Poll:Growing food to save money (and other reasons)

[Red Badger]

DW farms. I'd list what she grows, but the internet would run out of zeros and ones!

We have filled almost all of our back yard (1/4 acre lot) with raised garden beds. They surround about 400 SF of shaded deck. It's beautiful many months of the year. We get two full growing seasons. Presently winding down summer harvest while planting fall crops.

We do it for the awesome food. When you factor in the cost of building all the beds, amending (organicallY) the soil regularly, the plant/seed cost as well as the tools/labor, it is no financial win. But that's not why we do it.

Ditto with me and deer hunting. That venison costs way more than wagyu beef - - - but worth every penny.

 

[MRG]

Forgot to mention. We grow lots of herbs too. It's so convenient to have fresh herbs handy for cooking.

Over the summer we grow some herbs outside. A few in pots. A few scattered amongst the perennial flowers.

In the winter we use a hydroponic system that uses LEDs. Works great and having lush herbs in February is so nice. In early spring we use it to start the tomato seedlings.

If you like small scale stuff check out Earthbox.

Here's a link:
https://earthbox.com/?gclid=CjwKCAj...SEO26BAAVhDTUVDGd5iYV9fw7Dpx2tTRoC8vIQAvD_BwE

While not an inexpensive solution they're better than pots. We did herbs in one and cherry tomatoes in another. Amazing harvest. I was making big batches of pesto with all the basil.

 

[HFWR]

I’ve never seen a garden that was financially viable. Worth every penny in terms of flavor and all around better food, but never seen it to be cheaper. My FIL used to grow a very large garden (half acre or more), but once he spent $8,000 for a tractor, plow, roto tiller . . ., he was never going to save that much money. Don’t forget the cost of seeds, or starter plants and fertilizer. Again, don’t get me wrong. It was good work, a good and rewarding hobby, but not a money saver.

I have about 25sf of “garden” which is fallow this years, except for weeds. The last vegetable planting, three years or so ago, resulted in probably $50 worth, consisting of three $10 tomatoes, and a bunch of jalapeños, at about a buck apiece...

Texas summers...

 

[ransil]

I’d have to build Fort Knox in order to keep the critters and especially dear away. We can spray our flowers, but even with that, unless we really stay on it, good luck seeing a lily or a tulip. I’ve never seen a garden that was financially viable. Worth every penny in terms of flavor and all around better food, but never seen it to be cheaper. My FIL used to grow a very large garden (half acre or more), but once he spent $8,000 for a tractor, plow, roto tiller . . ., he was never going to save that much money. Don’t forget the cost of seeds, or starter plants and fertilizer. Again, don’t get me wrong. It was good work, a good and rewarding hobby, but not a money saver.

Guilty on the $8k tractor, tiller.
Deer is handled with an electric fence.
Anything outside the fence is deer food.
I don't use fertilizers just compost .
DT earth and neem oil for bugs.
I buy some seeds, but my tomatoes I clean the seeds from what i grow.

 

[NYEXPAT]

Moved to a condo a few years ago so we have hardly any room for plants (except DW's flowers) any more. Still, I grow some potatoes in pots just for fun.

IMHO, the best frites in the world come from Belgium (you may know them as French Fries, but they are actually a Belgian invention). I have often lamented the fact that we can't get those incredible frites here, so I decided to make my own every year.

I found a source for the specific variety of potato used in Belgium and learned how to cook them properly. I hate to brag, but I think my efforts are nearly as good as I could get over there, so I'm committed to doing this for as long as I can. I've tried several different varieties that are commonly available here (Yukon Gold comes kind of close), but for the exactly right flavor you need Bintje potatoes and they're hard to find.

and duck fat of course!

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I wish I could but there are too many trees. I’m not sure how much money I’d save, though. I’d do it just to get decent fresh veggies.

 

[MichaelB]

We grow mango and papaya, and are looking forward to some lime this year.

When i was young we always had a vegetable garden in the back yard, and it supplied an amazing amount of food. DM had a green thumb for sure, she also knew every farm stand in the area, along with the farms that let people pick their own fruits during harvest season, so we rarely ate store bought produce. Like her mother, she canned and bottled everything. It not only was less expensive, the taste was far better. Brings back such good memories.

