Food production going up at your place ?
 

We added a small greenhouse ( 12x20 ) this past winter and have a lot of seedlings started for this summer's garden. Next fall, we will use it to raise winter tomatoes/etc.....then start seeds for the next spring in late winter. I plan to add a wood stove for winter heat The greenhouse is built into a hill on the north and east sides, and earth bermed up 32" on the front, so it already holds heat very well. It didn't drop below 39 degrees this winter with NO heat.

Added about 50% more garden space + new 30x100 strip for field corn.

Planted 15 new fruit trees, and have some more coming this fall....also added blueberry bushes and replaced blackberry bushes.

Added 200' of strawberry bed.

Working on a chicken house and a hog lot. Both of those critters to come later this year. The new corn area + area of old garden will become dedicated animal feed for these in addition to commercial feed purchased.

Yeah....food production going WAY up around here this year.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

six or 7 of the neighbor dogs I will probably eat if I need a break from Spam and Tuna.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Andy,

I know what you mean. We just added a third chicken pen 100ft square with a net top to keep the hawks and owls from robbing our chicks. We spent the winter building a 10ft deer and rabbit fence around our garden area. They destroyed our watermellons and purple hull peas last summer. Also, like you, we put in addtional 6 fruit trees, pears and plums and added three more climax blue berry bushes to the 8 we already have. You may want to consider raising some rabbits. They are our best meat producers for the money and effort input, and we like the meat better than the chicken or pork that we raise. We bred our new sow this year, AI as usual, she had 10 piglets, but killed all 10. First time we have had that happen. We butchered her about a month later. First time in several years that we will not have little piglets running around the farm in the summer. We will breed our older sow next october or Novemeber. That greenhouse of yours sounds great. We have enjoyed our 10 X 10, but have been unsucsessful in raising winter tomatoes, I think the days are just too short. A grow light would probably help. Lot of stuff growing in the garden already, waiting on 4/15 to plant peas. I tried the wheat again this year, but like last year, the indigo buntings ate all the "berries" before they ripened. Oh well, just tilled it all in for green manure. Good luck with the rest of the growing season.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Citrus trees sitting in back waiting to be planted. More of those to come.

Chicken pen in progress. Chicks will be here 2 week of may.

After that maybe rabbits, but we will be building new raised beds for a decent garden area next year.

We bypassed the garden this year in favor of getting the chicks done.

We have also priced out getting a 125x70ft pond put in. Not huge, but big enough for a decent supply of fish and fresh water. Waiting until we can pay cash for it. After that, greenhouse....

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

We have 90 acres and a wide variety of animals around our place. I can HIGHLY recommend "The Omnivore's Dilemma" for your reading pleasure. In the case of people who want to try to raise animals the way it was done before factory farms, pay attention to the section where he goes and works on Joel's farm. Joel has a bunch of great books himself which are invaluable in learning how the different animals on your farm can and should form symbiotic relationships with each other.

Gregg

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

I planted 6 raspberry bushes and three blueberry bushes on my 1/2 acre lot. Compared with the bare lot last year I guess you can say my production, however meager will rise almost exponetially from last year.

What do you guys think, enough to live off of for a day or two.:biggrin:

But I do have 2 whole deer put left (beef free since November) and about 20 lbs of frozen bluegill put up. I usually eat them as I catch them though. This fall, I am planning on at least 5 squirrles a week while the getting is good.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

It ain't much but I did add an additional 64sq. ft to my garden. Coming to a total of: 192sq ft. I don't think the dogs would like relinquishing much more of their yard for gardening.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

I picked of 9 egg layers last week.

