January 14, 2008

Well folks, this economy isn't getting much better anytime soon.  So while it's not time to panic and start hording food, it is time to start saving money, paying off debt, and above all, become more self sustainable.  I'm not going to run out and get chickens (though I would someday like to raise some layers), nor tear up my yard to plant enough food to feed an army, I am going to grow more food than we can eat in the hopes of feeding my family nutritious food.  Oh, and in the short term, don't worry too much about prices skyrocketing, deflation is more likely (prices dropping), but in the mid-term, the government is going to have trouble pulling out of all it's entered and that will raise prices.  Just enough time to grow a killer spring/summer garden.

To that end, I have decided on the tomatoes I'm growing this year.  Yes, most of you have not only decided, but you've ordered and received your orders.  So I'm slow.  The reason is, if I pick the "right" tomatoes, I'll never be buying tomato seed again!  The way I see it, I want to get it right the first time.  So I obsessed.  Sorry you had to witness it.  Anyway, here are the winners of the let's grow a tomato contest (along with where I'm getting them from, note that I've got amazing friends out there!)...

• Black Cherry (Thanks Carolynp!)


• Yellow Pear (Thanks Judy!)


• Bloody Butcher (Thanks Carolyn!)


• Sunset Horizon Redota (Tomatofest)


• Legend (Tomatofest)


• San Marzano Romas (Thanks Carolynp!)


• Gardener's Delight (Thanks Cynthia!)

Ok, you may notice that that's seven varieties, and I've got room for 6.  Well, I have too many tomatoes to plant, so I may not grow Legend myself.  My brother's going to grow it and I was going to use the extra space for more big slicers/saucers.  However, due to the generosity of all my wonderful garden buddies, I may grow Gardener's Delight cherry tomatoes in it's place.  Can you imagine how colorful a salad would be with GD, YP and BC all mixed together!?!  I'm drooling already.

As you can see however, I'm only needing to buy two varieties.  That's $7 or so of my $15 minimum order.  I'm afraid I'm striking out on getting my gardening buddies to go in with me on an order (see above... they already have their orders, hehe you snooze you loose).  If I can't get an order split, my brother convinced me to buy extras of the Sunset since that's a proprietary seed.  That way I can use it to trade (read give away) or even grow and sell seedlings like my buddy EG may do next year.  Hehe, I'd give the person a few blocks away a run for their money (someone down the street sells tomato seedlings every year).

Anyway, I'm excited to get out to the store and look into SWC and light set-up materials.  Tomorrow's a late night for work, but maybe Friday.

Enjoy your garden and become more self sufficient... you just may need it.