Garden Update May 14

This is the garden at 4:24PM mid May. The funny extra photo is the future tomato and basil bed.

I planted out the leek seedlings and crammed in more radishes and onions. We are harvesting greens, chives, radishes, cilantro and parsley. And using fresh herbs. There are still 4 beds to fill with beans and cucumbers. And pole beans along the side fence. Then big spots in the main garden bed.

I still need to plant: pole beans, runner beans, sunflowers, chamomile (if it is not too late) and green onion this month. Oh and my straggler potatoes...

In June I will plant 2 types of cucumbers, lacinato kale (for the fall winter), some more green onions and see if I can squeeze in a few piumpkins, acorn, and butternut squash!?! And then a huge bed of tomato and basil seedlings.

It was suggested I consider a clear roof for the tomatoes, but not close them in. They will need fresh air.

In July we will think about fall/ winter harvest but maybe not plant till August.

The grass is taking over. I am trying to keep it down. I can't wait to invest in pea gravel next year!!

Other jobs to do:
-mulch strawberry plants with straw
-weed and mulch raspberries etc with compost to suppress weeds
-feed with fish fertilizer
-watch for signs of mildew
-protect from codling moth
-tie raspberry canes to bamboo poles
-keep tomato seedlings in pots till they flower

How Does My Garden Grow

This is the garden at 340pm on May 7. Peas are definitely in the shade at this time. Sun still quite far south.

If you look closely at the photos you will see some evidence of activity underground: a swoosh of asparagus at the back a swoosh of swiss chard to the right; a line of spinach beside the greens, a sprinkling of 2 types of kale, and beneficial flowers popping their heads up. In the raised beds we have walla wallas (looking grand), 2 rows of radishes (want more), and 1.5 beds of storage onions. Lots more room to fill!

Do you ever think about how much you need/ will produce? Here are some #s (source forgotten):

• brussel sprouts- 2 lb per plant (1-2 seedlings right now)
• spinach- 2.5-5 lb for 5 foot row (1 row so far- will continue to sow every few weeks)
• chard- 3.5 lb for 5 foot row (1 row so far- will continue to sow every few weeks)
• cucumber- 10 per plant or 2 or more per week (8 plants planned in 2 beds)
• tomato- 4-8 pounds per plant (10-12 plants planned)
• corn- 1-2 ears per plant (will plant some for fun)
• runner beans- 2 lb per plant (should have at least 10 vines)
• leeks- 10 lb for 10 feet (should have 12 feet)
• shallots- 7 lb for 10 feet (should have 6 feet)
• garlic- 20 heads in 10 feet (need 22 feet)
• peas- 10 lb in 10 feet (have 12 feet)
• squash- 1 per plant for winter squash (won't get many of these in our garden)
• potatoes- 3 pounds per plant

Waste Confidential Update- What's Improved

Below is a list from April 5. And beside it are what changes I have made in the past month:

1) diapers- We are using our prefolds, bamboo inserts and existing covers 50% of the time (not at nights and not with the nanny). We purchased 1 simple organic cotton insert to try out. And we have researched to purchase additions. I would like to get wool soakers and some more inserts. Apparently I should have 2! I just don't feel right purchasing plastic covers. 
2) wipes- We are using cotton baby cloths soaked in water and a little castille soap 50% of the time (see above).
3) tetra packs for milk- We have almost completely cut out tetra packs and increased our bottled milk to 4 bottles a week. 
4) soda cans- aiyee! We are making mint, crushed strawberry, and lime waters... but are tempted to put it in soda water!
5) bread bags and ties- We are making bread at home each week (3 loaves, and 1 pizza night). But still purchase 1-2 loaves a week.
6) tortilla bags- We still purchase tortillas, but hope to find time to make batches.
7) wine bottles- I usually choose tetra pack wine, but Kevin doesn't like to red wine option. We are keeping corks to reuse.
8) mum mum and granola bar wrappers- We haven't made homemade granola bars yet. But baby Noah is heading out with cheese and dried fruit (bulk source) more often. We are less reliant on mum mums, but they are still a crutch.
6) cheese plastic- No change, but recycling and looking forward to other options!
7) meat and deli wrap- No change, need to get gutsy and bring jars.
8) disposable coffee mugs- Much better! Got caught once where I asked for water and it ended up in a plastic cold coffee mug. But nanny has a bit of a frappuchino habit. Must buy her a reuseable one as a gift.
9) yoghurt containers- Still get some in containers- will fill with freezer berries and reuse. Also getting some in reuseable jars we return to the distributer.
10) Noah and Caia food waste- Trying to give them only small amounts they will eat. But nanny and daddy aren't so cautious. 
11) general food waste- Still some abandoned food. We need 1 day a week before shopping day to do a hodge podge soup or salad. We need to be better at planning.
12) garden waste- soil bags, seedling plastic- Trying to grow more from seed, keeping seedling plastic for starts next year, and buying soil and compost in bulk.
13) chocolate bar waste- Found some bulk chocolate! But my habit is so bad I still get my fancy dark chocolate bars.

Who Pays for Fast Fashion?

image sourced from ethicalfashionforum.com

The garment factory fire and building collapse in Bangladesh the other week was brutal and shocking. In some ways it feels like worlds away, in a country many of us Westerners know little about. But the reality is that our day to day lives are closely connected to this tragedy. We can see this connection more clearly because the factories in this building quite literally provide the shirts on our backs.

We have more clothes than ever and yet clothing represents a much smaller proportion of our monthly budget than it did 50 years ago. Somewhere along the line someone is paying the price for that savings. Have you noticed an increase in “Made in Bangladesh” labels in your clothes from popular brands? That’s because Bangladesh produces garments cheaper than China can nowadays. Cheaper than most other countries in the world.

