How to Grow Parsnips ParsnipsParsnips, Pastinaca sativa, belong to the Apiaceae family of plants, which includes other commonly grown vegetables and herbs such as carrots, celery, anise, coriander, dill, fennel, lovage, parsley, angelica, caraway, cumin, and more. The Pastinaca genus includes 13 other species of plants, but the parsnip is the most well-known. Parsnips resemble white carrots but often grow bigger, although they can get woody if allowed to grow too big. Like carrots, parsnips become sweeter following a few weeks of cold temperatures, and most people prefer them this way. Parsnips are very cold-hardy, and I have harvested parsnips that were overwintered in central Wisconsin, zone 4, that were still delicious. In rare cases, parsnip foliage can cause a rash, sometimes severe, due to its phototoxicity, so it is recommended to wear long sleeves, long pants, and gloves, particularly on sunny days, and wash after any contact with the leaves. Parsnips are a biennial so they will set seed in their second year of growth after they have overwintered for a season. Unless you are saving seeds, you would grow them like an annual. Parsnips are often roasted or steamed and served with butter. They can also be mashed and served like mashed potatoes or mixed with potatoes. My favorite way to eat parsnips is roasted with other root vegetables and served with balsamic vinegar drizzled over them. Parsnips have a sweet, nutty flavor and are higher in fiber and lower in carbohydrates than potatoes. Parsnip VarietiesI have grown “Hollow Crown” parsnips for years, an open-pollinated, heirloom variety. Except for one year when root rot took over, likely caused by a fungus that causes parsnip canker, I have had great success with this variety. In the summer of 2024, we had record-breaking rains, but since I grew my parsnips in raised beds, the water drained well and I had the biggest parsnips I had ever grown, some reaching 4 inches or more across at the top of their root, which honestly made them a little woody. This year I am trying the “Harris Model” parsnip variety, also open-pollinated, in addition to “Hollow Crown”. “White Spear” and “Andover” are two more open-pollinated varieties that are commonly available. Parsnips have mostly performed well for me in the garden, so I have never felt the need to try hybrid varieties but F1 hybrid options include “Albion”, “Dagger”, “Javelin”, “Panorama”, and “Warrior”. “Warrior” has some resistance to canker and “Javelin” has high resistance, so they are good varieties if you consistently have root rot in your parsnips.  "Hollow Crown" variety of parsnip. How to Grow ParsnipsParsnips require a long growing season; many varieties take up to 120 days. However, they store extremely well either in the ground over winter or in the refrigerator. Parsnip seeds can be difficult to germinate, and it is recommended to soak seeds for 24 hours before sowing. Be sure to keep the soil moist until germination occurs, which can take up to 4 weeks. Parsnip seeds are one of the few types of seeds that do not maintain their germination ability for long so it is recommended that you buy new seeds every year. Once germinated, thinning and weeding are recommended but otherwise, they are very low maintenance. Weeding is also minimal once the foliage grows and shades the area. Like carrots, parsnips require loose soil without rocks or hard clumps of soil as these can cause forking in the roots. They prefer full sun but can tolerate some shade. I prefer to plant my parsnips in a raised bed to provide a deep, loose, fertile soil to grow them. Ideally, you should work the soil to a depth of 2 feet, but I generally do not get any deeper than 12 inches. Although you want fertile soil you do not want too much nitrogen, or the plants will focus on vegetative growth (the tops will grow too much) and not grow very big roots. Although parsnips can tolerate cold weather the seeds will germinate best if the soil is at least 50-60°F. A cheap soil thermometer is very helpful when deciding when to plant spring crops. Plant the seeds about ½ inch deep and keep them moist until germination occurs. The recommendation is to plant parsnips in rows, 18-24 inches apart but in my raised beds I grow plants in blocks. I thin my parsnips to 2-4 inches apart (clipping them with scissors is preferable to pulling), and if the soil is fertile enough, I get very large roots, even with close spacing and no rows. Reduce watering when you get closer to harvest to try to prevent cracking and spitting roots. In the summer of 2024, we had massive amounts of rain and although the roots grew the largest I have ever seen, they also split more than usual. Ideally, harvest after at least a couple of weeks of cold weather for optimal flavor. You can also mulch well to overwinter the roots. If you do overwinter you will want to harvest early before new growth starts and they go to seed, making the roots woody. References and Resources
