A Hungry New Year

[errantember]

Happy New Year!

One major change this year is that I will only be eating what I grow for one day out of every month. To kick off this new habit, I will be fasting on New Years Day!

While I'm supposedly a "Permaculture Designer", I've really been a dilettante in terms of actually, say *growing* *food*. I've set up several gardens, but I've never really had more than a 20% success rate with anything I've grown, and I sure as Hell am not growing enough to feed myself, much less the other four people who live at my house. By insisting that I starve if I haven't produced anything to eat that month (or stored something from before), I am seizing the issue and smacking it down Front and Center in my life.

*SLAM!*

Some rules are clear, others are not. One strict one is that the food has to be 100% grown on property. No buying seedlings allowed. For the sake of this particular exercise, no gathering is allowed, either. No recycling or re-using others' discarded food. But do I allow myself spices not grown on property? What about salt? Salt doesn't grown anywhere! What I'm thinking I might say is that I can use non-home-grown spices and condiments on my Permie Food Day if I buy them using funds I raise by selling something else I've grown. Until then, it might be lots of radishes and greens!

If you've been putting it off like I have, I invited you to join me! You're rules don't have to be exactly the same, it's the spirit and the end result that counts.

I'm excited to be finally getting serious about growing my own food! But maybe not as excited as I'll be at breakfast on the 2nd of every month.

Comments

[ladyjaneinlace.livejournal.com]

Hey, do you need bags of leaves, by any chance? Mulch, compost, etc? My neighbor has about 20 paper bags full out on his curb, with a c-list post inviting all takers.

Heatherwilde Subdivision, Pflugerville

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads up!
There are many opportunities closer to here of people bagging leaves for me. We have a compost pile, but it's been severely ignored for months. What I would like to do is get some chicken wire, set up some round compost piles, and just shovel those leaves into it. Soil improvement would definitely help my efforts.

[ladyjaneinlace.livejournal.com]

That's great! I'm not sure I remember which part of town you're in, but thought I'd offer anyway. :-)

I'm not quite up to starting a compost pile myself, even as just a round wire enclosure. I'm going to "mow in" my own substantial carpet of leaves on my lawn for now, and hope for the best.

[errantember.livejournal.com]

I'd love to come see your garden sometime. I seem to recall you've been keeping it for a long time.

[ladyjaneinlace.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I don't actually have a garden yet, I only bought my home in May (after 4 yrs in an apartment). Perhaps you are confusing me with another Lady Jane in the community?