Its just not worth growing some vegies

[Sculkrusha]

Hi all, We like to grow all our own vegies, yes, maybe sometimes they might even cost more to grow than what you can buy them for at the supermarts.
We always say, "thats ok because we know whats gone into ours".
Lately Im wondering if its worth growing some things.
We live on very rich (Volcanic) soil. We are surrounded by Dairy and meat cows and huge farms that grow corn, onions, potatoes etc.
Anytime the farmers are packing their produce you can just pull in in your car and you can buy the stuff straight out of the ground.
I started yesterday when we were coming back from fishing and Mrs Skul got me to pull in to a farmers shed. We came away with 50lb of potatoes and 50lb of onions for $20 he also threw in about 10lb of carrots, on the way home we had a bit of a laugh wondering if the guy who sold it to us even worked there.
So anyway, I may be a bit of a failure as a homesteader, but I dont think I will grow Spuds, carrots or onions again.
Just thought Id share.

Cheer........Skul

[wally]

on some things i agree with you. To us its cheaper/easier to just purchase peas and carrots. If you can get onions on sale at 88 cents for 3 lbs and potatoes at 10 cents a pound it really does not make sense for us to grow them

[unregistered168043]

Wow that is incredible cheap! But potatoes don't really cost me anything I have been regrowing from the same stock for years. I am often puzzled at people who talk about the "cost" of growing veggies. After the initial seed purchase, there really isn't any cost for me

I dig my taters and throw them in buckets in a cold room in the house. Come spring I replant whatever I didn't eat and throw out the rest. I keep back about 5 lbs of corn kernals to reseed the next year, same with beans. I mostly fertilize with manure ( chicken, rabbit, horse, sheep ) but maybe buy a bag of 10-10-10 from the store every year for the corn ( priced at less than $20 ). I guess if you really counted every dime you might say I run my tractor, so thats fuel cost...about $15, one bag of 10-10-10...thats about $16. So maybe $30+ or so dollars a season for most all the veggies I eat in an entire year.

[7thswan]

Yes, it can be cheeper. I still grow what we eat, my potatoes from last year are needing to be planted=free. I always put up too much,"just incase". The squash in the pantry is iffy, but the seeds are good and the chickens can have it if need be. If we were to have had a crew here because of something "bad" , extras are nesessary,and they help me feel secure. Onions-I only like certian types, and those inexpensive yellow storage are last resort arround here, tho I do have 'em-just incase.

[geo in mi]

Here in SW Michigan, which is a fruit belt area created by the Lake, I am the same way with asparagus, blueberries, peaches, and sometimes apples. I also quit growing sweet corn--as critter control got to be almost impossible......so, I wouldn't beat myself up for my personal choices.........but I love my own potatoes, and strawberries......and green beans, and onions, and dry beans, and squash, and,......and



geo

[Callieslamb]

I still grow a bit of everything. I don't grow as much sweet corn as we need. If I want red peppers and mine aren't red yet, I buy them. If it's time to make salsa and the green peppers aren't producing - I buy them. I don't grow enough potatoes. But I still want to keep my hand in knowing how to grow them. If you were depending on the orchards/Upicks here for fruit last year, you were sorry. I had more strawberries, black raspberries and black berries than the Upicks did because I can water and they can't. You never know what's around the corner.

[foxtrapper]

Sometimes it's just fun to garden, regardless of the cost.

[sapphira]

I am more afraid of not being able to grow eatables if Amerika falls apart. So I keep at it. s

[wy_white_wolf]

A bottle of homemade mead gets me a couple of gunny sack of winter wheat from one farmer.

$5 fills up 2 - 5 gallon pails with dryed beans from another.

Couple hours picking corn for my uncle lands me about 10 dozen ears.

It's not worth it for me to try to grow anything that the farmers grow around here. I can always cut a deal for what I want

WWW

[Marcia in MT]

Cost may not be the only consideration of what to grow and what to buy. Do you know what was sprayed on that crop? Does the farmer take care of the soil -- how nutritious are the crops grown on it?

You can grow it yourself or ask questions of the farmer so you'll know for sure, if these are important points to you.

[devittjl]

I do not grow my own because I know where it comes from or what it cost. I grow my own so I know how to grow it when it becomes necessary to.

[lhspirited]

It's important to me also to know what kind of environment it's grown in. Even "organic" vegetables aren't that great anymore due to the watering down of the organic standards. Good healthy soil adds so many nutrients to my vegetables. Though, it's hard to get warm enough summers to grow corn, squash, melons, or tomatoes.