We rent a place so I didn't bother with fruit trees, but I did double our garden space to 900 sq feet. the second part is away from the normal garden in the in a brushy area. Here I'm planting root veggies, especially J. artichokes and burdock-- It'll be a good source of hidden food.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Clearing half an acre of 30 year old hardwoods to expand the garden, stumps and all. The hardwoods will be firewood for next winter. Got a 72 inch tiller for the tractor. Planning to get some goats for milk and cheese, but have to put up a fence first. Already have laying hens. Still have two acres of 70 foot white pine to clear and want to plant apple, pears, peaches, and nut trees. The pine will hopefully become lumber for a bigger barn and workshop someday. Will try growing some beans, berries and potatoes in addition to the usual tomatoes, peppers and squash. May try corn again, but that was a failure before. Tiny little ears that the raccoons ate. If I do, I will have to use a lot more composted cow manure and set out some traps.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

I'm putting in over 3k sq ft of raised beds, just got 16 chicks, have already planted 16 fruit trees and 11 blueberry bushes and have almond trees coming for fall..... yeah, I guess you could say we're upping our production here!

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

I'm still learning the whole gardening thing, to everyone here though that are tilling up land. Might I suggest looking into Square Foot Gardening... unless you're using vehicles for your garden this seems to be the best way to set it all up, that I've found in my few months experience... :-)

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Every year the size of my garden just about doubles. I will know I am ready when there is no grass left to cut.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Between work, kid, chores and reasonable R&R there's precious little time to do the things I want. Last year skipped gardening in favor of expanding the chicken run, fully enclosed.
Took the time last year to plant the posts that frame the new garden area that will be mated to the coop-sharing a "wall" and fully enclosed as well.
Was real lucky this wknd just to hit the weeds.....with a 6yo bday and Easter gobbling up the time.....
I too am using up what tiny amount of yard we have to produce stuff.
Happy gardening, all!

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Andy, do you have any pictures of this greenhouse ?

i've always had this crazy idea of making a winter shelter
something halfway between a greenhouse/solar cooker for humans
double walls and double glass roof/ceiling

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

I have my garden, biggest crops are potatos and beans, started a new area for corn, looking to do some apple trees.

I have 26 chicks in the brooder as of Sunday, (some of the 26 will move to TN Andy's new chicken house) working on expanding the chicken yard. I will have layers on one side and meat chickens on the other and try to keep breading stock of chickens also.

Beef cows coming this summer along with cattle that hopefully will provide milk, chesse, and butter.

Maybe hogs later in the year, my list keeps growing! Too many projects, not enough time in the day! I better get off the internet and get to work!

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

I added one extra pot of tomatoes. Now I have three tomoato plants, ones about to be thrown out. I grew three bulbs of garlic. One came in already, a little small. The other two are growing right on schedual.

Chives and pepper mint are doing good. Rosemary, oregano and basil are also doing just great.

Oh yeah, our food production is WAY UP. All 5 sq feet of 'garden' we have!!!!

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

450,000 pounds of fertilizer
3,000,000 pounds of grain production(hopefully)

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

1,000 acres +/- ??? wheat??? ...just wondering if your BSin...and if not how productive your land actually is?

Im figuring 50bushels of wheat a ac

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

O ya.

Added another 1000 sq. feet of veggie ground this winter.

What is killing me is the 8' hogwire fence

To keep the horned rabbits (Pacific Blacktail Deer) out.

And the weather has not been cooperative.

scyth

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

beds ready, 4 more bluebery plants in, 4 raspberry plants in. herb garden doing well over winter, sage, chives,rosemary, garlic. catch barrels for irrigation. raised bed ready for tomato plants, couple more weeks [weather] about 1/3 larger than last year.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Yes, and something different this year, a winter garden. I will be planting beets, turnips,carrots and cabbage, this year in July. I've never done that for northern Illinois.

Now I just need a root cellar.

s

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Well considering this is my first year for a garden then production is definitely up, it couldn't be down. I'm doing a small square foot garden for my first year, and hope I learn enough in the process to make a real go of it next year (assuming the world doesn't melt down around me first).

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

We have a garden this year. This is a new addition.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

3000 acres wheat,barley,mustard,canola,flax

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

I added 3 more square feet of space for lettuce. Figure can squeeze maybe 10-12 plants in there. Then I added a strip of land on the hill for summer squash, maybe 8 plants.

