Plant Hope

Stressed from wars and rumors of wars, inflation, shortages, and global instability? …Plant a tree. NO seriously, planting is a symbol of future hope, tangible personal action, and a taxfree-inflation-buster. What made America so great is opportunity, not handouts. The thing that will most impact the stability of America is for every person to take what they have (no matter how much or how little) and make it better. Much of what is going on in the world is completely out of our hands. What is within our ability to act is planting hope, literally and figuratively. Give God sized problems to Him and use your talents for hope. Let’s dive into the why and how of growing hope.

Budget saver and inflation buster

This should be every American’s year to plant something edible. It doesn’t have to be big and elaborate. This is not a magazine shoot. Check out David the Goods Grocery Row garden (permaculture meets vegetable garden). No one is coming to your house to examine your cultivation skills. And if they are, uninvite them for your own mental health. Keep it simple as you start. This doesn’t have to be expensive either. David doesn’t even make planting beds. I used felled trees that I burnt in the shou sugi ban method and fabric bags. My friend Lori used cement blocks. The most important thing is to create soil that plants would want to grow. That too can be almost dirt cheap (I had to ;)). In the end the cost is mostly time, time well spent. Here are three budgetary reasons to plant this year. Number one a garden is a tax free way to decrease your weekly grocery bill. If you can get them to grow, seeds can really impact your produce availability and affordability. It isn’t necessary or even recommended to start with growing all your food. Just planting a few strategic plants to begin with is more manageable and will make a large impact on your budget. The second most important reason to grow this year is to curve inflation. A stable community needs food; Inflation threatens that security. Hangry people will be even less rational than they are now. A garden is an amazing inflationary hedge of protection. That tomato plant in my garden is not increasing in price, but it will bring forth a harvest in its time that will more than pay for my investment. The next point that is very much related to the last is shortages. With 25 million US chicken and turkeys culled so far because of the bird flu, global fertilizer shortage, commodity destruction/embargos, and shipping prices there are massive shortages coming. Yet fear not, plants grow without permission from world governments. Along with this, start planning on your canning needs right now. Supplies will completely be gone by the time canning season comes. Ace Hardware and Walmart have canning jars right now. The final and most important reason to plant this year is sharing. One can’t give if they themselves are in need of food. “Don’t ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” They called them Victory gardens during WW 2. Green spaces can feed a family, a community, and a nation. The Pilgrim community would have died if they had continued with their social farming. It turns out people will work harder if they are doing it to insure food security for their children. That abundant harvest was then shared with newcomers, and all survived. Do your part and leave the rest to the One who is really in control. Even if your garden does very little the first year. Next year you will be that much more prepared. If you want to get good at something quickly, fail rapidly, thoughtfully, and abundantly. Failure is a much better teacher than success. So don’t let fear of failure prevent gardening success.

Nutrition

As a nutritionist, I can’t emphasize the nutritional benefit enough. There is something beyond organic. Organic is what the food doesn’t have; we haven’t asked ourselves what nutrients the food actually has. Being so separated and obsessed with cheap organic food, this is a really important question. The travel time impacts the nutrient viability and availability. Also it turns out that a plant can grow and look very green with minimal trace nutrients. The food industry is a business. They sell produce when it looks good, not because it has available and abundant micronutrients. With so many overfed, yet undernourished people in America creating massive chronic disease, I’m not sure why this isn’t a matter of national security? The body functions splendidly as God created it to when it is given the nutrients it was intended to function with. Weston A. Prices’ research showed how abundantly healthy a population is when it provides food for its population through traditional farming and foraging practices. The processing and commercial farming practices are not providing that level of nourishment. This is taking its toll on our ability to live life abundantly. Soil health and life is extremely important for nutrient availability. In the Intelligent Gardener, Steve Solomon teaches how to replenish your soil with nutrients it is missing. For my first year I am trying a version of his basic mix, kelp meal, bone meal, fish meal, alfalfa, and magnesium/calcium limestone powder. I will let you know how it works. 

Pre-planning grows Pleasing Produce

I am definitely not the finicky farmer type. I’m more “just the facts mam” type. I want to know exactly what is important to create healthful, budget friendly food. Here is a list of the “just the facts mam” type of gardening.

