the year 2000 to deliver her message. And, deliver her message she did! 

She was arrested, and her statement before the court is reprinted below:

"Your Honor, the old woman who stands before you was arrested for reading the Declaration of Independence in America's Capitol Building. I did not raise my voice to do so and I blocked no hall.

The First Amendment to the Constitution, Your Honor, says that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, so I cannot imagine what legitimate law I could have broken. We peaceably assembled there, Your Honor, careful to not offend the rights of any other citizen nor interrupt the peaceful enjoyment of their day. The people we met were supportive of what we were saying and I think they--especially the children--were shocked that we would be arrested for such a thoroughly wholesome American activity as respectfully voicing our opinion in our own hall. Any American standing there would have been shocked. For we were a most peaceable assembly, until Trent Lott's and Mitch McConnell's police came in with their bullhorns and their shackles to arrest us. One of us, who is here today, was injured and required a number of stitches to his head after he fell and could not break his own fall. He was detained for over four hours without medical care. I am glad we were only reading from the Declaration of Independence --I shudder to think what might have happened had we read from the Bill of Rights.

I was reading from the Declaration of Independence to make the point that we must declare our independence from the corrupting bonds of big money in our election campaigns.

And so I was reading these very words when my hands were pulled behind me and bound: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it."

Your Honor, we would never seek to abolish our dear United States. But alter it? Yes. it is our constant intention that it should be a government of, by and for the people, not the special interests, so that people may use this government in service to each other's needs and to protect the condition of our earth.

Your Honor, it is now your turn to be a part of this arrest. If your concern is that we might have interfered with the visitor's right to a meaningful tour of their Capitol, I tell you that we helped them have a more meaningful one. If your concern is that we might have been blocking the halls of our government, let me assure you that we stood to one side of the Rotunda where we would not be in anyone's way. But I inform you that the halls are indeed blocked over there.

They are blocked by the shameless sale of public policy to campaign contributors, which bars the doors and the halls to the people's legitimate needs and the flow of proper representation. We Americans must put an end to it in any peaceful way that we can. Yes, we can speak when we vote, and we do. But we must also give our best effort to encourage the repair of a very broken system. We must do both.

And the courts and prosecutors in government have a role, too. If Attorney General Reno would properly enforce the federal bribery statute, we would see lobbyists and elected officials dragged from the Capitol Building and the White House, their wrists tied, not ours. I would be home in New Hampshire, happily applauding the television news as my government cleaned its own house.

In my 90 years, this is the first time I have been arrested. I risk my good name --for I do indeed care what my neighbors think about me. But, Your Honor, some of us do not have much power, except to put our bodies in the way of an injustice--to picket, to walk, or to just stand in the way. It will not change the world overnight, but it is all we can do.

So I am here today while others block the halls with their corruption. Twenty-five million dollars are changing hands this very evening at a fund raiser down the street. It is the corrupt sale of public policy, and everyone knows it. I would refer those officials and those lobbyists, Your Honor, to Mr. Bob Dylan's advice when he wrote: "Come senators, congressmen, Please heed the call. Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall."

Your Honor, the song was a few years early, but the time has now come for change. The times are changing because they must. And they will sweep away the old politician --the self-serving, the self-absorbed, the corrupt. The time of that leader is rapidly fading. We have come through a brief time when we have allowed ourselves to be entertained by corrupt and hapless leaders because they offer so little else, and because, as citizens, we have been priced out of participation and can only try to get some enjoyment out of their follies. But the earth itself can no longer afford them. We owe this change to our children and our grandchildren and our great grandchildren. We need have no fear that a self-governing people can creatively and effectively address their needs as a nation and a world if the corrupt and greedy are out of their way, and ethical leadership is given the helm.

Your Honor, to the business at hand: the old woman who stands before you was arrested for reading the Declaration of Independence in America's Capitol Building. I did not raise my voice to do so and I blocked no hall. But if it is a crime to read the Declaration of Independence in our great hall, then I am guilty."
Source

My Health Update

I know many of my blog readers have known me for a long time (and some know me personally), I thought I'd post a brief update on my health status.