So what is the solution? Do we refuse to buy anything “Made in Bangladesh”? And where do we draw the line? This would be a simple solution but not the best solution. In fact many “sweatshop” factory workers would choose their jobs over the alternatives. Tom Murphy for Humanosphere provides a good overview of the situation here.

Sweatshop clothes are also called  “Fast Fashion” a reference to the disposable nature of clothing nowadays. We buy cheap clothes, lots of cheap clothes. They don’t last long both style and quality wise. And when we tire of them we dump them. Often we give them to a charity and feel pleased that our garbage is “helping” someone else.

So what can we do? Here are some tips to help, from the simple to the more demanding:

1) Respect your wardrobe. Take good care of the clothes you have and try to keep them in good shape for as long as possible.
2) Buy quality items. Buy the best you can afford and stop seeing your clothing as disposable.
3) Admit that every time you donate your used clothing, the reality is you aren’t really helping anyone but yourself. Is this better than the garbage? Yes. Is your old tank top going to help someone in need? Not really.
4) Buy used clothing (ahem... vintage clothing) in your home town and prevent it from being shipped overseas.
5) Choose clothing that is “sweatshop free.” These items are often more expensive, but they are better quality and last longer.
6) Shop in locally run stores that pay attention to where the clothing they sell is made. Ask the shopkeepers if their clothing is “sweatshop free.”
7) Research what brands are “sweatshop free” and share this information with your friends.
8) Encourage big brands to be accountable to their workers. Get involved in a campaign.

Food Source Case Study

Do you ever think of where your food has come from? And make plans for future improvements?

When Kevin and I started planning our move to the Sunshine Coast, the first thing I envisioned was more time at home to make bread, make yoghurt, make almond milk. Lucky us, we found a local milk source that also provides yoghurt in completely reuseable containers (they even take the milk lids back). And we no longer need almond milk, because the local milk source does not give us eczema! So that leaves the bread making. Generally easy, but we still rely on store bought bread and store bought tortillas 50% of the time.

When I look at this breakfast I see the french toast made of homemade bread and local milk and eggs, organic butter from a Delta dairy, and coffee beans roasted on the coast. I am patiently (impatiently) waiting for a biodynamic organic maple syrup source (owner lives near hear, but the maple trees are back east). And I want home canned fruit to replace the imported fruit next year. I have a weakness for organic pineapples. And the frozen blueberries have run out! As for the flour etc, well some day I do dream of owning a very fancy, quite expensive flour grinder. In the meantime we purchase organic flour (spelt, unbleached, and whole wheat) in bulk. The whole grain flour lives in a cool place.

Packaging is also very important to us. We are trying to drastically cut down on it- so every bit helps! Homemade bread goes into a linen bag. Bulk flour, sugar, yeast etc comes in simple paper bags that can be shreaded and composted or recycled, plastic bags that can be reused then recycled, or ideally in our own personal reusable bags we can refill. Dairy products come in reuseable containers. This coffee comes in a compostable bag because it is locally roasted. Our future home canned fruits will be in almost completely reuseable containers (time to start investing in wecks!).

Garden at 7am

These photos let me know where the sun hits at 7am in early May. Almost hitting the future tomato raised bed tucked in the shelter beside the porch.

It makes me think of what plants want early sun, later day sun, what ones want it all day. And how the path of the sun will shift north till the fence lined with peas gets sun all the time.

May Garden Plans

This is a photo of the garden at 10:30. It doesn't look like much is going on but if you look closely the baby peas are coming up. And the sweet peas around the teepee (I had given up hope they would work out!!). And I am paying attention to how much sun the SW fence gets. That's where the peas are.

Our garden is so new. We take what we can get. So a few of the fruit trees are blossoming. And a few are just tall sticks in the earth. The greens are starting to sprout. A few asparagus are up (we will ignore them for 1-2 years to help them establish themselves). We need to pinch the blueberry flowers to help their roots establish. And we won't espalier the trees just yet (for the same reason). I pulled up a baby radish just out of curiosity. Cute but needs another week or so.

It is a lovely sunny day. And we will finally plan the pole beans (soon), spinach, swiss chard, some more flower seeds, the potatoes, more onions...

I still need to make a mini greenhouse out of a 4x12 foot tomato and basil raised bed. They want to be protected and warm (a consistent warm temperature).

I am also trying to be patient about our weed grass. It is brutal! We are not big fans of grass and all the water it consumes and the nutrients it takes from our beds. But we have spent our budget for the year. Next year there will be lots of pea gravel and we will remove a lot of sod! Most of it?!?

I am researching the use of tree service wood chips. These are a combination of green and brown chips (leaves, branches, everything!). Apparently you should lay them on top only and thinly so they act as a mulch and don't over heat. There is talk of whether you need to add nitrogen and whether hardwood is bad. But if you don't mix it into the soil most trees are fine (except walnut),

I am chatting with a few friends, planning Summer visits that will coincide with canning, harvesting, and making freezer jam. Strawberries should be ready in June for making into jam. After that comes raspberries. One friend will bring fruit such as peaches and apricots from the Okanagan in late July/ early August. Then we will visit another friend in early September for pears and apples. Gotta ask her about the figs! When we get opportunities we will freeze tons of blueberries for our winter breakfasts. And masses of blackberries that of course grow wild around here.

The raw milk has been a big hit in our home. We now consume 3-5 litres a week, 1 litre of buttermilk, and 500 ml of raw yoghurt. I soak oats in the milk overnight to make oatmeal pancakes. And we use the buttermilk to make spelt pancakes. Kevin isn't too impressed with all the pancakes but it is easy for baby Noah to eat as finger food.