Diane Woiak

I read about and was excited to grow sea berries. Ordered 10 plants. Then read more. Lots of people warning they can be invasive. I got scared and threw them on the bonfire. Didn't want a repeat of my rugosa rose. All the rage years back. Now rugosa roses are on wisconsins do not plant list. Very invasive. Make tons of seeds and send up lots of root shoots.

My quail are in an aviary on deep litter of chopped leaves and wood shavings.  Spot cleaned as needed and big clean out spring and fall. This all goes around our berry bushes and fruit trees. The rabbits were the perfect help for our  Sandy soil. In the winter it's dumped into piles  in the frozen gardens. And forked in in the spring. The rest of the year those magic berries are scratched in or top dressed around everything. I've read think about rabbit droppings as pellets of peat and slow release fertilizer. This spring my seed starting mix was half rabbit pellets wet and let to beak down . Then mixed in to soil Most things loved it but tomato got funny tips from too rich a mix.

I bought an "improved" lambs quarters (magenta spreen) that I love tender tips in mixed salad bigger leaves cooked as greens. Especially like them thrown in with fried taters and onions. Easy to grow, has hot pink inflorescence instead of white, so decorative in the yard and on the plate. Keep pinching tips it will get bushy. I had one look like a 70s style Xmas tree . 4' tall and looking like someone spritzed it with hot pink paint. Leaves are bigger than wild lambs quarters so faster picking and let a few go to seed they'll be back. I also am very fond of purslane salad.there are also improved varieties. Bigger more tender leaves, more upright like a jade plant. So yummy! Other favorites are the edible flowers viola, violets, bee balm...beautiful and nutritious on those salads.

You said you may have trouble digesting meat. Someone on rabbit talk also claimed inability to digest meat but discovered rabbit meat she could eat without problem. If you can find a source it may help you. Domestic rabbit is kind of like turkey only better. My favorite! Grand daughter has been told by doctors she lacks enzymes to digest meat, but is still in " never eat meat again" mode so can't get her to try my delicious rabbits . I like to slow roast in oven, but have also ground for sausage, meatballs . Shredded for tamales,sliced thin put in stir fry...good luck

We too are zone 4,maybe 3, Sandy soil. Lots of good suggestions already. I like to plant lingnonberries between blueberries. Both like acid soil. I've got cranberries  or Nagoon berries by the honey berries, garlic ( the kind that gets the bulblets on top like Egyptian onion) they will spread like crazy tho. I love purslane salads and you can order "improved" varieties that are a little bigger leaves, look like a jade plant.violas,violets are edible. You can tuck cucumber seed in and let it crawl. I've been reading about growing wine cap mushrooms in straw or wood chip mulch in garden beds, tolerates sun good luck let us know what works for you

Greg talks about culture that can appreciate it's uses. My understanding kudzu was originally brought here as a display at a worlds fair. China grew it as a valuable crop.harvested for forage and many other things. Their cold Winters and harvesting to use kept in check. Question .. anyone have experience with goji berry? I ordered 10 then read they can be invasive. So am afraid to plant.ade a mistake with rugosa rose decades ago when they were popular. Now Wisconsin DNR discourages them. They spread like crazy . Lots of seeds and root shoots. Hate to create another problem.

Jenny, sounds like you did an awesome job. Bet your enthusiasm was contagious. Like your attitude about judging success and always more to learn, lots of right answers to lots of different situations. Hope you keep teaching.

Thea asked about quail. Quail song did a post on backyard chickens about deep litter for quail. She added a little wood ashes and introduced lactic acid bacteria with a tablespoon of yogurt mixed with water in a spray bottle. A little occasional spritz. Also a little raw apple cider vinegar in their drinking water. Said she no longer has odor issues. . When I can finaly get my animals, I want to try her system with quail and a rabbit colony??

Your pic looks like grandma's old "monster" Boiling, simmering is easy. Front may be little cooler. Trivit's of different heights let you adjust. Watched a video of baking bread in dutch oven on top by heating up the cover hot to brown and trivets under. (She used canning jar lids)