I had some medical tests this past week at Univ. Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, including an Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) where they put me to sleep and a small camera is run down through the pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and duodenum to look for potential bleeders. From the feedback from the techs and nurses (unofficial), everything seems to be okay. I go back again in early August for some additional appointments.

I'm getting weary of the long (and expensive) trips that require a stay-over because it's so far, and gas prices are going up again. However, I'm glad these recent tests appear to be positive in outcome.

My doctors continue to be amazed at my improvement over the last 5 years (what I would call 'remission' although that's primarily a cancer term) and I attribute it completely to a non-chemical-laden healthy diet that's mostly "store-free" ingredients.

Thanks for your continuing support and encouragement!

Blackberries are abundant!

A few berries ready to freeze, and a quarter on the tray for size

My Triple Crown thornless blackberries are fruiting in abundance this year! I expect to get several gallons off my short row. One of the things I will be making is Blackberry Savory, used like cranberry sauce but less sweet than the canned cranberry sauce.

Blackberry Savory

(From Sensational Preserves by Hilarie Walden)

Serve with chicken, turkey, duck or any white meat

Makes about 4 cups

1 Tbs. whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp. allspice berries

4 pounds blackberries

2/3 cup Spiced Vinegar (recipe below)

4-1/2 cups sugar, warmed (see below)

Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag and put in a large non-reactive pan with the blackberries and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently 30 minutes.

Strain mixture through a non-metallic sleeve, like a jelly bag, and return to the pan. Discard contents of the bag. Over low heat, stir in the warmed sugar until it has dissolved, then continue to simmer, stirring as necessary until well thickened.

Ladle savory jelly into warm, clean, dry jars. Cover and seal per normal jelly canning directions. Store in a cool, dark, dry place at least 3 weeks before eating.

Spiced Vinegar

Use for pickling, salad dressings and mayonnaise

Makes about 5 cups (I cut the recipe in half)

1 Tbs. Allspice Berries

1 tsp. Whole Cloves

2 Cinnamon Sticks

1 Tbs. Whole Black Peppercorns

2 blades of Mace

2 Bay Leaves, torn

4 dried red chilies

5 cups red or white wine vinegar

Put all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour into clean, dry bottles, distributing the flavorings evenly. Cover with acid-proof lids and seal.

This vinegar can be used after only one day, but it is better to leave it for 1-2 weeks before using. Store in a cool, dry place. If the vinegar is kept for some time, check the flavor. If it becomes too strong you might want to strain out the flavorings.

Warmed Sugar

Sugar will dissolve more quickly if warmed. Put the required amount of sugar in an ovenproof bowl and place in a pre-heated oven at the lowest setting for about 20 minutes until the sugar is warmed but not hot.,

Government Crackdowns and Food Control

I haven't posted a rant about the government controlling what I eat in quite a while, but this news item below caught my eye. To me, it just sets up another means of the government tracking and ultimately controlling what I can grow in my own garden.

Utah Garden Challenge (for Suckers)

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is promoting the Utah Garden Challenge in order to collect information about independent food production for the USDA.

The Utah Garden Challenge is a voluntary contest to register 10,000 gardens. The data mining project has a broad interest in any "resource" who is growing food:

"Whether you grow a tomato in a pot, a row in a community garden, have backyard gardens, a CSA or working fruit and vegetable farm, we want to hear from you because you are an important resource as a food producer."

While the contest paints a proud face on independent food production, it is important to remember that registering with the government sets up a system to track, tax, permit or confiscate the registered item. Gun ownership is a good example of this scheme.

According to a pop-up window on the official website, participants' gardens will be registered with the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS):

"We need to know how much food is being produced in Utah. The Census of Agriculture is done every 5 years.  Every agricultural operation in Utah, regardless of size, is vital to this question.  If you produce $1000 of agricultural products, you can influence economic development and decision making by filling out a NASS survey.  We will only share your information with NASS by your permission.  Your response to the census of agriculture is protected by law.  For more information, you can go to www.agcensus.gov  "

In other words, people who produce $1000 or more worth of food have an impact on the food market, and the USDA wants to know about what you are doing in your backyard.

