Don't Bother Hobby Farming in Ozarks?
jgelt
16 years ago
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oakleif
16 years agojgelt
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Why don't more people grow vegetables?
Comments (82)keepitlow, at first I thought the thing about keeping shoes in your fridge was a joke taken out of context or something like that, but there was a link to the full article and... oh my gosh! You know, when I was in college and lived in a 300 square foot apartment I STILL tried to cook in my tiny kitchen. I had lived in the dorm the year before and was so sick of other people cooking for me and not having that control over my own food. I can't imagine just unplugging your fridge and eating take out all the time. I mean, yes, I do get take out sometimes, and go to restaurants, but if I lived on it... it's so fattening and so expensive! *** macky77, "'My soil won't grow anything and I can't afford or don't have time to build raised beds and buy all the special ingredients you NEED to make super soil.' The most common situations they cite are either living in rental properties with neglected yards or new developments where the topsoil was not replaced after construction." Well, as other people have said, yes, new developments can have awful soil. Bermudagrass sod doesn't take much. I live in a rental house with a neglected yard (at least until I got here). Actually it's kind of interesting to see what's hanging on in a yard where nature has been allowed to take over. I used to have scarlet sage growing in the front (hummingbirds LOVE that stuff) until the Lawn Police ordered us to mow it down, and in the back I have pigeonberry, black-eyed susan, wild sunflowers, and rain lillies growing, along with some other wildflowers I have yet to identify. I betcha the land is actually better off for it rather than being maintained as a Bermudagrass monoculture soaked in herbicides. But anyway, back to having good soil, this goes back to my idea that maybe people think growing veggies is harder than it really is. I live in south-central Texas. The soil here is clay with limestone rocks, and I'm growing stuff right in it. Didn't build any raised beds (don't want to build any permanent structures at a rental house). Potatoes didn't seem to like it, but tomatoes, beans, peppers, squash, etc. don't seem to mind one bit. Digging in it is a big of hard work, but it's better than gonig to the gym. I wonder if the garden media has anything to do with this. You know, TV shows with perfect looking gardens, soil you can dig with your bare hands, etc. I wonder if people actually think that veggies NEED perfect soil to grow. Sure they might grow better in perfect soil, but they can make do with what they've got. You don't have to be Martha Stewart. I see gardening as a partnership between me, the plants, and Nature. That means that I don't have to do ALL the work. Lots of plants grow just fine with no human help at all. Veggie plants have evolved alongside us for a while and now need some help, but I still feel like I'm letting them and Nature do most of the work. When people say they can't grow plants here because it's too hot or dry or we have bad soil or something, I always think of the Hopi and related tribes that lived off their gardens with no modern technology in the DESERT. I don't live in the desert, and I do have modern technology, and I do have the farmer's market and grocery store as a backup, so I think I have it EASY. Actually, it reminds me of something from Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden where she talks about how white people don't know how to plant things right. I forgot specifically what it was she was talking about, but I only wonder what she'd think if she saw our gardens today....See MoreHobby Gardeners Not Wanted?
Comments (85)Everyone I know who goes to farmers markets expects to pay more than in the store. This is because our produce isn't shipped half way across creation from California or Florida or Mexico, sprayed with various chemicals and then displayed with listless flavor on shelves and refrigerated bins for who knows how long. And the hobby farmers don't last. Once they get rid of their stuff or get tired of slow days (there will be a few) their commitment isn't generally the same as those of us who produce for a llving, as a way of life and/or to supplement our incomes. I am at farmers markets in the inner-city, catering to a lot of low-income people and even they expect to pay more. One reason too, in the inner-city, the few-and-far-between grocery stores often charge premium prices for all of their stuff and a lot of it has a tendency to be lower quality than grocers in more affluent areas of town. That's just the way it is. Anyway, I seldom have anyone complain about price. They are elated that we are selling our produce in their neighborhood. I also LIVE in the neighborhood in an old ethnic Eastern-European neighborhood and we have a mix of all kinds of people. My farm is about 15 miles to the west where I hope to build a house some day. All I know is we don't try to gouge anyone or do the lah-dee-dah type of marketing. But, we do expect to be paid for our labor of love. And I believe most people can appreciate that. The ones that don't? Well, they go to Walmart Supercenters and discount grocery stores and they get exactly what they pay for. Sometimes it's great...I love Aldi's 89 cent pineapples and sometimes it's not so great...Everyone have a safe and happy Memorial Day Holiday!...See MoreWill you share your hobby, hidden talent or avocation?
