annecros

If at all possible, don't pull them until they have at least a 25% blush from the blossom end. Don't pull them at all until they have a white "starburst" on the blossom end. They almost have to show that starburst, or they won't ripen at all no matter what. Unless I wanted to fry green tomatoes, I would leave them until they are ready. Tomatoes take their own time. Patience. Let them get at least semi ripe on the vine. Two thirds colored is the ideal for me. You get them in before the pests get to them, and you don't have to worry about the "picked green" effect that supermarket tomatoes are prone to. That is one of the things that leads to that Styrofoam taste. At the end of the season, it is appropriate to store the partially ripened tomatoes for long keeping and ripening in newspaper and a cool area, and to either pickle or fry the rest of the greenies. 25 by 25 is great. You can put a lot of stuff in there, and glad to hear that you have a tiller. Clay will retain moisture well, and will add trace minerals that are vital to many vegetable crops. You actually have it pretty easy. Just some organics would be nice. And the lime recco is a good one. You won't get bloom or fruitset unless you get the PH right. Have a soil test before the fall. It will do you good. Edit to add: are we talking "green shoulders" or just ripe? Many varieties exhibit green shoulders, and it is not a problem, you just trim the top off. It honestly is rare in the real world of tomatoes to get one that is uniformly red. In fact, to see one that is uniformly red, puts me off.

hehe, yeah. When I first looked at the pictures, I was dumbfounded that he didn't have another 20 or 30 tomato plants of at least 10 different varieties! All that space! I have a rarer variety (only two SSE listers) that I am working with this Fall called "Albany Georgia Heirloom" - pink beefsteak. I'd like to see it get more exposure. If all goes well, I will be doing a seed for SASE offer for next early Spring (January/February) that will include that and some others, and will handle it in this forum via PM's. I promised some people at the Agrirama in Tifton, GA first dibs, though. He is in that heavy Georgia clay it looks like, and it does need some amending. Good call. He shouldn't have too much trouble finding Oak leaves in that area this Fall. What kind of peas/beans are those RAHiggins? And the dimensions of your plot? Having any drainage issues? Also, I don't know the directional orientation of that plot, but I worry about that corn eventually shading some of the other stuff.

Well, well. It turns out that it probably isn't the tomatoes after all: US Officials Stymied My money is on the cilantro, just thinking about the handling and sourcing. Also, people are more prone to thoroughly wash tomatoes, as opposed to things like herbs and other leafy greens. Maybe we should start a pool? When I think about all the wasted tomatoes this thing caused, it bothers me. Not to mention the innocent farmers with crops rotting in the field.

Hardee's Hot Ham and Cheese. Burger Chef burgers. The old Caramel Sundaes that Dairy Queen used to make. They used to have a more "burnt sugar" sort of flavor. The old, old KFC original recipe. I mean the one in the early 1970's.

It's called Mirai. And a very nice corn it is. Very sweet, with cobs full of consistently sized kernels. Farmers near Philadelphia have been growing it for about three years. It can be had at the Reading Terminal Market in late July and well into August, though it's a tad more expensive. ← Finally got my hands on some of this, and it was supersweet. We creamed it. Hubby loved it, but I had to add salt to bring it up to my taste. Bantam is "cornier" to me, if you will. I love Bantam, hope yours did well for you.

So, I'm dying to know. Is chard also "lsayyen"? Not that stuffed chard leaves would be bad, but I am always in the market for a new leafy green.

I think that what happens is that the citric acid sort of "cooks" the onions, much like a ceviche. I used Mojo (we call it Moe-Joe in our house for fun, but we are fans of malapropisms) on eggplant day before yesterday. Raw eggplant mojo, and a little salt and pepper.

We tracked it last month. I can feed my husband and myself at home for an average of $5 a day. And we eat very well. That includes his $3 a pint ice cream at least every other day. Casseroles are in the mix - meat loaf - a roast that turns into stroganoff and later open faced sandwiches. You get the idea. Much economizing comes from control of the ingredients, I think. You go to a restaurant, and you have given up control. I have stopped driving to destinations that have some great ingredients. I guess it is a cost/value consideration.

Oh, I get all that. In fact, when I select a couple of heirloom varieties that thrive well in my climate and cross them for fun, I am "modifying" the plant "genetically." I have a very special feeling for Monsanto. The board is not inviting me for cocktails anytime soon. Mother Nature still trumps Monsanto. They can sell the seed. They have no control over what happens in an open field, though they have tried to assert that and have had small successes. The developing homogeneity in the crops is simply natural selection. There are traits from all parents in the resulting seed bank. I'm not sure that I understand how a variety that produces more food for starving people in a relatively local geographic area can be classified as inferior. The genetic diversity is better preserved, I think, in geographic areas that are better nourished. People go a long way to create climates (greenhouse, hydroponics) that cater to the plant's natural habitat in order to preserve it. I think Monsanto might consider funding those sorts of efforts, although they may try to claim copyright protection. The big argument for genetic diversity to me is: you never know what you might need later. In the meantime, people have to eat. Then there are the oceans...