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Elderberry Wine Finished elderberry wine is more red than traditional grape wine. ElderberriesTwo different species of elderberries are native to the United States. It is the black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) which is edible and used to make wine. Elderberries are large bushes that are easy to grow. If you do not have room to grow elderberries you can buy elderberries, usually dried. If you would like to learn more about elderberries, please see my previous article. Elderberry WineIn my opinion, elderberry wine is one of the few fruit wines that is as good as wine made from grapes. Although I have made wine from other fruits, and they can be great as a daily drinker, most fruits do not make amazing wine. Although this is a fairly straightforward recipe, if you are new to fermenting, I recommend checking out my blog post on “The Basics of Fermenting Wine” and feel free to message me with any questions. Steam Juicing ElderberriesThe first step in making fruit wine is to break open the fruit to release the juice for fermentation. Softer fruit is relatively easy to crush with a handheld potato masher, wooden spoon, or even a sauerkraut pounder. More firm fruit like apples or Aronia berries or very tiny fruit like elderberries can be difficult to crush. In these cases, I often use a steam juicer to heat the berries, which breaks them open and releases the juice. This also releases the color from the skins into the juice so when you ferment there is no need to worry about punching down the skins to get good color extraction. I also like to cook elderberries to inactivate the residual cyanogenic glycoside in the berries. However, many people do not cook elderberries before fermenting them. Ripe elderberries have fewer toxic compounds than unripe berries, so if you choose not to heat your elderberries make sure you get out as many unripe berries and stem pieces as possible. If you do not want to heat your elderberries but instead ferment them raw, you can freeze-thaw them, which will help break open the berries to release the juice. To steam juice, you add the fruit to the top colander-type compartment. Add water to the bottom of the juicer and start heating the fruit. Once the fruit softens and starts releasing the juice, it will flow into the middle compartment of the juicer and out of the attached tube. I collect the juice in half-gallon jars. Most juicing takes 1-2 hours to complete. Ensure that water remains in the bottom pan the entire time to avoid warping the pan. Stirring or pressing the fruit is not recommended since it can add small amounts of pulp or seeds to the juice, making it cloudy. If I plan to ferment the juice into wine, I do not care about cloudy juice since it will be clarified as it ages. Therefore, I usually stir the pulp or scoop it out, mix the pulp with a little water, and crush it with a potato masher or spoon a second time to release more color and juice. I then add the pulp and water back to the top of the juicer and let the steam extract a little more juice. This will add water to the juice, but I usually add a little water to my fruit wines anyway. The general rule of thumb is 3-5 pounds of fruit per gallon of wine although there is nothing wrong with using 100% juice as it will make a more flavorful wine. Once you have extracted as much juice as possible, let the juice cool (I put the jar in cool water in the sink to cool it down faster, being careful not to crack the jar) before starting your fermentation. You can also refrigerate or freeze the juice to ferment later. Elderberries before removing stems (left), elderberries after cleaning (center), and elderberry-Marquette grape juice ready to ferment (right). Making Elderberry Wine In the fall of 2024, we juiced almost 15 pounds of elderberries and collected nearly 2 gallons of juice. We used the juice to make a 3-gallon batch of wine. The starting pH was 4.15 and Brix (percent sugar) was 5.8. I added sugar (roughly 1 gram of sugar per 100 grams of juice to raise the Brix by 1% to get a final Brix of 23.4 which should give an alcohol content of ~12.8% (multiply the Brix by 0.55 to get a rough alcohol percentage). I also adjusted the pH to 3.51 which is more in line with red wine (pH of 3.3-3.6 is recommended). A lower pH will increase the wine's stability and storage time. The total acidity (TA) measured 6.0 g/L. My recipe is below:
I did not add a Campden tablet since the juice was sterilized from steam juicing but if you add one, wait 24 hours before pitching your yeast. I used Lalvin Bourgovin RC212 yeast which works well for me. This yeast is typically used to ferment red wines, has an alcohol tolerance of up to 16%, and ferments at 64-86°F. Other yeast options include Red Star Premier Rouge (64-86°F; 14% alcohol tolerance) or Lalvin EC-1118 (50-86°F; 18% alcohol tolerance). I fermented the juice in a 5-gallon bucket with an airlock. The airlock started bubbling the next day and continued to bubble for about 2 weeks, indicating fermentation was occurring. If you do not see bubbling it is likely that there is a leak in your lid, if you see bubbles rise to the surface when stirring the wine, fermentation is likely occurring. After a few days, I added Fermaid O nutrient to boost fermentation. When fermentation slowed, I racked the wine into a 3-gallon glass carboy. The pH was 3.45. After racking, I added 1.5 Campden tablets. I racked again a month later. The pH was 3.56, the TA was 8.5 g/L, and the sulfites were low, so I added 2 more Campden tablets. I also added 50 grams of medium toast French oak cubes. The recommendation from the oak cube manufacturer is to oak for 3-4 months. I will rack approximately every three months and bottle after about 1 year. In previous years, my elderberry wine had a floral aroma, similar to elderflower liqueur. This year I changed the fermentation ingredients and once the aging is complete, I hope to compare my 2023 wine with my 2024 wine to see if the changes improved the wine and also see how both batches age over time. In 2023 I used plain pectic enzyme instead of Lallzyme EX, I used a generic yeast nutrient instead of the GoFerm Protect Evolution, and I did not add extra nutrients a few days into the ferment. This was also the first year I used OptiRed and FT Rouge.  