Two Frog Home

Plant something - Not much happening here in the way of planting.  All inspections have come back good, so it looks like we’ll be moving in a few weeks! 

1. Harvest something - Dandelions and chives that’s it so far, but mint and rhubarb soon.
3. Preserve something - I canned chicken and beef stock from bones I’d been saving in the freezer (I’m keeping a tally on the pantry building page). 
5. Prep something - I’ve been saving newspaper and finding burlap sacks at the coffee roaster to snuff out grass and plan new gardens at our new place.

Cook something New - Nothing new this week, just lots of old standards and using up things we have on hand so as not to have too much excess when it comes time to move.

Manage your reserves - I started a 2008 pantry building tally to keep track of what I have on hand, and I always label and date jars when I’m done canning.

Work on local food systems - I shared some worm compost water with a neighbor, for their strawberry patch.  That’s about it, I’m not doing well on this Independence Days Challenge.

Reduced Waste - Saving the newspapers for mulch means no recycling necessary.

Learned a Skill - Does learning the intricacies of real estate and mortgage processing/procedures count?

PS: It does look like all is good for us on this house deal, as long as the appraisal comes in like we’re expecting.  Posts may be a little light and because of the move I don’t know that I’m going to do as well as I’d planned on this independence days challenge.

Originally posted on March 29, 2007 on Simple Katie.  Since this post I have begun teaching vermicomposting classes at the local community college and have another one scheduled for June 24th.

I’ve become the local worm lady. It’s been an interesting ride these last few weeks. A neighbor’s niece is taking an organic gardening class at our local community college. This niece wanted to learn more about vermicomposting. Said neighbor introduced her to me, she also works at the health food store so I knew her a bit anyway.

Neighbor and niece came by a few weeks ago with her Rubbermaid tub worm bin, to chat and see my worm bin set up. It was a fun few hours, chatting about organic gardening and worm bins. I shared what I’ve learned through trial and error and what didn’t work for me even though all the “expert” articles may recommend it. I gave her a few handfuls of worms from my bin to start out with as well.

Last night there was a knock at the door and the gal was back worm bin in hand. She was worried that the worms were dying and that she was doing something wrong. All appeared well to me, just that the small amount of worms she had weren’t quite up to handling all she had put in. Her newspaper also seemed a bit too wet to me, making it heavy for the worms to navigate but it’ll dry. The worms reproduce rather quickly but it takes a while for them to get big enough to handle waste quickly. Once a worm bin gets really active, lots of babies and dying worms the process is so smooth, really effortless. I explained that some worm death is to be expected and that they just get composted with the food scraps. Turns out someone bought her some worms that will be arriving this week in the mail, and then the bin will start keeping up with her food waste.

She’s shared my number with the folks in her class and to be honest I’m more then happy to help and get other gardeners started on the vermicomposting path. It also gave me an idea to see about teaching a continuing education class on vermicomposting. It could just be a one day 2 hour deal with demonstrations on setting up worm bins and tips. I’ve emailed the college and will begin filling out the paperwork to see if the class could fit into their schedule.

Another amazing thing about this is the network of folks I’m meeting because of the worms. Over the years the worms have taught me many things - everything has a purpose even lowly worms, natural processes are continually amazing, nature needs little if any help from humans, and now friends come from unexpected places.

I decided to participate in the Independence Days Challenge hosted by Casaubon’s Book.  I’m a week behind, but here’s what I did this week:

1. Plant something - Considering we had snow, yes snow this morning and our hopefully impending move, I haven’t done much planting.  I did transplant some seedlings into bigger pots to keep until we hopefully move.

2. Harvest something.  I picked dandelions & chives this week.

3. Preserve something.  I made dandelion jelly.

4. Prep something. I mended a pair of Jeff’s pants and have been preparing to move, include moving some of my plants.  I also have 2 quilts pinned and ready for quilting.

5. Cook something new. Nothing new this week…

6. Manage your reserves.  Nothing really new this week, there are some chicken & beef bones in the freezer that I hope to can this weekend.

7. Work on local food systems.  I gave some of my raspberry canes away to help someone else start their own patch.

100 Things #13) I Vermicompost

Jeff and I started vermicomposting about 6 years ago.  We had just moved and our yard was small, we didn’t want to take up any valuable gardening space for a compost bin.  I did a little research and learned about composting with worms, online.  We decided to give it a go.

