Organic Gardening to Save Money on Food

Jason Willkomm
Organic gardening can be a great way to save some extra money in your budget. Imagine cutting your grocery bill in half or more! With a little planning and preparation, this is easy to achieve. In this article I will give you an idea of how much effort is involved and will explore ways to save money in your garden.
How Much Effort is Involved?
In the beginning, learning everything you need to know can be a challenge; however, when money is involved this becomes less of an issue. Most of the physical effort with organic gardening is in the bed preparation and the harvest. In all fairness this should only account for a couple of weeks out of the gardening season, although it may involve other activities (for example, maintaining a compost pile).
Other chores that require some time and effort, such as weeding and watering, can both be reduced through the proper use of mulch. Walking through your garden for a couple of minutes every day will help you identify your gardens needs quickly, before they become a problem. About one hour twice a week should be enough to maintain a substantial garden.
Finally, if your goal is to produce a large portion of your food requirements for the year, canning may take several days of time and effort. This can be minimized by planning ahead to grow items that can be dried or stored in a root cellar.
Where Does All the Money Go?
One reason to start organic gardening is for the money you can save. By paying close attention to the health of the soil, organic gardens are more productive. Plants fed through proper soil management require less additional fertilizers. They are also more disease and pest resistant, therefore they use less pesticides. More vegetables and larger vegetables mean less food you have to buy!
To save money on gardening in general, let\'s take a look at all the things in a garden that could cost you extra money. You could pay for seeds. You could pay for manure and compost. You could pay for additional fertilizers. You could pay for pesticides. Finally, you could water your garden with city water and run up your water bill.
How Do You Save Money Gardening?
With your first garden you may find it necessary to buy seeds. In order to save yourself this expense, you can save seeds from tomatoes, cucumbers and other garden produce as you use them. However, it is not exactly that simple...
Over the years greedy seed companies have genetically modified food crops to produce seeds that are sterile. Saving seeds from any of these varieties will just be a waste of your time. They key is to purchase heirloom strains, also known as heritage strains.
Heirloom varieties have not had insect DNA spliced into their genes, nor have they been modified to produce sterile seed. So far seed companies have not been able to modify potatoes to make them sterile... simply grow 10more than you intend to eat and save them as seed potatoes for the following year.
Saving Money on Mulch, Manure, and FertilizerThe secret to healthy, organic soil is compost. While some plants might enjoy the addition of manure, the truth is you can grow a very healthy and productive garden without manure or mulch if you have properly made compost. If you want to save money on all three (plus use less fertilizer), it is easy to learn how to make your own quality compost! Add plenty of it to your garden bed, and wherever you need mulch use sifted compost instead.
Organic gardening itself will save you money on fertilizer, but if your plants need a little extra during the growing season you can make your own compost tea. While there are many different recipes, the general idea is to fill a sock with compost and suspend it in a 5 gallon bucket of water for several hours. The resulting liquid can be watered down if needed and will contain humus, beneficial microorganisms, and nutrients that are immediately available to your plants.
Saving Money on Pesticides
Every garden needs some form of pest control. If you look through an organic gardening guide, again and again you will see the same item mentioned: Rotenone with pyrethrins. A plant called purslane is the commercial source for pyrethrins, and rotenone breaks down in 24 hours to Nitrogen and Phosphorus (making it one of the safest of all insecticides).
If this is your first year gardening than buy some rotenone with pyrethrins, but also plant some purslane. Next year you can make your own pyrethrins- simply use 1 tablespoon freshly ground dried purslane flowers, 2 liters of hot water, and a few drops of dish soap.
Also plant a few extra cayenne peppers and garlic plants. A couple peppers and a couple cloves of garlic ground up and soaked in a liter of warm water will make a spray that keeps bugs away.
Saving Money on Water
A lake or pond can be helpful for saving you money on your water bill.  Otherwise, a very low cost modification to your downspout can divert rainwater to a barrel or cistern for use in your garden. Not only will it save you money on your water bill, but this water contains no chlorine and is much healthier for your plants.
One Final Thought
Let me just say that gardening should be thought of as a long term solution. If you buy a hoe and a rototiller and a pressure canner (and other items) and you only use them for one season, than you are probably spending more money than you are saving. It is only when you purchase these items (once) and use them season after season that you are truely saving yourself money on the food you produce. Keeping this in mind will help you save the most money with your garden.
For more information on preparing your organic garden this year, visit me at http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/organic-gardening-bed-preparation.html
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/organic-gardening-to-save-money-on-food-860400.html
About the Author
Hi, my name is Jason Willkomm. I have more than 12 years experience gardening indoors and out, using both organic and hydroponic gardening methods. It is my goal to help others achieve excellent results with simple, easy to follow advice. For more information, visit me at my website, www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com

Can You Save Seed From Hybrid Plants?