Our finished elderberry wine from 2023. ConclusionElderberry wine is one of the best wines I have made. Our 2023 vintage is still young so I hope it will continue to improve with age. It does benefit to open it about an hour before drinking to let it breathe. I will continue to update this post as I follow both the 2023 and 2024 vintages, and future vintages over time. Elderberries Our chickens enjoy hanging out under the elderberry bushes in the summer. These elderberry bushes were planted naturally by wild birds that roost in the spruce trees (not shown) behind the bushes. There are two elderberry species (Sambucus genus) native to the United States, although there are at least 20 species worldwide plus various subspecies. Sambucus racemosa or the red elderberry is found throughout most of the United States and Canada. However, it is absent or rare in many southern states (grows in zones 3-7) from Texas to Florida, extending north into Nebraska in the west and South Carolina in the east (see BONAP map). Sambucus nigra or the black elderberry is found throughout the United States (except for Alaska) and much of Canada (see BONAP map) and grows in zones 3-9. S. nigra is also known as the common elderberry or S. canadensis, and some consider S. canadensis a subspecies of S. nigra. The elderberry is a fast-growing bush that grows 6-12 feet tall and can spread prolifically by seed due to birds eating the fruit. Elderberries prefer moist soil and often grow in edge habitat in full or partial shade. However, most elderberries are adaptable to full sun, and our best-producing black elderberry bush is in full sun but growing at the edge of our pond, so in very moist soil. The red elderberry plant, including stems, roots, leaves, seeds, and berries, is toxic. The berries may be edible when cooked, but I have read conflicting information about their edibility, and most sources agree they should not be eaten. Both red and black elderberries contain cyanogenic glycoside, which is metabolized, once ingested, into hydrogen cyanide. This can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. I suspect, although I have not been able to find a research paper that tested this, that red elderberries may contain higher levels of the cyanogenic glycosides or other toxic compounds, making them inedible. The color of the berries is the easiest way to differentiate the red elderberry from the more commonly eaten black elderberry. When ripe, red elderberries are red and black elderberries are dark purple/black. Where I live in central Wisconsin, zone 4, red elderberries ripen first while black elderberries do not ripen until August/September. Another way to differentiate the two plants is that the red elderberry inflorescence (flower cluster) tends to be more cone-shaped, leading to cone-shaped clusters of berries. The black elderberry inflorescence is flat and round, distinctly different from the red. The black elderberry plant is also toxic, including all green parts, the roots, seeds in the berries, and maybe the berries themselves. The amount of cyanogenic glycoside decreases significantly in the berries as they ripen (Appenteng et al.), so it is important to only eat ripe berries. Although many people report being able to eat the berries raw, it is best practice to cook the berries before consumption, which significantly inactivates the remaining compounds that cause toxicity. Elderberry UsesThe berries from the black elderberry plant are generally used to make syrups, jams, and wine, although canning jelly/jam must be done with caution due to them having a less acidic pH than was previously known. A recent study discovered that the average pH of elderberries is 4.92 with a range of 4.73-5.19, making them not safe for canning as was previously thought. The cutoff for canning low-acid fruits is 4.6, although most recipes are designed to measure significantly lower to account for variation in the ripeness (and hence acidity) of fruit. However, there is one recipe, tested by the University of Wisconsin Extension, which if followed exactly, can be used to make elderberry jelly or jam. Many people believe that black elderberries have medicinal properties. They do have high levels of anthocyanins, like Aronia berries, which are an antioxidant. They may also have anti-microbial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties, although few well-controlled research studies have been done, and most data is anecdotal.  Elderberries we collected the summer of 2024 to ferment into elderberry wine. One of the most popular uses for elderberries to to make wine. For wine, I have always used cooked berries because I use a steam juicer to easily extract the juice, rather than trying to mash the tiny berries. However, many wine recipes use raw berries, I assume this is safe because the seeds will drop out of solution during fermentation and when you rack the wine you will leave the seeds (the toxic part of the berry) behind. The process of fermentation may also neutralize the toxins. Although I prefer to use cooked berries to eliminate any possibility that the toxic compounds will leach out of the seeds or out of any contaminating stems (the stems that attach to each berry is fern-like and difficult to separate from the berries), I would like to ferment a non-cooked elderberry wine to compare the resulting wines. One disadvantage of cooking is that it can change the taste of the wine and release aromatic compounds that you may want to keep in the wine. That being said, my elderberry wine from cooked juice is delicious (blog post coming soon on making elderberry wine)! ConclusionWhether you want to make elderberry jam, syrup, or wine, or simply want to plant elderberries to provide food for the birds, I highly recommend planting a few of these native bushes. Although they can grow large for a bush, they can easily be pruned to keep them smaller. Once established, you can even cut them to the ground and they will re-sprout from the base of the trunk. References and Resources
