Wow.... first of all has it really been a year since my last post ? ! Gasp ! Where does the time go ?! Second...what a difference a year makes ! Last year at this time our focus was on springs approach. This year, spring is still hiding under the snow ! Too bad because with the ghastly price increases of food ( And everything else ) I can't wait to have garden fresh veggies that don't cost an arm and a leg !
We still have several pounds of carrots, beets and turnips in storage from last years garden but can't wait for the new crops. We tried a new storage method that works pretty well. We brushed the excess dirt off the veggies, placed them in plastic storage bags and kept them in an extra fridge, set on the lowest setting. ( in lieu of having space for a cold room) it has worked well. the carrots are getting sprouts on them now, but are still completely firm. Not too exciting anymore so I think I will take them all out scrape & peel them and make carrot puree to use in muffins or soup, then freeze it. note to self. plant less carrots & more potatoes this year !

Spring is on its way ! Plan(t) accordingly ...

 

Call it what you may, we are seeing signs of an early spring in this part of the country. There is green grass peeking out of my lawn here & there and a few flower bulbs are heading out towards the sunlight too.

Does this mean we'll have a dry summer ? Perhaps if the rain doesn't come we will, considering what little snow we had this year ( just ask the skiers up at Cypress Mnt. ! ) Therefore, when planning our spring planting what can one do ?

Well for a start... PLAN ! Sketch out your yard... note your soil types, hot spots, shady spots etc .

Do you have spots where nothing seems to grow ? How about a nice rock garden there ? Maybe some mulch & a garden statue instead of a flower bed....just think... no watering... no weeding... no mowing !

You can also think about different plant varieties and their individual water needs.... native ( choose non invasive ) plants usually fair better than imports in areas of extreme weather ( like ours ) Don't force plants to grow where they aren't comfortable or you'll be wasting water , time & energy ( yours ! ) trying to maintain them. Transplant unhappy plants in spring or early autumn.

Mulch well to conserve water and ask for water efficient or drought resistant plants in dry areas.

When choosing your seeds ( or bedding plants) this year, be sure to ask at the nursery for water wise varieties so you won't be a slave to the water bucket if the rains don't arrive ! Happy Planting !

Food ...at your doorstep ?

Well, it's been a busy and productive year. We planted fruit trees & berries of every description .
We are looking forward to the production of our own fruit. We are excited to have the space for that sort of food security ! Google 'food security'....
We fenced a garden area and built a compost bin from used pallets ( and by we I mean hubby of course - but I supervise :-) We ( seriously...WE ) had a bumper crop of veggies and we ( and by we I mean I) preserved jams and relishes and salsa & even a batch of runny but tasty homemade ketchup. We didn't plant quite enough potatoes to last the winter ( live & learn) but we have enough for another month or so .
We don't have snow yet but Pierre has raked & mulched all the leaves and added them to the garden to be roto-tilled into the soil in spring.
Food security & safety is something we take for granted here but really the question is....should we ? When you think about it, much of what the average North American eats comes from over 2,000kms away. 1 little glitch, be it a trucking strike, a global catastrophe , a pandemic , gas hikes, whatever and your food either becomes less accessible, much more expensive or NOT accessible. I remember going to the store one day last year to find out something had knocked out ALL the interact/ credit card systems in town ! NOBODY was taking anything except cash. Another time the electricity went out and nobody could use their cash registers so everyone shut down. So are we prepared ? Does everyone have enough food to make it through for a few days, a few weeks ? Does everyone ( does ANYONE ) still carry cash ? Do you have seeds , a well stocked pantry ? Drinking water ? Definitely food for thought !

compost time !

Spring is Finally showing itself again and I've been thinking about gardening. Because we will be starting a new garden this year at our new home, we will need to start from scratch. Pierre plowed a plot last fall and now its time to rototill all the goodies into it. We will be starting a compost bin but in the mean time we have been saving up egg shells ( crushed of course), coffee grinds and leaf piles all winter to plow in for this year. I have found a list of compostables for anyone who's wondering what's hot and what's not. Happy gardening !

