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10:49 am
July 3, 2012
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Hey Y'all,
I have a garden, a garden I may add; that is not doing so well this year, not enough rain:: My poor husband has watered our garden so much to no avail, he sprays on the Miracle Grow about every other week:: still it's in a sad, sad state of afairs::he's even mulched it! Yep you heard me mulched it:: lol, we get free mulch, from a friend who owns our local lawn and supply store: it has really helped w/ the weeds:: hence him mulching. Any who::: (stupid drought) just sayin!!! Driving by the local farms this past weekend, looking for all my "hook up's" AKA, roadside vendors:: the farms are just, well let's say:: it was a sad drive!
We planted 1/2 runners, these heirloom purple pole beans?? that gets like a foot long? tomatoes, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, a variety of hot peppers and bell peppers, corn, oh and the normal yellow squash and zucchini plants:: that every good garden has to have! & a lettuce mix.
We may have gotten so far (its August I might add) 10 tomatoes, 5 bell peppers,4 to 6 zucchini’s and a few hot peppers?? Did I say how sad it is! We have lots of blooms::: just no produce??? My husband I think is in “Garden Denial” he just needs to quit?? I’m thinking it’s just never going to produce again?? But really, why do we keep watering it::: it’s not giving anything back in return:: it’s just being selfish I say::: selfish!
So, my question for all of you::: I think a local vendor is asking way to much money:: here in my neck of the woods::: I hit her little stand Sunday evening:: inquiring about a bushel of 1/2 runners:: I had paid $38. a few weeks ago (got 26 quarts) kind of steep, but doable on my budget, but she piped off with a price of $50.00!!!! I was kind of like "what" & she was asking for $3.49 a pound for her tomatoes???canning tomatoes???? very over priced! & not even locally grown produce, she I was told buys her goods off a truck in downtownCincinnati. But what got me was "she was packed out!" busy busy busy!!! my silly town’s people were paying her prices ???
I'm just wandering:::what are the vendors/farmers charging where you all live?? I'm hoping to be able to get me some good vegetables this coming weekend! I really don't want to go a winter w/ out fresh stewed and canned tomatoes!
How lucky we are here to at least have access to all the fresh produce:: but really price gouging on a scale like that is just wrong::: plain and simple! Wrong!!!
1:11 pm
May 5, 2010
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Ouch, I'm really sorry that the drought is wreaking havoc on eastern gardens, but I'm thinking that farmers are likely suffering the very same issue with the drought in your area and not harvesting as much produce as anticipated. Unfortunately they have to survive this year's weather disaster to get to next year's hopeful return. Low harvest + high demand drives price up. The rotten pinch of economics.
Here in midCA average price per pound on anything is $2 at weekend markets (organic push higher). I do better with bok choy, some greens but have to travel 30 mi round trip to the largest market in the area to find those deals (high cost of gas evens out to local expense). Aaaand we're in the salad bowl of the states. Tomatoes at the store are around $1.50/lb, farmer's markets are running heirlooms at about $3. I rarely see canning tomatoes at the market since they're bringing the higher price point sellers (I get it, survival is premium) … one has to track down a local farm willing to sell on site at a deal. Wierdly I'm getting better deals at the grocery stores for pears, peaches, local tomatoes … but that makes me twitch since I know the farmers had to sell at a deep discount so the store could do a "sale".
2:55 pm
April 8, 2010
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Sorry about your garden! It has been a hard year.
We have given up going to our local farmers market. We cannot afford what is sold there. Maybe the rich people who live in the college town can, but not us. It is not just this year of the drought. Prices there are always sky-high.
There is a flea market about 20 miles from us where they sell produce too. Some of the Amish there get their sale goods from the produce vendors. People can't get enough of their stuff because they think the ladies in the bonnets grew it all in their farm gardens. Not true…because I have seen them go over to the big city trucks and buy boxes of things and then set the stuff out for sale on their tables. That is not to say this is always the case, but do a little checking before you plunk down your hard-earned cash.