So yeah, food production going up here on my suburban plot.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

wow...i would have expected more production per acre....

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

I hate to ask this, but is the Greenhouse used all year or just to get things going and past the cold snaps that pop up in early/pre spring???

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

I rub elbows with a lot of small growers and I hear growing tomatoes in a greenhouse during the winter is pretty difficult and expensive. You should try growing cold tolerant crops like brassicas, greens and lettuces.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

My garden is rather depressing so far, but I have figured out that it's still too cold for most of the things I planted. Whodathunkit? I'm walking around barefoot, and it's too cold to sprout corn! I figured that out because it's been almost six weeks and I just saw some corn sprouts this morning. Tobacco is even worse. It has to be nearly 80 degrees, and they have to be kept in the dark, but on top of the soil instead of pushed down into it. Actually I had several dozen sprouts a month ago but they all fell over and withered before they got up to 2" tall. I haven't had any sprouts since then. Seed cups are a nuisance because the cups mold before the seeds sprout. Lettuce and carrots are making a poor showing, but there'll be plenty of squash.

I suspect the problem might be salty soil. Every time I water there is a white film as the ground dries. Funny, the grass doesn't seem to mind that.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

I wonder if your sprout "collapse" problem was due to fungus "damping off" infection. I've had that happen with pepper seedlings, and it's very disappointing. You do what you can to heat the soil, water adequately, circulate the air, and then you have a seedling collapse....followed by them ALL collapsing. Not fun at all.

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not only that but tomatoes require a lot of sun to be good and in the winter there just isn't enough sunlight for them, so you would end up with tall leggy fragile plants which have premature little fruits if any.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Bought an incubator, so now we're in the "chicken makin" business. First hatch didn't go too well (hatched 12). Researched it, about to try 2nd round.

Ordered meat chickens for first week of May. Will keep the egg layers and the meat birds seperate.

Went a lot bigger on the garden this year. Added lettuce, potatoes, peas, onions (red and white), in addition to our corn, okra, beans, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes.

Built more rabbit cages, set up now for 2 does, 1 buck and a cage for the young uns to get big.

Want to get a milk goat, and a pig. Trying to get around water and fencing issues.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Tomatoes should never see less than 50 degrees. If you can keep it that warm, you'll be alright.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

The first thing you learn about farming is that things can quickly go south.

And when you have to turn tens of thousands a month in cash flow,you make conservative harvest projections.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Finally planted my asparagus plants. 100 in all.

s

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Do you fence it in to keep the rabbits out? What was your layout?

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

got started raising rabbits a few weeks ago. Have 5 right now, will be 3 this weekend.
Hoping to plant a garden if the soil ever dries enough 'round here to till.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

They had onions on sale for .19/lb this week, so I bought 20 lbs and canned 5 qts of home made French Onion soup made with broth from the beef bones and scraps I had saved up in the freezer.

Also canned 2 qts of korean spicy beef/cabbage soup made from leftover roast beef in the same canning batch as long as I had room in the canner.

Also canned 7 qts of bean soup made from a ham bone and some smoked pork neckbones from the freezer and dried beans and onions.

Still have about 15 lbs of onions left, so I'll need can another couple batches of something o use them up before they go bad on me. Probably will make more soups.

Currently i've got 25 qts of home canned soups. Luckily I like soup. Got another 10 lbs of Matzo crackers for $4.80 when they went on sale for Passover, so I'll have plenty of crackers to go with my soups. No, I'm not Jewish, just cheap, and happen to like Matzo crackers because they are very cheap, have no salt, are good with soup, cheese, sardines, or peanut butter, and make great Matzo balls.

Seems like prices for staples like meats, flour, rice, sugar, onions, milk, cheese, have come down a lot since last year, but prepared foods have stayed high.

Re: Food production going up at your place ?
 

Here is a movie of my place.

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