Top Books on Lactic Acid FermentationLactic acid fermentation, or lacto-fermentation, is a commonly used fermentation technique to make many foods including sauerkraut, kimchi, cheese, yogurt, kombucha, and more. Lactic acid fermentation uses mostly lactic acid bacteria, often wild, not cultured, unlike alcoholic fermentation which uses yeast. For more information on lactic acid fermentation please visit my previous blog post. Although you can get tons of information online, in blogs, Facebook groups, and more, I still enjoy having books on certain topics. The following two books are the top two I own on fermentation, although I have several more in my to-buy list that I have heard great things about. 1. The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René Redzepi & David Zilber This is a comprehensive guide to fermentation written by two chefs. René Redzepi is the co-owner of Noma, a Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen. David Zilber is the director of the fermentation lab at Noma. They cover common ferments such as lacto-fermented vegetables, kombucha, and vinegar, as well as less common ferments such as koji (rice or soybeans inoculated with a fungus, Aspergillus oryzae), miso (soybeans with koji), shoyu (soy sauce), and more. In addition to numerous recipes, this book also contains background and historical information about many ferments. This guide does not contain any dairy, meat, or bread ferments. 2. The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz The Art of Fermentation is another comprehensive guide to fermentation by Sandor Katz, a food writer and fermentation expert. This book covers the background and benefits of fermentation, typical lacto-ferments, and necessary equipment but also, alcoholic, milk, bread, and meat fermentation. The author also wrote a popular book, Wild Fermentation, which is on my to-buy list. Top Books on Growing FruitAlthough I am relatively new to growing fruit on my own property (almost 10 years), my grandfather and great-grandfather were fruit farmers in the mountains of north-central Pennsylvania. I did not help maintain the fruit trees and bushes, but I did help pick. From the time I could walk, I would pick raspberries (mostly) and also currants, cherries, apples, and peaches. Every other morning in the summer, my sisters and I would wake up at 6 am to bike to my grandfather's farm to pick fruit. My parents also maintained fruit trees, grapes, raspberries, and blackberries on our own relatively small 4-acre lot. At my first house, in a small lot outside New York City, we planted a few blueberry bushes but only picked a couple berries before we moved to central Wisconsin. Since moving, we have planted almost 30 fruit trees (we will go over 30 this spring), blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, honeyberries, cranberries, and lingonberries. I guess growing fruit is in my blood, and even though we struggle with pests and diseases, the first apple you bite into each fall makes it all worthwhile. 1. From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes & Making Your Own Wine by Jeff Cox This is a good resource for growing grapes. However, it mostly focuses on the Vitis vinifera varieties, the classic wine varieties that grow in warmer zones (generally 6-9). This book does not cover the unique challenges of northern grape growers (like me in zone 4) when growing Vitis labrusca or hybrid varieties for wine. However, this is still a useful resource as it covers planning, trellising, pruning techniques, pest control, fertilization, and more. 2. The Fruit Gardener’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruits and Nuts in the Home Garden by Lewis Hill and Leonard Perry The Fruit Gardener’s Bible is an all-in-one resource for growing many different types of fruits, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, cherries, and nuts. It even includes information about less common fruits such as elderberries, currants, gooseberries, and lingonberries. However, this book does not cover citrus fruits. I probably use this book the most to learn about pruning techniques for each type of fruit but it also covers planting, fertilizing, pests, and more. Squash, Pumpkin, and Gourd Varieties
​The Cucurbita genus, the focus of this blog post, includes squash, pumpkins, and gourds. Species in the Cucurbita genus include C. argyrosperma, C. ficifolia, C. maxima, C. moschata, and C. pepo. Some gourds, such as the Birdhouse gourds, belong to the Lagenaria siceraria species. These gourds have a tough, almost rectangular seed that differs from typical squash, pumpkin, and gourd species seeds. For more information on these species in the Cucurbita genus, please see my previous blog post.
