To get botanically specific, if anyone cares, Lambsquarter is Chenopodium sp., (the whole Chenopod genus, with several species) from the Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot) family, and Amaranth is Amaranthus sp., again with various species, from the Amaranthaceae (Pigweed) family. They almost certainly can't interbreed, but most of these plants have been sources of food for a very long time for humans in various parts of the world, and are usually happy to grow as weeds, too. The seeds and the leaves are usually edible, and some species have been domesticated at times. There may be types that shouldn't be eaten, but I haven't found any reference to them in the ethnobotanical literature. One species grown in Mexico is well known for keeping beans from spoiling.
Jean French
--- On Thu, 10/9/08, livingontheland-request@lists.ibiblio.org <livingontheland-request@lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:
From: livingontheland-request@lists.ibiblio.org <livingontheland-request@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Livingontheland Digest, Vol 163, Issue 3
To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Thursday, October 9, 2008, 1:21 PM
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: lamb's quarters question (Pumpkin Lady)
2. Re: In Defense Of The Family Farm by Wendell Berry (Liz)
3. Re: lamb's quarters question (Ken Hargesheimer)
4. Farmers? Market Tips (Tradingpost)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:28:13 -0500
From: Pumpkin Lady <pumpkingal@clearwire.net>
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] lamb's quarters question
To: minifarms2@yahoo.com, Healthy soil and sustainable growing
<livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <48ECC37D.2040201@clearwire.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Ken Hargesheimer wrote:
> Lamb's quarter is of the same family as Amarath which is used all
> over the world. Two strains of it: one is for the leaves and the
> other for the grain. Some for both. Seeds are so tiny. Amarath
> has red in the young leaves.
Umm... are you sure about that? Amaranth is Amaranthus and
Lamb's Quarters are Chenopoduim. LQ are related to Quinoa,
although all the pictures of Quinoa grain I see has it being
tan and my LQ seeds are definitely black.
>
> 20 years ago I was given some seed for a leaf variety and planted it
> in the alley. Comes up every year. It is now about eight feet tall
> and producing seed. In fact, it comes up everywhere due to the
> birds scattering the seed.
This I believe, for either one of them. Both of them
comprise a large part of what most Lubbock homeowners call
"weeds" ;-)
>
> In Mexico, one can purchased "candy" made of the seed and
with
> nuts. Love it. Not as widely available is in years passed.
Amaranth seed, you mean, right? I've never seen the candy
but I have a couple of recipes. The seeds are popped and
then mixed with honey and other things depending on the recipe.
Morgan, who still hasn't a clue when to cut this stuff. the
seed heads are full AFAICT, but *shrug* I guess I'll cut a
lot just before the first frost.
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:36:52 -0400
From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] In Defense Of The Family Farm by
Wendell Berry
To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing
<livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <1223477633_18946@mail2.swva.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
At 01:34 AM 10/8/2008, you wrote:
><http://organictobe.org/index.php/2008/10/06/in-defense-of-the-family-farm-by-wendell-berry/>
>
>In Defense Of The Family Farm
Wendell Berry always says it so well.
His description of the devaluation of work is the argument I have
over and over with friends and acquaintances. So many people have
traded enjoyment of their work for the dubious guarantee of salary,
benefits and paid vacations. I don't know many who are happy with the
trade, but they're afraid to do anything else.
Thanks for sharing this.
Liz in SW VA
http://life-as-a-spectator-sport.com
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 12:53:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ken Hargesheimer <minifarms2@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] lamb's quarters question
To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing
<livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>, Pumpkin Lady
<pumpkingal@clearwire.net>
Message-ID: <209053.94754.qm@web36502.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I am aware of the different families but had been told they are the same group.
Very similiar when they grow side by side. I have hoed LQ out of cotton since I
was young on the farm. Ken
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:40:31 -0600
From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
Subject: [Livingontheland] Farmers? Market Tips
To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID: <200810082140310187.120C3CC3@mail.lobo.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Farmers? Market Tips
>From Jeff Cox
http://organictobe.org/index.php/2008/04/04/farmers-market-tips/#comment-3367
The first farmers? markets are opening up in the warmer parts of the country,
and soon they?ll be opening everywhere. You can find the markets nearest you by
visiting www.localharvest.org.
But when you do go to a farmers? market, some questions arise.
The seller may say he or she is organic, but how do you know for sure? Many
small farmers and truck patch operators may very well be organic but don?t want
to go through the paperwork and expense of getting organic certification. Some
unscrupulous sellers may tell customers what the customers want to hear and
claim their produce is organic when it isn?t.
First, ask the seller is he?s certified organic. Here in California, the
certifying agency is CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) and the seller
may have a CCOF sign displayed. That?s your guarantee that the food is raised
organically. There are certifying agencies across America. If there?s no
certification but the seller claims his produce is organic, here are some
questions you can ask to make sure the food is organic.
Ask how he controls cabbage worms. Any organic grower will know right away that
Bacillus thuringiensis, called Bt, is the sure-fire organic control for those
little green worms that chew on the leaves of cole crops (cabbage, broccoli,
cauliflower, turnips, rutabagas, kohlrabi, bok choy, and many other vegetables).
If he says that he doesn?t have a problem with cabbage worms, be skeptical.
White cabbage moths, the adult form of the green caterpillars, are ubiquitous.
Ask how he controls corn earworms. Most organic growers will tell you that the
worms don?t eat much, and to just break off the tip of the ear where the worm
has set up shop. There are some organic controls like twist-tying the tip and
putting a drop or two of mineral oil on the tip, but they are impractical for
anyone growing a farm-sized amount of corn. A few earworms, by the way, are a
good guarantee that the corn is indeed organic, and the farmer may tell you
that.
Ask his soil pH. Any organic farmer will know his soil pH. In a good organic
soil, it will be between 6.0 and 7.0, ideally about 6.5, or slightly acid. At
6.5, most soil nutrients are most available to most crops. If the soil is more
acidic or alkaline?that is, out of the 6.0 to 7.0 range?certain nutrients become
locked up and unavailable to crops. So a real organic farmer knows his pH and
strives to keep it as close to 6.5 as possible. Conventional farmers are more
concerned with the amount of chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
they?re putting down than with soil pH.
Keep in mind that there are two kinds of sellers at farmers? markets?actual
farmers who grew their fruits or produce, and purveyors who buy wholesale and
sell retail from stands at the farmers? markets. It?s easy to tell which is
which by asking this question:
Which variety is this? A farmer will always know the variety names of all his
fruits and vegetables, or his breed of hen if he?s selling eggs. After all, he
had to buy the seed, the woody plants, or the chicks, and he?s carefully raised
them. Choosing the varieties he likes best and that have the highest quality is
a big part of organic farming. A purveyor may know the variety names of the
fruit or vegetables he?s selling, but often may not. If he doesn?t know, that?s
as close to a guarantee that he?s a purveyor as you?ll get.
The clincher, of course, is to ask, ?Where?s your farm?? The farmer will know,
the purveyor won?t, or he?ll name someplace far away. Remember, the best way to
eat is organic, local, and in season. Don?t be afraid to ask questions at the
farmers? market. Real organic farmers are proud of their efforts and will
communicate that to you.
~~
Jeff Cox is author of The Organic Cook?s Bible and The Organic Food Shopper?s
Guide and lives in Sonoma County, California.
Image Credit: ? Matt Ragen | Dreamstime.com
OrganicToBe.org | OrganicToGo.com
Jeff?s Posts
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