Hi George! I have always had a small 10 x 10 veggie plot for tomatos, basil and arugala etc. Who can beat the taste of a home grown tomato? But, I don't plan on increasing the plot this year as full sun is limited in my yard. I think people will find that they won't save as much as they think at least until the garden is established after a few years. /Abi

Newbies who are starting victory gardens (that's what they called them when I was a young pup many decades ago) should definitely seek advice from neighbors on what will grow in their area, along with how to grow it. What does well in one town/city may not grow at all in the next one over due to uncountable reasons. Newbies often don't understand this and get frustrated and quit before the first summer is even over.

While on one hand I think this is a great trend, I agree that many who have never gardened before will be either overwhelmed with all the work involved, or, not putting in the needed work, will be disappointed with the yields, and yes, they won't save as much money as they think they will. In addition, that potential failure might make them quit and never come back.

However, if 100 new people try gardening due to the recession, and only 25 stick with it, that's still 25 new gardeners. So I think overall it's an encouraging trend.

:)
Dee

George,
While I certainly agree with you that the down turn in the economy likely has inspired many first time gardeners to get their hands dirty, I also think that there are many US citizens that have lost faith in the safety of food in their market basket and are choosing to grow their own.

Here is a link that might be useful: Obama - Food Safety - 3/14/09

If some of those newbies who are destined to face frustration and failure would just invest their money
and a much more modest amount of their time in a CSA farm,
I suspect they'd be thrilled with the savings AND the payback. As much as we diehard diggers would love to believe otherwise, not everyone is cut out to be a gardener
(just like I was never cut-out to be an auto mechanic!);
participating in some form of CSA is a win-win situation.....

For anyone unfamiliar with Community Supported Agriculture, here's a helpful link, which you can refine
to your precise location.

Here is a link that might be useful: Local Harvest / Farmer's Markets / CSA

I have to agree that you're not likely to actually SAVE much money even with an established garden and most definitely not if you have the cost of establishing one properly from scratch.

We don't have the time (or equipment) to tend a large garden, so ours is small (though yes, I confess, it gets a bit larger each year!) and we tend to plant those things that we find we need on short notice OR that are so vastly much better when eaten/cooked within minutes of picking that it's worth having them growing right outside. Tomatoes (especially heirloom cherry varieties for salads), haricots verts, herbs (which are expensive to buy and easy to grow), etc.

I'm not convinced it costs a lot more by the time all is said and done to buy from a local farmer's market in the summer, and I'd love to see those continue growing ... which would hopefully eventually translate into lower prices there (since some of those can be pretty pricey here on the East Coast -- not so in California, where the farmer's markets are the best deals in town).

Whether you grow it yourself or buy from a local farmer, these tough times may just have a silver lining if more people discover the joys of growing and preparing truly fresh food. (Shopping at a large grocery chain recently, I happened to look at the label for the "organic" frozen peas that were on sale -- guess what it said? "Product of China" Huh???? That tells me that for someone's corporate bottom line, it's more cost effective to buy peas from China and ship them across the Pacific -- and THEN across the United States to Connecticut! -- than it is to pay a local farmer to produce those same peas. Think about it... then go plant yourself some peas -- nothing, nothing, NOTHING quite like pasta in a creamy Alfredo sauce with fresh spring peas!!)

Carl -- your post and mine "crossed" in cyberspace but we're on much the same wavelength. I meant to mention CSAs but forgot -- a great solution for those who don't have room, time, or money to install a veggie garden, although you can do an amazing amount with container gardening on a patio! They can SOUND expensive at first blush (and some of them, in my experience, CAN be pretty pricey so do your homework, figure out what you can really USE, etc.), but if you do an honest calculation of what you would spend for the same amount of stuff from the grocery store (frozen "organic" peas from China on sale don't count!), and you look at what you GET from one of those farm shares, they can be downright cost effective. And you are keeping local farmers farming... which benefits us ALL.

"Know thy farmer" ...

"Know thy farmer".... Words of Wisdom!!
I hate to sound so synical but honestly if we currently don't have the ability to regulate the foods we are growing here in the US can we really trust Organic Peas from China???

runktrun, you're speaking my language. Food safety has become more and more of an issue in recent years.

For the past two years I've homecooked for my dogs and cat using whole identifiable ingredients that can't be adulterated with Chinese melamine, and have cooked mostly from scratch for ourselves recently. We are fortunate to have a large organic locally grown section in our supermarket, so this helps. We read labels and do not buy anything containing HFCS or artificial sweeteners. I use olive oil in place of corn oil. I thoroughly wash all fresh fruits and vegies. I have added peanut butter, chocolate, and powdered or canned milk to my "don't buy" list.

As far as gardening, it depends on a newby's level of commitment. Back when we first bought our home in the early 70s we hand dug a large garden plot and grew our own winter's supply of vegetables each summer for many years. There was no expense other than the seeds and initial cost of some simple hand tools, hoe, rake, shovel. We had no experience but learned as we went and had a freezer full of garden produce each year.

