In the beginning, there’s a lot of anticipation. Catalogs! As you’ve already read, I really wanted to source organic/heritage seed. And I did. There are great resources out there (Seed Savers, High Mowing, etc.). Then, comes figuring out when to get seeds started. Starting them indoors and moving them out or direct sow all required plotting each item on a calendar. Be careful — I got a little carried away my first time out of the gate and found my seeds and calendar ruling my life.

I don’t think I did a very good job starting seeds indoors. I had success with some and total failure with others. I think too that I didn’t have the right gear to give my seedlings a good start. I’m not so discouraged that I won’t try again next year, but I’ll do it differently. So for now I’ll end up trying to source locally seedlings (particularly tomatoes) that are organically grown and plan better for next year.

My garden to date:

• peas (direct sow, growing like gangbusters)
• potatoes (ditto)
• carrots (doing well — scarlet nantes variety)
• onions (several varieties, including cipolini, doing well)
• strawberries (seem to be doing well and past the trauma of tranplant)
• raspberries (ditto)
• concord grapes
• herbs
• green beans (too early to tell)
• and finally, tomatoes (not strong enough and shocked — will pull the plug shortly if I don’t see improvement and replace with local stock)

I am mystified. How did we get here? As oil tightens its grip, and people’s homes foreclose, water becoming scarce and the state of our food industry in question, I ask, how did we get here? As this blog touches both on the growing of food and the consumption of food, I thought I would share with you my own recent journeys.

Local, Organic, Sustainable Food

This used to be our way of life. All food was nutritious, organic and (minus something like citrus) above all else, local. I was chatting with a friend who grew up on a farm in Indiana with 9 brothers and sisters. She said what we now call local and organic they used to call “poor… poor people’s food.” They would grow their own, raise their own, butcher their own and can their own. The local market or grocer was the purview of a higher socio-economic status.

But at the same time she spoke ironically about the current state of the industry she also spoke fondly of her mother as she told me the story of how her brothers built her mom shelves where she could display her pretty canning jars filled with her hard work. Now she too is revisiting this tradition passed down by her mother and is discovering the convenience of canning while not compromising on the quality of the food inside the jar. The simple pleasure of this act creates new memories for her family, too.

Food for Thought

I recently attended a symposium on food here in Indianapolis sponsored by the Indiana Humanities Council, Food For Thought. The documentary, Homegrown, was screened during breakfast and then 3 breakout sessions were offered.

I chose Supply Chain Strategies, The Future of Sustainable Farming, and a panel discussion with local growers and restaurateurs on the topic of buying local. The conference was packed. The first presenter, Professor Kurt Froehlich from the Kelley School of Business with Indiana University, asked how many attendees had seen Food, Inc. Almost everyone raised their hands, including me.

Food, Inc.

First, let me say I had no idea what to expect from this documentary. I had not heard the “buzz” or the controversy and I confess, I kind of expected it was going to be a little more “PETA” oriented. And while you can’t ignore the plight of the livestock as the documentary covers some aspects of our food economy, cruelty to animals really isn’t the focus of the documentary. But rather the “false” economies created by a handful of companies and the federal government. A system that we as consumers seem to be completely unaware of.

The documentary points out we are actually contributing to the poor health of our nation, particularly the poorest of our nation. We’re capable of making cheap crappy food that will lead to obesity, diabetes and all manner of heart related issues. Why then are we not having a discussion about the state of our food industry in conjunction with the healthcare debate? If we have to subsidize food (?), why wouldn’t we choose to subsidize healthy, fresh, sustainable, accessible food.

I have friends that live in farming communities. They regularly source their proteins from their own neighbors. But they wonder how a small processing plant can stay in business when the FDA regulates inspectors must be present for all kills and yet there are not enough FDA inspectors to visit the smaller processors but somehow the largest conglomerates responsible for processing 90% of the protein we consume in this country flourish? As our conference presenter pointed out, the documentary spends less time on distribution and retail where the additional “body blows” are finally dealt and we blindly experience at the point of sale.

Update 3/30/2010: Push to Eat Local Food is Hampered by Shortage, @nytimes, on too great a demand for local protein and not enough slaughter houses to process the product.

Why don’t we care? I guess, is really my question.

As I sat through a presentation by the farm manager from Traders Point Creamery who talked about sustainable farming I learned that a cow is meant biologically to eat grass and we feed it corn for the sole purpose that it will grow fatter, quicker (which in turn then happens to us) and the consumption of that corn changes the ph balance in the cow to the extent that it dramatically shortens it’s life, compromises its health (which in turn then happens to us). Hence we have to feed it antibiotics (which end up in us) and breeds pathogens that heretofore didn’t exist (certain strains of eColi) that they poop out and then stand in for their entire life until they’re covered in it when they go to slaughter…guess where it ends up? Would you build such a process today?

On the other hand, grass-fed beef doesn’t require antibiotics, doesn’t require feed, their manure isn’t contaminated nor does it need to be hauled away as it fertilizes the very pastures they feed upon. The beef is leaner (and therefore we are too) and the dairy cows, for example, live longer and healthier lives and produce healthier products. Check out American Grass-fed or Eat Wild for more information. How is this more expensive? How is this undesirable? Marketers have you convinced that you prefer a fatter cut of meat or that you have to have homogenized milk. Are they right or have you even tried the alternative to know?

What can you do?

Of course there are things you can do. Cook more at home. Not only will you gain the satisfaction of providing a good healthy meal for your family, you’ll spend time with your family, create valuable learning experiences as you pass down cooking skills and respect for food to your children — and hey, the leftovers can stretch to lunch or the next evening’s dinner.