Victory gardens in America produced up to 40% of all vegetables consumed during World War II, with over 20 millon home gardens and community plots that produced over 9 million tons of food.

The USDA is notorious for its corrupt partnerships and revolving door business relationships with big commercial agriculture.

Government Crackdowns and Food Control
Food is under attack because if you can grow your own food, have access to water and shelter, then what use do you have for a government master?

The federal government has profoundly overstepped its constitutional authority on all fronts, and there are a number of examples of the USDA's outrageous control over food that include SWAT team raids on raw milk sellers and fruit tree confiscation. 

The Food Safety Modernization Act expanded the power of the FDA and its sister agency, the USDA.  The law is bad for many reasons and is an overwhelming burden on small and independent farmers due to over-regulation and increase in paperwork and reporting. 

Additionally, the FBI identifies people who store food as potential terrorists! 

Why Is Utah a Threat?
1.  A few months ago Utah voted down a Food Freedom Bill that would have made it a crime for anyone, including Utah state agents, to enforce the Food Safety Modernization Act's unconstitutional mandates.  It would have made farmers who trade only inside of state lines exempt.  The bill was a direct constitutional challenge to federal overreach.

2. Highland City, Utah passed a Food Freedom ordinance that exempts residents from federal regulations on food that is produced, exchanged and consumed within city limits (state laws still apply).

3.  Utah has the largest concentration of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) who have an official policy of food storage, currently set at a 1-year minimum supply.  This may be construed as a threat by the FBI, especially since a 1-year supply of food can cost as little as $225.

Conclusion
Survivalist.com points out that the Utah Garden Challenge is linked to the United Nations Agenda 21 Sustainable Development plan for totalitarian control. 

The Utah Garden Challenge is enticing Utahans with meager prizes (a 1-in-1000 chance of winning a giftcard or free restaurant dinner) to register their gardens and subject themselves to invasive government data mining.  But is your food independence worth it?

My garden struggling in the heat

I know I am not alone in walking around my garden and seeing all the sun-baked plants, but it sure is disappointing. Here in the Appalachian mountains we have been running on average as much as 15ºF hotter than normal for most of June and into July. 

Shallot harvest 2012

A few things have done rather well, like garlic, shallots and onions, but those were all planted months ago. 

Lemon Squash

Summer squash have grown like gangbusters, of course. This year I planted Costata Romanesco zucchini, and lemon squash (it's "lemon" only in size and shape). I'm pleased at how insect resistant they have been. So far I have baked and frozen more than half a dozen squash quiche for winter meals (plus my Sis and I have eaten a couple more of them), and frozen some plain shredded zucchini in case I decide to make zucchini bread for the Christmas holidays. (I've gained a lot of weight and really don't need the temptation!)

The winter squash (Red Kuri and Spaghetti squash) planted on my new hugelkulture berm have finally taken off on one end, but the other end planted with just Red Kuri is languishing. The photo of the better end above was taken 2 weeks ago; the vines nearly cover the berm now. It is taking daily deep watering to keep the hugel berm plants growing since the sod/dirt layer is rather thin, but in a year or two the logs will have rotted enough to act as a sponge, and the smaller twigs/limbs will have broken down a lot. I do intend to cover the entire berm with newspapers and a heavy layer of wood chips before winter, so that should help next year.

Rabbits have repeatedly nibbled both kinds of pole beans I planted right to the ground (Kentucky Wonder and Cherokee Trail of Tears) but I finally have a few that I temporarily caged after re-planting so I may still get a few beans. I did stick in a few fava beans here and there, more for the soil than to eat.

The Finocchio (or Florence) fennel that is said to hate hot weather is actually producing a few bulbs although I lost most of my seedlings in the early heat wave.

***********  
If you are seeing funky formatting stuff on this blog, it's because I'm getting this message when I try to make a new post, or edit a post here on my blog:

Your browser is no longer supported by Blogger. Some parts of Blogger will not work and you may experience problems.

