Plant disease hits eastern US veggies early, hard

CONCORD, N.H. – Tomato plants have been removed from stores in half a dozen states as a destructive and infectious plant disease makes its earliest and most widespread appearance ever in the eastern United States.

Late blight — the same disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s — occurs sporadically in the Northeast, but this year’s outbreak is more severe for two reasons: infected plants have been widely distributed by big-box retail stores and rainy weather has hastened the spores’ airborne spread.

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How are your veggies fairing this growing season?  Better, same or worse than last year?

Coming soon, we tally up our June Harvest - what about you - care to weigh in?  Because of the cooler than normal June I am suspecting the tally will be on the low side.

Plant Pottery that Works

Ollas this season have been flying off the shelves (virtually speaking)  Good news is that the 1.5 and 1 gallons are back in stock so stock up while supplies last.  What’s even better is we are getting returning customers who are wanting more for their garden and they have nothing but good reviews over using clay pot irrigation in their garden.

Other hot items are the soil blocks, hanging solar food dryers and the canning kits (temporarily out of stock and we’ll be getting another batch at the end of June and just in time for your preservation efforts)

Order $50 and get a chance to win a 3 DVD collection of HOMESTEAD BLESSINGS (one more drawing to go!)

In ancient Rome, roses were often added to celebratory cuisine, and Middle Eastern fare still includes roses in numerous desserts. In America, candied rose petals were a favorite during the Victorian era.

It’s been a good year for roses.   Not only are the fragrant flowers useful (we like to make rose petal syrup to flavor lemonade — which is a favorite and desserts) but our goats love the roses too.  We get a kick watching the goats eat roses - thorns and all. Yeah, ouch I say!  But they could care less about the thorns and munch happily on one of their favorite treats.

Now with the peaches coming in season, going to try mixing flowers and fruit!

Nothing goes to waste here on the urban homestead; if it’s not consumed by people or by our animals then the worms get the rest.

Oh and the blueberries are ripening as fast as we can pick em.  We picked over 1 lb - which is a lot of little fruit! YUM.

The June gloom seemed to delay our fruit from ripening.  The apricots are 1/2 and 1/2   Though the apricot fruit is slightly green, we ended picking them anyways because, over the weekend, the temperature is supposed to spike into the 90’s and we don’t want the fruit to crack (some are already slightly cracked)  Besides, there’s a pesky little squirrel!

What’s fruiting in on your homestead?

Here on the urban homestead we grow some quite odd/unusual fruit.  This year our tropical cherry bushes (aka surinam cherry) bushes are loaded with a decent harvest.

A decent harvest is when we get more than a (one) handful so that means asking “grandma google”  (ask Jordanne has so rightfully dubbed this search engine) for advice on using these fruit.

We tried out this recipe (I didn’t bother adding canned cherries, just increased the amount of surinam cherries instead) which turned out quite good.  So, the recipe’s a keeper and it goes into my every growing collection of recipes.

Purple Top Turnips (via FreedomSeeds.org)

Clay pot irrigation/tomato bed

Lazy animals

Preening chickens

Snoozing chickens

Clusters of grapes  (means homemade WINE soon!)

What: Film Screening of CONSUME THIS MOVIE! & Local, Vegetarian Potluck

When: Sunday, July 19  (5:30 PM - 9:00 PM)

Where: 626 Cypress Ave, Pasadena CA (see map)

Cost: $10 (children under 12 are free) A small entrance fee is required to help pay for facility rental, dvd screening fee, sound system, and purchase of eco friendly compostable dinnerware

Space is limited so please RSVP by calling 626.844.4586 or filling out the online reservation form

Event Schedule

5:30 PM - event starts / Freedom Gardens Swap N Meet

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM - local food potluck

7:00 PM - CONSUME THIS MOVIE! (80 minutes)

8:30 PM - discussion / pop quiz and win prizes!

9:00 PM - event ends

Film Details

See this movie when you’re happy to be alive. Check out this movie when you want to make a huge difference. Absorb this movie again and again for profound insights about all our lives. But - whatever you do - Consume This Movie!”
— Ed Begley, Jr., Actor

Are Americans too materialistic? Are we willfully trashing the planetary ecology in order to serve the desires and drives of the ego? And what, or who could be driving this powerful force of seduction? Consume This Movie takes a critical look at social injustice, peak oil, resource depletion and our deep need to feel connected to each other through what we choose to consume. This 80 minute documentary also examines the frenzied pace of fast-lane materialism that is beggining to burn us out. We Americans are just now beginning to yearn for a simpler life, but is it too late? Have we set in motion a runaway train that threatens to undermine the ecological, social and spiritual cornerstones that make the pursuit of happiness possible in the first place? Walk, don’t drive to see this powerful documentary film, while supplies last!

Woven into this exploration are interviews with Dr. Peter Whybrow, American Mania, Juliet B. Schor, The Overspent American, simplicity guru’s Cecile Andrews and Duane Elgin, photographic artist Chris Jordan, advertising expert James. B. Twitchell and Post Carbon Institutes Julian Darley among others.

Potluck

Bring something (preferably vegetarian) to contribute to the potluck - bring enough food for yourself/family and a bit to share. The primary focus of the ‘Locavore’ potluck is to promote eating whole foods, in their nature-made state, focusing on fresh food from local sources (or as local as possible)

If not FROM BACKYARD then locally produced.
If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.

Freedom Garden Swap N Meet

Join local homegrown revolutionaries - swap crops, seeds, expertise and more.

Growing for 21st century food security, FreedomGardens.org is a free interactive, online social community of gardening enthusiasts who are fed up with foreign oil, frequent food miles and high food prices.

To reserve space for this event fill out this easy regisration form or contact 626.844.4586

Brood and bees look healthy - which is good news.

Wild fermentation is the opposite of homogenization and uniformity –Sandor Ellix Katz

On the preservation front

Now that I got some beautiful cabbage heads (thanks to a local Freedom Farmer) I made a batch of sauerkraut - using Sally Fallon’s recipe.  I did just plan cabbage for one batch and for the other I mixed a bit of beautiful turnips we had growing in the garden.  The turnips were sooooo sweet and incredibly delicious as was the cabbage.  I couldn’t help but eat handfuls raw.

Fermenting is one of the easiest and oldest ways of preserving - not to mention it’s fun.

Recently in the news, sauerkraut and pickled vegetables fermented the natural way with lactic acid fermentation are being credited with correcting bodily imbalances of intestinal flora, leading to problems including acid reflux for which doctors often prescribe harsh antibiotics.

Natural lactic acid fermentation is one of the oldest and healthiest means of food preservation. It allows natural, beneficial bacteria to perform a fermentation process in which vegetables develop a pleasantly sour taste and remain rich in vitamins and minerals. Lactic acid fermentation is the only method of preservation that retains all the natural plant ingredients while improving the quality, taste and aroma.

The preservation season has just begun!  Soon, apples, apricots, peaches, cucumbers, beans, tomatoes and peppers will be (God willing) pouring in and we’ll be busy in the kitchen.  But the June gloom has delayed the harvest a bit so I have a feeling we are going get slammed in July & August.

Preservation is definitely food security at its best.

What new preservation methods will you be trying this year?  Care to share?

References

Wild Fermentation

Thanks to FreedomGardens.org we been able to barter with a local farmer in the area.  The most recent trade was for a couple pounds of cabbages for a few ollas and a couple jars of finished sauerkraut.

Have you hooked up with a FGer in your area and swapped yer crops.  If not what are you waiting for?

SATURDAY

Breakfast - homemade/homegrown blueberry pancakes
Dinner - homemade flour tortillas, homemade spanish rice (homegrown tomatoes, peppers, onions) with organic black beans and cheese

SUNDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - leftovers
Dinner - omelet (homeraised eggs) homegrown tomatoes, celery, onions and peppers

MONDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - locally bartered cabbage (from a local Freedom Farmer) homegrown carrots, turnips and kale with homegrown herb/lemon sauce
Dinner - locally bartered cabbage (from a local Freedom Farmer) homegrown carrots, turnips and kale with homegrown herb/lemon sauce

TUESDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - locally bartered cabbage (from a local Freedom Farmer) homegrown carrots, turnips and kale with homegrown herb/lemon sauce
Dinner - homemade black bean burger with homegrown/homemade sweet daikon relish and homegrown tomatoes and lettuce

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Dinner - homemade black bean burger with homegrown/homemade sweet daikon relish and homegrown tomatoes and lettuce
Lunch - homemade spaghetti sauce (homegrown basil, onions, celery, tomatoes, peppers) with whole wheat pasta and homegrown salad

THURSDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Dinner - homemade pizza topped with homegrown marinated peppers, tomatoes, basil, onions, organic cheese and homegrown salad

FRIDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch -  grilled raw cheese sandwich with homemade sauerkraut made with locally bartered cabbage (from a local Freedom Farmer)
Dinner - OUT