If we also were to raise chickens, we could almost feed ourselves entirely. Many of our friends used to raise their own beef too.

Now we're both old and the energy level (that I don't have)required to grub in the dirt is a deterrent. But I think recession vegie gardens could be a good trend for those who have the energy and time. It helps if you like working in the garden.

I think you're all right that we aren't inclined to factor in the cost of our time when we're talking about gardening, but to some extent, I think this is fair. In addition to providing things for the dinner table, gardening is also a hobby, and we don't tend to factor in the cost of our time when calculating the costs of our hobbies.

I may spend 5 hours a week doing various things in the garden, and some amount of those things might be hard labor, but it's also extremely relaxing and satisfying. It gets me out in the fresh air and sunshine, and depending on the task, it might provide me with a bit of exercise.

I think if you consider vegetable gardening to be a combination of a money-saving grocery venture and also a hobby, the numbers start to look a whole lot more attractive. There are a lot of hobbies that can cost a whole lot more, and won't put anything on the dinner table.

Because it's just my husband and me at home, growing vegetables would not be practical in our situation; however, we do support local growers/farmers. Even if the cost is more than in the supermarkets, I feel "right" buying and eating produce that's raised nearby. Out of curosity, though, I'm definitely going to check out the local sources of CSA. Thanks!

Molie

Because it's just my husband and me at home, growing vegetables would not be practical in our situation

I'm curious why you say that, molie. We have a garden for just the two of us, and it's great. I used to have a garden when I lived alone, too.

This means that I buy single plants rather than 6-packs, normally, or end up using a very tiny fraction of the seed packets that I buy, but I wouldn't fail to have a garden for the world!

That sounds odd to me also. Hubby and I have lived here alone for past 35 years, no kids. Our garden supplied us with vegetables for all the years we tilled it.

If you had a larger family, a larger garden would be needed. And then possibly more family members to share the labor as well.

If you are only gardening for two, you could also can or freeze the excess. I just made sauce with some tomatoes frozen last fall and it was wonderful. The smell alone of the tomatoes when I took them out of the bag was heavenly.

Which is not to say that supporting the local farmers isn't a good thing - it is a great thing! I wish more people would do that!

:)
Dee

'Excess tomatoes' is one of those word combinations that has no meaning. How do people end up with extra tomatoes? We rarely have enough to make sauce. I haven't made gazpacho in years because the tomatoes just disappear.

I'm looking for a tomato and arugula CSA. Everybody around here wants to give out boring things like turnips and kale.

I am trying something new that I learned at a blueberry pruning workshop this year to protect my tomatoes, blueberries, ect from the birds during the time they are ripening on the vine, rather than using that horrible black plastic netting that typically does more damage than good, I will be covering my plants in tulle it comes in a variety of colors and is relatively inexpensive. I have ordered a couple of bolts of a conservative olive green but just think of how your plants might look dressed in a variety pastel tulle colors!!!

kt: thanks for the belly laugh - I have a whole new image of your vegetable garden now !

Lest someone might not know, "tulle", the fabric kt plans
to use to accessorize her garden, is normally used to make
a ballerina's tutu - hence, my image of her doing "pirouettes" and "grand jetes" in the garden, as she
artfully drapes her produce !!!

Please, somebody take pictures. . .

Dee,
Did you just freeze the tomatoes whole?

Move over, Christo...

And just think kt, when you're done with the tulle, you can serve up those berries with tuilles (ah, what a difference a vowel makes! :)

(Extra points to anyone who ALREADY knew what a "punnet" was!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Fresh berries with tuilles (for you Aussie foodies!)

I'm overwhelmed by the idea of kt, or anyone, going en pointe in garden clogs....

Claire (and I didn't know what a punnet was, but that recipe sounds very good)

"...How do people end up with extra tomatoes?..."

Okay, MG, you caught me. I admit to working at a local farm, and at the very end of the season, the farmer lets me walk through and pick baskets of tomatoes. Many of them are a bit bruised or perhaps have fallen to the ground, but they are still good, even if people won't buy them at the market.

But still, I do have a few extras of my own. I plant about 30 tomato plants every year.

Yes, Richie, I freeze them whole. I kept reading that one should make sauce and freeze it, but a co-worker told me her grandmother used to just freeze them whole. Not only did it work, but she said they were easier to peel. I blanche them quickly, cut them while still half-frozen, and make sauce with them as needed. A lot easier than making tons of sauce all at once, IMO.

Katy, I have some old tutus from when my daughter was dancing, if you'd care to borrow them for garden work!

:)
Dee

I kept reading that one should make sauce and freeze it, but a co-worker told me her grandmother used to just freeze them whole. Not only did it work, but she said they were easier to peel. I blanche them quickly, cut them while still half-frozen, and make sauce with them as needed. A lot easier than making tons of sauce all at once, IMO.
Brilliant particularly towards the end of the tomato season when I have given up on the idea of spending the entire afternoon in the kitchen. My latest kitchen gadget is a food saver/press and seal machine and I love this thing, no more freezer burn.