Unfortunately there's not much I can do about it until I afford another computer. My Mac is 6 years old, the last model before they started using an Intel processor, and it cannot be upgraded to run the newer browsers.

Posting Problems

If you are not seeing posts, or seeing funky formatting stuff on this blog, it's because I'm getting this message when I try to make a new post, or edit a post here on my blog: 

Your browser is no longer supported by Blogger. Some parts of Blogger will not work and you may experience problems.

Unfortunately there's not much I can do about it until I afford another computer. My Mac is 6 years old, the last model before they started using an Intel processor, and it cannot be upgraded to run the newer browsers.

Cheddar Corn Chowder

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Sweet corn is ready to be harvested and I highly recommend this recipe! This is the best soup I've made in ages, and unfortunately, I cannot even take credit for the recipe, nor did I get any photos. The recipe is from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, 1999. I would call it a real old-fashioned chowder.

I made the first batch about 2-3 weeks ago and took a bowl to my neighbor Buster. When he brought the bowl back, he said he licked the bowl it was so good! Last weekend I cooked another batch for a get-together, and everyone ate 2-3 servings (served along with a fresh garden salad and crusty bread) and really raved about it. There was enough left to send take-home containers with everyone. (I already had put 10 pints in my freezer; it's not a good candidate for canning because of the cream.)

Makes 6½ to 7 quarts, 10 to 12 servings. The recipe filled my enameled cast iron pot to the very brim.

    * 8 ounces bacon, chopped (I used applewood smoked bacon)
    * 1/4 cup good olive oil
    * 6 cups chopped yellow onions (about 4 large onions, I used Vidalia onions)
    * 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (I used organic pastured butter)
    * 1/2 cup flour
    * 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    * 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
    * 12 cups chicken stock (I used homemade)
    * 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (~2 pounds, I used red-skinned fingerlings)
    * 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds). I used fresh corn, cut off the cob and blanched

    * 2 cups half-and-half
    * 1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (I used imported Irish cheddar)

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon in the olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

The only change I made was the kind of potatoes, and to add the cooked bacon to the chowder when I added the half-and-half and cheddar.

Garlic Harvest 2012, plus Pickled garlic buds and scapes

I apologize for such few posts recently, but I HAVE been really busy in the garden (plus I'm having some health issues on the side). This is my 2012 garlic harvest, better bulbs than I expected from just 2 short rows!

Actually, this photo is not all of them, just what I had already dragged up to the porch to dry when I took the photo. They will get hung to further dry in the tool shed in a few days. I think my harvest is more than enough to see me through the winter and still have enough cloves to replant in the fall.

The shallots and onions won't be far behind, but the leeks won't be harvested until early fall.

About a dozen or so of the garlics were hardneck, which develop a scape with a bud on top. I cut the scapes and put them in to lacto-ferment, cutting off the buds to ferment them separately since they don't keep as long.

Close-up of the seedheads...

The lacto-ferment "brine" and technique is easy. Use 1 tablespoon of non-iodized salt to each 2 cups of non-chlorinated/non-fluoridated water. Cover the foods with the brine, leaving a space at the top of the canning jar, and the lid loosely tightened to allow gas to escape. Use a weight of some sort to keep the food submerged if necessary. (I used a piece of plastic cheesecloth on the seedheads since they wanted to float. The scape pieces sank, so no weight needed.) Keep on a warm counter for several days as they ferment. (Caution: they may overflow, so I put mine on a saucer.) After about 7-10 days the fermenting (bubbling) will have ceased. Tighten the lids and store in a cool, dark place... or refrigerate.

I use Ball plastic lids to avoid the lids getting corroded.

Cool Weather seeds

This is the first time any cool-weather crops have survived a winter in my garden, and several are now making seeds... something I usually don't get to see (much less save any seeds from them!).

Red-stemmed Swiss Chard

Beets

Carrot, looking feathery and ready to flower and make seed

The leaves on the cole plants are so eaten by insects that I cannot tell what is cauliflower, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts. They all have formed long skinny pods that look alike. I don't really care which is which because I'll sow them for this fall, and eat whatever comes up! I will try to save the seeds from each plant separately and label them A, B, and C before I plant a few to see if I can ID them later on.