Great topic! In my opinion, the concept that the UK and Europe can somehow become the world's breadbasket and feed the hungry people of the world via GM crops is silly and wrong headed. Just not enough real estate. While areas of the world that are starving have nothing but real estate. First of all, Europe and the UK are well fed. World hunger occurs in undeveloped areas where the population outstrips the production of food. If you want to take a global perspective, then take a global perspective. Grasslands abound in many of these areas. Where grass grows, corn grows. Corn is quite simply a grass. If you want to genetically modify something, modify the most closely related species in the gene bank to thrive in the specific conditions that hungry people live, and feed them efficiently. Don't grow GM corn in Europe and send it to Haiti. I think areas like Europe, the UK and the America's can play a more important role in feeding the world by preserving genetic diversity. Without a large gene pool of plants that are already adapted to many different climates, there would be no genes to modify. I mean, you have to splice it and dice it, right? Genes aren't spun from thin air in a lab. Preserve that genetic diversity in areas that already are sustaining a population efficiently. Put the GM crops in areas that are populated by the starving, and thank goodness for technology. Getting over the social and political issues that plague starving areas could use some energy and application from people like Gordon Brown. I think the "feeding the world's hungry" thing is pure spin. My opinion only.

This most certainly has to be a handling and distribution issue. How to avoid poisoning yourself I prefer to pull them off the vine myself in my own yard, and have actually gotten so spoiled that I don't buy them anymore, but I understand that is not possible for everyone. I do think that this has been a bit overblown, and the waste is disturbing. I wouldn't wish salmonella on my worst enemy, and feel for those that have contracted it. But, only 500 people nationwide have become ill, and as far as I know no one has died. It's not like the e-coli issues we've recently seen. You guys in the Northeast only have like, what?, four to six weeks before season is in? I know it seems like an eternity when you haven't had a tomato fix for a while.

I am aghast and alarmed. I simply cannot make a decent biscuit with Yankee Flour! Winn Dixie carries it here, and I am going to stock up today.

I quite agree on the pollination issue on the cucumber. Any plant in that class (melons, squash, etc.) I will quite often hand pollinate just to be sure, even though I have a decent population of pollinators. The female flowers will have what looks like a mini cucumber beneath the blossom. The male flowers will just have a stem. I take a male flower, strip the petals to expose the pistol, and then pollinate the females with it. Early AM is the best time to do this. As far as maturity goes, it depends upon the variety. Sometimes I use size, other times I go by the "bumps" that immature cucumbers display before they are ripe and ready. An immature cucumber is not a problem though. Not like an immature melon.

I have several cannisters (Uncle Ben's, Campfire Marshmallows, Hershey, Pillsubry, etc.) that are pushing 20 or 30 years old - some picked up at garage sales, and at times I was insatiable clipper of "Proofs of Purchase" and always sent in for the premiums. It must run in the family - I found some very old candy tins and some old Martha White stuff when my grandmother passed, and Mom has quite an inventory. Oh, and a bunch of "Hava-Tampa" cigar boxes my grandfather used to keep. Great for nearly everything, but nothing is stored in them now. Then there were those old "Sucrets" tins...

On a personal note, Susan took me under her wing when I was a newbie host and showed me the ropes. I shall be forever indebted to her. A wonderful teacher, and very gracious friend. She is a person who truly puts her heart into every thing she does. I look forward to reading her posts in the future, and it was a privilege working with her.

I've been working with a friend on a similar project. It is actually geared more toward entertainment than education, but children learn a great deal through play. His strategy has been to start small (in order to insure success, kid's aren't patient) then build from year to year. Much like establishing a farm. Will report back things that did or did not work as we go forward. Near and dear to me as well. I learned more in the garden with my Dad than I did in some more structured educational environments.