Hmmmm....I am confused I thought everyone gardened in a tutu and gardening clogs (or at least that is what Cloud9 told me)? Here I thought all along when a passerby would first scream in horror then break out in uproarious laughter it was a reaction to my landscape.

I have a niece who does pretty much everything in a tutu - either that or a princess costume - and nobody screams at her. She is a bit younger than we are. Do you think that might have something to do with it?

Dee, around here, the farmer's markets sell those tomatoes as seconds, specifically for sauce, etc. They are not particularly cheap, which is why I haven't bothered with them. Years ago, we had a farm stand that brought seconds up from North Carolina in early June. Those were cheap and good.

Dee, around here, the farmer's markets sell those tomatoes as seconds, specifically for sauce, etc. They are not particularly cheap

Cheap is the whole point of seconds! When I was a child, my grandmother was good friends with the owner of an orchard down the street, and she often sent us home with baskets of "drops" of both peaches and apples. We canned peaches and applesauce, and nothing was wasted.

If only I could find a deal like that!

Beginners should definitely investigate growing their own herbs. They are easy in containers and even if you buy the plants ($2-$3 for smaller sized plants) are a wise investment considering how much herbs cost at the grocery store and how hard it is not to waste them. You usually only need a plant of each type (more of basil!) to get fresh herbs from May/June to frost.

I've grown the following herbs in pots with success: mint, rosemary (take inside in fall), many type of basils, dill (one of the few that is best started by seed in a deep container versus buying plants), lemongrass, chives, sage, Greek oregano, French tarragon, parsley,... Plus some of the herbs overwinter behind my shed with little effort (mint, sage, Greek Oregano, chives are ones that are reliable overwinterers).

digger, so glad to hear someone else would rather make tomato sauce- and warm up the kitchen, in january- rather in the heat of sept. there are so many other things to doin the fall. i also throw those whole frozen tomatoes and the better parts of the last of the crop in our winter soups. the skins fall right off within a minute.
although i won't go back to canning, i did buy a few cases of jars for freezing extra beans, onions, fresh peaches with a little sugar, etc. what off-gasses from plastic containers??

Hi all, I grow mostly cherry and grape tomatoes. The grape tomatoes get eaten straight from the vine. The cherry tomatoes get put in quart bags and put in the freeser. I add them to chiles, stews and mexican rice dishes. I also chop fresh basil in the blender with a bit of water and freeze in cube trays for the winter. Delish. This past winter I put my sage and rosemary plants under those small umbrella green houses. I actually had fresh herbs all winter! /Abi

Those grape and cherries never make it out of my garden, lol! They're just too easy to pick and eat out there!

MG, most people around here won't buy the bruised tomatoes, even at reduced prices. Heck, most won't even buy heirlooms, because they are not the round, red perfect tomatoes they see in the supermarket. Their loss is my gain, at least with my local farmer.

Honeybunchy, definitely easier and more comfortable to make sauce in January than in September, with all the other stuff food-wise going on. I am going to e-mail you privately, if you don't mind, regarding some questions about canning, etc. Thanks!

I just read that Mrs. Obama is definitely putting a garden in on the White House Lawn! Hooray!

:)
Dee

Well *I* won't buy heirlooms because of sticker shock. They are about 50% higher than locally grown, red round things, and I just don't think they justify that kind of money.

Just about the same time I wonder why I bother canning instead of freezing things, we get a long power outage, and I remember. The canned cherries in the basement are fine. The frozen strawberries in the freezer have 'issues'. At least they still seem to be edible since we like making strawberry smoothies as soon as it warms up in the spring.

dee, write me for sure. but i haven't canned since 1980. in fact i just got the fourth edition of "putting food by" since i read that the usda updated their recommendations in the 90's. i use the book for freezing and drying.
mad, guess i'll keep my fingers crossed that the power stays on. have you tried canning green beans with a chunk of ham in the jar? deelish!
GOBAMA!!! hope we hear a lot about that garden. hope they seed purslane as a living, edible mulch !

I grow herbs in those metal hanging planters on the side of my deck. We use the herbs all season, then harvest the remainder before the first freeze. We chop them up and put each herb in its own freezer ziploc bag or small container. They last in the freezer for months and when you need an herb you simply grab the freezer bag and scrape some off with a fork to throw in your recipe.

Dee, great idea about freezing whole tomatoes!

This thread reminds me of a book I read last summer. The 64 dollar tomato. Although this man did purchase and do a lot of unnecessary things. I have had my garden (about 15X20) for about three years and last year I'd say I may have broken even. A better way to save money is to get some euall Gibbons books and get out there and forage! fiddlehead season is coming up soon and I can't wait.