Elsewhere in the garden, the garlic, shallots, onions and leeks are doing fine. In between the rows of garlic are some Belgian Endive, outlined by the white box in the photo below. The garlic will come out shortly, and give the endive tops plenty of sun to grow deep roots. I'll dig the roots this fall and put them in a tub of sawdust in the dark root cellar. With any luck, I'll have lovely blanched endive heads by January or February.

Belgian endive and Pear Salad, Photo by ExperienceLA

The Jerusalem artichokes I planted last spring have multiplied greatly. They should be a bright spot in the garden when they flower! In the fall they will be dug from this location, and many will be re-planted along the white rail fence (barely seen in the background) as a hedge and windbreak. I'll save a few to eat, of course!

The Babington leeks I planted last fall have shot up 1 flower stalk so far. The top of the flower stalk is 4' tall, and it looks like the flower will be gorgeous! The globular seeds in the pod will drop to the ground and root after the flower is gone.

Here's the Babington Leek seed pod 12 days earlier. Most of the seeds that I sprouted this spring died from neglect of a place to plant them, so I'm delighted to see some seeds from last fall's planting.

Advice for bagged "Garden Soil"

If you are tempted to buy the Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Flowers and Vegetables please reconsider, depending on how you plan to use it! Be advised it repels water rather than absorbing it.

I just spread 4 bags (1.5 cu. ft. each) of it about 2" deep over the inverted sod on one end of my hugelculture bed, and put the sprinkler on it for an hour to soak it thoroughly so I could plant in it. I thought as a quick-start, it would be better than the cheap bagged topsoil that often has lumps of clay in it.

NOT!!  After an hour of running the sprinkler, I started to plant some winter squash seedlings (Potimarron), and the Miracle-Gro crap was wet barely 1/16" deep (if that) and the rest underneath was bone dry. It has no wetting agent and the water just ran off. Total waste of $24, and defeats the purpose of hugelkultur.

I scraped it all off as best I could, and went to Lowe's and bought Sta-Green's equivalent bagged garden soil (which was also cheaper) and applied it. After 45 minutes with the sprinkler, it was damp almost 1/8" deep, so not really any better than the Miracle-Gro "soil". The remaining 2 bags will go back to Lowe's.

I still have about 40 lineal feet of hugelkultur bed to cover with soil. My initial plan was to use the huge pile of compost/mulch/soil combo scraped off the sheet-mulched area I did last September, because there's plenty of it, rather than buy topsoil. However, my home pH test kit tested the pile at a pH of 9.0 so it's not useful in the garden until I can bring the pH down.

I tend to be wary of home garden test kits, so I also tested the pH in a couple of beds where I have a pretty good knowledge of the pH from previous professional testing, and they tested as I expected... so the pH of the "black gold" is probably close to what the test showed.

So now I have to buy a load of topsoil before I can get on with planting in my new hugelkultur bed.

New Hugelkultur Bed

I'm starting a new food forest garden area that will hold a few fruit trees, and the old barn is just above that area. Rain pours off the barn roof and flows down the slight slope right to the creek, so I decided to build a hugelkultur bed right on top of the buried electric and telephone lines. That not only accomplishes a bed that holds water, but it also covers the lines to keep me from digging a planting hole too close to the lines.

I plan to plant winter squash vines on it this year, and they can ramble on both sides of the hugelkultur bed. It's a good technique to build a mini-water-retention landscape.

This will be the new planting area

"Call before you Dig" is the Law in Virginia, and it's free, so I had "MissUtility" come out and mark the lines. You can barely see the flags in the photo above if you enlarge it.

Then I hauled in some logs that were beginning to deteriorate, and placed them over the lines. I would have liked to extend the row about another 6 feet, but I can add on later when I find more logs.

Next I added small branches from trimming some bushes in the yard. Having more intermediate sized stuff would have been best, but I used what I had.

The next layer has more greens, and I also added grass clippings (not shown).