We found plans online to build a bin out of plywood, which we did.  It looked like a small coffin, but it served its purpose.  We bought some worms on ebay and we were on our way.  Eventually we did away with the wood bin (it serves as an herb planter outside now), I just didn’t like the way the water ran out the bottom.  We switched to the Worm Factory about 5 years ago, again an ebay purchase and have loved it ever since.

The compost/worm water is so wonderful, we’ve given away numerous bottles of it over the years and it is a highly requested item among our friends.  The worms have in a way become pets, we’re always amazed at how quickly they “eat” through everything, and we are very conscious of their care.  In the end, the worms and the compost have been a great blessing to us in that they show us how useful all of God’s creatures are, not to mention how the compost feeds our gardens and in turn our bodies.

My dear friend, Audrey, recently watched the documentary The Future of Food.  She raved about it to me, knowing how passionately I oppose Genetically Modified Foods.  I hadn’t seen the movie, but she got a bunch of people together and we all bought copies of the DVD (discount pricing for orders over 20).  I told her I’d take two, even though I hadn’t seen the movie, I knew if she was asking it was worth it.  I got one copy for Jeff and I and another for a friend’s birthday.

I watched the movie and I have to say its compelling, frightening, and hopeful all at the same time.  Get a copy of this DVD if you have any question about risks and benefits to genetically modified foods and the role of biotechnology companies in what you put into your body.  You won’t regret the time you spend watching it. 

I’ve written a few posts lately about making educated choices and in one post I know I wrote that sometimes we have no control over choices being made.  Genetically Modified Foods is one such choice for us here in the U.S.A., because we have no labeling laws we don’t know for sure what we’re eating.  That’s horrifying to me.  What’s more horrifying is the cross-pollination of GM crops into non-GM crops, meaning no matter how well intentioned I am in keeping seed or buying heirloom seeds, the test plot 20 miles away could contaminate my garden.  Don’t even get me started on Terminator technology and how that could effect our food supply.

I can’t stress the importance of buying from trusted, local sources whenever possible strongly enough.  In the end, I truly believe we can have a food revolution by simply doing what generations before us have done, grow and eat locally produced foods from growers who are also neighbors and stewards of our communities.  This may be the only way we can stop GM crops from taking over, cross pollination has already begun in things like corn, soybeans, and wheat, lets stop it before it gets into any more of our food supply. 

• Thanks so much to everyone who responded to my not fitting in post, you all made me feel so loved.  I’m doing much better today and your virtual love and words certainly reached my heart.  I also realized that its not so much that I’m not a good friend its just my idea of friendship doesn’t include shopping trips to the mall or spa days but it does include me helping clean out chicken coops and going all out for homemade, gourmet birthday dinners.
• If you are a member of swapbot, I’ve started a homemade placemat swap.  Sign up, please, it should be fun.  If you’re not a member, maybe this could be a fun way to try it out.  It’s free and who doesn’t like getting packages in the mail?
• The Kitchen Gardeners Newsletter is full of great info this month.  Its a great read every month honestly, you should sign up for it.
• My seeds are sprouting in the indoor greenhouse and despite a forecast of weekend snow, I’m optimistic that soon we’ll have some springlike weather for more serious outdoor planting.

We’ve been blessed with another gorgeous, bright day with temperatures near 70.  We’ve been busy, too.  We finished turning over the soil in the veggie beds.  We found lots of worms in the process, and I always get so excited to see that.  We used to have these 3 little boys that lived next door, and the days we turned over soil, they were always watching for worms to pick up - their poor mother would reach into their pockets unaware for a slimy handful often in the spring and summer.  The soil seems light and beautiful, though it did feel like we picked out a ton of rocks.

There are signs of life everywhere.  New growth on the chives, fresh buds on the raspberry canes, rhubarb leaves unfurling, and bits of green and sprouts just about everywhere you look.  Including:

The first daffodil bud.

The first and only (so far) dandelion to appear complete with a little insect life.

