Growing grass in a starving world

[Smart Red]

I guess you don't work in a school. You could never use kids in this fashion. Outdoor fields at schools are for physical and outdoor education. My school had a garden club where a few students had a garden and donated produce.Costs money and time must be volunteered by adults.

So right, @catjac1975. We used to have a few students each day 'help out' in the lunch room in return for a free meal. Most of the students loved the opportunity to be responsible for cleaning off trays, tables, and the floor. This worked very well for several years until an irate mom came in complaining that her child got free lunches anyway and therefore working in the cafeteria amounted to slavery. However, if we paid her child for the cost of a lunch it would be just fine.

It seems she's not against child labor, just civic responsibility.

 

[bobm]

Here is just a few personal experiences ... When we lived in a city in a new subdivision, I put in a garden in the front yard as the back yard was mostly in shade due to shadeing from our house and the next door neighbors' 2 story homes (on side and back ). First year was just fine, however the next and then the next year when the crops started to ripen, kids either ate the produce on site or just plain threw the crops ( tomatoes, corn, squash, etc.) at each other and/or pulled and trampled everything. When we moved onto an acre place just outside the city limits, I put in a huge garden... enough to crop yields to give to friends and co- workers for free. But when I asked them to come pick their own, guess what - no-one showed up. But, if I picked and bagged the food items and delivered it to them, they all would joyfully take them. I learned my lesson and grew only enough for our own family from thereon. About 3 years ago, I knew of a gentleman that had 5 acres of peach, cherry , apple and plum trees that he picked and sold at his very small roadside stand. Then he had a very bad car accident and he couldn't pick the fruit. The local teenage kids wouldn't take on the part time work to harvest the fruit or man the stand. So I called 2 Food Banks to come pick the fruit at no charge. Guess what ? They would happily accept the fruit if I picked it and bring them to the food bank. The fruit went on to rot on the ground. This past spring... I wanted to buy 3 Duke and 2 Chandler Blueberry bushes ( commercial type). A local distributor that supplies commercial blueberry growers with certified 2 year old berry bushes ( He had several thousand almost ready for delivery to commercial growers) said he would sell them to me only if I ordered at least a dozen and to take delivery in 6 weeks. My wife's coworkers ordered the rest to fill out the order. I ordered the dozen and I had to pay for them up front. Well, guess what, only 1 of the co- workers who ordered 2 actually came up with the money but I had to drive 18 miles to deliver the 2 bushes . So I was stuck for the additional 5 which I planted in our back yard. Yes homemade blueberry cordials are in our future and I will NOT share ! I guess that kids like to play with food. Friends and neighbors will joyfully take your food offerings only if you do all of the actual work. Charities will take your food if you do all of the work then gladly give it all away to the needy while they bask in their own glory. Co- workers will cheerfully order items from you, but when the time comes to pay for their order , they back out. So, does anyone expect homeowners to actually kill their own lawn and grow row/ tree crops ... get real.

 

[baymule]

Ah.... @bobm nothing like the voice of reality. We here on TEG seem to be the lonely voice crying out in the wilderness of concrete. My garden is in the front yard, I am careful to grow things at the street that most people haven't got a clue about-which is just about everything! Root crops are hidden from view and people would have to "work" to get them, so they are safe.

 

[canesisters]

... this thread reminds me to keep being thankful....

 

[Smart Red]

... this thread reminds me to keep being thankful....

@canesisters, you are so sweet!

Yes, we are the ones who work hard in our gardens, who invest money and time toward an abundant harvest and yet, we are the ones who are most thankful for what we have. Canesisterrs is sweet and ya'll are amazing!

 

[catjac1975]

I offered neighbors u-pick blueberries 50-50. Give me half of what you pick. One neighbor called my darling son and asked him to pick and deliver her some berries. He happily did it because he is a darling soul. Was I pisssssed. After complaining bitterly about us removing trees to expand our daylily farm the same neighbor now loves all that we have done. I know she is fishing for free plants. I do remember paying for Christmas trees when they were growing them....
Normally I would give her plenty but there have been to many no-of-her-business complaints over the years.