Ashes	Maybe	From untreated wood or paper, yes, in small amounts; but not from barbecues, plywood, coloured or glossy paper
Banana Skins	Yes	Decompose rapidly; can help to activate a slow compost; loaded with plant nutrients
Cardboard	Yes	Shred, soak, and mix with "greens"; but try first to reuse or recycle it
Citrus Fruits	Yes	Shred rinds; bury in compost to discourage fruit flies
Coffee Grounds	Yes	Good earthworm food; use directly on many plants; compost shredded filters, too
Corn Cobs	Yes	Shred; adds both fibre and nutrients to compost; good mulch; slow to break down
Dairy Products	No	Fats seal off air from compost; odours attract pests
Diseased Plants	No	Compost heat may not destroy disease; destroy or discard to avoid spreading
Dishwater	Maybe	If water doesn't contain grease or chemical cleansers, use it to wet pile
Dust and Lint	Maybe	Use vacuum cleaner debris and lint from clothes dryer, if mostly natural fibres
Eggshells	Yes	Dry and crush first; good earthworm food; slow to break down; help neutralize acidity; as mulch, may discourage slugs
Evergreen Needles	Maybe	Highly acidic; better yet, use as mulch
Fabrics	Maybe	Small scraps of wool, cotton, felt and silk; not synthetic fibres or blends
Feathers	Yes	Keep somewhat wetter than usual; extremely high in nitrogen
Fish	Maybe	Odours and pests are problems with fresh or smoked fish, but dried fishmeal is fine
Grass Clippings	Yes	Available and valuable; mix well to avoid clumps; leave some clippings to feed lawn
Hair	Yes	Both human and pet hair; keep quite damp; avoid using if coloured with chemicals
Hay and Straw	Yes	Very good fibre, nutrients usually low
Leaves	Yes	Shred and soak; add both nutrients and fibre; tend to be slightly acidic
Manure	Yes	Cow, horse, pig, rabbit, poultry -- the fresher the better -- helps any compost
Meat and Bones	No	Odours and pests are problems; but dried, ground bonemeal is fine source of nitrogen
Soil	Yes	Adds decomposer soil organisms; scatter lightly through pile to avoid compacting
Nutshells	Maybe	Crush delicate shells like peanuts; heavier shells are better used as decorative mulch
Paper	Maybe	Shred; not glossy/coloured which contain chemicals; better to recycle if possible
Pet Wastes	No	Risk of pathogens and parasites; use only barnyard manure (horse, cow, sheep, etc.)
Rhubarb	Maybe	Raw leaves poisonous to humans; composted leaves may harm insects and other plants; stems are fine; roots may continue to grow
Sawdust	Maybe	Hardwood sawdust, yes, in very small quantities; softwoods may inhibit composting; plywood may contain chemicals
Seafood Shells	Yes	Crush or grind very finely; break down very slowly; reduce acidity; good mulch
Seaweed	Yes	Rinse off salt so it won't contaminate soil; great fertilizer
Sod	Yes	Knock off excess soil; pile upside down; cover to prevent rooting; compost separately to avoid compaction
Soup	Maybe	Vegetable, yes; do not use soups with cream or meat-based broths to avoid odours and pests; read labels on canned soups.
Tea Leaves	Yes	High in nitrogen; can be applied directly to some plants; compost tea bags too
Toadstools	Yes	Decompose quickly; excellent source of many minerals
Weeds	Yes	Discard mature seeds, persistent roots, weeds treated with herbicides/pesticides
Wood Chips	Yes	Shred if possible and soak; use big pieces as mulch first, compost when weathered

genetically modified organisms

Genetically modified organisms (GMO's) are the result of a lab process in which genes are artificially inserted into the DNA of food crops or animals. GMO's can be engineered with the genes of insects, animals, humans, bacteria or viruses. Yummy...I think not, but whether we realize it or not, these products have quietly infiltrated our grocery store shelves ! they do not have to be labeled as such either ! Some companies voluntarily add "NON-GMO" to their packaging but otherwise your best bet is to buy organic and avoid the "big 4" at risk ingredients... CORN, SOY, CANOLA and COTTONSEED.

The ingredients most likely to contain GMO's are the following or any processed foods containing the following unless they are organic ( which cannot legally contain GMO's )

CORN:

cornflour, cornmeal, cornstarch, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, modified food starch ( from corn)

high fructose corn syrup

SOY:

soy flour, soy lecithin, soy protein, soy isolate, isoflavone, soy oil, vegetable oil ( from soy) vegetable protein

Canola oil, Cottonseed oil

FRUIT:

papaya from Hawaii ( unless organic)

MEAT:

all animals that are not certified organic are more than likely raised on feed containing GMO's

look for wild fish and certified organic, grass finished meats.

