Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Well, Diane in FL, I'm still working on "diplomatic" ;-) but thanks for
approving of the agenda for this list. Practical, yes, but we go into the
reasons too. You said a LOT and I hardly know where to begin. 

That's fascinating - a local farm foods group to help others find some of
the info you've spent months searching for. We could start a focus on
sources of specific information if you like. Suggest what you want to see
here - anyone and everyone. 

Now, even small-scale market gardening or plant sales is a challenge - as
I've learned. Some people can afford to buy a lot of inputs for a backyard
garden or balcony, and so forth, but when you're growing for sale a lot of
things have to change. Suddenly you find you can't afford the larger water
bill if you hope to make a profit. Unless you live in a reliable rainfall
region. You have to make time to keep up with all you're growing - cut
corners and your quality and quantity will suffer. You also need to grow
from seed. Why? Check the latest prices on starter plants in the nurseries
and garden departments. We have lots of sources online and in books for
general advice on growing and marketing, if anyone wants sources. Of course
we are irrevocably biased in favor of organic soil building and intensive,
no-till permanent beds. 

We're learning the hard way - by doing it. We just found our sales falling
off when others suddenly had red, ripe tomatoes. Some were substandard,
some outstanding like the Brandywines next to our table. Our Italian and
French heirloom tomatoes better ripen fast so we can sell like mad next
week. If I can get the greenhouse with tomato beds finished and covered
this month, we have a good shot at producing right into October. Nights
below 60 can slow fruit set. Amazing that Fiorentino and Marmande are
setting fruit right through these weeks of 90 degree days. But that's
European heirlooms for you! A thousand dollar gross on tomatoes alone would
be a good first year for us at market. 

I envy that chance to meet Salatin. He's done so much to promote local food
and sustainable livestock & produce. 

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 8/17/2007 at 3:09 PM DK wrote:

>Hi Paul and other list members, I wanted to thank you for running this
>list with such a diplomatic hand. I am grateful to have found this list,
>as it has been, and continues to be, a tremendous source of inspiration
>and information.
>
>In addition to growing some of my own food now, I have created a local
>farm foods group to help others find some of the info I have spent months
>searching for. I have actively narrowed down our food supply so that the
>sources are known for most of it. Now that my husband's sales are on the
>decrease (construction-based as they are), we are looking for new ways to
>help support ourselves and the local community. I am entertaining ideas of
>small-scale market gardening and edible plant sales. I am actively working
>on developing a "homeschool garden club" with space for a few families to
>contribute time each week and share in the harvest.
>
>I don't know that I would have gotten to all this just by finding my own
>info. I so appreciate the active moderation and variety of topics without
>allowing it to go all political, as these lists are prone to do. Much as I
>enjoy reading political discussions and dire predictions for humanity,
>it's nice to have a place where the focus is on the practical aspects of
>the land. I actually have had to leave the hot-topic lists, because I find
>them too stressful, and not practical enough.
>
>And in 2 weeks, Joel Salatin (Polyface Farm) will be having a speaking day
>at the farm where I buy raw milk for my pets! And I'll be there!
>
>Diane in FL
>