Thoughts on vegetable gardens during these crazy times.

[Mule Packer]

With our relatively short growing season up here at the foot of the mountains, I'm starting to put in my annual vegetable garden. I know, I know. It undoubtedly seems late for most of you, but two years ago, I didn't get my garden in until June 6th and I still got nipped by the frost...twice. Most of us here wait until Memorial Day before we get serious about planting.

Anyway, as many of you know, when you are in the process of planting a vegetable garden, you have quite a bit of time to just contemplate all sorts of things. Today as I was planting my corn and thinking about the crazy times in which we are living, I remembered an incident that happened a while back to an acquaintance of mine.

Several years ago, this good friend who is a commercial farmer and who raises sweet corn as his main crop, was sitting in his easy chair late one evening reading the paper when he heard a car drive down the road to his fields. Mind you, now, he lives wa-a-a-y-y-y out of town so a car at any time is unusual.

He put down his paper, picked up his Ruger Super Blackhawk off the side table, and quietly started walking down towards his field. When he got there, he found a large carload of people picking corn and stuffing it into burlap sacks.

My friend yelled at the top of his lungs, "HEY!! GET OUTTA THE CORN!!" and touched off two rounds of .44 magnum up into the air. Corn was flying everywhere as bodies were scrambling to get into the car as fast as they could as it was peeling out of the field.

Okay, here's my point, without discussing whether my friend's action were right or wrong. I'm hearing all this stuff about future food shortages. Heck! I don't know if that's true or false. Doesn't matter. The point is, if someone was truly hungry and came to me, I'm pretty sure I'd load him or her down with plenty of tomatoes, corn, beans, squash, fresh eggs, fruit, or what have you. At least I hope I would.

On the other hand, if I heard someone pulling onto my property at 2:30 in the morning and started helping themselves to everything in my garden, I'm not sure just what I would do.

In both cases, the parties would be hungry...but one is going about it differently to my way of thinking. Hmmm. Anyway, that's what I was thinking early this morning when I was out planting the garden.

Any wise thoughts?

 

[GypsmJim]

If someone came up to me and said they needed food for their children, I'd let them take every last corn cob and tomato I had.

If someone stole from me in the middle of the night I would call the police and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

 

[Rudi]

You bring up a very deep and multifaceted question. I believe much of the "food shortage" hype is just media trash. The goal is to keep as many people as stirred up as possible all the time. As far as charitable donations I prefer to make them from the heart. Stealing "my stuff" kind of chaffs my hide. I thank the Lord every day for my blessings.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

My late brother and I had this discussion years ago. If the country went
into another great depression we both knew how to grow and process
our own food. The question becomes if a family with starving children
show up at your place can you turn them away.
We agreed that as long as our own families had enough, we would share.
But then if someone tried to take what we had to have to survive, then
proper actions would be taken.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

Mule Packer, you need a DIY, backyard green house. That would allow
you another month on each end of the growing season without heating.

 

[BearBio]

We have a SMALL garden in the backyard: Black berries, blue berries, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, onions/scallions, radishes. My blackberries grow along the fence and I "know" people come along the "alley"/ROW and pick them. Outside of the fence, I don't care. Inside is another issue!

 

[BAM-BAM]

One is charity a good thing ..... the other is theft.... not so much.


Old Arkansawyer makes a good point........ if your children are taken care of because you planned ahead...... vs someone who did not.

Tougher question is; do you feed someone else's kids today knowing your's will go hungry next week!!!!

Every Kid in America is taught the story of the "Ant and the Grasshopper' from an early age........many choose to ignore it figuring Uncle Sugar will bail them out.

Parable, short version: Teach a man to fish...... vs....... giving him a fish.

 

[Mule Packer]

Every Kid in America is taught the story of the "Ant and the Grasshopper' from an early age........many choose to ignore it figuring Uncle Sugar will bail them out.

Unfortunately, there's the new "modernized" version of that old Aesop's tale in the bookstores currently. In the children's books now, the story of "The Ant and the Grasshopper" has a totally different ending. Yep. The ants take pity on the grasshopper and bring him into their home and share their food with them. I know, I know. I couldn't believe it either, but that's the way society is turning. Go figger.

 

[Mule Packer]

Mule Packer, you need a DIY, backyard green house. That would allow
you another month on each end of the growing season without heating.

You're absolutely right! Fortunately, my oldest son has a greenhouse and starts my tomato plants, squash, peppers, etc. for me in March so I usually have a jump on things. He only lives about an hour-and-a-half away, so it's not too much of a problem.

 

[The Analyst]

Considering the geographical location of your friend (sounds like a very rural area), I think his reaction was proper. On the other hand, probably not so in a more urban or suburban setting.

