Radical Homemaking

After having read Spike Gilespie's blog at http://austinist.com/2010/05/21/i_am_so_popular_removing_sex_from_t.php I purchased the book Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture by Shannon Hayes. This book centers around an emerging wave of feminism that honors domestic skills as a fundamental step to heal and solve many of today's global crisis. As Shannon Hayes boldly states, “radical homemakers are men and women who have chosen to make family, community, social justice and the health of the planet the governing principles of their lives.” Furthermore she raises the question, “How might I advocate for a meaningful and sustainable domestic life without inadvertently condoning the further subjugation of women?”

Pioneers had no struggle or confusion with personal identity connected to domesticity. Men and women shared equally with the variety of chores necessary to create a sustainable existence. There was no other choice. Today industrialization and technology have created so many more choices and so much confussion and struggle.

I have chosen to investigate an alternative lifestyle as a radical homemaker and a part time pioneer as well as being an artist, full time mother and public school teacher. I embrace the philosophy of this book. Having only read the preface and introduction, I am filled with an overwhelming wave of emotion and that emotion is hope.

Squash Bugs

Well, it happened. My beautiful yellow neck and zucchini squash, dead and flattened to the ground, attacked by some unknown pest. Last year I thought it had been roly poly bugs and had spread the compost out early before planting to release the bugs to the top of the soil to either roly poly off or be eaten by birds. I felt somewhat confident that I would not have that pest to contend with since there were no roly polys in sight at planting. But, I have discovered a new garden nemesis, the squash bug, or so I think. I never actually saw this bug. My friend told me that they had destroyed his plants.

I was out of town for 6 days and my squash plants went from this....

....to this in just a few short days.

I think that I am giving up now on planting yellow neck and zucchini since this is the third year that I have grown great foliage only to have the plants destruct before the sight of any vegetable. I did however get three beautiful straight neck yellow squash. The plant itself had grown rigorously from the small seedling that I started in the cold frame. They had survived the month long stretch uncovered in the garden after the cold frame theft. See blog entry, March 27, 2010 for details. I had babied them along in the garden, suspiciously wondering if in fact they would make it. How did the real pioneers manage crop failure? It was a matter of life and death, whether or not your family lived or starved. Me, I'll just buy my veggies at the farmer's market or grocery where someone else has figured out how to keep off squash bugs. But, what was it truly like back them?

On the internet, I did find a few ways to control squash bugs. One being physically picking off the bugs, another being better variety selection as there seems to be certain varieties more or less susceptible to the pest. Planting catnip, tansy, radishes, nasturtiums, marigolds, bee balm and mint may help repel the bug to some degree. As well as by adding to the garden environment natural enemies of the bugs like spiders and ground beetles and other beneficial insects that might curb the population. Me, I have determined my solution to pest control, I just won't plant them next year and use that precious garden space for something a little bit more pest hardy and heat loving like okra or eggplant. I love my summer squash, so I will see you at the local farmer's market instead!

Agarita Farms

Last Saturday I went out to a friend's farm in Fredricksburg, Texas just 90 miles west of Austin in the spectacular Hill Country. I bribed my 14 year old daughter with ten bucks and dinner to join me. We made out way west listening to Blink 182 and reading the latest Seventeen magazine. Two hours later, we meet Tom and Bev Carnes at their home on the 365 acre family farm around 4:00. Tommy is a high school friend of mine from Denton where we graduated a year apart. I found him on Facebook and was curious about his farming life.

The end of May is hot and humid, but there were a few clouds in the sky that kept the sun from constantly beating down on us as we toured the crops, some fading out while others were just getting started. Unlike my backyard garden, Tommy has rows and vast varieties of veggies I only have a few each of. I really liked the mixed lettuce garden that he lets go to seed in the summer so it can reseed itself in the fall when things cool down.

