Real food? - Mini vent.

[Hinotori]

Grass fed is the easy way to raise stuff here since we get so much water and have mild weather year round normally. The grain just comes from the other side of the state so finishing them on grain is pretty cheap, too.

We're looking at buying a different property (that isn't so wet). If we have more dry ground we may raise some goats and sheep. Hubby wants to raise some pigs.

 

[Myhouseisazoo2]

I would love, love LOVE to have more land to grow more fruits veggies and animals!
Nothing beats fresh grown fruits and vegetables!
Because I live with a relatively small plot of land (mostly backyard) I can only have a few chickens (mostly for eggs) and hope to have some rabbits in the future for meat production.

 

[sumi]

Welcome to SS, @Myhouseisazoo2! Have you looked into container planting, miniature fruit trees and such? We are trying our hand at growing veggies in containers for the first time this year. DH has this vague plan of moving it all with when we sell our property...

 

[Myhouseisazoo2]

Welcome to SS, @Myhouseisazoo2! Have you looked into container planting, miniature fruit trees and such? We are trying our hand at growing veggies in containers for the first time this year. DH has this vague plan of moving it all with when we sell our property...

My twin has a lemon tree planted in a planter in our back yard with my pet ducks (we're not sure how well it'll grow but we'll see) I've never really had luck with growing plants in pots so we're hoping to turn our entire front yard as raised beds. Thankfully we no longer live in an association so we can do this

 

[sumi]

You'd be amazed how much you can fit into a small space vegetable wise. Potatoes for example, find some old car tyres, and put two down on top of each other in a fairly sheltered spot (not too much direct sun). Fill them with compost+soil and plant some potatoes in there. Once they've grown nice and big, put another tyre on the stack and fill it with compost, letting the tops of the plants stick out. Let them grow big and repeat until you have a nice tall stack and then leave the plants to finish. When they are ready to harvest remove the tyres one by one and pick up your potatoes

 

[Myhouseisazoo2]

When they are ready to harvest remove the tyres one by one and pick up your potatoes

This sounds way easier than the pallet box I was going to do, and I can probably get some old tires from my parents... Mmmm lots of ideas rolling around

 

[baymule]

The prettiest and biggest potatoes are the ones I grow in leaf piles. I rake leaves in the fall or get bags of leaves off the curb that someone else has thoughtfully raked up for me, mix with horse manure, water down good and let set until 'tater plantin' time! I get a lot less grub damage, because the dang things haven't found the leaf piles yet and by the time they do, I've already got the potatoes.

 

[Myhouseisazoo2]

The prettiest and biggest potatoes are the ones I grow in leaf piles.

Hmm I don't think I can get Much horse manure around here (I live in AZ in an area where people aren't even allowed to think of having horses) do you think chicken manure would work??

 

[sumi]

Chicken droppings are very acid, but you can neutralise it a bit by mixing it with wood fire ash. You'll have to test it and mix and play until you get it right though. I usually add it to the compost heap and then ash the heap until I got the right acidity. Cow manure is wonderful for growing stuff in and compost, so if you can get some from a dairy farm or somewhere?

 

[Denim Deb]

Myhouse, if you were closer, I'd let you have all the horse manure you wanted! I don't think it would ship very well, though.