Wednesday, 1st June, 2022
The Day’s hand-picked ideas, tips to better grow Vegs, and meet people you should know.
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1
Rise of the value-conscious, healthier-eating consumer
"When choosing where to shop in the year ahead, 45 percent of consumers indicate they plan to explore more ways to save money. […] Consumers are balancing their emphasis on value with an interest in healthier foods. About 40 percent of consumers expect to increase their focus on healthy eating and nutrition. Consumers intend to purchase more regional and local goods (41 percent).”— In this state of the grocery in North America, we see great enthusiasm for better food systems and better nutrition. The problem with costs rising is it will curb that enthusiasm with cheaply, poorly produced foods instead. That’s why I do what I do here, sharing (for free) ways to grow more nutrients-rich food at home, at very low costs.
2
Let’s get the party pumpkin
"One way to maximise your garden harvest is by eating parts of the plants we normally throw away. It’s certainly true that much more of a plant is edible than we tend to think about, and one perfect example is pumpkin vine leaves." — Well I certainly learnt something here! No waste needed with those leaves especially as you worked so hard to build rich soils to grow them!
3
Hungry pests
"If you try to grow your own food, you’ll find plenty of competition for those yummy calories among the denizens of the insect kingdom. You’ll also find plenty of weapons to help you prevail — the home and garden pesticides market generates almost $8 billion in sales worldwide. Unfortunately, many of the products that make up that market cause much collateral damage. In addition to harming the environment and compromising human health, some of them actually exacerbate insect problems in the long run by destroying your garden’s natural defenses against insect predation." — Please save yourself money, health and resist the urge to buy those chemical pesticides… instead try other natural ways.
4
People you should know
"We want to help more people grow more food at home. Not only is it fun and satisfying to see your seeds turn into seedlings, plants and then food on your plate, it's also a great way to use less plastic, reduce food miles, and eat fresher and healthier. We build automatic mini greenhouses which are perfect for any garden. If you have space to plant out, you can use them as propagators / germinators for your patch or allotment. If you only have a small yard or even just a balcony, then use them to take plants all the way to crop - things like salads, leafy greens and more. We also make automatic watering systems, using the app-controlled responsive technology from our mini greenhouses. The WaterMate mini is perfect for small greenhouses, and the WaterMate Pro is great for larger greenhouses and polytunnels. Harvst team. — I certainly share Chris’ mission here to help you grow more Vegs! Check out their excellent automated mini greenhouses.
5
Never a dill moment
Depressing Slugs: "these odd, slimy creatures are food for so many animals including birds, frogs, toads, hedgehogs, beetles, spiders, snakes, lizards, and more, eliminating them is not an option. To deal with them, we have to manage our expectations—accepting their role in nature—and come up with tactics that save some of those juicy lettuce leaves for us" — yes, I swear a lot at them too. My tactic? I’m winning the war by attrition - I hope - ; by growing too many plants so I can replace them if needed.
+ Tomato pruning mistakes: "Fear of tomato pruning mistakes holds many gardeners back from trimming their tomato plants. But this is a task worth learning as properly pruned tomato plants are healthier, bothered by fewer fungal diseases, and more productive" — and bonus: you get plenty more “free” tomato plants!
+ The Whole Okra: "We’ve reached mid-May, the time of year to transplant our okra. Okra is a tropical annual in the mallow family, and is widely adapted where the frost-free season is long enough. Okra is heat- and drought-tolerant and has few serious pests or diseases" — Check out Pam’s review of Chris Smith’s book The Whole Okra - you’ll learn how to use the oil from the seeds, eat the leaves; make okra-stem drinking straws, okra seed tempeh, and even okra marshmallow delights!
6
Bottom of the compost pile
Cute-cumber “cucumber offers numerous health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory compounds known as flavonoids, potassium to regulate cardiovascular and muscular function, and antioxidants that contribute to cancer prevention. Cucumbers are also a great source of fiber and help the kidneys flush out toxins." — Cucumbers, like pumpkins and squashes, need a lot of organic matter in the soils. little tip: I also grow them on top of the compost pile!
+ Food system reform can reverse deforestation and desertification: "The human population’s impact on land and natural resources is so relevant that food systems are responsible for 70 percent of global freshwater use and 80 percent of deforestation. They also account for a significant quota of greenhouse gas emissions which are actively altering the world’s climate. Food systems are considered the main source of biodiversity loss on all continents." — that’s why growing more of your Vegs locally, at home (Try Microgreens, or learn how to better grow more nutritious Vegs) with practices that work should be part of the Reform.
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Keep Growing-
Anthony - Veg Geek