The Liberty Garden

Too Many Reasons to Not Depend on the Grocery Store

The Liberty Garden

There are few things more satisfying than eating food nurtured by your own hand. I hope I can inspire more people to grow food where they live. The summer of 2012 well be memorable for many due to the early bloom, followed by a freeze. A prolonged drought followed by torrential rains. Many farmers had to feed livestock their winter hay supply in the hot summer months because of the dead, dry grass. In Michigan, we are expecting a 10% fruit crop (cherries, apples, peaches, etc) because of the warm-then-cold spring.Drought caused this year's corn crop to be a goner, then the rain decimated the chances of soy-based feed. The fate of these mono crops is bitter sweet to me. Partially, I am overjoyed that the cattle will be spared from this nutrition-lacking fare, however, due to a lack of foresight there aren't any other options for them and they must be slaughtered or starve.
I wish I could say that I feel sorry for our nation's poor. Corn flakes and soy infant formula are going to be expensive this year. My hope for them is that they will be forced to source more nutrient dense food. Beef liver should be readily available.
The time to take responsibility for your own sustenance is now. I urge everyone to pick a sunny spot in their yard (or someone else's yard if necessary) and make some plans to start a lasagna garden next spring. If I hear anyone complain about the price of groceries, I am prepared to ask them if they grow any of their own food. It takes some effort, but is well worth the rewards.
As I walk through my neighborhood, I'm struck buy yard after yard of lush, green lawn, despite the drought. Imagine if communities put that effort (and watering) into edible landscaping? Fruit trees are beautiful in the spring. Herbs, sweet potato and green bean vines are beautiful in the summer. In the fall, you have gorgeous heads of cabbages and blueberry bushes turn a handsome red. There are so many edible options!

My Backyard

There are many other options for feeding yourself. Over the winter, I grew lettuce under a light in my basement (so much more awesome than a bag of lettuce at the grocery store). There are also food co-ops and CSA's. They may let you trade work for food. An important aspect to remember is getting to know your neighbors. You can swap food. There may be things you can grow that your neighbor can't and vice-versa. Don't forget about things already growing in your yard like dandelions, violets, chicory, purselane, and lambsquarters. One of my kids once said, "you feed us like goats!" Bleat bleat!
Don't delay, there is a learning curve with gardening. I don't want you to wait until your life depends on it to start!

Basement Lettuce Just Starting

Beautiful Blogger Award

 Forgive my blogging absence. I have been much to busy "doing" (and learning) to write about it. At the request of a special friend, Jess Proctor of fruitfulpursuits, I will be making a concerted effort to give unsolicited advice in the form of this blog. Resuming my keyboard duties has nothing to do with Jess nominating me for the "Beautiful Blogger" award. (Well, maybe a little...Thank you, Jess!)

Anyway, here's how this works.

1. Copy the Beautiful Blogger Award logo and post in your post
2. Thank you the person who nominated you (but wouldn't you do that anyway ;) )
3. Tell us 7 things about yourself
4. Nominate 7 other bloggers and comment on their blog to let them know

So, I'll tell you a little about myself (more like 7 excuses why my life is not suitable for blogging):



Uh, exploding sour dough



1) I like a schedule, a list, a plan. My husband likes to fly by the seat of his pants. The only thing I don't like to plan is pregnancies. 2) Of which, I have had three, resulting in three beautiful sons, ages 17 years, 4 years, and 18 months. 3) One son inherited my love of lists and dreaming, one inherited my nose, teeth and giggle, and the little one inherited my love of sausage. 4) I have spent some long nights helping my husband stuff sausage casings. We like to do everything ourselves, but there are limits. I've recently taken to turning sausage into meatballs and smoking them. So far, this is superior to sausage in entrails.







 

5) One task not worth doing? Baking bread. Not too bad if you use a store bought bag of flour and yeast , but crazy me needs to grind the wheat and sour the dough. That sucks, but not as bad as growing the wheat, harvesting the wheat with a scythe, then sprouting the wheat. Now I don't have to do the post on Essene Bread. The birds wouldn't even eat it. Furthermore, we have given up bread.

Inedible homemade bread

6) I really, really, really would like to do a blog called "What I Learned on Dr. Oz Today." It would be filled with pseudo-science, demonstrations that have a weak analogy to the physiology being explained, and a heavy reliance on products, products, products. But who has the time to watch Dr. Oz everyday? 7) I created an exercise routine to "The Young and the Restless." It was pretty awesome. I based it on Doug MacGuff's Body By Science. I haven't worked out since before the 4th of July.

Now, for Bloggers I find Beautiful? It would have to be the ladies I have looked to for information and guidance repeatedly. Thanks to this silly internet world for bringing these women (and their enormous, beautiful minds) to me!

Liz  @ Cave Girl Eats

Diane @ Balanced Bites | Holistic & Paleo Nutrition Education

Emily Dean@ Evolutionary Psychiatry

Amy @  Homestead Revival

Kendra @ New Life On A Homestead

Sheri, Leana, Grace, Jill, Brie, and Erin @ Polyface Hen House (that's one, right?)

Lindsay @ Passionate Homemaking