6:35 pm
July 3, 2012
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Hey, girls::
Yep, it was and has been a tough year:: sad to say I think it's just going to get worse. I live on the outskirts of Oxford Oh. they have a farmers market as does the city in which I live: which is Hamilton, I was so shocked at their prices::both markets are quite diverse, Oxfords is for the wealthy, and Hamilton's is for the working class. It's very typical to see the great diferences from one town to the next. The market in Oxford, well one lady wanted $5 bucks for a pint of blueberries: ?? I went to the store:: they had a special:: 4 for $5 ?? so here in the past few weeks, my husband has been going down early in the morning to the "mark down" section:: he has gotten me some great items: it's been very ripe fruit and needs ate or canned right away: but I'm not complaining, what he has gotten has been very good and super cheep! if you have that at your local store::: check it out!
My girlfriend gave me the idea, of canning potatoes:: so that's going to be my next canning adventure: lol::: she has been getting 10 pound bags, at sale price:: washing cuting them up into cubes and then canning them:: she said she has had nothing but success:: SOOOO I hope I can have the some of the same luck.
So I"m not going to give up just yet on my farmers markets::or my roadside stands either:: but I sure wish I could make a wish and wake up tomorrow w/ a great and productive garden! lol I need a visit from the "Garden Fairy" has anyone seen her?
8:25 pm
July 24, 2010
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Somewhat off topic, but perhaps helpful. I have read (sorry, I don't remember where) that tomatoes and maybe other vegetables will not set fruit if the night time temps are too high. I also read that giving them extra calcium will help them to set fruit and that extra magnesium will help with heat stress. If you are still trying to keep your garden growing, you might try supplementing with these. Magnesium is easy, just scratch in epsom salt at the base of the plants and water. The calcium is sold as a foliar spray, I think one is called Blossom Set. I used the epsom salt around the squash and tomatoes, I think it helped. Good luck!
9:38 pm
February 22, 2010
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I am wondering how "drought resistant" tomatoes would do. I know they aren't the heirloom type and are probably genetically modified but we haven't had any measurable precip since June. Some of our trees are even dying.
4:59 am
August 13, 2009
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Greetings all. Last year we had an absolutely horrible drought here, heat to go with it. We watered relentlessly, and did get some vegs, but nothing compared to the work that went into it. But a friend had an interesting setup, and we decided to give it a try. It's a pot garden. It's basically black landscape fabric with black plastic (3 gal.) buckets filled with a finely ground aged mulch, in long rows. We added 3 Tbsp. Osmocote to each pot along with either seeds or a plant, and set up a very inexpensive watering system. Very small hose, little drip emitters. Very efficient. We put up horse panels attached to t-post on the outter rows to tie tomatoes and cukes to. We have not pulled one weed all summer. The August heat is winding things down, but I'm kinda glad. I'm tired! We planted almost one whole row in tomatoes, 48 containers, and can I just say wow. We've never seen so many tomatoes. I couldn't even guess how many pounds. Thank heavens I ordered a Victorio strainer, I could've never kept up doing it the way I have in the past. Roma, Mountain Home (pride maybe?), Better boys, large cherry with Roma out producing the others 10 to one. I think the secret was something our friend told us about though, it's called calcium nitrate. You mix a Tbsp. to a gallon of water in a watering can and spread it over 6 to 8 plants. You do this once a week. We did not loose one tomato to blossom end rot. First time ever. And the peppers! Holy mackrel.
In regards to stand prices, ours are much better here, but limited variety. More variety at two nearby city farmers markets, but $$ are higher too. Sample; peaches, $32 per 1/2 bush, p.hull peas $26 per bush; tomatoes, cukes, onions, peppers, all about $1 per pound. Watermelons, $3-9, depending on size and color, blueberries were $20 per flat, corn was 8 ears for $2.
We could use rain here too. Let's all pray we get some without getting a storm/deluge. Stay cool everybody.
7:59 am
December 29, 2009
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Here, in the Tacoma (WA) area I'm getting 1/2 flats of blueberries and raspberries for $13, cantaloup 2/$4, on the vine tomatoes $1.69 and zucchini 79 cents/lb. Green beans are still high at $1.69/lb. We had a cool and wet summer until this month. It is getting to where our summer doesn't really start until the end of July and August with warmer weather continuing into September/October. We are fortunate to not have drought conditions in Western Washington. I feel for all the states that are suffering with the sweltering heat and drought. I have not been able to have a garden last year because of a badly broken (pinned/immobilized) arm and then this year a herniated disc (sciatica) that is going to need surgery. So I must buy from the stands or grocery stores…but I watch the ads and "know" my prices.
