Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Homesteading Where You Are Series-Grow



This is the third in a 7-part series
about how five bloggers strive to homestead 
right where they are.

 


Our focus today is GROW.

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Before moving to Central Florida,
gardening was something I dabbled in.
After buying a (nearly) new home,
I felt a desire to make it my own
and create a more customized garden.
Creating a wildlife sanctuary was also on my mind.




Then I discovered "Florida-friendly",
which is a way of gardening using natives
or plants that do well in our climate with very little care.
I took as many workshops as I could 
offered by the local extension center focused on this way of gardening.
It makes so much more sense to grow things
that thrive in one's particular area.
It also lends itself well to attracting wildlife to your yard.



A few years later, I started experimenting with crops.
After reading a lot of books on the subject,
and viewing documentaries about our food system,
I was spurred to try growing at least a portion of our food.
A couple of organic growers at the farmer's market
helped me figure out what to grow when.
The growing season in Florida is different than
in other parts of the country, and it takes some getting used to.





I've had limited success.
We've harvested eggplant, garlic, green beans, herbs, pineapple, 
shallots, snap peas, strawberries, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.
I learned about growing in a square-foot bed,
and created a 6X3 bed in the backyard.







One of the challenges for us in wanting to grow organically,
has been that all of our neighbors spray pesticides on their lawns.
We have no fence, so there is the concern that those poisons 
will contaminate our crops. 
 Therefore, we keep most of our food crops close to the house.
It's not ideal, but it's the best we can do for now.




One of the easiest plants to grow here is pineapple.
You simply lop off the top, stick it in the ground
and watch it do its magic.
The flavor is succulent and witnessing the metamorphosis is amazing.





 
 


After working with Lynn at Farm School for the past year,
I know I will never again want to be without a garden.
He's shown me that there are other ways to garden,
and that you can adapt nearly anything to suit your needs.
Learning that not only can I grow food for my own family,
but enough to give away to others who might be in need,
is a very powerful thing indeed.
Being able to feed people is a big deal.





One of the things I'd like to do more of is save seeds.
I've done it with ornamentals,
 but I'm looking forward to saving crop seeds when I can and becoming more self-reliant.





Our goals for the future include moving to North Carolina this year to look for property.
We have had our time in suburbia and it's not for us.
We hope to acquire at least a few acres,
so that we can have a big garden and chickens.
I'm considering finding an apprenticeship up there
to help me learn about gardening in that climate.
I'd love to be able to take the Master Gardener course someday.
If you read "daisy's dream" under the header,
you'll get a better idea of our future plans.

This week we've talked about growing,
and I must say that as a gardener, I have.
I'm looking forward to learning so much more.




For additional great homesteading ideas, visit these other bloggers posting to this series:
*Jackie, at Born Imaginative, grew up as an avid 4-Her, on a 50 acre hobby farm, with parents who pursued a homesteading life. Now, with a husband and two small children of her own, she is bringing an 1880s farmhouse/30acre farm back to life in Southern Coastal Maine.

*Mary, at Homegrown on the Hill, lives in Southwestern Ohio with her family on a 5 acre homestead. Their goal is to be as self sufficient as possible. In helping with this goal, they raise a big garden and keep chickens, rabbits, and cattle for food.

*Staci, at Life At Cobble Hill Farm, was bitten by the homestead bug in 2006 and although she began her homesteading ventures in a rented condo, is now homesteading on less than an acre in Upstate NY.

*Sue, at The Little Acre that Could, shares her body with an auto-immune disease, and life with her husband. They live in a once-working Victorian farm cottage now bordered by a modern subdivision. She has dreamed of homesteading as long as she can remember and continues to strive toward that goal in rural Atlantic Canada.


Five bloggers, 7 weeks,
Big Ideas!
Join us every Wednesday!

Homesteading Where You Are-Intro
Homesteading Where You Are-Make






Tuesday Garden Party Co-Hosts

Our Simple Homestead Blog Hop

motivation monday


18 comments:

  1. I'm enjoying this series. I always love series that involve people from all over. This is my favorite quote, "Being able to feed people is a big deal." It is a big deal and most people don't get it. Thanks for a lovely post.

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    1. I enjoy seeing what folks do in other parts of the country as well. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. I hope your dream to move to North Carolina happens for you. You certainly sound well educated about gardening with all the courses you have taken. Your knowledge set must be huge! What a great foundation. Oh! I'm sure you will just blossom when you get to your new land. I can't wait for the story to unfold. :-)

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  3. Sending you prayers that yes, your dream of moving will come true.
    Carla

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    1. We'll take all the prayers we can get! Have a wonderful day!

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  4. I want to take the Master Gardener program someday too. I need to add that to my life list so I don't forget to work toward it. :) So happy for you that not only have you learned so much with your apprenticeship in Florida but that you and hubby have also figured out what you want and are going for it. I can't wait to journey through it with you guys!!

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    1. So glad you are part of the journey, Staci! Stay warm today!

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  5. I hope you can find the perfect place in NC! It will definitely be different gardening there, but you will get the hang of it. I am still envious of your pineapples! :)

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    1. I know the perfect place is just waiting for us. Wish I could send you a pineapple!

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  6. Daisy, I'm guessing there won't be any pineapples in North Carolina. This year has been a tough weather year for North Carolina. Gardening techniques will indeed be different than Florida. Even with that said, I think the weather is some what milder in North Carolina than here in Nebraska. Since I've lived most all my life in Nebraska or Iowa, I don't know any other way to garden other than how it's done here. I do like to read about gardening in other parts of the country and world. I'm looking forward to reading about your gardening experiences in North Carolina. Thank you for bringing together a group of bloggers to write about their homestead experiences.

    Have a great Homesteading Where You Are day.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Staci's the brainchild of the series. I enjoy hearing about all of the other bloggers' perspectives.

      I'm looking forward to trying to grow pineapple in the summer up there! Hope you have a great day!

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  7. Hi Daisy...I totally agree with you about our food supply system, which is why I am also focusing on growing more of our food. Even being a lifelong Floridian, I have discovered that there is a steep learning curve but with each season I learn a lot more and do a little better. Fall and winter and the easiest months of vegetable gardening for me. Summer is tougher because I don't care for okra. I've got to investigate Mexican and African crops. I would love to contribute my article on Central Florida gardener. Just tell me how. Have a great day!

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    1. You're so right, there is always something to learn! And each season is different from year to year.
      I never liked okra either, until I tasted pickled okra. OMGosh, you've got to try it!

      You can add your outdoor post on The Maple Hill Hop here: http://mymaplehillfarm.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-maple-hill-hop-15.html. It's open until tonight. Thanks!

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  8. As a Kansas girl I have to thank you for those fantastic photos of the pineapple plants. I have never seen anything like them!

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  9. They are fun to grow and SO easy! Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. I love how you are making do with what you have and can do... we are also doing that on a 1/4 acre city plot and it is amazing what all can be done... Thank you for sharing this. :)

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    1. Yes, it's a fun adventure! Thanks for visiting!

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Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts!