How Do I Solve The Hunger Gap For My Family?
In PART I, Here I discuss what is The Hunger Gap, and what it means for me, and my growing, gardening, and sustainability.
Here, in Part II, Here I discuss how many of each type of vegetable plant I would need for feeding my family for a typical year.
In Part III I am going to tackle some of my typical Food Prep for the end of season vegetable harvests: Sauces, Jams, Jellies, Pickled Veg, etc.
In a typical year, I usually make:
- 12 to 18 jars of Raspberry Jam
- 12 to 16 jars Beach Plum Jelly
- 2 to 4 jars Rose Hip Marmalade
- 6 to 10 jars Blueberry Jam
a half dozen or so other jars of jam or jelly.
Some years, I make a jar or two of some liqueur, often raspberry, since that's the fruit I grow the most of. I cook with Beach plum Liqueur, so every other year, it's that.
I currently grow lettuce and spinach in the winter, indoors, for fresh salads. I need to plant MUCH more to make it sustainable all winter. I need to get better with timing, and harvesting, so I take full advantage, overwinter.
I do some canning:
- 4 to 8 jars of Sweet Bread & Butter Pickles
- 4 to 8 jars of Dill Pickle
- 2 to 4 jars of pickled Sweet Banana Pepper
- 2 to 4 jars of Sun-dried Tomato
And sauces... tomato sauce. most years I do at least 4 and sometimes, as many 12 gallons (3.78 liter) of tomato sauce. Bagged in 1 gallon ziploc freezer bags. We eat a fair amount of pasta, and pizza, so the sauces are a bit hit in our family. I defrost one bag, and doctor it for the meal needed.
I preserve and braid onion for dry storage, including braiding and hanging.
And lastly, I dehydrate some of my vegetables. Onion, Pepper, and Tomato, for the past year. I will explore doing more, in coming years.
...so, what's NEXT?
The list above, while nice, is not enough to feed a family of four, wiht a healthy diet. I am going to need to expand what I grow, and save for a healthy diet. I need more protein. Chick Peas? Beans? not sure... but I need protein.
Not just protein, too. I need to up my Mark Whatney game. I grow potato all summer, and in fact, get two harvests. BUT, I never seem to have enough for the overwinter. I will ADD to my plantings, to increase the harvest and storing for winter.
I have already increased the number and type of Squash seeds I planted... basically, more Winter Squash. These are the type that you harvest come fall and will store and last over winter.
... OK, but really, what's next?
I have four fruit trees on order, two apples, two pear, due to arrive this week. I hope that adds to my harvest, but unfortunately, that's a longer terms solution. I expect it will be about 3 years befopre they fruit
... but what's Long Term?
GREENHOUSE
Ideally, long term is a Greenhouse I can grow some food in Year Round. Failing Year Round, I can at the very least extend my growing season. This will take more money, and more time. BUT, I need to get there.
Next is adding a Grape Arbor. A big Grape Arbor, to harvest enough for the family.
Ocean Protein
I talked about this in Part II... I live by the sea... that means there's LOT'S there I can do for protein. I can start by being better at my lobster pots. Catch, cook and freeze it, for winter use. And, get back to harvesting clams. Clams locally, like cherrystones, and quahogs are ideal for gathering, cooking and freezing for winter chowders. All good, native protein.
***What are your thoughts? anything you can think of that will allow me to get there faster? Closer to Self Sustainable?
And that makes me smile... better for the planet, better for my own family.
Leave me a comment, below...
and a link to your #GroVid22 garden!
your own health and your own lives.
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Grow Your OWN is not just a simple short challenge,
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