 

[Gumby]

We have a 1200 sqft plot at the community garden, and a couple of raised beds at home, in which we grow vegetables and herbs. We also have two apple trees, two fig trees, some blueberry bushes and strawberries. I just made out my list for next year's seed order, so I know that we grow 41 different fruits, vegetables and herbs.

We dehydrate, pickle, oil pack, can and freeze our bounty, in addition to eating as many fresh fruits and veggies as humanly possible. We still end up giving boatloads away.

As much as we enjoy growing our own food, I'm pretty sure it saves us absolutely no money at all.

 

[Teacher Terry]

My husband has a small garden that he enjoys. My kids help sometimes and really enjoy the tomatoes.

 

[NW-Bound]

I don't know how to vote. We have a lot more than a handful of plants, but do they produce 25% of what we consume? I wish.

Fascinating! I've been to Belgium, but don't think I ate any frites there. Sounds like I missed out on something special! ...

You sure did! And missed even more than that.

I'm afraid so. Most cities have shops all over that sell nothing but frites (look for a sign that says "Friteur" or "Frituur" (depending on the local language).

They are nothing at all like what we call French Fries, and will immediately make you a believer.

They do not use ketchup but mayo for dipping, and often sprinkle vinegar on the fries.

Frites is better when accompanied by a pot of moules (mussels). With a strong Belgian beer to wash it down, oh man, one quickly realizes that he does not need a lot of money to be happy.

Just linking these photos makes my mouth water.

 

[Jerry1]

For some reason, I couldn't get this to post on my other comment:

This is me. After Dad passed, I got a Kubota (more than $8K with implements) and tried my hand at farming. We did alright, but it is a lot of work.

 

[street]

That is a great picture.
I had bought a small irrigated farm years ago and rented most of it out but kept some land where I raised vegetables for a road side market. I did it as a side business and did very well but was a lot of work and time. Sweet corn was a huge seller.

 

[CardsFan]

They do not use ketchup but mayo for dipping, and often sprinkle vinegar on the fries.

Frites is better when accompanied by a pot of moules (mussels). With a strong Belgian beer to wash it down, oh man, one quickly realizes that he does not need a lot of money to be happy.

Just linking these photos makes my mouth water.

After having Frites in Belgium, DW will only eat them with mayo, and I agree it is better.

+1 on the moules and Belgian beer (Duval, Brugges triple, or anything brewed in the town you are in).

 

[braumeister]

and duck fat of course!

Sometimes, but ideally beef tallow. That's what McDonalds used many years ago, and why people remember those fries so fondly.

They do not use ketchup but mayo

Technically correct, but the best friteurs offer an extensive variety of sauces, mostly mayonnaise based, to suit the individual customer's taste.

And yes, you can never go wrong with an accompanying pot of moules and a Duvel or a good tripel!

 

[NW-Bound]

Keep all this up, and I will have to surf the Web for airfare deals.

But back to growing food...

I don't know how to vote. We have a lot more than a handful of plants, but do they produce 25% of what we consume? I wish.

I forgot to say that we do not grow food to save money. Just can't. Here in the Southwest, produce is just so cheap being brought up from Mexico, or grown in the Imperial Valley.

My wife likes growing as a pastime, and what we spend on soil amendment, fertilizer, and water can never make enough compared to what we pay at a local store. Examples: $0.99 for 3 lbs of tomato, or 3 lbs of onion, or 5 cucumbers, or 3 lbs of apple, etc...

Yes, the stuff we grow often tastes better, but the yield is so low that we would either die of starvation or spend $300/month on water. Remember that this is the arid SW.

 

[audreyh1]

Just a few herbs now and then. I guess that counts for handful?

I had a veggie garden for several years while working and enjoying yes it very much, especially the vibe-ripened tomatoes. But after a few years it was more work than we enjoyed plus more shade from neighboring trees meant less production.

I spend 2x on groceries anyway compared to before retiring because eating well is a major priority.

 

[MarieIG]

No. No time, a black thumb, and a fear of bugs.

DF however, had a great vegetable garden. While he was careful with money, he loved good food and would never skimp on food. I believe the grew the vegetables for the taste. His tomatoes were fantastic.

