What do you do, summer is no longer here and not yet spring?

Rabbi Dale ©2007 by Rabbi Dale
What do you do, summer is no longer here and not yet spring? The children are sick and cannot go out to play. You want a family activity that does not cost an arm and a leg.

Well its time to grow your own food. No, I am not off my rocker. Many people have plants around the home so why not do the same only make them editable plants. Park Seed Company (see http://www.parkseed.com/) who sent seeds in space with NASA’s help, had in their current catalog has 10 types of lettuce, see http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&SearchText=p16.v231;s1.Lettuce&CharRange=NZ&DisplayAvailable=C&mainPage=advsearchresults&scChannel=Vegetables%20AS .

Here in Orangeburg, the grocery stores do not carry a huge selection of lettuces and you can grow your own and not have to use high price gas to go shop for it.

It will be a great to surprise your Thanksgiving guests with a slice of pumpkin pie and watermelon. Both you can grow inside the house.

No, you do not dig up the floor you grow in pots. I help a friend out at their organic hydroponic strawberry farm. Berries grown in pots on a stand with a drip line and you can grow tons more stuff hydroponicly than conventional in the dirt farming. Grow stuff in pots is a long tradition, see http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Nov/09/il/hawaii711090327.html. In a few weeks, you can have fresh lettuce for your family. If you continually grow new lettuce, you can have lettuce all year round. Of course, you can grow many things in a pot inside and outside the house.

As with any new activity/hobby etc., you have a learning curve to master but its all-possible and not much labor. Soon you will be surprising friends and relatives to fresh produce you cannot locally grow this time of year.

Till next time, have a Thrifty Living in Carolina and beyond day™2007

Mazal Tov,

Rabbi Dale ©2007 by Rabbi Dale