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kathy conway

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Would you , could you grow some of your own food?

I am an organic farmer looking for ideas. How to start a counter balance to our industrialize food system.

Take back the power of the trough ( what they decide/design to feed you).

The best soils in America are under suburbia , what do you need for help?

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  • John Penn

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    Jan 30 2013: -
    Would I, could I grow some food?
    I can! We can! You betcha dude!.

    We could grow it here or there,
    We could grow it anywhere!

    We grow tomatoes in the back,
    My wife, she's really got the knack!

    We compost all our veg debris,
    For peppers, peas and strawberries.

    With the berries we make jam,
    And eat it with green eggs and ham!
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    W. Ying 10+

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    Jan 26 2013: Yes.
    Do it instinctively with some agricultural common sense.
    It will make you healthy and happy.

    (Based on Dean Ornish: Life Style)

  • Scot Wilcox 10+

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    Jan 25 2013: I grew up with a garden. My family grew almost all of our own vegetables and a lot of our fruits as well. I'm starting another garden as soon as I get married in a few months. It's not very hard, you can grow your own vegetable garden in a shoe organizer on the wall if you don't have a yard. Look on Pinterest for ideas.
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    Feyisayo Anjorin 50+

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    Jan 25 2013: Personally I plant trees and tend them till they can stand the weather. But in terms of food crops....I'll consider that; I think its the same principle as the trees and ornamental plants I've been planting.
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    Gail . 50+

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    Jan 24 2013: What do I need for help?

    I need a design for an indoor greenhouse or growing system that is not ugly or too large. (Taller and thinner - not fatter) I want it to sit in my living room (any or every room) just like any other piece of furniture. I want to be able to have temperature control and light control so that I can grow lettuce and other salad vegetables regardless of the season. I would like it to be hydroponic. I would like an affordable energy source to keep the lights on.

    I would love to have a garden, but I learned this summer that my yard does not have enough light. (My house is also VERY dark - which has its good points, making the house cooler in the hot southern summer.) The soil (less than a mile from the beach) is too sandy and it would take years of composting to build up good soil. It would be easier if I could simply go to a glass cabinet, open the doors, pick from my crops, and fix myself something to eat. Wouldn't it be fun if most walls of a house were 15-18" deep greenhouses?

    • Don Anderson 20+

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      Jan 24 2013: For an indoor growing area I would recommend a garden-widow on the south side of a kitchen, and/or adding a bay-window onto the living area. Both would add value to your house and container gardening is great for personal use gardening and beginner gardeners.

      My house is a 113yr old farmhouse and is very dark also, and found switching to daylight bulbs to have been great improvement. Not only are there health benefits, they make a room look cleaner. (FYI: often they take a few weeks to break in and get to full brightness, so worry if at first they look to blue and dim when you first turn them on.

  • george lockwood 20+

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    Jan 24 2013: what about livestock?
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    Mathew Naismith 10+

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    Jan 24 2013: G'day Kathy

    I love growing my own veggies & boy do they tats a lot better.... Decomposed mulch is great for veggie gardening, if the mulch is good enough you can grow the veggies straight from it.

    Love
    Mathew

  • greg dahlen 20+

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    Jan 23 2013: So far I haven't figured out how to grow my own. Along one side of my apartment I have dandelion plants, so I cut off the tops, boil em, and eat em, dandelion greens. They just grow there naturally.

  • Don Anderson 20+

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    Jan 23 2013: Urban and suburban weekly farmer markets work great in many countries; I like how some stands list how far away the produce was grown.
    But to really change the culture I would add the selling of spice and herb plants, they are hardy/easy to grow and add a lot of flavor. Also advertise online how to plant, grow and harvest web sites.

    If you can get kids growing up eating and growing fresh basil and dill and talking to farmers about grow vegetables, I think a long lasting shift could happen.
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