Digging the Dirt / May in the Garden
Copyright 2008, Harvest McCampbell, All Rights Reserved
(From my column in the Two Rivers Tribune - formerly the Hoopa People
Newspaper - and still published by the Hoopa Valley Tribe.)

Sticker shock increasingly hounds our food shopping decisions.
Unfortunately, this trend is set to continue, at least through next
winter, as both fuel and food prices continue to rise. Several factors
are at play, forcing staple supplies to dwindle while demand
increases. First, looking at the supply side, climate change and other
forces have brought agricultural woes to nearly every continent.
Australia, Africa, Asia, and Europe have all had major crop failures
affecting grains and other staples; more crop failures are predicted
for this year--including right here in the US. Meanwhile, less land
has been devoted to growing food; because of urbanization,
industrialization, and demand for agricultural crops to produce
ethanol and bio-diesel.

Demand for bio-fuels ties food prices to fuel prices, and fuel is
still going up. (Meanwhile, most of our food is planted, tended,
harvested, stored, and transported using large amounts of fuel,
further tying the costs of food to petroleum.) Other factors
contributing to demand include our growing planetary population and
the increasing middle class in China and India-- who now consume more
grain and more grain fed animal products than ever before. In the
world-wide economy, there are many demands on the available food.
Prices are expected to continue going up until the supply meets or
exceeds the demand. (For more information and documentation see:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/harvests_thoughts/messages )


It's Time to Get Growing!

Whether you want to help keep your families food budget in bounds, or
are thinking of growing a market garden to make a little cash, there
has never been a better time to get growing. While tomatoes, peppers,
and summer squash are part of the pleasures of summer, with food
prices on the rise, I would like to encourage everyone to plant some
crops that can be saved for winter. Here are some ideas.

Jerusalem Artichokes are at the top of the list for productivity.
Plant them now, and dig their delicious tubers beginning this fall.
Each plant produces between five and fifteen pounds of food! (They
can be very expensive in catalogs; however, they are available at
reasonable prices locally.)

Pumpkins and Winter Squash store well, are easy to grow, nutritious,
and yummy. Seeds and starts are widely available at nurseries and
generally reasonably priced.

Potatoes thrive in cool moist weather. Anytime you find yourself in
possession of sprouting potatoes you can plant them in the home
garden. Mulch them well for the best crops. I have been teaming up
potatoes with squash. If we don't have a hot summer, at least the
potatoes should produce; and if the sun decides to warm things up, the
squash will help shade the potatoes.

Painted Mountain Flour Corn (not the related Painted Mountain Sweet
Corn) was bred to withstand both drought and cool soils. Flour corn is
easy to grow, dry, and can then be stored to use with beans in soup.
You can also grind it for grits and corn meal.

Consider growing some small grains for nutrition and food security,
here are some suggestions for both hot weather and cool wet weather.
(The La Nina weather pattern is predicted to continue; keeping our
weather cool and moist. I don't really trust the predictions. I say
be prepared for anything.)

Amaranth generally produces well whether the weather is hot or cool.
Choose large grained varieties.

Buckwheat likes cool damp weather. Purchase it from bulk bins at
health food store or larger grocery stores. Be sure you get raw
buckwheat and not roasted buckwheat grouts.

Millet, pair Japanese millet which can stand waterlogged soils with
Proso millet which can take the heat and is easy to thresh.

Quinoa can take cool damp weather, choose a large seeded variety.

Last but not least, add some legumes. Legumes (beans and peas) fix
nitrogen and improve the soil, and they form a complete protein when
paired with grains. Most beans can be eaten green as a vegetable or
let mature to dry for soup beans. Here are a few of suggestions for
soup beans that will improve your family's food security:

Anasazi beans can take the drought, and can be purchased from bins at
the health food store.

Runner Beans like cool moist weather and are commonly available in
many catalogs.

Fava Beans are easy to grow and all parts are edible including the
leaves, flowers, green beans, and dry beans. Available in many
catalogs and also in bulk bins.

You can also do your own research on other varieties. In fact, the
more diverse the seed bank we can create in our gardens, the more
secure our food supply will be. Try to choose two varieties of each
crop you want to grow; one adapted to drought, and one adapted to cool
or damp climates. That way, no matter what the weather does, you are
prepared.

If you can get your seed started by the first of June, at the very
latest, and if the weather co-operates, you should be able to harvest
a bountiful crop this fall. All the seed varieties mentioned above
can be ordered from "Bountiful Gardens," if you can't find them
locally. Their catalog and web site is very informative. You can order
seeds or request a catalog on-line: http://www.BountifulGardens.org
or by phone: (707) 459-1925.


What, Me Garden?

The Klamath Trinity area is truly the Garden of Eden, and yes, even
you can grow a garden! Right now local gardens are bursting with
greens—giant red Japanese mustard, collards, kale, arugula, lettuce,
and garlic chives. Spring signals the beginning of the seed setting
season. Many greens are blooming with edible flowers. The early garlic
and chives have fat buds, and the top setting onions provide some
comedic relief with their crazy curly not quite flowering tops.
Potato plants are surging upwards and seedling squash are getting
their start. Winter parsnips are ready to be dug, while last spring's
parsnips are shooting juicy edible bolts upward to burst into bloom.
Peppers and tomatoes are waiting their turn to sink their roots into
deep earthworm rich soil. Meanwhile, the beneficial insects and
pollinators make a happy buzz among the flowers; promising pest
control this season and an ample supply of seeds for next year's
garden. If you are not sure where to start, search on line or ask for
advice at your local nursery. If you have any questions that can wait
until next month's column, send them to: digging_the_dirt@...
digging_the_dirt @ yahoo.com (Take out spaces)
Note - I am not certain that I will post next months column; however,
those in the area can pick it up on news stands the first Wednesday of
the month.


Not Only Can You Garden – You Can Farm!

Every economic down turn or crises offers opportunities; the next big
winners are projected to be small, local, organic farms and market
gardens. If you ever thought of trying your hand at farming, now would
be a great time to explore the idea further. "You Can Farm, The
Entrepreneur's Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farming Enterprise,"
offers great advice. Author, Joel Salatin, shares the ten most
profitable ventures for start-ups, as well as how to grow and
diversify. He encourages everyone, even those who do not own land, to
not only farm, but to make good money at it. His best advice is to
gain experience before investing or borrowing. He encourages all would
be farmers to volunteer with local producers to learn the ropes.
Hopefully, our local farmers will be increasing production
(sustainably of course) and will need all the help they can get. If
you're interested, consider starting as a volunteer--perhaps in trade
for produce; but you have also got to read this book. You Can Farm, by
Joel Salatin, published by Polyface, Inc., ISBN 0-9638109-2-8.
Available by request from book stores, libraries, and on-line.

That's all for now folks, but I'll meet you right here the first week
of June with great ideas for getting the most out of your garden. If
you have questions or topics you would like to see covered you can
send me an e-mail at: digging_the_dirt@...
digging_the_dirt @ yahoo.com (Take out spaces)

Copyright 2008, Harvest McCampbell, All Rights Reserved