Recession Garden

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

I just saw this article on CNN.com, what do you think?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/04/01/recession.garden/

 

[sparkles2307]

It amuses me that ppl are justnow figuring out how it saves so much money... so does raising your own chickens...well in our area it does anyways. We are in a farm area with feed and outbuildings for all the livestock so adding other animals that cut down on the bills at the market is almost free around here...

 

[vfem]

I liked this story, thank you for posting it.

I even added a victory garden story to the ireport.com link they offered in the story.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I agree with the conclusions in the article. Vegetable gardening has a learning curve AND is labor/time intensive. I think most new veggie gardeners will be VERY disappointed. However, we all have to start somewhere and learn from our mistakes, so I don't think it is a bad thing.

 

[Rosalind]

I hope new gardeners will avail themselves of their local extension courses on how to garden in their state. Or take the article's advice and start small. I know a lot of folks who have an "I can do anything" attitude and will be pretty shocked to find out that nature doesn't work that way.

I can't say I'm surprised that people haven't figured the economics out sooner, because I see how many of my friends and co-workers seem to flunk Home Ec in so many other ways: throwing away blouses that lose a button, buying poor-quality clothes that wear out in six months, unable to build a new cleat into a sagging bookshelf, can't change the oil in their cars, don't know how to flush a toilet when the power's out. It's just sort of sad. But, I'm glad they now have the opportunity to learn.

Ideally I'd like to see some of them come to the brilliant conclusion, "Hey, picking strawberries and growing broccoli is hard work! Maybe we should pay farm workers a decent wage..." I know it will never happen, but I can dream.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Ideally I'd like to see some of them come to the brilliant conclusion, "Hey, picking strawberries and growing broccoli is hard work! Maybe we should pay farm workers a decent wage..." I know it will never happen, but I can dream.

I agree with that!

 

[setter4]

25 to 1 return on investment????? I wouldn't have to buy any groceries all year! lol
I am glad to see so many people coming to gardening but I hope they don't come with those kind of expectations and become disenchanted after the first late frost or Japanese beetle attack.

 

[wifezilla]

In Colorado, those late Spring hail storms can reverse that ration is a hurry.

 

[Rosalind]

You know what I think will really doom their efforts? Having to eat veggies. Lots of veggies. Lots of the same exact veggie in Veggie Bread, Veggie Stir-Fry, Veggie Casserole, Veggie Surprise, Veggie Omelet, Raw Veggie with Ranch Dressing, Veggie Quiche, Veggie Potpie... I think it helps more if you're really into cooking homemade meals and brown-bagging lunch before you attempt a garden, or at least sign up for a CSA for a few years. That way you get used to the routine and figure out how to cook homemade food on a tight schedule. Plus, you get used to eating veggie everything and it's not such a big deal to be faced with the fifth batch of zucchini muffins this month. I know a lot of people who cater to picky kids' anti-broccoli sentiments, or whose only non-animal food intake is in the form of mashed potatoes, canned baked beans, and nacho peppers. What they are going to do with the eighth meal featuring a big mesclun green salad and squash soup, I dunno.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I think it helps more if you're really into cooking homemade meals and brown-bagging lunch before you attempt a garden, or at least sign up for a CSA for a few years. That way you get used to the routine and figure out how to cook homemade food on a tight schedule.

I agree with that conclusion as well. Oh my, did you say veggie potpie?