Things are slow for now.

There is not much to do in the garden for now. We are eating some kind of greens almost everyday. They sure are good and good for you. We just got the seed catalogs so we are looking at what we want to grow next year. Won't be long before we start plants in doors to get a early start.

The last cold spell got the tomato's and peppers. I still have a few green tomato's here from my plant.

I am posting pictures taken down town where the Church, soup kitchen and home for homeless Vet's house is. These are the garden the Farmer put in early fall with help from Farmer's wife and friends. They are now able to pick greens and other veggies for them to use.

Frosty Morning

Winter is finally here. It may be another sign of global climate change because we did not have a frost here until after December 1, 2011. The Farmer's Wife covered things twice.
 
Once not so cold and then a freeze that took out the tomato plants this time.

Today the tomato plants came out and several kilograms of green and starting to turn. They are bundled up in newspaper and in the basement and we may get a few to yet ripen. Last year we had fresh tomatoes this way until early January. To be able to have your own tomatoes for eight months out of the year an achievement.

There was nearly a kilogram of peppers as well.

Finally we all went over to check on the raised bed garden near at church for the vet center and the soup kitchen.


6.225 KG to add today make a total of 235.967KG for the year.

Winter is here, last several nights been close to 32.

Not much going on in the garden right now. We are getting lots of wonderful greens of all kind. They are so good. Salad or cooked they are great. We have had to cover up some stuff to keep them good. Beets are looking good and may have some of the greens soon. We are still getting a few cherry tomato's. Won't be but a few weeks and we will be starting pots inside for the spring garden.

Here are a few pictures of how we covered the plants up and the greens that the cold don't hurt

PARSNIPS 2.5KG OMG

So even though the freeze only got down to 1 C so no real frost it seemed time to dig up the parsnips. The New Farmer came over to help out. The Farmer has not tried the parsnips before but is looking forward to trying them. Some of them may be bigger than I would want.
Let everyone know how they taste. They were so big that digging them up were difficult so I used the hose to help excavate.
We go nearly 2.5 KG total out of the grown.
Other plants like the chard are looking good and the Farmer can pick greens almost every day.
Tomatoes and peppers seem to have a second life with bright green foliage lots of blossoms and  with no freezes until December they still may make some fruit.
More greens and
Collards.

5.066 KG makes which brings us up to 229.742KG which gives us 505.4 LBS for those on the English system.

Soup is On!!! 225 KG Goal

The Farmer is going to have two weight celebrations soon. The first is 225 KG weight goal.  In my manifesto in the beginning my goal was to grow enough to provide calories to support on adult for one year. Well through some calculations it comes out that that would be about 225KG giving you nearly 3000 calories a day which is more than enough but to account for pealing and shelling and parts that might  be inedible. Well we got that mark today.  In English system that is 495 LBS so that means that in a week or so The Farmer will celebrate the 500 lb mark as well.
Soup is on the stove today with lots of ingredients from the garden: onion, soy beans, collard greens, bay, oregano, peppers  all went with some kielbasa and tomatoes to make for a very hearty soup for supper tonight.
This mystery picture is of the seed pod head of a chive plant. Pretty cool to have the little black seeds ready to fly out of the long stalks. The plant is like a catapult. In fact I tested the system and got seeds about 5 feet from the plant.  
One of the great things about greens in our climate is that they are the plant that keeps giving. This spinach was harvested to a nub last week and this week is offering tender new leaves. The Farmer's Wife likes to use this as lettuce leaves for a sandwich.
Here is the flat leaf parsley and with this plant The Farmer can enjoy the herb but remember in Mediterranean Cuisine that this leaf can be come a vegetable in a dish like salad.
Some of the plants are getting tall at nearly a meter and only a few problems with bugs this year.

Total the year is 225.409KG

Fall-Winter Garden

I just love our fall- winter garden. So many good things to eat and they look pretty too. We get our first freeze ( maybe ) tonight. They are saying about 31 after mid-night and before day break. So I guess we will be covering up some stuff.

