The Locovore's Dilemma

I want to eat local, and from an article that I read recently, that means within 300 miles of where I live AND within the same state.

So, we tootled up to Paonia last weekend (about 159 miles away) and did the local thing I used to do every summer: picked cherries and ate more of them than my digestive system liked.

While we were in Paonia, we also stocked up on local meat from Homestead Market, a coop that sells locally produced meat from around the North Fork Valley.

We've also been patronizing the Durango Farmer's Market buying steak and eggs.

So, here is the dilemma: It is expensive to eat local.

Though my garden is supplementing much of the vegetables we eat, our portion of cherries cost $26 (thoughtfully paid for by Scott's parents), the dehydrator cost $75 (I opted for the less expensive model- they can be up to $175), the pectin, canning jars, lids, and hot water tongs can add up to over $40, and the electricity it takes to dehydrate a several batches of cherries for 14 hours at a time isn't nominal.

I know that if we break these costs down, it will be much less than compared with buying cherries at the store ($6 for a bag of dehydrated cherries!), but what about the meat from the farmer's market?

Farmers Markets have become so popular for tourists and the social elite that prices have gone up. I am not complaining (too loudly) because I know the amazing amount of work and care that goes into raising food, and it SHOULD be expensive to compensate these people for this nobel contribution to society. I know the difference between meat bought at Walmart and the Farmer's Market, but how can people afford it, especially during these rough economic times?

Luckily, I'm not the only one going back to the land to supplement my food supply. The revival of "victory gardens" and raising food at home is on the rise. 10% of Americans are returning to the land, saving money, and working together as families and neighbors to bring food to the table.

Why did it take an economic downturn for us to realize, gardening makes good scents/cents/sense?

Horsethiving Women Run Ruby

Last weekend was finally spent on the river, with a group of awesome ladies from all over who came together to be in the flow. Victoria FittsMilgrim asked me to help guide this group for her True Life Coaching and Retreats.

Ruby and Horsethief Canyons were just the thing for my grant burn-out; a nice mellow run with occasional riffles, good conversation with amazing people, and the weather was perfect.

Even the bad weather was good. Wind took us by surprise the second day, but the river's high flows kept us moving down to Blackrocks.

Thunderstorms grumbled and lightening gave us a show as we watched a storm roll in at night. All at once a wall of rain, wind, and sand hit, and we all ran for cover.

The next day I hiked upstream and a lizard and I had a meaningful stare down. He won.

Waiting in the Weeds

Now is the time of summer when everything is planted and the only work that needs to be done is weeding. Sure, there is the fertilizing, or adding iron for plants looking yellow, but mostly it is wait n' weed.

While I wait, I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

Big mistake.

I don't think I've ever been this impatient to produce 10 tons of zucchini before. It is just that Kingsolver makes everything sound so GOOD. The recipes are killing me. I know that I'll be knee deep in beans and tomatoes in the very near future, but I can't wait to try her peach chutney and sweet and sour sauce recipes.

Rather on focusing on what is not yet there, here is a report on Scott's corn experiment:

It isn't there yet. Unlike the peas at left, which are producing like crazy.

Out of 50 corn seeds planted, only about 4 have come up- one from the 18" deep planting, and the rest from the 6" planting. I'm still holding out for more to pop up, but they certainly will not be knee high by the 4th of July.

The rest of the garden, save the peppers, are thriving. I think it is too rainy and not hot enough for them. They do show signs of a little bit of new green growth, but no flowers.

Bike Wheels for Garden Deals

Just another product of the love affair between a green thumb and bike wrench...

Scott has lots of extra ruined bike wheels at work and it turns out they are fairly useful as garden "frames".

Behold the newly designed bean tent frame! I ran big wood screw through the axle hole in this wheel and drilled it into the top of a closet rod. Beans are just about to grab on to the twine that is strung through the spokes now.


Also, dig on the tomato cages a la cycle parts. These lovelies are now fully supported and ready to climb.

These wheels were landfill-bound, but we sprayed the black ones green (so they wouldn't absorb too much heat and burn the plants), and with some inexpensive wood and leftover chicken wire, we put them back to work.


And we can't forget the bike wheel turned Frank Lloyd Wright-style plant hanger that Scott came up with for our front porch. These are drilled into a vertical beam (on the left) through the spoke holes.



More junk turned funk in the garden!

Happy Garden

Sure sign of a healthy, happy garden is Lady Love. This plant was filled with them, presumably because there was an aphid population blossoming there.

We've had lots of rain lately- good news for newly planted seeds and young plants. Unfortunately, the rain has been interspersed with hail, not such good news for the above said.

Luckily for this Amish Pie Pumpkin, the hail must have missed the small leaves and done little damage.

Enough chatter. I'm off to read the newest edition of Organic Gardening...