He and Bev have been selling their vegetables at the local Fredricksburg Farmer's Market on Thursdays making about $200 a week. No, the farm does not support them, rather Tom hangs a shingle in Kerrville where he practices law. Bev works on the farm and helps manage Tom's financials and books guests into their two farm-stay cottages at the far end of the property and works part time as a speech pathologist. It's a two person operation, work is slow, but there is always new innovations while they learn through trial and error.

Grazing on diverse meadows and pastures are some 100 plus Jacob and Navajo sheep. They raise them to sell and for their coats. Shearing took place a few weeks ago, and yes I did bring home both a Jacob and Navajo fleece, but that is another entry on another day.

I plan on returning to Agarita Farms to encourage and support these two hard working folks while they create more sustainability for themselves and others. For more information you can reach them at http://www.agaritacreek.com/

Lazy Blogger

OK, so are you still a blogger even though you haven't blogged in over a month or more?? My day job, teaching art to 180- 6th, 7th and 8th graders and full time parenting of two teenagers has kept me busy, but enough with the excuses.

Garden update- Well, a few of the seedlings that survived the stolen cold frame (see 3/27 blog - The Cold Frame) were planted. I did go to my local nursery for summertime favorites like eggplant and cucumbers. And after only 7 weeks in the ground I ate my first cuke. Tonight I will harvest from the garden for a first of the season mini feast, some eggplant, green beans, a cuke, tiny pear tomatoes and some swiss chard.

The onions that my son planted last October were finally pulled and a friend made some green onion kim chee. For fun and color, I planted some zinnias and nasturtium flowers. Growing up in upstate New York, my mom saved us a bed that we seeded with zinnias for summer cut flowers and I have always enjoyed their hardy color in the heat of the summer.

The yellow neck and zucchini plants are huge. They were seedlings that made it out of the cold frame that last month. They were the easiest to start from seeds, but I still hold my breath as the flowers bloom and die off and wonder if they will ever actually turn into squash or mysteriously die or not even grow before the harvest. Last year rolly polly bugs enjoyed them before we ever got a chance to see the squash grow. I tried treating them with diatomaceous earth, but it was too late. The bugs had been in the compost I spread and they did what they were supposed to do which is devour and decompose everything in sight. This year, I spread out the compost on the soil for about 2 weeks before I tilled it into the soil, so the bugs could wander off to find new food or be eaten themselves by birds. That seemed to do the trick and I don't have them in them in the garden. Tilling in diatomaceous earth might have been a good preventative as well.

I have many part time pioneering projects this summer planned. With only 2 more days of school left and 2 ½ months of vacation, I am looking forward to spending time doing the things I love. Next, a four chicken backyard coop. I have only been talking about this for over a year. After that I'll be making and installing another rain barrel. Later today, I'll be heading out to Agarita Farms in Fredricksburg, Texas. This family farm is owned by a high school friend and his wife in the picturesque Hill Country about 90 miles west of Austin. You can check out the farm at www.agaritacreek.com or on Facebook.

Native Plants

It's official. Between the twenty plus days of 105° heat last summer and the 20° hard freeze of this winter I have lost a dozen plants in my xeriscape yard. Purple Fountain Grass, Plumbago, Milkweed and even a Crepe Myrtle to name a few of the casualties. For the past ten years in both Florida and Texas I have dug up grass and replaced it with a water-wise landscape. I love the variety, texture and color of the native plants, grasses and flowers. Why have short green grass that you have to water, edge and mow when you can trade it for continuous flowering and minimal maintenance? The annual mulching, which I have yet to do, follows a rigorous weeding and cutting back. The spring rains hasten new growth and the heat of the summer brings it into bloom.

However for the last four years since I moved to Texas, we have broken all sorts of weather records. Wettest summer. Driest summer. Coldest winter. Longest days with rain. Almost the longest days of heat. You name it, we've had it. There is one plant out of all my plants that doesn't seem to mind the vast disparity of fluctuating weather conditions. That winner would be the humble beauty, salvia greggii, also known as Autumn Sage. It shows up red, pink, white or coral and practically blooms continuously. If you brush up next to it, it smells strongly of its herby cousin. These hardy evergreens will stand up to extreme weather and soil conditions and survive on the craggiest hillsides in a variety of terrains.

