Thom Bri

Thea Harvey-Barratt wrote:Not sure if this is helpful in the context of permaculture, but offered for what it's worth. My dad used to be a treasurer for a large commercial brewery. They sold their spent mash to pig farmers.  At a certain point, they decided to buy a string of breakfast restaurants and the pigs to supply them because the mash was such nutritious food for the pigs, and they had essentially unlimited access to free pig food. My point is that it's good food, and economic at the commercial level.

My neighbors used brewers waste for cow feed.

My dad raised pigs commercially and so we got all the farm magazines. One article I recall from the 1980s described a test done comparing fermented grains with dry grains in pig feed. I don't recall the specifics but they definitely found an advantage. I believe it was a reduction in phytates.

Ground the first corn from the 2025 season today. Still have a lot left over from 2024. I suppose I'll feed it to the squirrels and birds and gophers.

Alder Burns wrote:What varieties of squash were you growing?  I've had good results in multiple situations with the Seminole pumpkins and their relatives.  They seem to keep on growing and producing in spite of bugs, borers, mildew and the rest.  The vines do like to climb, though, so you might have to discourage them from climbing the corn and sunflowers, since the squashes might break them down with their weight as they grow.  Many times I've had to get a long pole to fish them down out of the trees and bushes!

I have been growing Japanese Kabocha squash, since that's what my wife strongly prefers. This year I will add Red Kuri, another Japanese variety. Both are Maxima varieties, so tend to be susceptible to bugs. But no point in growing anything we won't eat.

Regarding climbing, it's a thing. I walk through a few times a week and move the vines to where I want them. Even the beans can pull down corn eventually, especially if there is a strong wind.

More volunteer seeds:

Seeds for volunteers:

Some pics of hills:

2026 is here. Time to start a new thread on my 3-sisters efforts.
Last year was fairly successful. Corn produced 50 bushels/acre. About 190 pounds from 3000 square feet. Beans also did very well, though no 'official' measurement since a lot was picked green. Squash was a total bust with very heavy insect damage.
Incidental crops like sunflowers, tobacco, and flowers did well. These I do not plant but simply allow them to reseed themselves and grow as volunteers. Tomatoes almost always do well as volunteers, but in 2025 did poorly.

I am planning a couple of things to change. First, I will add companion plants around the squash. I have read that radishes and marigolds may help prevent squash bugs and borers from finding the squash. I am somewhat skeptical but it's worth a try.
Second, I received a gift of 6 new corn varieties so will add a few rows of those to the mix.

2026 will be the third year with no added chemical inputs. No fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides. I may carry in black dirt to improve some of the heavy clay.
The garden now:

Downside of the plastic containers I use is risk of mold. Make sure seeds are well-dried, especially if touching plastic.
I have a lot of them and they are a convenient size, so I use them even if not ideal.

It's 2026. Closing down this thread and starting a new one.