 

[catjac1975]

Here is just a few personal experiences ... When we lived in a city in a new subdivision, I put in a garden in the front yard as the back yard was mostly in shade due to shadeing from our house and the next door neighbors' 2 story homes (on side and back ). First year was just fine, however the next and then the next year when the crops started to ripen, kids either ate the produce on site or just plain threw the crops ( tomatoes, corn, squash, etc.) at each other and/or pulled and trampled everything. When we moved onto an acre place just outside the city limits, I put in a huge garden... enough to crop yields to give to friends and co- workers for free. But when I asked them to come pick their own, guess what - no-one showed up. But, if I picked and bagged the food items and delivered it to them, they all would joyfully take them. I learned my lesson and grew only enough for our own family from thereon. About 3 years ago, I knew of a gentleman that had 5 acres of peach, cherry , apple and plum trees that he picked and sold at his very small roadside stand. Then he had a very bad car accident and he couldn't pick the fruit. The local teenage kids wouldn't take on the part time work to harvest the fruit or man the stand. So I called 2 Food Banks to come pick the fruit at no charge. Guess what ? They would happily accept the fruit if I picked it and bring them to the food bank. The fruit went on to rot on the ground. This past spring... I wanted to buy 3 Duke and 2 Chandler Blueberry bushes ( commercial type). A local distributor that supplies commercial blueberry growers with certified 2 year old berry bushes ( He had several thousand almost ready for delivery to commercial growers) said he would sell them to me only if I ordered at least a dozen and to take delivery in 6 weeks. My wife's coworkers ordered the rest to fill out the order. I ordered the dozen and I had to pay for them up front. Well, guess what, only 1 of the co- workers who ordered 2 actually came up with the money but I had to drive 18 miles to deliver the 2 bushes . So I was stuck for the additional 5 which I planted in our back yard. Yes homemade blueberry cordials are in our future and I will NOT share ! I guess that kids like to play with food. Friends and neighbors will joyfully take your food offerings only if you do all of the actual work. Charities will take your food if you do all of the work then gladly give it all away to the needy while they bask in their own glory. Co- workers will cheerfully order items from you, but when the time comes to pay for their order , they back out. So, does anyone expect homeowners to actually kill their own lawn and grow row/ tree crops ... get real.

There are many professions where people think you should give away your time because you have a fun job. Musicians, artists, gardeners/farmers. Don't they have to eat and pay bills?

 

[Smart Red]

Mechanics, too. My FIL used to be out in the coldest of winter temperatures fixing cars for his friends and relatives while they sat inside drinking coffee. A big "thank you" was all he got for his kindness. None of his buds considered paying him for his work.

DH always complained that his dad should have asked for something, but he does the same thing for family and friends who need carpentry or house repair work done and never asks for pay.

Of course his father was dirt poor and could have used the extra money. DH worked his b--- off making sure he wouldn't be in that position. Lucky me!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i garden for the love of it. if i have extra i am willing to share with friends. family will always get my extra stuff first though. i have a lot of elderly neighbors and i would gladly give to them too. but yes, i get upset when someone takes advantage and think you owe them everything you worked hard to do when they don't reciprocate. those are the ones that will just take without even asking.

i've heard from others that it takes too much time and effort to grow your own and think it's cheaper to just get it from the local store. i've found it only takes a lot of effort if you allow it, and most of the effort is at the beginning of the growing season. plants will grow on their own and just need occasional tending and water.

to me even some grass is still useful. when i weed the garden of the grass that likes to take over, or mow the lawn i throw the clippings to the chickens, peahens and rabbit for their diet. most of what is growing for my 'lawn' really isn't grass. there are wild strawberries, wild violets, and towards the back of the lawn in the shaded area are asters and green creeping jenny. most of the year it looks green and lush from a distance so i don't mind what is growing in there.

 

[so lucky]

There are some large mansions starting to pop up here and there, and they have huge lawns, even some of the smaller houses seem to have lawns that are unreasonably large.

I have thought about trying to get people around my area to get into wild foods, stuff already growing out there without human intervention, but haven't really gotten around to it. (many of the people here are either really old or young so I would have a good audience, you also don't want to be talking or handing out flyers to people at the mall or local Walmart - camping grounds, a park, or maybe a farm would be a better place to do it.) Over time this may get them into thinking about having smaller lawns (But then again, many people will be hesitant or outright refuse to eat "weeds". They're going to need encouragement and lots of facts, this is modern society that we're talking about here).

I hope that I'm getting your brain going here. Edible groundcovers/ornamentals might be another thing to consider for those out there that have flower gardens but don't grow vegetables.

@TheSeedObsesser, you have a great idea, as usual. Do you have a State Conservation Center anywhere near you? Ours has great meeting places, does advertisement and promotes all kinds of programs trying to introduce city folks to the outdoors. I bet a Wild Edibles program would go over well....maybe has been done here already.....