Food Ain't Free...

Shop farmers first!


Ok, I'm not saying any decent person should get 100 percent of his produce from the market. It is possible, of course, if we re-learn the old skills of "putting things up." But that's for another day. For now....

Water, worms, and where burgers come from...

(hint: not a burger)

NOAA is usually afraid to pass its bright green/yellow crayon over our area. This weekend, though, the radar showed a creative streak. And it rained!! ...And rained! ...and rained.... and... 3.5 inches later, it stopped.

Most of the areas hit by this weekend's slow-mover would probably laugh at that. But here, it was perfect!

Lost some tomatoes when the rains split them, and some pepper branches broke under the water weight. Meanwhile, the salad greens are thriving! The okra is multiplying its spiney-covered, gooey-centered self. The rain also set into the compost, giving us hope that the soil may really be getting there. And nutritious soil means nutritious veggies that resist bugs and disease (which is the way to go when you don't use chemical pesticides).

The rain also brought a few stowaways out of hiding. I was not really one of those kids who dug in mud looking for worms. Cool rocks and broken glass, maybe. But not worms. Somehow, at age 28, I've become a bona fide worm wrangler. Grubs, which live a few inches under the soil, grow up to be pesky beetle-like lovers of squash, eggplant, and so much more. Hornworms, a green, horn-tailed cousin of the adorable caterpillar in "A Bug's Life," have a thing for tomatoes. Luckily, chickens have a thing for them. Throw in a few grubs, and you've got some protein-rich eggs!