May 13, 2010 by KerryAnn Foster.

I haven’t blogged much in the last month because we have been working hard to get our raised garden beds built and extended onto some new ground.  We are effectively trying to double our vegetable garden space despite being limited by the steep topography and shade from all of the woods.  Once we are done, we will put in some new beds in a different area of the yard for the herbs and perennial plants.  We also had an extended visit from my grandparents and my grandmother came down with shingles while they were here.  That sent me into a tizzy of work, trying to get ready with extra food cooked and the chores and gardening done ahead in case the kids caught chicken pox from her. Their 14-day incubation period ended on Wednesday and they show no symptoms, so I assume they did not catch it from her.  We will still continue to watch them until this coming Wednesday, just in case.  So the last few weeks have been very busy but very productive.

Living in Western NC, our last frost date is mid-April but we don’t put out the warm weather vegetables until Mother’s Day weekend or after.  This past weekend was too cool to plant out (under 55 degrees at night) and The Farmer’s Almanac lists today and tomorrow as the favorable days to get the hot weather plants into the ground.  So I will spend tomorrow trying to break the new ground and get the grass/weeds up, finish spreading the 15 cubic yards of topsoil into the new raised beds, amending with azomite and greensand and then transplanting the plants out that were hardened off earlier this week.

I will be transplanting tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, winter and summer squash, zucchini, lettuces, melons, hibiscus and a good number of herbs.  We will also be putting beans, cowpeas, carrots, lettuce and okra into the ground. None of my beets sprouted, so we will try those again later in the year. Once things are transplanted, the weeding, feeding and soil work on a large scale begins.  We also have 5 roosters and a few hens to butcher soon and need to get the outside equipment set up for that.  Since next Saturday afternoon is taken up with another scheduled activity, I hope we can accomplish culling the flock next Friday and Saturday morning, as Jeff normally gets off in the afternoon on Fridays.

On the personal front, my husband was able to get a new job in April.  He was laid off one year ago today.  Eleven months of unemployment was very difficult and the downturn in the economy has greatly affected us.   I am grateful that the long period of unemployment is over and that God provided Jeff with a job at a company where he is happy and fits in well.  The last year was a good opportunity to fine-tune my penny pinching endeavors and it helped me to weed through some strategies that, while they work, they take up too much time in comparison to the money they save to be useful to me on a regular basis.

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May 13, 2010 by KerryAnn Foster.

Produce is always cheapest when you buy it in season for your location. While I can not list every single area of the country and what is in season, this is a general over-view of what is currently in season in the United States. If you only buy local produce, not all of this will be available to you, but if you do purchase from stores, this is what should be the least expensive and the most fresh right now, even if it’s being trucked in from another state. Use this as a guide for purchasing large amounts from non-local farmer’s markets for canning, freezing, lacto-fementing, dehydrating and preserving. If you can purchase locally and it is within your budget, please do. However, if you are new to eating seasonally or don’t have a local farmer, this list will help you make the best purchasing decisions.

Early- it is the beginning of their season, they might not be available in Northern locations
End- it is the end of the season, you might be able to grab a steal of a deal on any you can find

Artichoke (end)
Apricot (early)
Asparagus (end)
Avocado, Haas (end)
Beets
Broccoli (end)
Cabbage (end)
Cauliflower (end)
Carrots
Celery (end)
English Peas
Fava Beans
Fennel (end)
Grapefruit (end)
Green beans (early)
Green onion
Kale (end)
Limes
Mushrooms
New potatoes
Onions/Ramps
Peas
Radish (end)
Rhubarb (end)
Salad greens
Spinach (end)
Strawberries
Vidalia Onions
Zucchini (early)

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