ALTERNATIVE AND VEGAN MEAT PRODUCTS:

these brands may contain GMO's : gardenburger, Boca, morning star farms

DAIRY:

these brands may contain GMO's : Dannon, Land O' Lakes, Parmalat, Yoplait

BABY FOOD:

these brands may contain GMO's :

Beechnut, enfamil, Good Start, Nestle, Similac, Isomil

( GERBER, Baby's only and Earths Best claim they DO NOT contain GMO's )

BEVERAGES:

these brands may contain GMO's : coca-cola products - including minute maid, Hi-C, nestea, kool aid, tang, capri sun, country time lemonade, crystal light, fruitopia,

libby's ocean spray, Pepsi, tropicana, gator aide, dole and sobe.

DRESSINGS , OILS ETC:

these brands may contain GMO's : crisco, del monte, Heinz, Hellmans, Kraft, Mazola, Pam, Skippy, Smuckers, Wesson, Wishbone

SNACK FOODS:

these brands may contain GMO's :Frito-Lay, Lays, Cheetos, Doritos, Tostitos, Ruffles, Hostess, Keebler, Kraft, Pepperidge Farms, Pringles, Quaker, Balance bars, Nature Valley, Nabisco, Power bar, Quaker granola Bars, Hersheys, Nestle, Toblerone, Lifesavers

BAKED GOODS:

these brands may contain GMO's :Aunt Jemima, Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, Pillsbury

CEREAL:

these brands may contain GMO's : Kellogs, Post, General Mills, Quaker

Winter birds

Happy New Year ! Here at our new house we have the pleasure of whiling away the cold winter days by watching the birds feed just outside our dining room window. We have set up several different feeders, to attract a wide variety , from flickers and woodpeckers, the stellars jays seen here, to little chickadees and so on.
Feeding them is easy... watching them, even easier.
Although a feeder full of seeds is great, the big guys love it if you spread pine cones with lard or peanut butter and roll them in bird seed. ( a great project for kids) then hang them in those orange mesh onion bags. The fat helps them stay warm through the bitter cold winter weather.
My aunt Nancy told me today that the jays LOVE whole peanuts with the shells still on too !
My latest experiment though was to make our own suet. Working on a beef farm I have easier access than usual to beef fat but I'm sure any beef cutter would be happy to save it for you. I took big bags of kidney fat ( Suet) chopped it into stew sized pieces, then rendered it down in a large pot (OUTSIDE on the BBQ as it's really stinky !!!) start it with a chunk of lard melted on the bottom of the pot first so it doesn't stick, then melt slowly so it doesn't stick, for several hours, stirring often. When liquid pour into bread pans lines with foil, stir on some bird seed or millet and let it get solid again by placing in freezer or outside ( if you don't have any interested dogs around ) then slice it into blocks that fit in your suet cage or use the mesh onion bags. Your bird friends will love ya !

Green, Warm & Cozy

We woke up to the first frost this morning and it reminded me that soon we'll have raked all the leaves, dug our winter clothes out of boxes and be getting ready for hibernation time. This year we have moved to a new house and we no longer have a wood stove to keep us cozy. Sadly we must use fossil fuels and electricity so I have been surfing the web for tips on how to save energy . Some I knew, some I hadn't thought of before ( given that I had the luxury of heating up the house as much as I wanted with wood !) So here they are...

• Use your window coverings to help warm or cool your house.
• Wear a sweater !!!
  
• Make your home more energy efficient through improved insulation, caulking and weather-stripping. The less energy you use, the less impact you have on the environment.
• Install and use a programmable thermostat. For every 1° C you lower your thermostat you can save 2% on your heating bill. A reduction of 3° C at night and when you are away during the day provides optimal savings and can reduce your GHGs by half a tonne.
• have your furnace serviced and change the filters regularly, in order to keep it running efficiently. ( filters should be changed monthly)
• Use a ceiling fan in reverse ( clockwise) to push warm air back down into living area.
• Moist air feels warmer so use a humidifier if needed to keep humidity between 30-45 %
  
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