Didn't get back to this thread for awhile... Darthtrader, have you used the "3 sisters" method? It will produce a lot... but it is meant for field corn, not sweet corn (sweet corn won't support the beans), dry beans not snap beans (you might trample the squash while picking the snaps) and winter squash, not summer squash (ditto on trampling). Essentially, it was a "plant it & forget it" arrangement; the heavy growth did not enable frequent entry for the harvest of immature crops. I have used several variations of it with sweet corn, substituting cowpeas or soybeans for beans, and using indeterminate tomatoes as ground cover in place of squash. I heartily endorse the use of cowpeas within sweet corn, as they are mostly weak climbers, and won't overload the shorter, weaker stalks of the sweet corn. Regardless of the method & varieties used, the corn & squash require a lot of space... which is what I was referring to when I mentioned that it might not be cost effective for those with smaller urban lots. CynthiaH, I once lived & gardened in the Bay area, also on borrowed land. My garden was on a utility easement near the NASA/Ames facility, and was limited in size only by how much time I chose to invest in it. In exchange, I agreed to clean up trash left by a BMX organization (bike racing) on other parts of the property, and to keep the weeds down. Except in the inner cities, there is always empty land somewhere. I gave more detailed advice on OPP gardening (other people's property) here.

By the way, the last few km and the final velodrome sprint are here, complete with a surchauffe commentary by the Belgian announcers. Many bike races are not broadcast in the US, so cycling fans huddle over keyboards, watching grainy videofeeds like this one from a European broadcaster. Since you may not speak French, or at least not surexcited, half-screamed Belgian French, I will narrate. Starting at 2:40 - Cancellara and Vanmarche enter the velodrome together for the final 1 1/2 laps. They pedal slowly, calculating. Vanmarche, the young rider with no contract for next year, has delivered the ride of his life and is seconds from an incredible, career-making victory. A win at P-R will assure his employment for years. And he knows he is the better sprinter. Cancellara, the veteran and nine years' senior, has overcome almost the entire peleton today but desperately wanted to shake the young rider and arrive in the velodrome alone. He's lost P-R in sprint finishes before. They slow to a walk, climb high on the banking, each trying to maneuver the other into the lead. Vanmarche takes it. Confidence, or inexperience? They proceed around the velodrome, Vanmarche checking over his shoulder, listening for Cancellara to jump, Cancellara waiting for Vanmarche to jump and poised to follow. They move high on the banking, then Vanmarche dives down the steep slope, sprinting as hard as 250 km of racing in his legs will allow. Just 100 meters, oh Dieu, just 80 meters more! I don't know what language Cancellara prays in - being Swiss, he is polyglot - but something gives him wings. Cancellara matches the younger man's acceleration, gets tight in Vanmarche's slipstream, builds momentum, and swings out. Vanmarche is the faster sprinter, but he went too early, gave Cancellara too much time, now his legs are cramping, muscles unable to obey his screams, through his tears he sees Cancellara rise up in victory. Cancellara steers his bike to the infield and falls off, chest heaving, immobile but weightless. All the pressure is gone. With every team attacking him for six hours, bruised from two crashes in the prior week, his own teammates long gone, he hurt himself like never before and won his third P-R. (Don't feel too badly for Sep Vanmarche. I'm quite sure he will have a tidy contract with a solid team for 2014.) Here is a link that might be useful: Finish of Paris Roubaix 2013 This post was edited by johnliu on Mon, Apr 15, 13 at 20:41

Not Michigan, but I have been taken my 2 sons out riding in the So. California Deserts & Baja since they were old enough to get on a bike. Now the oldest is almost 17 and our youngest is 11. I race KTMs in Dist.37/ Desert also race the SCORE Baja 1000-Baja 500 and the San Felipe 250 and sometimes CO-Drive my cousins Trophy Truck.

I thought Phil looked the same in person as he does on AR. He was much thinner than I expected him to be but he is an avid cyclist so he stays very lean. His accent is Kiwi (New Zealand) not Australian - very sexy. He was kind and eager to take pictures and sign autographs. 100 percent of ticket sales were donated to MS. I am a fan of Phil the host of Amazing Race but now I am even a bigger fan of Phil Keoghan the person.