Food Inflation and the Supply Chain

This past year my annual food cost have risen around $600 to $1,000 dollars during 2021.

For some this is not a real financial burden. However for me being on a fixed income a 7% or 8% cost of food increase is a burden and must be dealt with the best way(s) I know.
To this end I have been collecting unused canning jars from friends and family members and buying what I can’t find free with the goal of doubling the amount of fruits and vegetables I can to carry me through the cold non-garden months.

My vegetable garden space has doubled from past years and I am adding a few more fruit trees to my tiny orchard. Much to my dismay and sticker shock my normal list of vegetable seeds are 3 and in some cases 4 times the price from last spring. I’ll do much more seed saving this fall.
Planted Hybrid seeds do not come back true to it’s mother plant, they tend to revert back to one of it’s parent plants. Often this is not a good thing.
Heirloom plants are open pollinated and do come back true to it’s mother plant and as such are the best choice if you plan to save seed for next years vegetable garden.

Small bare root fruit trees and many grape vines if you can find them at all have shot up in price from about $25 dollars last spring to $45 to $75 dollars each this spring planting season. Almost every fruit tree variety I have been looking for is simply not available this season.

For the first time in many years I harvested and processed 2 bucks and 4 does to supplement my meat supply this year.
I am in the process of cleaning, repairing, painting my old rabbit hutches. I haven’t raised meat rabbits for about 10 years, however it’s time to get 3 or 4 does and a buck. Properly managed each doe will produce 3 litters a year averaging 6 kits per-litter. Growing to a butcher weight of about 5-6 pounds each in 6-8 weeks. Yearly each doe will produce 25-30 pounds of healthy, low fat, great tasting meat.

Happy Safe 2022.

Germination Chart For Annual Flowering Plants

Germination requirements (light and temperature) vary among the different flowers and vegetables. The various crops also differ in the length of time from seed sowing until the seedlings are transplanted outdoors.

The following chart provides germination information for many of the commonly grown annual flowers.

Annual	Germination Temperature (Fahrenheit)	Lighting	Days to Germination	Weeks Sowing to Planting
Ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum)	70-75	L	7-10	8
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)	70	L	7-14	8-10
Wax Begonia (Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum)	70-75	L	14	10-12
Annual Aster (Callistephus chinensis)	70	L-D	7-10	6-8
Vinca (Cathranthus roseus)	70-75	L-D	14	10
Cockscomb (Cleosia spp.)	70-75	D	7-10	6-7
Bachelor's Button (Centaurea cyanus)	65-70	L-D	7-14	8
Cosmos (Cosmos spp.)	70	D	5-7	4-6
Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum)	75	L	10-14	14
Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa)	70	L-D	14	7-8
Sunflower* (Helianthus annuus)	70	D	5-7	3-4
Strawflower (Helichrysum bracteatum)	70-75	L-D	7-10	6-8
Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana)	70-75	L	10-14	8-10
Annual Statice (Limonium sinuatum)	70	L-D	7-10	8-10
Melampodium (Melampodium paludosum)	65-70	L-D	7-10	7
Four-O'Clock (Mirabilis jalapa)	70	D	5-7	6-8
Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana alata)	70-75	L	10-14	8
Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)	70-75	D	7-21	12
Petunia (Petunia x hybrida)	75	L	7-10	8-10
Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora)	75	L	7-10	10
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.)	70	L-D	7-14	10
Red Salvia (Salvia splendens)	70-75	L	10-14	8
Mealycup Sage (Salvia farinacea)	70-75	L	10-14	8-9
Creeping Zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens)	70	D	7-10	6-7
Coleus (Solenostemon spp.)	70-75	L	10-14	8-10
Dahlberg Daisy (Thymophylla tenuiloba)	65-70	L	14	8
Nasturtium* (Tropaeolum majus)	65-70	D	10-14	5-6
Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)	70	D	5-7	5

*Sunflowers and nasturtiums do not transplant well. Both should be seeded directly into peat pots.

Light conditions during germination are critical for many annual flowers. The seeds of some plant species require light for germination. (In the table above, annuals that require light for germination are designated with the letter L in the lighting column.) After sowing these seeds, lightly press them into the germination medium, but do not cover them. The seeds of other flowers require darkness (D) and should be covered with the germination medium. Finally, those designated L-D should be lightly covered, leaving the seeds as close to the soil surface as possible.