9:19 am
July 3, 2012
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Well girls, GOOD NEWS! It started raining last night about 9:ish and it's still going strong! I think we have a cool front moving in, it was 74* when I left for work this morning!!! Yippy! Now that's my kind of temp! That 95* is for the birds: well crap, even the birds don't like that kind of heat! lol, it’s not raining right now, but radar was showing more headed our way throughout the day! Oh did I mention:: our grass died. Funeral arrangements to be posted later, poor yard, it had a good life. A long life, now “no life” it’s gone! Toast, sleeping w/ the dead, what once was green:::well now is a lovely shade of oatmeal:: lol
Judydee & Kathy:: all great points! I will pass this information on over to Farmer Tracy!!! (my husband) Miss Judy, I've never heard of a "drought resistant" tomato ? I'll have to Google that ?? interesting information. All post’s very interesting & appreciated!!! Thanks Girls!!!
I know he puts the following out in the garden when he plants, and then once or twice more thru the season; matches, bone meal & Epsom salts. He sprays for bugs at least every other week, we have to:: some think it’s kinda too much, but in this area:: we have to! I swear, or they devour your plants w/ in no time flat. ::We burn wood all winter to heat the house also so all our ash, is fed to the garden:: and my rose buses, wander if we need to have our soil tested ?? I just thought of that?? (forehead slap)
So last night he brings in a handful of tomatoes all about the size of my 9yr olds fist??? I walked out there and looked around, my son's sugar peas are running:: w/ blooms (no peas) and his heirloom purple pole beans are blooming:: very bright red blooms ?? the beans are supposed to be real long (up to 12") were keeping our fingers crossed!
When I go home, I’m going to try and take a picture:: and post it: I’m kinda technology challenged:: lol:: wish me luck! Hee hee
9:36 am
June 9, 2011
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For calcium my mom has always crunched rinsed egg shell around the peppers and tomatoes. She swears by it. We don't have a lot of Farmer's Market's around, but do have a lot of road side stands, and one guy who has fruit, veggies, and his own bees. His prices have stayed the same, I got a sugar baby watermelon from him the other day for 5$ and it was beautiful.
9:06 am
July 3, 2012
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Stacylee, very interesting: I've also heard some of our local farmes add coffee grounds ? don't know what this does? lol, one farmer has his friends come urinate all around his?? say's it keeps the animals away ??? ( I was like, UM, Okay:: lol,, what ever flip's your boat) oh and when I worked (years ago) in a local salon, we had to save all our hair clippings for one old farmer:: he came in about once a month and got the hair, he placed it everywhere on his property?? guess it had the same effects as the urine??? but hey! what ever works for ya!! right.
Going to try again in the morning to get me some more beans and my tomatoes::: wish me luck!!
6:55 pm
August 13, 2009
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Eeeuuuh. People peeing on my garden? That doesn't float my boat, flip my hair back, or anything else I can think of. Again, eeeuh. My grandfather used leftover tea leaves around his grapes, crushed eggshells and ground coffee around his tomatoes. I don't know what the tea leaves did, but he said the coffee grounds and eggshells helped deter slugs and caterpillars. He also collected hair from the barber, it was to deter deer. He would even tie some in old hose and hang in bushes at the fenceline, but mostly he scattered it around where they would travel or around things he knew they would eat. Replenished it after every rain.
Farmers market/stand update, 20lb. box canning tomatoes was $16. Everything winding down here, too hot, some places too dry.
1:56 pm
February 10, 2009
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Not on the garden Kathy, around the edges of it. It's an old time thing that many people still swear by.
3:13 pm
May 5, 2010
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Grandpa called that old time practice "keepin' out the critters"; Grandma would look askance over a small grin and call it "marking territory".
3:06 am
August 12, 2012
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- I don't attend the Farmer's Market which tends to be more expensive. I go to the farmer's fruit stands out in the country at their farms. They often have vegetables to pick also. Tomatoes at the farm I go to are 89 cents a lb. to buy and 20 cents a lb. to pick.
8:49 am
July 3, 2012
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Got me a bushel of 1/2 runners: paid $38 (again) this time however instead of canning them, I'm going to dry them (hanging) for shuck beans::(my favorite) yummy!, going to make me some Hot Pepper Jam sometime this week, and then I'm going to plan on canning tomatoes this weekend, weather permitting! It took me almost 5 hours yesterday to break beans::now typing today:: is going to be a challenge! lol my hands are sore & tired!
Sandy
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