1. Bed construction: where are you going to grow? This is the first decision you will have to make. Most fruit trees and annual garden plants grow well in full sun. Find the sunniest place you have and determine how much sun and space you actually have to plant in. Don’t discount driveways, porches, and decks for container gardens. The fabric growing containers are cheap and amazing. Also there are quite a few edible plants that grow in partial and full shade. Know your zone (how cold and how long it stays cold in your area). That is easy to find on the internet. 
2. Dirt that Grows: Soil health is very important. It is seriously the difference between life and death. Much soil in the first year is not the best for optimal production. That is why I chose to bring in soil for my beds. I did a 1:1 combination of Lowes’ Evergreen Organic Top Soil and Evergreen Organic Compost and Manure (about $5.60/2 cu. Ft.). Much of our first bed was rock and clay. The second bed had a little fertile soil to mix into the combination. 
3. Free compost for all: For years I was under the impression that if you put something in the earth it will magically get the nutrients it requires. Compost was a complete mystery to me. David the Good has an amazing book and a lot of free videos to get you started on free compost. Easiest Biochar (from fallen brush), DIY trash can composter, Compost tea (compost your enemies), and urea. Did you know that there is a major shortage in urea, because Russia is one of the world’s largest producers of urea? It is an essential fertilizing component for farmers all over the world, especially the US. Urea is also the main organic component in urine. Yep that’s right, American’s can produce their own urea fertilizer. 1:7 (or 1:9) ratio of water to urine can nourish your garden as well as Miracle gro. David the Good has a great practical book on low or no cost composting called Compost Everything.
4. Plan on a watering ritual: Most annuels and starter trees need watered at least every other day.
5. Pick the right plants: Some plants make a bigger impact than others. When you first start out, I suggest a smaller garden to make your mistakes (part of the learning process) and save your sanity.  If you won’t eat it now, it isn’t worth the space in your garden. Don’t plant the foods you don’t like. Know your plant’s needs. If you grow something outside its optimal environment, it will struggle despite what you do. Leave that type of experimentation for veteran gardening. Know the market value of foods and understand your space and skill constraints. Watermelon, cantaloupe, carrots, beans, and even corn take much space and/or are reasonably priced in most areas when in season. Tomatoes, fruit trees, herbs, cucumbers, and peppers are super easy to grow. This year you may want to make an exception with corn. It may be much more expensive this year, because of world events. This makes it worth planting. I like to plant bright colored, nutritious varieties that can’t be found in the store. Hands down the most economical thing to plant are fruit trees. Pick your favorite fruits then find the most pest resistant in your area. Water, mulch, and feed it, and it will save tons of money. 
6. Know your enemies. So many people forget others will want your yield. If you have deer, rabbits, and birds, get the needed equipment to defend your food. It is also likely that your enemies will be microscopic. Have natural products that will take care of the problems right away. The “just in time” system was really created by the Japanese with proximity in mind. If your natural products take a week to come, you may lose your produce. I also hate to mention that when people are hungry they may take the food you have grown for your family. Plant more than you need (to share), and hide your family garden as much as possible from the main road. I feel so sad that I have to say that. Don’t ignore human nature; plan for it.
7. Have an end game: Ahead of time, plan on how you will store the surplus food you obtain. Are you going to freeze, can, dry or ferment? Leave space in your schedule to implement your preservation plan along with the needed supplies. Canning supplies were completely unavailable last year, and there was no food shortage. This year will be even more important to pre-supply yourself with the canning jars you think you will need. If you have extra…well I never have extra. Lol. You can use them in a myriad of ways. 
8. Micronutrient Boost: To up your game, add a nutrient mix. Kelp has a lot of micronutrients. Bone meal has many of the base plant nutrients. Fish meal can add to your nutrient profile as well. This is my first year. The soil nutrient analysis is reasonably priced, and I will look into it next year. It is worthwhile. You aren’t really what you eat: you are what your food eats.

In many ways caring for a garden is like caring for your own mind and body. Good boundaries, nourishing food, water frequently, and addressing problems promptly are all healthy practices for life and garden. There is definitely something grounding about planting a garden. It really embodies hope. Caring and tending for something that will produce in the future is a great exercise in delayed gratification and a brighter future. This is the best year in our lifetime to start the learning process of growing and planting edible plants, both trees and garden. The sweat and tears you put into it will be a budget saver for your family, a blessing to your community, and a victory for America. We the people planting hope, one tree at a time.