Next, I had someone with a Bobcat come and scrape off the sod in the new area, and dump it on the hugelkulture log piles. Some of the grass still needs to be turned grass-side down, and it's quite lumpy so I also need to smooth it out a bit.

My plans are to add a thick layer of wood chips to the area that will be planted down the slope from the hugelkulture bed. The black pile beyond my truck is the mostly composted material from the sheet mulching last fall over the drain field, that I didn't know was a drain field when I did it. The pH is highly alkaline, so it will have to sit for a while before I can use it. It will get a few small applications of elemental sulfur to help bring down the pH.

I still have a lot of work on the hugelcultur bed, turning the grass clumps and evening it out. Then it will get a layer of topsoil and planted with winter squash this year.

More photos coming when I het it planted, so stay tuned!

Green Wall for Summer Shade

I am building a green wall, aka "summer shading wall" about 30 inches from the house on the south end. Eventually the deciduous trees I'm planting nearby will grow up to shade that end of the house, but that will take a few years. In the meantime, I am putting up a trellis with 2 horizontal cattle panels, one on top of the other. Cattle panels are 16 feet long and 50" wide, which will cover most of that area. I plan to grow some flowering vines on it, but also some hardy (smaller, smooth-skinned edible) kiwi vines, and pole beans. I may consider putting some grape vines on it next year.

The south end of our house is narrow (the house was originally a single-wide trailer, with more house built around it). That end has no windows except one to the long front porch, but it absorbs a LOT of heat during the summer. I suspect there is scant insulation in the walls, and since it is the master bathroom, I'm not about to tear out everything (including all the plumbing and fixtures) down to the studs to fur out the walls and add adequate insulation. The foam insulation they can pipe into walls doesn't work very well if there is already minimal fiberglass insulation and/or fire-stops in the walls.

After having some sod removed for an adjacent food forest area and the post holes drilled, I started on the shade trellis. Photo above is the posts just stuck in the holes, awaiting some help to hold them plumb while I backfill. (The temporary opening in the skirting is for access where the plumber is replacing all the water pipes.)

Finally the posts are set, the area between the house and trellis has been covered with weedcloth and a heavy layer of wood chips on top, but only one horizontal cattle panel has been attached until I can get 2 people to hold it up while I hammer in some fence staples. That will happen before any vines grow that tall.


I ended up planting Japanese morning glories, 1 moonvine, Kentucky Wonder pole beans, Mexican sour gherkins and my 2 hardy kiwis along the base of the cattle panels. I cut a bunch of comfrey and sorrel leaves for a "chop and drop" fertilizing mulch, covered with some wood chips. 

The cattle panels don't cover the whole end wall... about 3 feet on each end will be exposed after it all grows and leafs out. I think I'll plant giant sunflowers along the ends for the summer, and transplant some Jerusalem Artichokes on the ends this fall.

I'll post another photo in a few weeks when stuff has grown up the trellis enough to see it.

Preventing Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Damage

I haven't had a decent tomato from my garden in the last 2 years, thanks to the sucking damage from the Brown Marmorated Stink bugs. However, this product just might be the answer! (Other host plants for this pest includes peaches, apples, green beans, cherry, raspberries, and pears. I might have had some summer squash damage last year, but for sure I had winter squash damage.)

Tomato 'Greenhouse' Products

http://www.americannettings.com/tomato-greenhouse/

Get the most from tomato plants with their own individual mini-greenhouses made from red, perforated plastic film. Allows air circulation and heat retention for faster growing tomatoes while protecting against rain split and pests. The Tomato Greenhouse is sized to fit over tomato cages or attach to stakes. U.V. stabilizers added for longer life.

Since I usually grow indeterminate tomatoes (which grow tall), it is not tall enough, but I'm sure there is a way to add an upper-layer as the plants grow and still keep the stink bugs out. The website says it comes in a roll 20' x 28" for $9.19. At this point, I'm willing to try almost anything!

Disclaimer: I have NO financial interest in this product, nor any company connected to it!

Coming Soon... Garden Re-Do!

 

The front bucket is just carrying the drill. It will be attached in place of the bucket to drill some post holes, and a few planting holes after the earth-moving is finished. I'm SO excited to finally be getting on with my project!!

