permaculture

[Harmon Seaver <hseaver@gmail.com>]

David Travis wrote:
> 
> Re: artichokes, I'm wondering whether or not they have been "overlooked" 
> because they simply don't make a very good food source.
> 
   Have you ever tried them? There's nothing at all wrong with them for
food. In fact they are sold as gourmet items in some countries, and were
a staple for Native Americans. And that's nonsense that inulin is not
digestible, it merely requires a bit of getting used to. Lot's of foods
are that way -- beans, for instance, or cabbage. If you eat them
regularly, there usually isn't any real gas problem. Besides which, the
inulin is fairly high in many other plants like onions, garlic, and
leeks that most people eat regularly.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inulin
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/NEWCROP/AFCM/jerusart.html

  They are also great livestock feed and a much better feedstock for
ethanol than corn, you can expect 550-750 gallons an acre from the tubers.






-- 
Harmon Seaver