Durgan. Introducing myself.

[Durgan]

My line name is Durgan. The garden area is about 0.4 of an acre with about 4000 square feet under cultivation. Fruit: gooseberries, pears, blackberries, grapes, currants, strawberries, raspberries. A large vegetable garden which supplies most of my needs for the year. All produce is preserved by "juicing" and pressure canning, and is consumed during the off season months. My season is about 125 days frost free in as fine growing area with highly modified clay soil (compost added yearly).

I keep a garden journal and work at growing all produce to its fullest potential. The garden journal is mostly pictures posted in a unique style making viewing easy, with a short explanation of the procedure. Seldom do I go to the garden without my camera.

I have a home built greenhouse which is use for starting seed beginning about February for planting at the end of May.

Every attempt is made to not use the 'cides, but am not a fanatic regarding organic.

Apparently on my first post I cannot post the URL to the journal at this time. Garden Journal, Brantford Ontatrio Zone 5. Property 0.4 Acre with large vegetable garden and fruit trees. Produce is pressure canned, dehydrated, and cold room stored. Objective is to avoid commercial processed food.

 

[thistlebloom]

Well hi there Durgan! Welcome to the forum

After you get a few posts you'll be allowed to post pix etc. It sounds like you're doing some serious gardening up there!

 

[so lucky]

Welcome, Durgan. I was just wondering lately if anybody grows gooseberries anymore. What kind of juices do you make? Do you use juice as meal substitutes, or for an extra boost? I think we have one or two serious juicers on here.

 

[ninnymary]

Welcom Durgan, glad to have you here. Your garden sounds amazing. I can't imagine having that much gardening space and growing so much. Good for you!

Mary

 

[Durgan]

Welcome, Durgan. I was just wondering lately if anybody grows gooseberries anymore. What kind of juices do you make? Do you use juice as meal substitutes, or for an extra boost? I think we have one or two serious juicers on here.

I juice everything. I call it juice but the whole fruit or vegetable is utilized. I will post when I am allowed to post pictures (URL) to my picture site. This year I have 250 litres of juice. Consumption is about a litre per day often mixed in the drinking glass. I am always adding to the stock to insure an appropriate variety. The method is not participially new, but certainly the variety produced is. Methods are pressure canning, dehydrating, and cold room storage. Sometimes local produce is purchased if I don't grow a particular type. The juice is about 80% of my meal needs, supplemented with Natto (fermented soy beans) and oats and pilot bread. Meal prep is almost effortless. My motto is "eat to live, not live to eat", as close I have a motto. I add no condiments to the processed juice, meaning neither salt, acid, or sugar.

Gooseberry are a so called European type and the typical NA type. I got the plants from another garden so do not know the name of the cultivars. The European type berries are about twice the size as the NA type and both are quite sweet, when properly ripened. There are two bushes and about ten pounds of fruit is obtained from each bush.

 

[curly_kate]

 

[Carol Dee]

WOW, that sounds great. Glad to see you here. I am sure you will be adding some great insite for all of us.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Welcome to the garden, Durgan. From your descriptions of your gardening and your crop preservation, you will be able to teach many of us some new methods. I'm looking forward to it. I have dabbled with juicing and I always end up with something akin to battery acid.

 

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?JRGVQ
17 December 2012 Birthday Photos 77 years.

With all the pictures I take, there are few of me, since I am usually the shooter. When one in a group is asked to take some photos, they all appear to be ignorant of the use of a camera. Anyway here are some of me on my 77 birthday.

 

[lesa]

Great pics- love your little dog! Happy, Happy Birthday!