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[Kentbob]

Recently, I read a piece in the Seed Savers Exchange summer publication about the USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan.  In it, it states that the USDA has a program for encouraging small time farmers, local production, and also local distribution.  It got me to thinking, something I don't know as we've discussed on here very much.  Where does your food come from, and do you believe that home grown, organically grown, or produce grown in small lots, is better for you, and better overall, than what is commonly available in stores?

The theory is that the fewer vegetables that are grown in a given area, the more vitamins and minerals will be available in each vegetable. 

How many of us grow our own garden or engage in some sort of farming?  My family has chickens, both of the laying and meat type, in addition to a large vegetable garden.  We are 100% organic, using chicken manure, cow and horse manure, compost, and a green manures to enrich the soil.  I just picked some cucumbers and tomatoes, they were delicious.  I can't help but think that in the long run, these vegetables, which are grown from heirloom seeds and not GE hybrids, are better nutritionally.  Thoughts?


Kent

[arnold]

I grow my own potatoes to make my own vodka... but seriously I do grow my own veggies, have chickens at the farm, peach, pear, apple and other fruit trees. Wild blackberries grow along the creek. Cattle are also raised.
Feral hogs have been seen in the area. Time to warm up the 7 mag and the BBQ

[Jamie Flory]

I have put in a small garden this last year and it turned out well.  I guess it would be organic, cow manure and lawn clipping were the primary fertilizer, but i imagine i get some fertilizer and pesticide "run off" from the commercial fields that surround my house.  My way of thinking is that organic food is better since my body doesn't really need to digest pesticide.  I've also got grape vines, raspberry's, blackberries and walnuts.  Much of the other produce comes from the local weekend farm market.  And me and the 7 year old put up a couple of squirrel in the freezer just the other day.  I'm actually looking to expand just a bit, I'm sick of paying my grocery bill.

Jamie

[Kentbob]

There's feral pigs in our area too.  I'd be happy to go kill a few.  Dad and I both want to raise some pigs out here at the house, for the food and for the fact that they'd root up a bunch of the invasive plants creeping up on our garden.

Organic gardening is more labor intensive than using pesticides herbicides, but the return on your investment seems to be better overall food.  Jamie, I believe if you compost the clippings and manure in a pile for a few months before using them on your garden the pesticides will degrade.  I believe this is the case, not 100%.


Kent

[arnold]

squirrel?!

[Jamie Flory]

Arnold,  roll them in flour and fry like a chicken.  Or cut one up and stew using your favorite beef stew recipe.  That's good eatin.  Think ill cook one tonight.

Kentbob, I started a compost pile about June, and am building a compost box for this weekends project.  I had not heard that about pesticide degrading but it makes sense.

Jamie

[arnold]

And I just thought you rolled some of your fat chick dates in flour.......

[Jamie Flory]

Well, yeah.  But I gert fresh flour for the squirrel.

Kentbob,  I did a bit of checking and your right.  You have to compost things for about 6 months, but the the pesticide has "degraded below detectable limits".

Jamie