Growing up, I worked in my parent’s Iowa feed and seed store where I learned the value of a lot of things—hard work, hard times, good times and good tomatoes.  Yes, good tomatoes!  And, with the high cost of gas and food. . .I’ve been thinking back on those lessons.  Shazam (my way of saying, Ah, Ha)!  Let’s Go Grow, O!

I have fond memories of my childhood that I have not been able to duplicate for my kids, including eating fresh sweet corn and tomatoes everyday for two months during the summer.  We kept a pot of hot water on the stove at all times.  Add a shake of salt on and there is nothing better in life than having corn between your teeth and splats of tomato juice on your shirt.   

Now O has done a couple of gardening shows, one most recently aired with her “hot” gardener (Jamie Durie) which definitely made growing things look appealing.  But, the show mainly focused on flowers not food production—something a bit more relevant to what’s going on around us right now.   But, it did get me thinking.  Why don’t we starting planting food everywhere?  Why don’t we?  Hmmmm.

For most people, it is possible.  Even those of us that live in the “burbs” with lots of homeowner rules and regulations.  And, even those of you who live in an apartment and just have a small a patio.  Pot gardening works wonderful and the yield can be surprising (container pots, not the kind you smoke—that’s an entirely different blog entry).

I looked through my homeowner paperwork today and found that there are no rules against planting fruits and veggies in my back or front yard.  In my case, I’ve got a small boy and an ornery dog (or is that in reverse?) that have eliminated the backyard option.  But, my front yard is full of space.    

There are many websites that offer free garden planning advice.  I’m sure O’s gardener is good for a few pointers, but here are a few websites I found that looked helpful:

·         http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/vegetable/vegetable-garden-plans/

·         http://www.vegetablegardeningguru.com/getting-started.html

·          http://www.backyardgardener.com/veg/

Now before you go out and start plopping things in the ground, you need to think about storage of the food for long-term use.  You don’t want to be like the “zucchini woman” who lives down the street from me.  Of course, you can always take her zucchini and plant other things—and, zucchini can be used in a million recipes and probably why it reproduces with such enthusiasm.  

So, back to storage.   If you can’t do something with all of your “fruits,” then producing a garden is well. . .fruitless. . .or, all for not.  Fresh is yummy, but it is good to think about how you are going to save some cash in the long-term.  Freezing and canning experts under the age of 60 years-old are limited in my neighborhood, but I would advise trying to hook up with someone who knows what they are doing if you are truly a food storage virgin.  If you can’t, there are lots of websites and great books available.    This site is especially good – it gives you instruction on how to preserve anything:

·         http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm

My mother once even made Mountain Dew jelly, which isn’t something you can grow in your yard – but, I thought it was clever and saved us jelly money over the next year.  Luckily, she made peach and strawberry jam at the same time—so we had a little variety.  My mother still cans and freezes anything she can get her hands on.  Up until last year I made fun of her for spending so much time hunched over boiling water and plastic baggies, but I guess she’s the one laughing all the way to the bank today.

Even if you just get a few meals out the garden, it’s a meal eaten cheap.  I’ve found that involving my children in the small garden I currently have has been time well spent together.  They love helping out and if they plant something, you know they are going to eat it.  So, it you have kids around—you practically owe this to them.  Teach them how to fish (as one great philosopher once said)!

Beyond fruit and veggie gardening, it would also be great to start growing pigs and cows.  But, for me in the “burbs”—I’m probably going to be trucking over to local grocery store for meat.  But, maybe I’ll ride my bike from now on and save a few bucks in gas.  

So, O—whether it be veggies or sheep—get growing and stop mowing.  Or, at least make some Mountain Dew jelly!

Mountain Dew Jelly

3 1/4 cups Mountain Dew
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 package Sure Jell pectinPour the Mountain Dew and lemon juice into a 6- to 8-quart pot. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 3 minutes. Let it cool slightly, then follow the Sure Jell directions. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

NOTE: You can use more Mountain Dew and reduce it to 3 1/4 cups for a more concentrated flavor.