Whitney Segura
What is a Hybrid Plant?

Those that have appreciated the bounty of a backyard garden realize that it all begins with a seed. Your seeds are your foundation and they determine what plants will appear when you water your garden area. Gardeners are so fascinated by seeds that they often delve into seed saving.

While hybrid plants are often better suited for a growing environment such as a greenhouse structure, they aren\'t necessarily optimized for seed saving. Is it even possible to save seeds from hybrid plants, and what do you need to know?

The first thing to realize is that there are many misconceptions about hybrid plants.

Hybrid plants will make seed, and they are viable. You can replant them and grow a similar plant. However, because the parent plant has a genetic line that is not stable, you can\'t determine what you will get. The offspring will vary based upon the genetic profile.

• If you remember taking basic biology in high school or college, the Punnet square should give you a good indication of what to expect from dominant and recessive gene profiles.


• Keep in mind that you may have to isolate certain traits for several generations to create a stable gene pool from a hybrid plant.


• A good idea is to find a gardening blog or forum to become a member of and ask questions to the expert gardeners.

Because the results are so uncertain, you don\'t want to devote too much space to growing out hybrid seed. Also, don\'t rely on your experiments for a good food crop. However, experimenting with hybrid seeds is exciting, and, in fact, many open pollinated strains have been stabilized with a hybrid plant as a parent.

• Be sure that you understand the pollination process of your target plant, to ensure that your experiments don\'t contain unintentional variables that will further complicate the process.

You can save seed from hybrid plants, and it will likely grow. However, the results will be less predictable than saving already stabilized seed types.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/can-you-save-seed-from-hybrid-plants-1903827.html
About the Author
Whitney Segura is the founder and CEO of Best Garden Gifts, a family owned manufacturer and distributor of greenhouse kits, hydroponics equipment, composting supplies, and garden containers, to customers living in the United States.

How to Dry Food At Home

The Sider Group
Have you ever wanted to learn how to dry food at home? Drying your foods is a great way to preserve them but you should know that the quality of the foods will not be made better. For this reason, you should select high quality foods which are ripe. Sort the produce and separate the low quality foods from the high quality ones. Here are some tips to help you to dry food at home.

Do you like raisins or dried apricots? Many people like to eat dried fruits because they are delicious, and quite different from the fresh versions. Start by selecting the best quality ripe fruits to be dried. Before you try drying your favorite fruits, you should know that some fruits, like oranges and grapefruits, are not ideal for the purpose because they have high water content. If you are drying fruits for the first time, you should work with a lower quantity because it can be time consuming. The first step is to clean the fruits thoroughly, under cold running water. If you spot any soft spots or bruises, use a fruit knife to trim away the affected parts. The pits, cores, and stems of the fruits should be removed. You may have to remove the skins from some types of fruits because the skins will turn brittle or tough after drying. For high quality, more nutritious fruits, it\'s best to slice the fruits about a quarter or half inch thick.

Drying turns some fruits brown so you have to use sulfur treatments on apricots, nectarines, peaches, apples, and so on. Other than locking in vitamins A and C during drying, sulfur treatments also help to prolong the fruit\'s shelf life and retain the fresh fruit flavor. Sulfuring and sulfite dips are the treatments that are used.

The color of the fruit can be retained with syrup blanching or steam blanching. In syrup blanching, the result is almost like candied fruit. Some of the fruits which are great for this process are prunes, plums, pears, peaches, figs, apricots, and apples. In steam blanching, the fruit\'s texture and flavor are altered but the color is retained. Steam blanching is very easy to do but you should see that the fruits are evenly blanched.

Another method of pretreatment is known as checking. This procedure is recommended for fruits like small, dark plums, grapes, and cherries and it\'s done to crack the skins. Firstly, you should bring a pot of water to a boil into which you should immerse the fruit for about 30 to 60 seconds. Next, the fruit is to be quickly put in cold water and you should use paper towels to drain the fruit.

