Victory Gardens? Maybe it's a good idea again.

WickedLou9 · 06-12-2008, 10:10 AM

During WW1 and WW2, the government encouraged people to plant "victory gardens". The idea was that everyone could have a small garden and grow some of thier own food. This would free up supplies which we could send to the troops.
Today maybe it's a good idea again? Every time you buy produce from the grocery store, you are contributing to the burning of fossil fuels. Shipping lettuce or tomatoes from California to NJ costs money and uses fuel. Driving to the supermarket uses fuel. Maybe we should be encouraging people to grow some of thier own produce again? I have a small garden with a few tomato plants and some eggplants and stuff, but I just do it because I enjoy it, not for any noble cause.

The price of food is really high right now. The cost of fuel is one reason, but another reason is that supply is low. We have converted farm land used to produce food into farm land used to ultimatly create bio-fuels.

If every household in the US grew some of thier own produce, it would increase supply, reduce demand, bring prices down, and consume less fuel.

Maybe we can call them Freedom Gardens this time.

Phantom · 06-12-2008, 10:14 AM

My grandparents' house had a victory garden. I always thought the idea was kinda cool in a love-your-country sort of way.

Unfortunately I live in an apartment and my balcony doesn't get direct sunlight, so I can't contribute

WickedLou9 · 06-12-2008, 10:16 AM

Looks like someone beat me to the idea

Victory Garden

thewise1 · 06-12-2008, 11:24 AM

We're actually thinking about doing something like that. The only problem is, our back yard is mostly shady

kinggovernor · 06-12-2008, 12:57 PM

I would do something like that

motivez · 06-12-2008, 01:35 PM

Sounds like a good idea if you have the room to do it. Unless you could grow something useful on a patio or whatever I wouldn't be able to participate

I also wonder how much this would hurt grocery stores? They have a very slim profit margin as it is.. if the entire country shopped less, it'd certainly hurt them.

There was a good article though, that said ethanol production only account for about 3% of the price increase in foods:

On Monday, USDA officials met with reporters to discuss just how closely biofuels (specifically corn-based ethanol) are linked to the increasing price of food. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, who has vehemently defended biofuels before, had this to say:

One theory that has been widely discussed in recent weeks is that the nation’s growing demand for biofuels and the crops needed to produce them is the real culprit behind higher food prices, both at home and abroad. Yet the evidence that we have seen. . .does not support this.

It’s true that higher demand for corn for ethanol and soybeans for biodiesel has led to higher prices for those crops over the past couple of years. But we do not have a one on one relationship between higher prices for those commodities and what consumers are paying for foods at the retail level. There are many factors at work. . .

So just how much is ethanol contributing to global food prices? According to Schafer:

On the international level, the President’s Council of Economic Advisors estimates that only 3 percent of the more than 40 percent increase we have seen in world food prices this year is due to the increased demand on corn for ethanol.

Their reasoning includes things I’ve written about before including oil prices, economic and dietary expansion in India and China, droughts affecting wheat crops, etc.

USDA Says Ethanol Accounts for Only 3% of Increased Cost of Food : Gas 2.0

7960 · 06-12-2008, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

Today maybe it's a good idea again?

it's always been a good idea! free food ftmfw!!

7960 · 06-12-2008, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Sounds like a good idea if you have the room to do it. Unless you could grow something useful on a patio or whatever I wouldn't be able to participate

check out "container garden"

we grow lettuce, basil, parsley, a few kinds of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and something else all in pots on the deck. they only take up 2' wide, 12' long.

thewise1 · 06-12-2008, 02:46 PM

I should google this, but do you guys know anything we could grow that does well in the shade?

WickedLou9 · 06-12-2008, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by thewise1

I should google this, but do you guys know anything we could grow that does well in the shade?

How much shade? Total shade?

thewise1 · 06-12-2008, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

How much shade? Total shade?

Shade for probably half the day or more (and then it's often cloudy in seattle so even more

)

WickedLou9 · 06-12-2008, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by thewise1

Shade for probably half the day or more (and then it's often cloudy in seattle so even more )

I mean if you can get 6 hours of sun that might be good enough. 8 hours is better.

here is a decent list of share tolerant crops

Shade Plants -- Vegetables | Yard and Garden Solutions
Nothing too yummy on there. Except maybe some beans and peas.

TankRizzo · 06-12-2008, 05:36 PM

I have nearly 2 acres, I just don't have the time.

thewise1 · 06-12-2008, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

I mean if you can get 6 hours of sun that might be good enough. 8 hours is better.

here is a decent list of share tolerant crops

Shade Plants -- Vegetables | Yard and Garden Solutions
Nothing too yummy on there. Except maybe some beans and peas.

sweet, thanks dude. I'll check it out

WickedLou9 · 06-12-2008, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by TankRizzo

I have nearly 2 acres, I just don't have the time.

I don't really spend much time on mine, aside from going outback to see how things are progressing when I get home from work. I set the watering on a timer that goes off at 5AM every morning. Aside from pulling up weeds now and again it essentially tends itself.

Dispatcher · 06-15-2008, 06:57 PM

Bad idea. With my black thumb, I would starve.

Boiled cactus anyone?

06-15-2008, 07:59 PM

It's good stuff, we grow some of our own herbs and my wife grows strawberries, although this year its been too wet to grow them effectively

We also try to buy from local farmers markets when we can. Its more expensive but the food is much fresher, doesn't have preservatives and you're investing in your local farmer.

WickedLou9 · 06-16-2008, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

It's good stuff, we grow some of our own herbs and my wife grows strawberries, although this year its been too wet to grow them effectively

We also try to buy from local farmers markets when we can. Its more expensive but the food is much fresher, doesn't have preservatives and you're investing in your local farmer.

Yeah we wanted to start doing this too. Another big benefit is that you aren't contributing to fuel demand. When you buy at the supermarket you are paying for the costs to ship the produce from California mostly. The Salinas valley in California produces a large amount of our crops like lettuce and tomatos and such. So every tomato that you buy locally or grow yourself is one less tomato that has to be shipped across the country

Dylith · 06-17-2008, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by thewise1

sweet, thanks dude. I'll check it out

I found that rosemary tends to grow really well out in Seattle due to the mild climate. Just put it in a spot where it will get as much sun as it can and it should do relatively well. Broccoli and potatoes worked really well too.

7960 · 06-17-2008, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by Dylith

I found that rosemary tends to grow really well out in Seattle due to the mild climate. Just put it in a spot where it will get as much sun as it can and it should do relatively well. Broccoli and potatoes worked really well too.

fuck, you're growing broccoli? NICE!! I gotta try that, we love broccoli.

Here's our "garden"

parsley, basil, chives (spearmint not shown) all in direct sunlight all day.

tomatoes, cucumbers, more chives (we had extras), cherry tomatoes, 2 kinds of lettuce (green peppers not shown) all in constant shade (but it's bright)