Here in Texas and and in Florida, both counties put out helpful books through cooperative extension centers that list appropriate native and adaptive plants for the area. In Central Texas go to www.growgreen.org or to your nearest local native nursery. Talk with someone who is knowledgeable about your soil and weather conditions and who will encourage and not discourage you to get rid of your grass and replace it with native and adaptive plants.

Bluebonnet Blanket

Right about the time of Spring Break and South by Southwest around mid March I start scouring the sides of the highways and checking the weather report. I scan the grassy edges and medium of Mopac just hoping to catch a glimpse of the first brave bluebonnet beginning to bloom. The early risers begin to show after it rains and I am amazed beyond belief because within a day or two, carpets of bluebonnets blanket the byways. It's hard to keep my eyes on the road and not get into a wreck. I can't stop looking at the flowers because they are SO FREAKIN' BEAUTIFUL. Each new patch appears more stunning than the last. How can that be? A purplish shag carpet of nature's beauty hanging out on the side of the road.

Thank you Lady Bird and Mother Nature for your ongoing symphony that begins when the days start to warm and the nights are still cool and continues on through the dog days of summer and beyond. They are Texas Paintbrush, Mexican Blanket, Prairie Phlox, Pink Evening Primrose, Black-eyed Susan to name just a few since there are more than 48 varieties in the Hill Country alone. Each flower blooms at its own special time to keep me amused and amazed and make me smile. The wildflowers bloom without knowing how beautiful they really are and how happy they make me. What Grace.

The Cold Frame

I decided that this year instead of buying $3.00 transplants for my garden I would try growing my own from seeds. I have in the past grown lettuce, radishes, beets and snow peas from seeds, but have relied on store bought transplants for that extra pre-planting growing time. I don't have anywhere indoors that I could set up a shelves, nor is there any great direct lighting through a window, so I decided that I would build a cold frame.

A cold frame is basically a sloping box with a glass or plexi lid. Historically it was used in conjunction with a greenhouse as a place to put plants to harden off before planting. The temperature in the cold frame is generally 10-15 degrees warmer than the outdoor temperature, so my early planting in the cold frame would be protected from the cold night air and any early spring cold fronts that move through the area.

I was using it to grow seedlings for transplanting after the last frost date of mid-April. A friend of mine and my son made the cold frame on a Saturday afternoon in February and I was thrilled to set it up and start sowing. The ideal location for it was a southwestern wall of my house butted up against the foundation for warmth. Placed near the garage door so when I left in the morning I could check on the seeds and water them. Diligently nurturing them daily, they began to sprout. Success or at least the beginning stages.

A month went by, some seeds were growing better than others. Cantaloupe, gourds and zucchini were the early runners, with strong and thick stems. Eggplant, peppers and tomatoes seemed to be little, struggling wisps of green. As the days got warmer, I was sure to vent the top of the box so that the interior of the cold frame did not get to steamy.

Then one morning I went out to water and the cold frame was gone. My seedlings where unprotected and dumped over, dirt spilling out. I was pissed. I had not even taken a picture of it yet since I was waiting for the seedlings to grow a bit more before I blogged about it. Had someone taken it who needed it more than me to grow a garden to feed their family? Was someone just lazy and did not want to build one themselves? Was it some kid who was going to use it to make a window in their fort? That's what my son thought.

Two days later, a cold front moved in with 30 degree weather and chilling winds. I had to bring the plants into the house for 2 days. I have since moved them out into the garden. I put plastic bins over them at night to protect them from the cold night air. Don't know if they will make it to planting, I'll probably end up making a visit to the nursery for transplants, but at least I know that I tried.

Next winter when I build my cold frame again, I am going to put it in the same place and bolt it to the foundation.