Elderberry bushes

My first unschooled attempt at elderberry cuttings has proven successful! I just transplanted 23 rooted cuttings into tall "treepots" so they can develop stronger roots before setting a few out in the yard; the rest I will trade or sell. 

In addition to these 23, I have given away 4 more, and there are still 6 in the rooting box that have produced top growth but alas no roots yet. Actually there are also 2 that have grown roots but no top growth. Being a Novice, I have no idea what will happen with those but I'm not trashing them (yet).

I'm a little upset at the company from whom I ordered the tall treepots and the carrying trays to hold them, because the trays do NOT adequately hold the post without adding fillers to keep the pots upright.

Two of the plants already developed a small flower but I pinched them off so the energy goes into growing, rather than fruit production. They will all produce fruit next year.

I'm a Happy Camper!

Demanding GMO Labeling

http://www.organicconsumersfund.org/donate/moneybomb.cfm

All of our persistence and insistence in the U.S. for labeling GMO ingredients in our foods has been ignored for years because Money Talks, but we finally have an opportunity to change that by a public vote. 

Which way California votes will largely determine the future of what we all eat and what we grow all over the country. If we can force GMO labeling in California - the eighth largest economy in the world, and a population of nearly 40 million people - consumers will finally know what's in their foods and can choose to avoid buying foods containing GMOs. Labeling laws in CA will affect packaging and ingredient decisions nation-wide.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In victory rallies across state today, supporters celebrated as the California Right to Know campaign filed 971,126 signatures for the state's first-ever ballot initiative to require labeling of genetically engineered foods. The huge signature haul, gathered in a 10-week period, is nearly double the 555,236 signatures the campaign needs to qualify for the November ballot. 

If passed this November, Californians will join citizens of over 40 countries including all of Europe, Japan and even China who have the right to know whether they are eating genetically engineered food.

Of course, I'm not in California so I cannot cast a vote, but I can send a few $$ to support the effort to get the ballot passed. My own Right to Know is at stake! 

Monsanto and their minions have billions invested in GMO's and are pouring millions of dollars into California, lobbying and advertising to defeat this initiative, trying convince people that GMO's are safe, and labeling is not only unnecessary but will drive up the cost of foods. (The bill has been carefully written to ensure that it will not increase costs to consumers or producers).  

The best thing those of us in other states can do is to financially support the campaign in California, because if they lose... we all lose. I'm encouraging you to make a donation to the campaign behind the grassroots-powered citizens' ballot initiative (California Right to Know GMO Labeling Campaign) to require GMO labeling. It's time to put our money where our mouth is!

Mercola.com, the largest alternative health website in the world, along with a group of leading organic companies including Nature's Path, Lundberg Family Farms, and Eden Foods, pledged another one million dollars to the campaign - but only if the campaign also reaches a goal of $1 million by May 26. 

For decades, Monsanto has controlled the world's food supply by buying off politicians and regulatory agencies, intimidating small farmers, manipulating the outcome of scientific studies, lying to consumers - and threatening to sue states like Vermont if they dare to pass a GMO labeling law. It's time we have a choice in our foods, and we can't choose if we don't know what's in them. 

Labeling genetically engineered foods is a wildly popular idea and enjoys nearly unanimous support across the political spectrum. A March 2012 Mellman Group poll found that 9 out of 10 American voters favor labeling for genetically engineered food.

Every dollar you contribute will go directly into the California Right to Know ballot initiative and other state GMO labeling campaigns, including a legal defense fund to defend states that pass GMO labeling laws from Monsanto lawsuits. 

It's time to put our money where our mouth is!

Long White Worm of Hay Bales

A nearby field I pass on the way to my house from the interstate grows some kind of grass for hay, which is cut and baled, and then followed by a GMO corn (Pioneer) for silage. Year after year (Ugh). I had noticed his round bales encased in a white plastic over the last year or two, but I finally saw how it's done. I suspect he has the only set-up in the county to do this.