This used to be the “norm” but over the years the concept of the leftover grew into a negative commentary about your economic status. Leftovers were disdained. But hey, frugal is de rigueur once again (why or why did it ever go out of fashion you’re asking yourselves now.) I cook most of our meals including brewing our own coffee and making lunches — and guess what? I spend less than the national average to feed my family.

That doesn’t mean my commitment to eating local and organic whenever possible has been easy. My husband, for one, would prefer I spend less money on food and purchase the cheaper milk or bread or cereal. I point out his high cholesterol and family predisposition for diabetes and hand him him his organic whole grain cereal (which he feels is like chewing hay) with organic skim milk.

Grow a garden.

I have a wonderful, but modest raised bed garden. I am amazed at how much I can produce. Canning is next on my list to learn. (Let me know if you have any good resources online or local.) Or you can participate in a community garden if you don’t have access to your own dirt. Seeds are cheap and water, for now, readily available (see My Spring Garden for just a few online resources). Shop a farmers market or join a CSA. Buying from local producers is casting a vote for the food you do want to consume. Vote with your dollar by buying organic at the store. Buy local and your dollars stay in the local economy and spur more growth.

Take heart. In the last conference session I listened to a local grower along with restaurateurs confirm what I had suspected. There is greater demand than supply. There are not enough local resources to meet the demands of the market! So we have farmers markets, CSA’s or buying direct and now another resource coming to the Indy market, a new co-op committed to offering only locally sourced food. Maybe the tide is turning. Hopefully, other participants in the food chain will revisit the policies and practices that have gotten us here and make changes that are win-wins for everyone.

I’m new to seed starting and am working up a calendar and learning dates (frost free, etc.) for my zone (5a). I also want to proceed conservatively. I don’t know if I’m going to maintain a garden like this for the rest of my life and want to start off slowly with minimal investment. But I really like to research before beginning a new project and this is no different.

First, I have to say, Enchanted Sweet Peas is so charming, it was difficult to limit my order. I picked 7 varieties and they have finally arrived in pretty little glassine packages with images of each variety tucked in with the seeds. CAN NOT wait to get these into dirt. Will report on their progress.

From Seed Savers I ordered Bunny Tails, Moonflowers, and Himalyan Blue Poppies. They are a non-profit based in Iowa that “saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage.”

I have also received most of my order from High Mowing Seeds. This company, while having a compelling mission (all organic seed cultivation) boasts customer service that is nothing short of impeccable. I received an email the other day from them and at first I thought perhaps it was a marketing email, until I read more closely and realized it was addressed to me. Turns out recent testing of one of their seeds I had ordered fell slightly below their germination standards and they were crediting my account something like 55¢ (the seeds cost all of $3) — I’m just a home gardener — an organic seed operation in Wolcott, Vermont is notifying me that a packet of seeds I just purchased might not perform up to their expectations — when’s the last time you experienced customer service like that?

They’re predicting another significant snow storm again this weekend. I will be sitting by a warm fire sketching out another raised bed to add to my existing three and researching where I can find pea brush (black birch branches, tied together) which I saw on Martha Stewart’s Blog as a natural way to provide structure for climbing pea plants. Something to look forward to…

I am determined that this year, we’ll be growing the fruit and vegetables, especially the varietals, that we really love or are interested in exploring. Once my wishlist is set, then I have to determine whether it’s better to order them from seed or seedling. Are they available organic? What equipment will I need to begin growing seeds indoors and then the timeline. I am determined to create and post my progress on growing my seeds indoors as well as a garden planting (transplanting) time table.

My Wishlist, seeds or seedling:

• english peas
• haricot vert
• onions: sweet, cipollini, shallots, leaks
• tomatoes, several varieties: grape, black krim, brandywine, roma
• raspberries
• strawberries
• fingerling potatoes
• herbs: tarragon, thyme, oregano, sage, flat leaf parsley, basil, chives, lemongrass, rosemary

I’ve narrowed down my sources to the following:

• Seed Savers Exchange: for all things heirloom and organic
• White Flower Farms: for seedlings (and awesome perennials)
• The Cook’s Garden: impressive selection of gourmet greens and microgreens

Sweet Potatoes — success! Noticed something munching on the sweet potatoes so I thought it was best to salvage my first “crop” and up they came, so vibrantly colored. I have “hardened” them off in the garage and now am storing them in a cool place. Served them with a pork tenderloin with a creamy sherry sauce. Delicious.

Onions — a bit of a disappointment, but hey, my first attempt. Not a size-able crop or size-able specimens, will definitely experiment with other varieties next year.

Leeks — success! however, are quite pretty and I make a mean potato-leek soup when the weather turns cold. Served with bacon, sharp cheddar and a dollop of creme fraiche.

Herbs — success! havested my woody herbs for drying including thyme, rosemary, sage, curry. I tied them in small bundles and they are hanging in my cellar. I want to use them for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts.

What I learned:

1. Plan early and buy from reputable vendors when it comes to seeds or seedlings. We put in our first garden ever, late, and only had local vendors’ seedlings to choose from. I had no idea how long they had been sitting in their pots, so guessing maturity or harvest time was even more complicated. If I start them from seed, I’ll know when to pull them out of the ground!
2. My beautiful, new raised beds with their rich, pliable soil are a favorite of my squirrels. After all, easy digging to hide their nuts for winter. You wouldn’t believe the holes in my beds. Have to figure out how to keep them from burying walnuts — not good for my future vegetation.