We still have tomato's, pepper, egg plant and basil. The greens, lettuce, arugula and other winter things will be fine.

Our Artichoke's are looking good and I hope we can keep them through the winter so we can have some next summer. We are having greens and salad tonight as part of our supper all from our garden, how could they be any fresher then that. And we know what is or not on them. Good eating to all

Swiss Chard is Beautiful

Swiss Chard is one of the most beautiful crop. The color is so crisp and sharp, glossy leaves  that love to grow in these color times. They are tender and taste good in lots of stir fries. The Farmer added some to the meatball dish he made last week.
The fig tree is losing its leaves but in a fit that seems to fore tell a freeze there are nearly 2 dozen figs to pick. Some are soft and sweet, other benefit from a little cooking and this is particularly good with pork.
The Farmer is still eating tomatoes from the garden. However, last year there were tomatoes until the first year. The Farmer still have lots of green tomatoes but not as many as we had last year this time.
Some of these peppers are very hot. 

2.556KG to add brings up 224.232KG so close to the goal.

Spooky!!!

In honor of the upcoming Spooky Holiday I have featured some scary pictures from the Farm.
First we have Eggplant from a pretty ominous point of view. It is closely related to the nightshade and the smooth orb does have that mysterious "thorn" that punctures the skin somewhere on the green hat that you can not later find when you more closely investigate.
Here are some scary tomatoes also from the nightshade family. From the darker recess of the plant fruit will still appear well into November if we don't have a freeze; but do you dare put your hand in.
this artichoke is kind of spiky and could be threatening en mass; The Farmer has a different feeling in this season when just a few post earlier he remarked on the handsome nature. Now there is a deep shadow.
This ghostly shapes are the peppers. Mostly mild and crunchy.  They are a Romanian variety  (for real) and so perhaps they were the Count Dracula's ghostly favorite.
For some the thing that is scary is the food itself. Turnips do not have the most favorable of reputations. I think this are more attractive and probably more intelligent then the Farmer's Congressmen?? Just asking questions?
The Farmer's Wife labored to make the nice uniform turnip cubes and the Farmer was scratched by the turnip greens that seemed to not to want to come in however the work of the labor was very yummy.
Large harvest of another 4 KG this week. 4,511KG to be exact.
Total 221.672 KG

GREENS!!!

Fall may have yellow and red colors for leaves but in the Southern Garden it is time for GREENS. It is to hot and buggy for many greens in the summer. The Farmer's Daughter did find that sweet potato leaves can be used like spinach. Now the Farmer has some Oriental Mustard to show off with these wonderful purple green leaves.
In addition lots of head lettuce, mostly romaine. Some of the spring onions let go still provide a good seasoning for the greens.
Radishes are being eaten every day. None of these silly red bombs but delightful Breakfast Radish goes great on sandwiches or with cheese.
Another meal of the field peas and the Farmer was going to pull them up only to find that they are still blooming!
This will be one of the few squashes this fall. Terrible time with a bug that eat most of the fruits.
Still there are some summer things like a few figs and peppers and okras that still produce. The okra was pulled up to make room to plant some more greens.

212.557  KG and to add this 4.606KG gives the Farm 217.163 KG for the year. 

Fall Food and Last of Flowers

The zinnias are over. The plants were looking pretty bad with lots of brown leaves. The Farmer did get enough for one last bouquet for the table.
These are my French Breakfast radishes. The Farmer will need to put out a new row since they grow so quickly. 
Theses are turnip greens that I have thinned to make room and the Farmer cooked up the nearly one pound of greens. Even the Farmer's Wife thinks they are pretty good.
This is probably one of the last eggplants and about one week more of okra.
Tax Banks and Not Food was our message at the Occupy Birmingham March today. 

4.307 KG this week brings us to 212.557KG which is 468 LBS.