Our neighbor down the block grew up on a farm in Greece and there was not one inch of his property that wasn't growing something. He liked my DF, and constantly brought over whatever DF didn't grow, including corn and sunflower seeds.

 

[MoneyChic]

Keep all this up, and I will have to surf the Web for airfare deals.

But back to growing food...



I forgot to say that we do not grow food to save money. Just can't. Here in the Southwest, produce is just so cheap being brought up from Mexico, or grown in the Imperial Valley.

My wife likes growing as a pastime, and what we spend on soil amendment, fertilizer, and water can never make enough compared to what we pay at a local store. Examples: $0.99 for 3 lbs of tomato, or 3 lbs of onion, or 5 cucumbers, or 3 lbs of apple, etc...

Yes, the stuff we grow often tastes better, but the yield is so low that we would either die of starvation or spend $300/month on water. Remember that this is the arid SW.

WOW! If I could get $0.99 produce like that, I'd be thrilled.



We don't have the water issue here in Indiana. It usually rains often enough that I'd only have to water a couple times a month (once the seeds all sprouted) back when I had a garden in the ground. Right now I'm using 12 EarthBoxes with an automated water system. My bill is only up about $10 a month over what it is when I'm not using them.

 

[savory]

Our chicken coop is 98% finished and chickens should be here in a week or so. No meat, just eggs. Unfortunately, our backyard is not great for a garden but if it were, we would be growing more. We have some pots with tomatoes. The eggplant and squash did not work well. A few herbs. And, we have a CSA.

We do make a lot of stuff including muesli, bread (25% of the time), pasta noodles/sauce, bagels, beer, aged beef, relishes, pizza, tortillas, tonic water, club soda, hummus, and more. We rarely have a dinner dish that we do not prepare and almost always from scratch or limited prepared ingredients.

This is a more recent trend for me. It has really helped with my weight and general health.

 

[audreyh1]

Fascinating! I've been to Belgium, but don't think I ate any frites there. Sounds like I missed out on something special! I've never grown potatoes in pots, but I've seen pictures of them grown in bags. It looks a lot easier than growing them in the ground, so I'll have to give that a try. I've only grown them once - in the ground - and it was a failure due to neglect. Lesson learned: Don't plant a garden bigger than you can keep up with.

What? OMG! How can you visit Belgium and not experience their frites!

I guess you also missed their national dish moules frites - which is mussels with fries. The mussels they eat however are imported from The Netherlands (Zeeland).

 

[Splash]

None...not counting the mint for mojitos

 

[CardsFan]

What? OMG! How can you visit Belgium and not experience their frites!

I guess you also missed their national dish moules frites - which is mussels with fries. The mussels they eat however are imported from The Netherlands (Zeeland).

Some locals will argue with you over that point, but that is like eating a Maine lobster in Portsmouth, NH. In any case, it's local.

 

[MoneyChic]

What? OMG! How can you visit Belgium and not experience their frites!

I guess you also missed their national dish moules frites - which is mussels with fries. The mussels they eat however are imported from The Netherlands (Zeeland).

Well, I was only 16 or 17 at the time, so cut me some slack . I did have waffles there. I had frites several times in the Netherlands- that was my first experience with mayonnaise instead of ketchup.

 

[audreyh1]

Well, I was only 16 or 17 at the time, so cut me some slack . I did have waffles there. I had frites several times in the Netherlands- that was my first experience with mayonnaise instead of ketchup.

Frites in the Netherlands is probably good enough then!

 

[MoneyChic]

Our chicken coop is 98% finished and chickens should be here in a week or so. No meat, just eggs. Unfortunately, our backyard is not great for a garden but if it were, we would be growing more. We have some pots with tomatoes. The eggplant and squash did not work well. A few herbs. And, we have a CSA.

We do make a lot of stuff including muesli, bread (25% of the time), pasta noodles/sauce, bagels, beer, aged beef, relishes, pizza, tortillas, tonic water, club soda, hummus, and more. We rarely have a dinner dish that we do not prepare and almost always from scratch or limited prepared ingredients.

This is a more recent trend for me. It has really helped with my weight and general health.

Love it! Have you had chickens before? I used to and hopefully will again someday. I will say that I definitely didn’t save any money on eggs by having them, but they were worth it. Entertaining to watch, ate most of our scraps, and made fertilizer for the garden.