[Nimrod]

This.
devittjlI
I do not grow my own because I know where it comes from or what it cost. I grow my own so I know how to grow it when it becomes necessary to.


Also learning what grows well here. So far I've had; good luck with corn, peas, and potatoes; bad luck with squash and garlick; and great luck with tomatoes and beans.

I am getting the soil improved more each year too. If necessary I could feed myself.

I hope WIHHs quip about potato growers doesn't apply to over by their place and my new place. That's a big reason I bought a new place when the growers moved in where I am at.

It's not as good a deal, but frozen vegges are a dollar a pound on sale.

[Hollowdweller]

I was just discussing this with a friend recently.

I was talking about how, back in the 70's when we had inflation there was a huge back to the land movement and also do it yourself.

People grew veggies and other things to help save money.

But now even though the economy is pretty bad people are actually moving to cities more. The rural population is declining.

I think part is because with mechanization, genetically modified crops and cheap immigrant labor the cost of food as a percentage of the budget is way less.

So it really doesn't save any money.

Also with the cost of land of all sorts being high now it doesn't make sense to buy a farm and grow your stuff because you will be ahead to live in the city where wages are higher and buy your stuff.

Now I have a big garden and grow a lot of my stuff but it's because I enjoy growing stuff. I have no illusions that it saves me money. But with my land paid off it probably is a bit better than most.

Read here:
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marb...-spending-less

[Fat Charlie]

I've never seen an Adirondack Red potato in a store. I've never bought a tomato as good as one I've grown, no matter the variety. I had an amazing cucumber last year and saved some seeds. I hope that later this year I can consider that to be a "normal" tasting cucumber.

Worth the money? I can't buy this stuff. It's worth whatever I put into it.

[chickenista]

I agree.
There are things that we do not grow because it is cheaper to buy them in the store.
AND.. because storage is an issue.

Too warm for a good root cellar, don't want to dedicate a fridge just for potatoes etc..

I grow some carrots just for fresh eating because they are so, so good.
And I try to grow just a few potatoes each year for seed etc..

Oh.. and corn. Though we will be growing a small bit this year.
It is just too hard on the soil and you get this big old stalk that takes so much energy to grow and just 2 or 3 ears.. It is a personal frugality thing for me.
Corn is not a frugal plant.
(stomps wee little foot)

[Peggy]

home grown taste alot better. usally cheaper, but I'll probaly still buy corn.

[unregistered168043]

I don't care what anybody says its still WAY, WAY cheaper to grow your own. Beside seed ( a one time purchase which provides years and years of crops ) and a little fertilizer (only for some things ) it is free to grow your own. Some here must either be paying a ton for seed, or buying fancy potting soils and expensive disposable seed cups or something. Whatever you are doing, if it costs you more to grow veggies at home than buying them in the store, you are doing everything wrong. PM me and I'll give you some tips.

[Danaus29]

When I was buying 55 pounds of spuds for $10 there was no way I could have grown it any cheaper once you figure that I could spend the time working on another crop that I couldn't or wouldn't buy from the store. Then some sort of critter came in and wiped out the crop I did have planted. I will be growing potatoes again this year because I have a very few of the red and blue potatoes left. They will be grown in buckets with potting soil because I won't risk losing the spuds. While it does cost money to run the tiller and mower (use the mowed grass as a mulch) I don't even count that because I run the tiller for other crops and the grass still has to be mowed.

Carrots are usually a failure crop for me. For what I would spend on seed I can buy 6 pounds or more of already harvested and cleaned carrots.

For me fresh garlic and garlic scapes are things I can grow much cheaper and easier than I can get from the store. I can't even find garlic scapes around here.

My brother always has good luck with sweet corn. Every time I try it, it gets eaten by critters long before it's ready to harvest.

[suitcase_sally]

Originally Posted by Sculkrusha

Anytime the farmers are packing their produce you can just pull in in your car and you can buy the stuff straight out of the ground.
I started yesterday when we were coming back from fishing and Mrs Skul got me to pull in to a farmers shed. We came away with 50lb of potatoes and 50lb of onions for $20 he also threw in about 10lb of carrots,
Cheer........Skul

WHERE are you finding farmer's sheds this time of year?

I buy "deer carrots" for 5¢ / lb. in the fall.