I was encouraged to start this blog because I send too many emails to people about what's going on in the world. I've had success on Twitter & Facebook, but no one reads my blog.
Growing organic, heirloom/rare seedlings in my backyard has proven much more difficult than I had anticipated. Dirt + seed + water = plant? Sometimes. Some of the more exotic plants haven't germinated yet & I fear the seeds are duds. Driving rain killed my Sensitive Plants. Too much rain killed the eggplant & tomato seedlings. Snails ate at least 30% of what sprouted despite attempts to stop them. I even found a plant dug out & eaten by squirrels. Last year, it was armies of earwigs.
What hasn't been drowned or eaten by varmints is almost ready for my first sale. I'm aiming for April 23rd, a week after I get my bees & a day before Easter. Be there or be square!
- Nanda -
Showing posts with label heirloom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heirloom. Show all posts
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Whoa! My First Blog Ever!
Blogging. As if anybody wants to read my ceaseless prattle. Such a vain thing to do. My facebook posts are mostly environmental doom and gloom, but I'm trying to mix it up a little. I have been asked to join forces with an anti-GMO group in my area, but I don't want to have to worry about sticking to their narrative. I have my own stupid, uneducated, nutty opinions about things. That said, please oh please let me know if you think I'm incorrect about something.
I'm not sure what one uses a blog for, but I have a feeling it's going to be a mix of politics, activism alerts, things I think consumers should know, who's doing what where in the world of sustainable agriculture, nanotechnology, veteran health/PTSD, biotech, heirloom gardening, sharing ideas about how to solve the coming global food crisis, and whatever else I might find interesting on any given day. Randomness. The nice thing about being mentally ill is that people expect you to act crazy, so I tend to use that as an excuse to throw some weird ideas out there.
My current obsession is the idea of creating a micro-farm in my mom's backyard. As organic as possible, but not certified, of course. I've got plans, maps, schedules, a shitload of books and articles on everything from bio-control hedgerows, permaculture, food history (my dad is an expert on the subject), etc... and I have NO idea what I'm doing. I barely know how to garden and I have zero actual experience with bees. This could be a total disaster. I'll never know if I don't give it a whirl, right? There's a community garden across the street that has lots of excellent gardeners I can bounce ideas off of (I'm looking at you, Joanne).
The micro-farm is not intended to make money. I'm thinking I can cover costs with a series of monthly garage/heirloom seedling sales. Do you think people would show up? Would they buy seedlings at a garage sale? I could even throw in a free packet of bee-friendly wildflower seeds that has my anti-gmo rant on it, like Dr. Bronner's soap...'cept less nutty. I want produce that doesn't get eaten, sold or preserved to go to Julian Street Inn, a homeless shelter for the mentally ill in downtown San Jose. Actually, I think a certain amount of the harvest should be set aside for donation. Heh. That's if I get anything to grow at all.
Am I crazy? After hearing all the incredible ideas coming out of the Eco-Farm conference, I'm feeling like it's not completely loony. Other people are already micro-farming in their back yard. I need some feedback though. Blog ideas would be nifty too.
Peace,
-nanda-
Vilmorin Seed Company: http://www.saveseeds.org/company_history/vilmorin/index.html
Micro Eco-Farming: http://www.microecofarming.com/
Micro-Farming: America's Next Big Growth Industry:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/800925/micro_farming_americas_next_big_growth.html?cat=3
Is Starting a Micro-Farm in your Future? http://www.new-terra-natural-food.com/micro-farm.html
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: http://rareseeds.com/
Seed Savers Exchange: http://www.seedsavers.org/
I'm not sure what one uses a blog for, but I have a feeling it's going to be a mix of politics, activism alerts, things I think consumers should know, who's doing what where in the world of sustainable agriculture, nanotechnology, veteran health/PTSD, biotech, heirloom gardening, sharing ideas about how to solve the coming global food crisis, and whatever else I might find interesting on any given day. Randomness. The nice thing about being mentally ill is that people expect you to act crazy, so I tend to use that as an excuse to throw some weird ideas out there.
My current obsession is the idea of creating a micro-farm in my mom's backyard. As organic as possible, but not certified, of course. I've got plans, maps, schedules, a shitload of books and articles on everything from bio-control hedgerows, permaculture, food history (my dad is an expert on the subject), etc... and I have NO idea what I'm doing. I barely know how to garden and I have zero actual experience with bees. This could be a total disaster. I'll never know if I don't give it a whirl, right? There's a community garden across the street that has lots of excellent gardeners I can bounce ideas off of (I'm looking at you, Joanne).
The micro-farm is not intended to make money. I'm thinking I can cover costs with a series of monthly garage/heirloom seedling sales. Do you think people would show up? Would they buy seedlings at a garage sale? I could even throw in a free packet of bee-friendly wildflower seeds that has my anti-gmo rant on it, like Dr. Bronner's soap...'cept less nutty. I want produce that doesn't get eaten, sold or preserved to go to Julian Street Inn, a homeless shelter for the mentally ill in downtown San Jose. Actually, I think a certain amount of the harvest should be set aside for donation. Heh. That's if I get anything to grow at all.
Am I crazy? After hearing all the incredible ideas coming out of the Eco-Farm conference, I'm feeling like it's not completely loony. Other people are already micro-farming in their back yard. I need some feedback though. Blog ideas would be nifty too.
Peace,
-nanda-
Vilmorin Seed Company: http://www.saveseeds.org/company_history/vilmorin/index.html
Micro Eco-Farming: http://www.microecofarming.com/
Micro-Farming: America's Next Big Growth Industry:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/800925/micro_farming_americas_next_big_growth.html?cat=3
Is Starting a Micro-Farm in your Future? http://www.new-terra-natural-food.com/micro-farm.html
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: http://rareseeds.com/
Seed Savers Exchange: http://www.seedsavers.org/
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