In the past, people dry their foods in the sun or the oven. Nowadays, many people opt to use food dehydrators because they are very easy to use, and faster. It takes different times to dry different foods. For instance, apples can be dried in about 6 to 12 hours but the drying time for peaches is 35 to 48 hours.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/how-to-dry-food-at-home-6009779.html
About the Author
CulinarySchoolsU.com provides the opportunity to research and request free information about top culinary arts institute and culinary degree programs for potential students looking to start or expand their career in the culinary arts.

Rainwater Harvesting

Tank Depot

Rainwater harvesting is an ancient and effective water conservation practice. Unfortunately, in modern times "rainwater harvesting" has often become associated with a mosquito-laden barrel in the backyard, lined with last year's leaves and a resident frog or two.

The potential of rainwater harvesting systems is so much more. With proper design, these systems can transform a waste product (stormwater) into a valuable resource. Bringing rainwater harvesting into the commercial and residential mainstream will require increasing awareness of possible uses of rainwater.

Improved regulatory guidance and a greater understanding of all the potential environmental benefits of using harvested rainwater for water closets and urinals will be only part of the story at the Wellmark Blue Cross-Blue Shield headquarters now under construction in Des Moines, Iowa. Cisterns at this site will collect rainwater and conden­sate from the HVAC system to supply toilets and urinals and to be used for irrigation. During warmer months, when the demand for irrigation is highest, the water supply from the HVAC system condensate will also be highest. The cisterns are integrated into the site stormwater management plan, which offsets a portion of the initial cost of rainwater harvest­ing. This project is a prime example of the benefits of collab­orative design.

Imagine the potential waste if the plumbing stormwater management. Rainwater harvesting systems are also a perfect opportunity for coordination of services and design among the civil engineer, the plumbing engineer and the mechanical engineer (the butcher, the baker and the can­dlestick maker).

Harvested rainwater is often thought of only as an irriga­tion supply, but it can also be used indoors to meet non-potable water demands (and is approved in some localities for potable use). According to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, restrooms, landscape and cooling and heating account for 87% of the water used in schools and 89% of the water used in office buildings (domestic use is included with restrooms in the reported figures for office buildings). Even if half of the restroom/domestic use requires potable water (handwashing, etc), the majority of water use at schools and office buildings is non-potable. The EPA's guidance docu­ment, "Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure: Municipal Handbook: Rainwater Harvesting Policies," iden­tifies non-potable indoor water uses as toilets, urinals, laun­dry and cooling towers.



In an article entitled, "President's Viewpoint -the Need for Green Schools" in NET day, National Education Association president Dennis Van Roekel stated, "Green schools are also a great teaching tool. If we want children to learn that human beings have a responsibility to be good stew­ards of natural resources, we have to teach them by example."

At Burton School in Grand Rapids, Mich., rainwater from 11,000 square feet of roof is filtered and directed to a 10,000­ gallon below-ground storage tank, then used to flush 12 water closets. A water meter in the corridor lets students see how much water the system has saved. Based on daily rainfall data from Grand Rapids, if the school was used year round, this system could supply approximately 150,000 gallons of water per year.
Paula Leatherman, CPD from ProgressiveAE, who designed the rainwater harvesting system at Burton School, describes the process, saying, "Grand Rapids Public Schools
has made a commitment to sustainability for its facilities, and their last several projects have earned LEED® certification. During the Burton Elementary School project planning stage, administrators and designers discussed the different elements that would be appropriate for LEED points for this project. One way to acquire additional points for LEED is to use a non-potable water source to satisfy the building water needs. The concept of a rainwater harvesting system was researched. The district's director of facilities expressed a deep interest in an educational approach to the aspect of rainwater harvesting, and so the groundwork was set for the system.

"Not only does the system help recognize a 52% total building water savings (according to LEED templates) but it also provides an educational tool that involves the students in the importance of preserving our natural resources. The design integrated a visual metering system located in a corri­dor display case where the kids are able to track the water sav­ings. This was one of the first rainwater harvesting systems in the city of Grand Rapids, and the first to utilize the system as an educational tool. Reusing rainwater for building needs is a viable direction in the construction industry, and we are exploring opportunities to implement similar systems in a variety of building types."

At Western Virginia Regional Jail in Salem, Va., which opened on March 9, 2009, a look at the whole site led to inno­vative design and increased energy efficiency. Water demands inside the facility outweigh the available rainwater supply, so harvested rainwater is used only for laundry. Because the laun­dry use is localized in one section of the building, the pumping and piping demands are decreased. However, the real energy savings occur with pre-heating of the rainwater for laundry. Water used to cool the pumps from the vacuum-assisted waste system enters a heat exchanger and pre-heats rainwater before it is pumped to the laundry. This 264,000-square-foot facility will be the first LEED-certified jail in the region.

