Y Chirea

These are all great ideas and I appreciate so many of them.

So many of these practices are already a part of my life and have been for years. I appreciate this thread.

Unfortunately for those of us who live with others, it is a heavy learning curve.

Sometimes people do not want to, or are unable to, learn how to compost or to live in a way that reduces waste. I know, because I have tried for years with the members of this household.

This causes impatience, judgement, feelings of frustration for others who live with them. It is very discouraging.

I no longer have the energy to teach the other members of the household to do things that I have asked them to do for years, like separating their recycling material or composting their food.

Those of you who do not live with other people have no idea how hard it is to come to agreement about these things

Everyone makes it sound so simple and common sense, which it is not.

What choice do I have? The New Age means community and teamwork gets things done in this world and none of us can go it alone

Peace and blessings

My grandparents ate the foods that were popular from war time, then it just became habit to feed us kids
Corned beef hash
Underwood deviled ham in a can
Grilled cheese with velveeta
Tuna casseroles

I do not eat these foods anymore, nor would I make them for my own children. But just thinking about them takes me back some kinda ways

Jay Clayton wrote:@Y Chirea

Hello.

Have you considered preserving and sharing?

there are many ways to preserve enough for your family during the lean days so you do not have 24/7 squash.

also, I am sure there are those in your community that would welcome fresh vegetables.  Try your local food banks, churches, etc.

if all else fails:  a simple cardboard sign on the road with several bags of vegetables could give life to those less fortunate.

good luck and God Bless.

Jay Clayton

@Jay,

Yes, we barter over here. It's just not enough to be independent, and I wonder if I am not cut out for that. I hope to learn some more about how to maximize our space so that everyone can eat.
thanks

Hello Crystal. I am glad that you are here. I have a question about edible gardens and yards.

I have failed at growing food to feed my family although I have been very successful with my plants. This may seem like a contradiction but I find that my family won't eat most of the vegetables and fruits that are recommended to grow in my region 7b. For example, I decided to grow winecap Stopheria mushrooms, and no one really liked to eat them, but since they were hard workers for building up healthy soil I continue to grow them. Same for peas, which fix the soil but provide enough food for a infant.  Squash grows but we end up with a ton and no one wants to eat squash for breakfast lunch and dinner for a month. So these crops grow and we don't eat them. The same for the other vegetables and fruits. No one likes them. My question is whether you think that one has to acquire taste and force oneself to eat from the garden. We have been conditioned to enjoy certain foods in our society that are grown by big businesses and look and taste artificial as far as I am concerned. Maybe my family is not hungry enough .

Also, second question, can you please name five ESSENTIAL edible garden must-haves for us to check out? THANKIES

PLANTS ARE HEALERS!

Thanks for gathering the information and knowledge so that we can carry it forward to apply to our own gardens and farms.

What is the joy that I feel from reading this thread?

I don't know any of you but you are my people!

We have a similar situation with a sump pump that drains into the yards, clay soil, and a storm drain that is often covered with debris and I have been thinking of options for dealing with the run off. The images are helpful in seeing how our lot compares with yours. This posts offer food for thought, that's all. Thanks.

I have nothing to suggest but I want to send my appreciation and admiration for what you are doing. May you and yours have a long and productive life, and don't forget to enjoy your freedom. What a wonderful feeling.