I was visiting over at Moonmeadow Farm earlier today, she always has interesting news tidbits on her sidebar.  Today, I read a good bit of the ones she had posted, including several on recession/depression and rising food prices.  All of which go hand in hand with my thoughts on self-sufficiency and the need to be more so.

Do I believe, Jeff and I will see a time where we don’t shop at stores? No.  I don’t know that we’ll ever have the kind of property necessary to raise everything we need, especially grain.  However, I do believe we can work on growing and preserving as much of our own as possible.  I also believe we can work on bartering and buying from within our own community.

The folks over at Path to Freedom, have been doing a lot of writing about the need for a resurgence of the victory gardens concept.  I understand gardening is a lot of work and its not work everyone enjoys (unlike the gardening addict that I am).  However, with the price of food and fuel these days, I don’t know how long many people can hold out before gardening becomes more than a hobby and it becomes necessary for survival. 

For me, everything starts at home.  Home is more than just the building I live in, home is my heart, it is the center of my love with Jeff, simply home is everything.  So what can I do beyond gardening and canning?  Jeff is fond of saying “its time to tighten up the belt,” and while I think we already have the belt pretty tight, we can and should do more.  Frugality isn’t about deprivation in my mind, however; a person does need to learn the difference between deprivation and making do.  In learning to be more frugal and making do with what we have, we can be more prepared to not only help ourselves in times of struggle, but also help others, and donate to more worthy causes.  We can buy more food for the food pantry, spend money on necessities for shelters, etc.  We can grow an extra bit of food and donate the saved seeds.  We can do all this from home and maybe, soften the blow of whatever this way comes for us and those around us.  And if it doesn’t soften the blow, at least we’ll have given it a shot from home and have done our best to take care of ourselves. 

Last week one of our local grocery chains had their biannual case lot sale.  The sale is exactly what it sounds like, good deals on entire cases of goods, traditionally its things like canned veggies, bottled water, sugar, all purpose flour, canned chili, ramen noodles, etc.  Looking at our depleted pantry we decided to take advantage of a few of the deals - mostly we bought canned green beans, corn, peas, and mushrooms.  We also got some 4 gallons of distilled water for $2.50 (I only use distilled water for ironing and my new iron really puts out the steam hence the water needs refilled often).  We don’t buy things like canned chili or cases of condensed cream of mushroom soup.

The deal on canned veggies was good and a case of each gets us a long way until we can start harvesting some of our own again.  I do always feel a little guilty about stocking up on these non-local, non-organic goods, however my pocket book thanks me and it is always good to know that we have a well stocked pantry, just in case.  The purchase did remind me of how much further we have to go in producing and canning more of our own and/or locally grown goods.  

Our growing season is so short here, and I’m learning to do with it what I can, but oh I’m so jealous of all of you who are already planting outside.  We’re still getting snow.  Jeff and I canned a good bit of stuff last summer (check out my pantry building page), but we have a long way to go to get us through an entire Montana winter.  I need more jars, too (honestly I can’t believe I’m saying that - I can’t imagine how many jars a large family must need).  I’ll be on the lookout for those as soon as yard sale season begins in another month.  I like to can more than freeze simply because freezing requires a stable power source, and I’m not sure we’ll always have that, freezing also requires a lot of freezer space, obviously and that isn’t something I want to invest in (see my thoughts on not always having power).  I don’t dry enough foods and that is something I may start dabbling in again this summer.

This winter just seems especially long to me, and I’m experiencing my own version of cabin fever.  Cabin fever seems to be expressing itself in the fear of not being self-sufficient enough alongside the urge to just start digging in the dirt and getting my hands dirty.  The upside is the daylight hours are getting longer and longer (that is something that is so sublime about Montana summers).  Even more on the upside is that seeds are started indoors and soon, I’ll be canning again.  

PS: I’m starting to think folks who practice home canning have their own seasons - preparing to can, canning, and eating the canned goods.

Gardening season here in Northwest Montana, that is.  Today we started our pepper and tomato seeds.  Oh, what an exciting thing that is for me.  We planted three varieties of peppers (two sweet and one hot), and three varieties of tomatoes.  We use a seed-starting soil mix and add a little bit of worm water to each pot before sticking them inside my little indoor greenhouse (someday I’ll have a real greenhouse) to germinate, hopefully.

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