Category: Horticulture
Authors: Richard Jauron
Iowa State University

Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Horticulture and Home Pest News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Garden Vegetable Germination Chart

Vegetable Germination Chart

Soil Temperature is more important than calendar date

Soil Temperature is the true key for better and quicker seed germination. Soil Temperature is equally important when your plant seedlings. With the right soil temperature seedlings will quickly send out roots and become well established healthy plants.

To day my soil temperature at 4 inch depth is 48%. Time to plant cool weather loving crops like onions and garlic for fall harvest.

Here is a planting chart with some of the more common garden crops and the best soil temperature to plant.

Seed Package Terminology

What ‘Seed Package Terminology’ really means to gardeners.
Posted by Ann-Marie on Gab

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Tomato’s In Your Spring / Summer Garden

TomatoFest website is a good research tool to assist you in choosing the tomato varieties you wish to grow in the 2021 gardening season. TomatoFest advertises that they have available more than 650 different tomato varieties for you to choose from. [See Disclaimer]

TomatoFest Annual Heirloom Tomato Seed Sale – Ends January 18, 2021 Heirloom Tomato’s seed

TomatoFest – Online heirloom tomato seed catalog of more than 650 tomato seed varieties currently offering 325 heirloom tomato varieties on sale now through January 18, 2021.

Dwarf varieties offered to gardeners who are challenged with limited garden space and those who are limited to growing in containers. Dwarf tomato varieties are popular for producing heavy yields on shorter plants.

TomatoFest Cherry Tomato Seed Collection

TomatoFest Short Growing Season Collection

Disclaimer I am not employed nor do I receive any money or free products from TomatoFest company.
I am providing these links as a Research Tool for your convenience.
As with any purchase research and choose your supplier carefully and wisely.

Speaking only for myself, I have had good service and found their products to be as advertised. Producing healthy productive plants.

First Thanksgiving Dinner menu

First Thanksgiving Dinner – Smithsonian magazine Pilgrims and Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony in 1621. Edward Winslow, an English leader who attended said: Besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison.
In addition to wildfowl and deer, the colonists and Wampanoag probably ate eels and shellfish, such as lobster, clams and mussels.

The forest provided chestnuts, walnuts and beechnuts. They grew flint corn (multicolored Indian corn). They grew beans, which they used from when they were small and green until when they were mature. They also had different sorts of pumpkins and squashes.

England not having turkeys it is likely that the Pilgrims favored swan, geese, ducks over turkey meat. It is also likely that passenger pigeons were on their menu.

Historians think Pilgrims stuffed birds with chunks of onion, herbs and shelled chestnuts. Pilgrims did not have white(Irish) potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, butter or wheat flour to make crusts for pies and tarts.

Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of the popular women’s magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book was a leading voice in establishing Thanksgiving as an annual event. Beginning in 1827, Hale petitioned 13 presidents, the last of whom was Abraham Lincoln. She pitched her idea to President Lincoln as a way to unite the country in the midst of the Civil War, and, in 1863, he made Thanksgiving a national holiday.

As for me and my family, this Thanksgiving we will have a small(10#) slow smoked/cooked turkey, mostly for the smaller members of our clan. Adults will feast on slow cooked/smoked beef brisket, racks of ribs and buckets of BBQ sauce, the mild and hot kind. Of course there will be ample assorted side dishes, ice cream and pie for all.

Post a comment and share your Thanksgiving menu.

Herbs add flavor to any food dish

Reworked, updated first posted 2015.

Herbs Make Common Foods Taste Special

Most herbs will do well in containers, window boxes and planted directly in your garden soil.
If herbs are conventionally located to you and your kitchen you are more willing and more likely to use them when cooking and serving meals.

Sage is a herb that does well if properly cared for. It requires a lot of pinching and cutting to keep it from becoming woody. As a rule, sage will need to be replanted about every 3 years since it will become woody with few leaves no matter what, so keeping it in a pot makes this change that much easier. Sage dries very well and if you pinch the leaves throughout the growing season, put a rubber band on them and keep them dry and in a dark place after drying. You will have wonderful sage all winter to give your family and guest a special treat.

