Xxxicana’s Weblog

 Just got this photo of our friend Ken and his 2008 garlic harvest — 42 head of garlic — easier to handle than 42 head of cattle . . . but so much more impressive!  Ken has the magic garden touch; perfectly formed turnips, tender collards, and now garlic!

Ever thought of growing your own sprouts? It is SO easy. I started a couple of months ago after contemplating the “cost” of sprouts. I’m trying to reduce our consumption of plastic — and of course, store bought sprouts come in plastic containers. More often than not, these containers can’t be recycled. I checked online for sprouting directions. Here’s this week’s batch of sprouts (8 oz). I sprouted mung beans purchased in bulk at Open Harvest.  Although some people think mung beans are difficult, I have found them to be easy to sprout. I also tried black lentils with good results.  Soybeans, however, were a failed experiment. Sprouting equipment: mason jar, jar ring, cheese cloth. Nothing to it! Soak the beans in water over night; drain the next morning. Rinse and drain. Set the jar on it’s side out of the sun; rinse again in the evening. During sprouting, rinse and drain every morning and evening. In few days you’ll have very pretty little sprouts. I “harvest” after about 3 days and throw them in salads. YUM! This is a great way to reduce materials and economize. For only a few cents per week, I get a great crop of sprouts. Give it a try!

Black Raspberry Harvest 2008

Here’s the harvest from my black raspberry bush for 2008! There’s enough to make crepes for two . . . yum! Fortunately, we don’t rely entirely on this single bush for our raspberries. In the fall, Tom and I venture 15 miles north of Lincoln to Martin Hillside Orchards (no relation) for raspberries and apples. Last year I was able to put up several jars of raspberry jam. The apple harvest for 2007 was bust, however, due to a freeze during the blossoming time. Jeez! For a transplanted Californian, I sure seem to know a lot about farming. Oh, BTW, the cool Italian Jug in the background was a gift many years ago from Maria de la Luz Ibarra, currently of the Chicana/o Studies Dept at San Diego State. It’s one of MY favorite things.

My Teensy Garden

Here’s a look at my garden — everything is growing nicely considering how much rain we’ve been having. I have no talent for root vegetables — no carrots, beets, or such. In my 2′ x 8′ raised bed I’ve crammed butternut squash, cantaloupe, tomatoes, bell pepper, green beans, chard, arugula, sorrel, sage, chives, oregano, thyme, basil, cilantro, and flat leaf parsley. Wow! seems like a lot in such a small space.

The backyard is way too shaded for a larger garden . . . my dreams of urban sustainability will never be realized in this spot. This is as much farmin’ that I can muster for the moment (at least until I’m tenurized). My big dream is to have chickens! Yes, Lincoln does allow 3 chickens within city limits — a friend and I are planning secretly behind our SOs backs to build coops and order chicks in the near future (shh, don’t tell!).

Credits: Have to give credit where credit is due. Tom built the raised bed for me two years ago. Although I would have been content with any old lumber, he used top notch ceder. He used every power tool he owns!