Dirt on one's hands

One of the more interesting ideas that has been on the radio recently involves purchasing cars that are made here in Michigan. The idea is if the car is assembled here in Michigan and we buy these cars, it will help keep Michiganders work and provide support for local tax bases. More interestingly, not all of the cars that have been mentioned in these ads are from the "Big Three" - many are from the "foreign car manufacturers". At the same time, auto plants are closing statewide, benefits are being cut, buyouts are being waved in front of workers and the state's economy sinks further and further behind the rest of the country.

While it would be hard to buy only Michigan made products, it amazes me how much of our consumer dollar is sent out of the state via the mega-stores - especially those that offer staples such as food, clothing, and the like. While there aren't a lot of clothing manufacturers in Michigan, agriculture is one of the bigger industries in the state and the "little farmer" probably pushes it further toward the top of the list. Yet, most people do not shop locally or support local growers right in their home town. We have no concept where the meats, fruits, and vegetables have been before they reach our hands. Likewise do we know much about what they've been treated with to prolong their shelf life (necessary for long shipments), nor how they were raised, or by whom.

Probably the closest knowledge about one's food would be gained by growing your own - one of the basic principles and goals of self sufficiency and downshifting. And if one has the brownest of brown thumbs or lives on the top floor of a condo high rise, one can still support the local economy by shoping for what you can from local growers and suppliers. Everyone could go to U-pick family operations and get the freshest fruits and vegetables IF we would just tale the time.

For me, I have been as guilty as the next. And with the realization of that guilty will come my downshifting target and goal to raise more of my own food, to offer my spare products to others and to buy locally that which I can not provide for myself.

So its going to mean that I'll need to prepare some growing space for fruits and vegetables; maybe a few hens or ducks for fresh eggs; a nice herb garden; and making the effort to know the folks down at the Farmer's market. Most folks buy a new car once every five or ten years, but we eat everyday. Now we need to eat locally to support our economy everyday and not just every few years.

Talkin' bout food

One of the fundamental precepts for downshifting involves raising at least part of one's foods. To that end, I've been planning what needs to get done in preparation for the next year. Basically I have identified a few basic categories that require some planning and work: vegetable gardens; mini orchards for fruit trees; and berry patches. Within each of these I've gone on to identify specific plant/tree needs and evaluated what is current lacking.

Current I have no vegetable gardens and so this category will require the most work. I'm planning on between four and eight raised and groundlevel beds for vegetables and herbs. Part of the work will also involved creating a few new beds for my iris, daylilies, and hosta that I can grow to sell.

When it comes to fruit trees and the like, I do have a few apple trees (Dwarf varities) and two standard pears as well as several apricots. Most of these are in need of some appropriate care as well some new trees to suppliment these few. I'd like to add several rootstock M27 dwarf apples; semidwarf apples, semidwarf pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, and plums along with a couple of citrius once the greenhouse is done.

The berries are also in need to lots of work. I have a few raspberry and blackberries but thats about it. They both need some good training in order to really be productive. I'd also like to add back in strawberry, blueberry, grapes, elderberry, and the like.

I'm hoping by adding these types of plants in and effort that they'll take, I can keep busy and reduce the food bill by replacing the store bought fruits and vegetables with some decent home grown, and better crops of my own.