Tanya White

pollinator
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since May 18, 2024
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Western NC, zone 6B/7A
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Recent posts by Tanya White

I keep mine with desiccant packets in plastic ammo boxes. The seeds seem to last several years, but I haven't tried anything older than 4. The ammo boxes are very convenient and airtight and relatively cheap ($14 for a small one). I cannot sing them enough praises. Some seeds need to be more fresh (carrots) for good germination, but I don't save these these. I do save just about all others minus corn.

You can also make sure they are super dry and freeze them in jars. You cannot let them get wet. I haven't tried this method. I believe I've read this in Carol Deppe's books - don't quote me.
2 days ago
Completely agree and what a timely post! Prep what you eat already and rotate - FIFO. I enjoy cooking and eating, there is no way I am stocking things I hate. Why add stress to an already stressful (hypothetical) information? I will want at least some comfort, knowing myself.

And if there is something you want to store that you haven't cooked with a lot, now is the time to learn. Make a variety of recipes with each (versatile) food item you store. Plain oats get tiresome. Even sweet oats get tiresome. Perhaps a savory porridge, energy balls, and so forth.

Diversify the foods as well as perhaps storage locations and ways to replenish supply. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket type deal. Don't forget to store plenty of salt (unless you have easy access).

This one is obvious, but if you have a favorite item that stores well and it goes on sale, you may as well stock up. You will eat it quickly anyway.
2 weeks ago
Eric Kimball at Planet Whizbang had a design (although some parts are no longer available) for toe-tapper switch DIY.  Toe-Tapper
3 weeks ago
As far as "annuals/biennials",  I save everything except carrots, ginger (not a seed), and corn. I don't save every seed every year. For instance, I save watermelon seeds once only and use them for several years combining with purchased seeds. I don't have enough plants to save from and not ready to landrace watermelon between the clay and the bears.

For corn, I cannot grow enough plants to prevent inbreeding depression. When I did attempt cabbages (which never grew...), I was not planning to save seeds. In my garden, these things sort of worked themselves out. If they are too hard to get to maturity to save seeds, unless I am willing to repurchase yearly, I am not going to keep trying.

This also limits the number of varieties for me. Landracing helps a ton. To clarify, I only grow one variety for species of squash, brassicas.
4 months ago
State of NC does it for free except peak season. Just pay for shipping. Unfortunately, it is not organically minded in terms of recommendations. But it's nice since it's free and appears to be accurate. Steve Solomon recommends Logan Labs and there is what appears to be a more permie oriented site to help interpret the results (or you can send directly to them) which is https://growabundant.com .  
4 months ago
This is so exciting! We are waiting on our young tree to fruit one day. While I haven't made any recipes yet, I took note for 2 recipes from the Japanese Farm Food cookbook by Nancy Hachisu. One was for yuzu kosho made from yuzu zest, salt, and chilies. Other one was for citrus vinaigrette made of yuzu juice, salt, and good quality rapeseed oil (1:1 ratio of citrus to oil).
5 months ago
Tonight I made a stewing hen in a slowcooker (older bird). I took the skin off to make cracklings later. Added garlic and potatoes towards the end. The hen had tons of flavor.

Can't help but post again - I feel like I am so much better at cold weather recipes vs hot weather. I just can't seem to master cold/cooling dishes (like a good potato salad).
6 months ago
Last 3 nights:
1. delicata squash stuffed with millet plus ground beef. I had precooked millet in freezer.

2. chicken based soup with mushrooms and barley (also precooked that I had in freezer, takes forever to cook).Dried mushrooms were rehydrated and fried in butter with a little flour to thicken the soup. Garnished with dill. Chicken was from a neighbor down the street, really made a great broth.

3. Mustard greens with andoille sausages.

Loving the cooler weather!
6 months ago
Open the windows and regular cleaning/dusting for sure. I am a fan of clean smelling essential oils (eucalyptus, rosemary, mint, and citrus), but my partner doesn't like any scents. A simmer pot in cooler seasons sure is awesome. I do add small amounts of essential oils when cleaning. For instance, when using a vinegar spray.

I often hang laundry outside and put various items outside to air out, like the trash can, slippers, and hampers. Sunlight and fresh air really help.

Biggest problem is cooking smells. One time we left the house for a week and closed the windows. Came back to house smelling like the last meal we ate!
6 months ago
I killed about 30 last year and this year only found 2. Lots of other caterpillars and tons of butterflies this year in my area.
7 months ago