I'm starting this group to network local folks who grow a significant amount of food in their gardens and orchards. Such a place can provide a forum in which to discuss our climates, soils, adapted varieties and growing techniques, as well as a possible step off for events, get togethers, or projects of one kind or another. I've found that this demographic is scattered and hope this group can bring it together w/out us all having to drive too much.

You should join this group if you keep a diverse garden and/or orchard each year. Diverse medium scale growers and farmers market folks are welcome and can provide valuable insights, but my main motive is to bring together people who produce for home use. Newbies are also welcome, but are encouraged NOT to use this group as their primary source of information to get started. Remember that finding out about a subject and giving it some forethought before asking questions, leads to better questions and better use of answers. Be sure to use the archives as well.

Discussion of raising animals for meat, eggs, milk etc... should probably be kept to a minimum except as it relates to plant stuff. I'm flexible and open to input on this subject, but think it could be distracting.

Information on cooking and preserving is also encouraged. After all, it's all about the food!

Subjects: vegetable gardening in Mendocino and Lake Counties, vegetable varieties, fruit and nut tree varieties and culture, cultural practices, cooking and preserving the produce of our labours- i.e. drying, canning, lacto-fermentation, salt curing, freezing, root cellaring, fermentation, refrigeration, pruning, grafting, in-ground storage and wild foods.

Like all online discussion groups, this will not be a democracy. I'm very reasonable and tolerant, but would like this group to have high quality dialogue which makes for a more useful archive. contact me if there is a problem you can't solve for yourself. Please stay on topic.

Steve e