Rainwater harvesting is often used just to earn LEED points through irrigation but can be a part of stormwater management and innovative design, in addition to water efficiency.
The potential impact of rainwater harvesting is staggering. According to the U.S. Census, the United States had almost 12 million more housing units in 2007 than in 2000. Assuming an average footprint of 1,500 square feet for each of these housing units and an average of 30 inches per year of precipitation, if all of these new housing units had rainwater harvesting systems, they could collect about 234 billion gal­lons of water per year, more than enough water to supply the entire city of Los Angeles. These rainwater harvesting sys­tems would also mean that there would be 234 billion gallons less of runoff into lakes, rivers and streams or into stormwater treatment facilities. Based on information from the Stormwater Manager's Resource Center, 234 billion gallons of residential runoff will carry about 390 tons of phosphorus, 2,150 tons of nitrogen and 97,770 tons of sediment. While these nutrients and sediment are crucial for plant growth on land, they can wreak havoc in lakes and estuaries, causing algal blooms and fish kills.

The environmental benefits of rainwater harvesting even extend to energy use. According to the EPA, approximately 3% of energy use in the U.S. goes to drinking water and wastewater treatment. By using non-potable water, which requires less treatment, for non-potable uses and by greatly decreasing the distance that water is transported, rainwater harvesting provides an energy-efficient alternative to tradi­tional water systems. Rainwater harvesting even reduces strain on an aging water supply infrastructure.

These calculations are only for new residential devel­opment. Imagine how much greater the impact could be if commercial development was included. While rainwater harvesting is an old technology, the opportunities for inno­vation are by no means exhausted. Starting with a basic, established, system design to preserve the quality of the rainwater, the possibilities of producing a green solution are vast. Rainwater harvesting should continue advancing far beyond the leaf-filled barrel to becoming an integral part of whole-site water management.


Rain Harvesting Equipment can be purchased at RainTankDepot.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/rainwater-harvesting-2514669.html

About the Author

Rain Tank Depot is the number one source for rain barrels, rain harvesting equipment, and water storage tanks, as well as an unlimited amount of water conservation resources.
   

The appeal of mailboxes

One day last week I took a short trip to visit a friend and passed by a neat little house that was set back a good distance from the road. There was a garden in the front yard, but not the sort of garden I'd ever seen before. This was a flourishing Eden of ... mailboxes. I kid you not.

Every size, shape, and color you can imagine, and each one of them proudly sprouting from a sturdy post sunk into the ground. A carefully hand-lettered sign in front of them all read Mailboxes for Sale.

I just had to turn around and go back for a closer look. Just as I pulled my car to the side of the road, an elderly gentleman stepped out of the front door of the house. He saw me sitting there, smiled, and waved. I decided he was harmless and so I got out of the car to take a closer look.

For the next half hour I browsed and, to tell you the truth, I was flabbergasted. I learned that he often retrieved damaged boxes and spruced them up to add to his garden. Some of the boxes he'd made himself. He was truly an artist, too. Not only was the display beautiful, but it was neatly arranged by category:  wrought iron mailboxes for sale, victorian mailboxes for sale, copper, antique, extra large -- you name it. If it's a box that can hold mail, the man had it.

His prices weren't bad at all, but I don't need a new mailbox just now, so I left without buying one. The gardener didn't seem to mind. He enjoys his unusual collection as much as he enjoys making a few extra dollars from the sales.

As I continued on my drive, I realized I'd just met one of the luckiest people alive -- a man who has found something he enjoys and who is content to share it or just to bask in the completion of his wonderful restoration and design. If only we could all find that balanced state of mind.

The Best Methods of Food Preservation

Mark Gold
Food preservation is one of the oldest technologies that humans use, and people will always disagree on which are the best methods of food preservation. In general people want safe, nutritious foods that are considered good quality, taking into account freshness, wholesomeness, nutritional value, aroma, color, texture and flavor. Generally, food is considered safe if there is no danger from naturally occurring toxins, pathogenic microorganisms, or other potentially harmful chemicals. Food that is sterile contains no bacteria; if it is not sterilized and sealed it does contain bacteria. Milk, for instance has bacteria naturally living in it and will spoil in two or three hours if left out at room temperature. However, by putting it in the refrigerator bacteria is slowed down to such an extent that it will stay fresh for a week or two, even though bacteria are still present.