 

[BAM-BAM]

You're absolutely right! Fortunately, my oldest son has a greenhouse and starts my tomato plants, squash, peppers, etc. for me in March so I usually have a jump on things. He only lives about an hour-and-a-half away, so it's not too much of a problem.

LOL

Life in the " Wild wide, wide West"......... "an hour-and-a-half away..... not to much of a problem"

For me it's only an hour-and twenty minutes from the Burgh to the weekend lake house in the Laurel Highlands........most easterners consider that a overnight or weekend distance.

 

[BearBio]

LOL

Life in the " Wild wide, wide West"......... "an hour-and-a-half away..... not to much of a problem"

For me it's only an hour-and twenty minutes from the Burgh to the weekend lake house in the Laurel Highlands........most easterners consider that a overnight or weekend distance.

When we moved to NCW, we went to check out local campgrounds on a 4th of July 3-day weekend. All the local campgrounds were at least half empty! A buddy explained it: Nobody wants to go further than 2 hours or a HALF tank to camp. Our campgrounds were about 3/4 of a tank of gas from Seattle or Spokane. Campgrounds only fill up during elk season!

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

LOL

Life in the " Wild wide, wide West"......... "an hour-and-a-half away..... not to much of a problem"

For me it's only an hour-and twenty minutes from the Burgh to the weekend lake house in the Laurel Highlands........most easterners consider that a overnight or weekend distance.

I was a traveling salesman back in the late 70's at which time
Photovolt Corp brought out an automatic Karl Fischer titrator
and I had seen it at a trade show. I told the Western U.S. rep
that I could sell several if he would come and demo the
instrument. We made 2 demo's in Oklahoma with the last
being in OKC in the afternoon. The rep said where next and
I said Amarillo, Tx. He needed to call the home office, in New
York City, and he reported 2 sales and were headed to Amarillo,
Tx. The New York person said that a company in El Paso, Tx
wanted a demo and could we drop by there that afternoon on
our way to Amarillo. He turned to me and ask that question, I
laughed and said is there anyone in NYC that is dropping by
South Carolina this afternoon.
I know this has been a long story to make the point that folks
back East have no clue as to wide open spaces. Or time to
travel anywhere the subway doesn't run.

 

[mtgianni]

Not just easterners. I had a friend working out of Helena, MT that his corporate was out of Salt Lake. They were asking him about something in Wolf Point, about an hour W of the State line with ND. He finally explained to them he could drive to Salt Lake and half way back in the time it would take him to drive to Wolf Point. Many don't realize how large some States are.
I read where some English people were discussing the average American who could not have much life experience because they had visited so few other countries. It was pointed out that we have Counties larger than several European Countries.

 

[BearBio]

Before I went back to school and got two degrees, I worked in title insurance. We had a client in Connecticut who was a hard money second lender. Insisted I drive to the borrowers' and sign them or they would have to come in to sign. One couple refused, saying it was too far. I notified the lender and he was irate. "It's only the next county over". I "patiently" explained they were in Needles on the east side of San Bernadino County and I was in Tustin, in Orange County. It was a five hour drive each way for them -- I also explained that San Bernadino County was larger than Connecticut.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

Ok, ok, just how far in miles is "just 1 1/2 hours away?" In Alabama, (where we live and both of us were born and raised), we have 67 counties. They are approximately 30 miles from one side to the other.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[chief38]

Veggie Gardens are always a good thing! Although I have not had one since I was a kid, I was thinking it's not a bad idea!

 

[mtgianni]

Ok, ok, just how far in miles is "just 1 1/2 hours away?" In Alabama, (where we live and both of us were born and raised), we have 67 counties. They are approximately 30 miles from one side to the other.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

In Montana that is 110 miles counting 2 stoplights and one town.

 

[jag312]

I started my vegetables inside the house a few months ago when it was too cold outside. Everything gets replanted outside when the weather is warm. I have to fence the vegetables and other plants to keep them from being stolen. Not by people, but by those wascally wabbits and other varmints. My cousin calls me Elmer Fudd.

I put meat scraps out among my fruit trees and other vegetables. My son says that I'm crazy because that will attract coyotes. There is a method to my madness. Coyotes don't eat potatoes, grapes, melons, carrots, etc. Coyotes eat those wascally wabbits.

 

[nodpete]

We've grown a vegetable garden for the last 51 years. Always tomatoes (several varieties), green peppers, lettuce, beans, beets, green onions, several herbs, raspberries, cucumbers, parsley, etc. Although over the last couple of years I'm making the garden smaller and smaller. We use most of what we grow, give some to the neighbors or put things out on the curb for anybody that wants them.