Comments (28)Audrey, I'm so glad you reposted your waxed linen basket and expanded on your skills and accomplishments. I'd love to see more of your work. Do you have a link?(Audrey is the name of the recipient of the beanie I am knitting right now. She is a long time friend of Alice and her roommate.) I knit and crochet skillfully enough but am not very ambitious about what I do. I stick with simple projects and uncomplicated stitches. I joke that if I can't knit with a glass of wine on the table while I carry on a conversation, I shouldn't be doing it. I haven't bothered with a pattern in a while. Reading them has become a chore with failing eyesight. Tricia, Alice is in her third year at Cal Poly. She will need an extra quarter to graduate because she changed majors after the first quarter from Agriculture Communications to Winemaking & Viticulture. She loves Cal Poly and college life in general. She doesn't just burn the candle at both ends, she snaps it in two and burns all four ends. She needs the warm things because she is on the board of the local ski club and she heads for snow every weekend. Pam, writing for grants is a highly regarded skill from what I hear. Have you done it professionally? Eileen...See MoreDon't understand reverse mortgages
Comments (19)Ken, I think that you are totally misunderstanding my point of view. First of all, I never got the impression that Cube's dad owned his house fee and clear. She said that he said, Âbut the house and car insurance snuck up on meÂ. I took that to mean house payment, although, it could have meant homeowner's insurance, or real estate taxes. I don't know. But I assumed that he did not own the house free and clear. Also, I could care less about the inheritance. I don't care if I inheret a dime from my relatives, and I guess that I make the presumption that others don't care either. My concern is what is best for Cube and her dad. Sure, she could continue to supplement his income, and write IOUs, but that really is not what's best, because Cube is planning for a layoff, and the money simply will not be there for her to give to her dad. You can't give what you don't have. The RM is a possible alternative, but I don't think it's best for Cube's dad, mainly because, as you said, he may have another 20 years of living to do. That RM is gonna come due eventually. Or, he will tap it out, and then, how will he pay for his living expenses? As stated above, my opinion was not based on the fact that the RM would prevent Cube from obtaining an inheritance. My point was, the best way for Cube to help her dad out of this situation, which she feels a moral obligation to do, is to help him to not spend more than he earns. I'm sorry that you feel that that would be "treating him like a child." But, I disagree. My grandfather does not feel like he is treated like a child. My mother does not insist that he hand his money over for safe keeping. He willingly gives it to her and asks her to hold it (because he is well aware that he is not good with money,) so that if his cars breaks down and cannot be fixed, he can purchase a new one. And, I'm not talking about huge sums. Currently, my Mom is holding $3000 for my grandpa, and that is his entire net worth. In the case of my family, this is not an inheritance issue, it's a looking out for one another issue. No one has $3000 to give to grandpa, but my mom can help him be prepared in case an emergency pops up and he needs money. Perhaps the term "allowance" makes you think of a child. But many adults put themselves on an allowance. It's just the amount of money that they have to spend each week (or month) after they have met all other financial obligations. Call it something else if you like. And, I never called anyone "money stupid." I don't like the term "stupid." But, I would not equate someone who is not good with money with someone who has different money priorites either. Someone who has different money priorities is not necessarily someone who cannot meet all of their financial obligations. Do you see the distinction? I think Anita's last paragraph is a very good suggestion, IF it's even possible for Cube's dad to downsize....See Moreoakleif
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