Rosemary is always a kitchen favorite. It dries perfectly, holds its strong taste all winter, comes indoors and keeps growing in a sunny window and is rarely bothered by insects.
Use rosemary for many herb standards or topiaries. The woody stem is perfect for crafting. The stem also seconds as skewers so each harvest yields two separate herb crops. 1)leaves and 2)stems.
Keep the stems in a freezer bag and use them for grilling skewers. Rosemary doesn’t like to sit in water it likes to dry out between watering’s. Being in its own container makes the herb grow that much hardier, since it can receive special care.

Basil is one of the most rewarding herbs to grow in a container. It really lends itself well to the other popular container plants like the tomato. Basil likes to have plenty of water to keep its fleshy stems and tender leaves plump, but is susceptible to mildew. In a container, you must be sure the plant gets plenty of airflow.

Thyme is an undervalued herb. Many times it gets planted and never used. Thyme deserves a higher standing on our list of culinary herbs!
It will thrive in a container environment, needing only minimal watering. Some varieties grow into small shrub like plants that enhance an entrance to your home. It’s tiny purple flowers are lovely. Being such a low maintenance herb, thyme will fit in your container garden.

Mint is notorious for getting away from gardeners. You plant one and soon twenty will follow. Planting a bottomless pot into your garden is one way of controlling mint, but keeping it out of the garden completely, by using a separate container, is a better idea. Mint is also so tasty, it will be used more often if it is handy.

Chives Leaves/Flowers Use in fresh or frozen soups, salads, salad dressings, eggs, dips, vegetables, chicken, soft cheese spreads, butters, white sauces, and fish.

English Thyme Use leaves flowers with fresh or dried wild game, beef, soft cheeses, fish, chowders, pâté, vegetables, and tomato sauce.

Tarragon French or Spanish Use leaves fresh or dried with chicken, fish, eggs, tomato juice, butters especially nice on steak, vinegars, salads, mustards, sauces hollandaise, béarnaise and tartar, soups, chicken, fish, mushroom and tomato and marinades for fish, lamb or pork.

Greek Oregano Use leaves fresh or dried
in white and tomato sauces, stews, soups, fish, lamb, pork, vegetables, butters, and vinegars.

Rosemary Use leaves fresh or dried
with beef, lamb, fish, poultry, stuffings, soups, stews, fruit cups, soups chicken, pea, and spinach, vegetables, and marinades.

Sage Use leaves flowers fresh or dried
with stuffings for fish, poultry, and meat, pâté, eggs, poultry, pork, beef, lamb, pasta, cheeses cheddar, cream, and cottage, sauces brown and meat, soups cream and chowder, beef stews, and vegetables.

Hint of the Day: Use fresh herbs blended with ‘real’ butter or sour cream for that special taste. Herb’s go well with fresh baked potato’s, snack dips and fresh garden salads.

Flowering Bulb Planting for Spring Flowers

Way back in 2011 I posted a short post with a suggested bulb Planting Chart.
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I hope you find this chart useful when planting spring flowering bulbs.

Spring time – plant your garden seeds soon, or miss your optimal planting time

It’s that time of year again, soil, day and night time air temperatures are nearing the optimal temperatures for direct seeding in your garden or raised bed soils.

An older blog post you may find useful Seed To Fork
North Dakota State University Agriculture Extension – Combinations found to be beneficial

Temperature, it’s all about the soil temperature.
Soil temperature is almost never to warm, however, soils that are to cool and damp at worst can cause your seed to rot in the ground and at best take many days to germinate. Seedling in cool soil grow slowly and often do not develop into healthy productive plants.

Words of wisdom: Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day. Harry S Truman

Home(stead) and Garden Projects [3]

OK, OK, this is the last of my project pictures…. I promise.

24 foot double gate

20 foot farm gate

sheep or goat milking / grooming stand

4 post bed frame

hunting cabin wood burning stove

shop work on a cold day

salvage trailer

finished salvaged flatbed trailer

12X24 foot portable building

salvage livestock trailer

finished salvage livestock trailer