Geraldo, yes, squash were $1.99 a LB at the local Kroger's here in the suburbs of Detroit last weekend -- easily making an average butternut $5 to $8. Food prices are REALLY rising here -- a whole chicken that might have been $0.59 a lb a few years ago is now $1.29 to $1.89 a lb unless on sale. So, that is one reason I grow a lot of stuff. There are many more reasons -- enjoyment/fulfillment, hobby/something to do, etc. What is really sad is that so much good food is STILL being thrown out, as you mentioned with the less-than-perfect squash. Alas, when will we, as a society or as a species, learn no to waste? Allenwrench, you asked about my land, and about what I do with all of the things I grow. I have about 2.1 acres, in an "L" shaped lot that is largely flat, but it does have a bit of a gentle slope in the back, and a low spot at one edge that floods a bit a few times a year for a day or two. Soils -- well, I have everything from very heavy clay to sandy loam, and it changes very abruptly in places. I can, freeze, and dry produce. I've gone extra heavy into it this year because of my concerns over the economy, the "global food crisis," peak oil/energy, etc. Since I can do it, why not? I am feeding not only my immediate household, but putting up a lot for my two sisters and their husbands, my niece with 3 kids, and giving a lot away to friends and other family. I'm trying to be as self-sufficient as possible, because I CAN be. I figure everything that I don't have to buy from the store is that much less oil that was burnt shipping food thousands of miles. My limitation here is that I'm not legally allowed to have animals -- so, this means that protein is harder to do -- I'm trying to grow a lot of beans, quinoa, etc., that are vegetable protein sources. I'll try to post some other garden photos tomorrow. Dennis SE Michigan

Final Report on CHAM_WAY melon: I had a very good harvest and they were/are very sweet. I harvested over 15 of them and 3 or 4 were eaten by some animals, partially. I have still 5 of them in my frig. yesterday I pull out the vines as they were not producing anymore. In comparison I had planted another small variety(not Korean) that produced just one and even that did not ripen before rats got into it. Definitely, I will grow some more next year.

We are in the SF Bay Area also. We just plant the seeds directly into the ground. They take off quite fast. I think we usually plant in March but this year we have alot of rain so I think it will happen later. After all these years with this melon it seems that it doesn't really matter if we do a headstart in pots or not. The plant actually seems hardier when it is sown outdoors. HwLee... our very first year we grew these were from 4 seeds that were given to my mom. We harvested well over 200 melons that summer and autumn! I did tend to the vines often with Miracle Grow etal...Since I didn't remember where the root of it was I sprayed the entire plant every 2-3 weeks. As the years past I didn't even bother to fertilize or even water. It grows like a weed! We barely watered them after the vines were about 3 feet long. And my mom has even cut up and dried some of the melons. They actually make a much tastier stock. Though they are darker in color. Wellspring... These melons if they are fully matured can keep for years. The way my mom has taught me to check for fully matured melons is to check the hardness of the skin. It is full ripe if you can't put your thumb nail through the exterior. We just leave them until I can see the stem of the melon starts to turn brownish. And still you can use the seeds from that same melon to dry. I have done this frequently. You can also use these melon like a hairy gourd melon when they are young. I think in a similiar thread somebody told me his Filipino wife harvest shoots and stirfried them. I'm a bit leary since they seem so hairy! Good luck your SFM this year! I was trying to post some pics but the files are too big for GW.

It IS taking a long time to load, Bonnie. I was able to fold half a line of clothes waiting . . . Does starting a harvest thread make sense? I had lettuce in my lunch sandwich today but we are definitely down to the last of it. We'll see if the most recent transplants can overcome the dog days of Summer. Three beds of peas have been ripped out so far. I harvested the shallots from sets this week! A little early but it was either get them out of the ground or allow the weeds in the bed to run to seed! What is with the onion family? They offer ZERO resistance to weeds and trying to pull a weed beside an onion at almost any stage of growth means taking a 50/50 chance of ripping the onion out of the ground along with the weed! Fortunately, I've still got the shallots-from-seed left in the bed, uh well, 50% of them. I think they'll be able to grow to be sets that can survive a Winter. I'd be pleased to get another variety going. All onions are doing well where more attentive weeding prevailed. Altho' I am a little worried about my leeks. I blamed the American Flag variety for being so scrawny last year and went back to Lancelot . . . they seem rather scrawny, themselves. It looks as tho' sweet onions from seed will continue "bulbing-up" sufficiently not to embarrass me in o8. The sweets from plants are HUGE! The little leeks will get more fish emulsion tomorrow and maybe they can catch up. The 1st zucchini came off a vine nearly 10 days ago. Not much sign of anything else in the cucurbit patch with the exception of small Fastbreak cantaloupes forming! Oh, and it looks like I'll have a good sized pun'kin for Halloween. The earliest of the sweet corn has started to tassel. And hey, I've got the 1st Dusky eggplant for tomorrow's lunch!! Somehow, it seems like we should be later in the season . . . Maybe that's because we went from a cool Spring, to very pleasant warm weather, to some Summer HEAT, to today. Whereas it was 91° mid-afternoon yesterday, it was 63° with a smattering of rain showers at the same time today. Makes it seem like Autumn. digitS'