The machine accepts round bales from the back, and they get wrapped as the machine moves them forward, and at the same time the machine inches backwards so the wrapped bales drop off in line with previous bales and it's ready to accept another bale.

I found it fascinating even though I HATE that he grows GMO corn for his cows. Fortunately I think his fields are far enough away from my garden that I'm not too worried about pollen contamination, and I don;t grow corn anyway.

Indentured Politicians - What's in it for Them??

I came across an interesting term recently, new to me but maybe not to you. It really explains a LOT! The term is "Indentured Politicians". Does that need any explanation? LOL.

But just in case it needs explanation, "indentured politicians" are those who "owe favors" to the big contributors to their election campaigns, and the politicians return the "favor" by voting in favor those contributors when new laws (and other regulatory federal legislation) come up for votes, rather than voting the requirements of the population they are charged to represent. I'm posting my thoughts about this here because I believe it explains why the regulatory agencies for our food systems have gone bonkers.

When it takes millions of dollars (or sometimes billions of dollars depending on the office sought) to be successful in a political campaign, is it any wonder why big corporations see an advantage to finance a candidate who will favor the corporation's interests in future legislation?

One interesting question I have, is why a candidate will spend millions of dollars campaigning for a position that pays far less than they spend to get there? What else is in it for them? The current salary (2011-2012) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year. House Representatives are elected for a 2 year term, and Senate representatives for 6 years.

In order for a member of the House of Congress to qualify for a pension, they would have to be elected 3 times, for a total 6 year payout of $1,044,000, which is far less total salary than what they spent to get it. A Senator only has to serve 1 term (6 years) to qualify for a pension; same pay for 1 Senate term of 6 years that a Congressional Representative gets for 3 terms (6 years, $1,044,000), far less than either spent to get there.

So, where's the payoff for election to federal office, when you consider cost to get there versus salary once there? It certainly IS NOT in the salary, and probably not even in Employee Benefits, although the overall "esteem" of the Office no doubt strokes their ego. That STILL doesn't cut it in the money balance.

• In a complex system of calculations, administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, congressional pay rates also affect the salaries for federal judges and other senior government executives.
• During the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin considered proposing that elected government officials not be paid for their service. Other Founding Fathers, however, decided otherwise.
• From 1789 to 1855, members of Congress received only a per diem (daily payment) of $6.00 while in session, except for a period from December 1815 to March 1817, when they received $1,500 a year. Members began receiving an annual salary in 1855, when they were paid $3,000 per year. ($3,000 of 1855 dollars would be worth: $78,947.37 in 2012)

Please note that Members of Congress have to serve at least 5 years to receive a pension.

The amount of a congressperson's pension depends on the years of service and the average of the highest 3 years of his or her salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member's retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary. (80% of the current pay of $174,000 is $139,200. I could live on that!)

President's Salary
Effective January 1, 2001, the annual salary of the president of the United States was increased to $400,000 per year, including a $50,000 expense allowance. Please note that the Presidential salary doubled in 2001.

The increase was approved as part of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act (Public Law 106-58), passed in the closing days of the 106th Congress.

"Sec. 644. (a) Increase in Annual Compensation.--Section 102 of title 3, United States Code, is amended by striking '$200,000' and inserting '$400,000'. (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall take effect at noon on January 20, 2001."

Vice President's Salary
The salary of the vice president is currently (for 2011) $230,700. (BTW, who IS our VP [yes, I do know his name] and what does he do? I never see his name in the news.)

Presidential Retirement and Maintenance
Under the Former Presidents Act, each former president is paid a lifetime, taxable pension that is equal to the annual rate of basic pay for the head of an executive federal department -- $199,700 in 2011 -- the same annual salary paid to secretaries of the Cabinet agencies.

Each former president and vice president may also take advantage of funds allocated by Congress to help facilitate their transition to private life. These funds are used to provide suitable office space, staff compensation, communications services, and printing and postage associated with the transition. As an example, Congress authorized a total of $1.5 million for the transition expenses of outgoing president George H.W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle.

So, where IS the payoff? It sure doesn't appear to favor Joe Citizen who voted for Representation in Congress.