Food preservation involves treating and handling food to either greatly slow down or stop spoilage that caused or accelerated by micro-organisms. Preservation normally involves preventing the growth of fungi, bacteria and other micro-organisms, as well as the oxidation of fats which the cause rancidity. However, some methods of preservation actually use benign fungi, yeasts or bacteria to preserve food and add specific qualities, for example wines or cheeses. It may also include processes which inhibit aging and discoloration that occur during food preparation, like the enzymatic browning (oxidation) in apples when they are cut. Some food has to be sealed after treatment to prevent recontamination with microbes while others, such as drying, mean food can be stored without special containment. There are many methods of preserving food including freezing, freeze drying, spray drying, food irradiation, sugar crystallization, adding preservatives, preserving in syrup, canning and vacuum-packing.

The following are all methods of food preservation:

Salting

Salting, also known as curing, removes moisture from meats through osmosis. Meat is cured with sugar or salt, or perhaps both. Nitrites and nitrates are also used to cure meat and inhibit Clostridium botulinum.

Freezing

Freezing is commonly used domestically and commercially for preserving a wide range of food.

Irradiation

Exposure to ionizing radiation is known as irradiation or cold pasteurization. It has a large range of effects including killing molds, insects and bacteria, and reducing the ripening and spoiling of fruits.

High pressure food preservation

Extremely high pressure is sometimes used to preserve food. Pressure as high as 70,000 psi or more is used, resulting in food that retains its nutrients, appearance, texture and flavor whilst presenting spoilage.

Vacuum-packing

Vacuum-packing stores food in an airless environment, like an air-tight bag or bottle. This environment leaves bacteria without oxygen, slowing spoiling.

Pickling

Pickling is a method of food preservation leaving the food in an edible, anti-microbial liquid. Fermentation pickling uses food itself to produce preservation agents, usually in a process that produces lactic acid. Chemical pickling inhibits or kills bacteria and other micro-organisms in a liquid.

Burial

Burying food preserves it by providing much lower levels of oxygen, light and pH level, as well as providing natural desiccants in the soil and cooler temperatures.

Smoking

Fish, meat and other foods may be flavored as well as preserved with the use of smoke. The combination of heat and the aromatic (phenolic) hydrocarbons from the smoke preserve the food.

Lye

Lye, or sodium hydroxide, inhibits bacterial growth by making food too alkaline.

Canning

The process of canning involves cooking food, then sealing it in sterile jars or cans and boiling the containers to weaken or kill any remaining bacteria. Foods have varying degrees of natural protection against spoilage so some may require a pressure cooker as the final step. Foods low in acid, like meats and vegetables require what is known as pressure canning.

Controlled use of micro-organism

Products like wines, beers and cheeses keep for a long time because the production process uses micro-organisms to combat spoilage.

Jellying

Some food can be preserved by cooking in a material that solidifies and forms a gel, including maize flour, arrowroot flour and gelatin. Certain foods form a natural protein gel when they are cooked. Using jellying to preserve fruit produces marmalade, fruit preserves and jelly.

Modified atmosphere

This is a way to preserve food by altering the atmosphere surrounding it. For example, salad is extremely hard to keep fresh and is now being packaged in sealed bags with a modified atmosphere which reduces oxygen and increases carbon dioxide.

Drying

This is one of the oldest methods, it reduces water activity enough to prevent or delay bacterial growth. Most meats can be dried, along with many fruits. Cereal grains including rice, rye, barley, oats, maize, wheat and millet are also dried, as are grapes like sultanas, raisins and currants.

Sugaring

Sugaring is used to preserve fruits such as apricots, pears, apples, plums and peaches, either in syrup or in crystallized form.

Without doubt, one of the best methods of food preservation is called eggstrafresh® and it can be found at http://www.eggstrafresh.com. It is a revolutionary breakthrough in food preservation, scientifically proven to dramatically reduce oxidation and retain moisture, thus increasing shelf life. Additionally, eggstrafresh® will improve the taste, flavor, texture and natural color of all of your foods.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/the-best-methods-of-food-preservation-1235343.html
About the Author
Mark Gold has more than 27 years of experience in the Food and Beverage Industry. He has written numerous articles on foods and food preservation.