Big disclaimer - I haven't used the system, or attempted to culture the microorganisms that are responsible for fermenting the kitchen scraps. But, I have discussed the system with others who have used it. If I am not mistaken, it is a fermentation process, so theoretically the microbes should grow and multiply as you add material. Wikipedia says that the starter culture can be reused in a similar manner as a yogurt culture. I understand it is great for people who need a rapid composting method or are composting indoors as it keeps down the smell. Many people swear by it, but for my purposes (outdoor and well established compost pile) I haven't gotten around to messing around with it. Theoretically, all you should need is a couple or three 5 gallon buckets with lids and an initial investment in the microorganisms. In a related theory, there are some out there that are touting some micro inoculents like Espoma Bio-Tone that you inoculate the transplant with when planting in the ground. I have a friend that is doing side by side comparisons on the inoculent in earthboxes with tomatoes. The verdict isn't in yet, but a retired college professor that literally grew thousands of varieties of tomatoes conducted a similar study a couple of decades ago that showed no appreciable difference in yield or quality with plants grown in the ground. I think if you have healthy compost or an established bed that has been amended over time with lots of organics, that the microbes are probably already there and available to your plants. In a container growing situation with limited space for composting - it may be a very smart way to go. If you do give the bokashi a whirl, please let us know how it works for you. I'm curious, and always looking for an edge.

We don't compost, but we still grab coffee grounds from a local cafe to feed the roses. Our roses seem to be caffeine addicts ← I think all roses love coffee grounds! Roses, azaleas, rhododendron - even keeps my hydrangea blue. It also makes me feel good to reduce and reuse. Extra benefit.

I have a call in to my sister-in-law's sister who lives in the area. I can tell you from past experience in the area that there is some wonderful seafood there - amazing gulf offerings. I just haven't been there in some time and want to speak with some knowledge from someone whose opinion I trust. I've never been to that part of Florida without experiencing some wonderful food. Great agricultural area as well as aquacultural.

If there are worms in your vicinity, they will come if you dump out stuff they like. I don't know how they do it. There must be some sort of built in function that tells them where to go for dinner. I've lived on two properties that were sans earthworms when I moved in - very sandy and devoid of organic material. They always found the compost pile and produced fertilizer and moved the organic material into the soil. You shouldn't have to raise worms specifically in order to reap the benefits. Unless you decide you want to sell earthworms or castings. Those gazillion dollar glorified plastic garbage cans? Not necessary. A sheet of plastic, some water and a shovel will do nicely. I just filled about a third of a 6 by 12 raised bed with compost from a pile I started two years ago. I've done "lasagna" type beds as well, and by the time they cooked and were ready for planting, earthworms were abundant. Hot and heavy is good! Healthy compost pile.

I'll third the gingerbread. This was a traditional rural southern treat that my father referred to as "syrup bread" - probably because this and cane syrup were the primary sweeteners in the household at the time. Very nice still slightly warm and dressed with fresh whipped cream. Oatmeal type cookies. Yum.

Wow - this sounds wonderful. It would be like an infusion of Spring and Summer just when it is needed! I do have a crock that will do nicely. I'm guessing that the fruit should be weighted so that it will not float and spoil? Some of those fruits listed will certainly float with no provocation at all - I think. Looking for advice here. Something new to spring on the family this holiday season. I love it!

On the composting issue, Starbucks has a "Grounds for Gardens" program that is just wonderful. Click here for info About once a month, we drop off a 5 gallon bucket with lid at our local Starbucks, pick it up two days later full of used coffee grounds, and we have a "green" layer on our compost pile. Earthworms adore coffee grounds, and will consume them and provide you with lots of castings. The big drawback to coffee grounds is that they tend to acidify the soil or compost, so should be used with lots of browns, and some dolomitic lime wouldn't hurt or maybe a bag of bone meal. My soil is very alkaline, so I could pave the front yard with coffee grounds and it wouldn't hurt the ph. Dump household coffee grounds in filter and all, and the filter will provide some brown material. For additional browns, I have used broken down cardboard, newspaper and old phone books. Newspapers and phone books are now printed with a soy based ink. Additionally, the pigments in the ink contain some wonderful micro nutrients such as iron and magnesium. A handful of Epsom Salts in a planting hole or sprinkled on a compost pile adds pure magnesium, which frees up iron and calcium in the soil and makes it available to the roots.

Here is a listing of Florida Farmer's Markets: Click for Farmer's Markets There is also a Market Bulletin at that site where you can find classifieds It really does depend upon where you are in North Florida. I was recently in the Jacksonville/Orange Park/Green Cove Springs area, and found numerous produce stands all up and down SR 16 and SR 17. Stopped at several. Ate some fine BBQ as well, and saw many shrimp shacks. The people are friendly and will talk produce all day long. You might want to investigate preparation with some of the fine, and commonly overlooked in the restaurant industry, local products such as greens and southern peas.

Absolute heresy. I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. A great burger needs smoke from the gristly, greasy, slimy goodness dropping and dripping on the hot coals and vaporizing. Gas? What is this gas that you speak of? Propane is great post hurricane, but not my choice for grilling purposes. In fact, we lay in charcoal every June as part of our hurricane preps. Of course, I don't do smaller, flatter burgers. Not sure they are worth the trouble. I also have a penchant for steamed burgers with a ton of sharp cheddar, but that is an entirely different thing.