​This post listed many commonly available varieties of summer squash, winter squash, pumpkins, and gourds and I hope to add more as I try more varieties. These charts can be used as a reference guide to determine if the varieties are open-pollinated (OP) or hybrid (F1), their days to maturity, the species they belong to, and various notes on the variety that may be of interest. Please note that days to maturity are only a ballpark number. The number of days can change depending on a particular microclimate, the weather, and other environmental factors. The species each variety belongs to is important if you are planting more than one variety of the same species and wish to save seed. I also differentiated between pumpkins and winter squash. Although this is somewhat arbitrary, I organized the pumpkins into a group including those with the traditional pumpkin shape. While all the winter squash listed are edible, only some pumpkins are edible. Some pumpkins, while technically edible, would not be tasty.
Summer Squash/Zucchini Varieties
Winter Squash Varieties
Pumpkin Varieties
Gourd Varieties
Many gourd seeds come in mixes so specific variety names are not always available but rather the name of the mix.
 If you have good soil, carrots are easy to grow and store well. Gardening to Save MoneyVictory gardens were planted during World War I and World War II by many countries, including the United States, to supplement the food supply during uncertain times. During the COVID pandemic, people again turned to gardening to supplement their food when prices skyrocketed. Gardening also helps boost morale and provides stress relief during worrying times. Vegetable gardening provides exercise to help manage stress but also gives people something tangible they can do that makes them feel more in control. Given the uncertainty and increasing prices in the United States and the world today, I predict people will again turn to gardening this spring. Some may start a garden for the first time while others may increase the size of their current garden to save money. But does gardening save you money? It depends. I consider gardening a hobby and do not expect it to pay for itself. Like other hobbies, gardening costs money, but with this hobby, you can get a return on your investment. Although I stick to a budget, I also enjoy trying new seed varieties so I tend to buy more seeds even when I already have plenty of other varieties I could plant. That being said, I did not always have the budget I do now to buy seeds and other gardening materials, so I’ve had some practice gardening on a budget. How to Garden on a BudgetTomatoes, lettuce, and peppers are prolific and fairly easy to grow. Peppers can be frozen without blanching. Tomatoes are often canned but can be dehydrated or frozen as well. SoilIf you have decently fertile land, the cheapest way to garden is to plant in the ground. Unless you want to hand dig the soil using a broad fork, you may want to invest in borrowing, renting, or buying a tiller, at least for the first time you turn over the soil. If your area to garden is currently covered by sod you may want to put down a tarp or plastic sheet to kill the grass before you dig. If you do not have good soil, using a raised bed is the best, but not always the cheapest option. If your soil is terrible, it is likely more cost-effective to build raised beds and fill them with soil than try to repair the ground that could be compacted, too sandy, or have too much clay. For more information on raised beds see my blog post here. Another option is to rent a community garden plot. If you share that plot with someone you can split the costs and the labor (but also the food). Even if you use an in-ground garden you should supplement the soil with compost or other amendments. Start saving your vegetable scraps, as soon as possible, to start a compost pile. The cheapest option is to compost on the ground, but you can buy a composter if you want it off the ground or in a container. We produce so much compost we keep it in a large pile on the ground. If you know someone who raises animals you can likely get manure for free, ideally it should be composted for at least 6 months before using it to reduce possible pathogen load. We get free horse manure from a neighbor. Horse manure isn’t the best due to the presence of weed seeds, but it is free. Rabbit, chicken, duck, cow, goat, and sheep manure are all great options. Seeds and PlantsIf you are new to gardening, I would suggest starting small. Buy only the seeds or plants that you think you will use the most. Gardens can quickly become overwhelming, and the cost of seeds or plants can add up. Some seed companies sell mixed gift bags at the end of the season, much cheaper than regular seeds (True Leaf Market and MIgardener). You may also be able to get free seeds from seed swaps, local gardening sites online, or on a local “buy nothing” group. Heirloom seeds tend to be much cheaper than hybrid seeds but depending on your location, disease-resistant or bolt-resistant hybrid seeds might be worth the extra cost. I have much better luck with hybrid broccoli and cauliflower than I do with open-pollinated, but with peppers and tomatoes, I mostly buy heirlooms. If you are confused about the differences between types of seeds, (you aren’t alone!) see my post on Open-Pollinated, Heirloom, Hybrid, and GMO Seeds. One other advantage of heirloom seeds is that you can save seeds from your plants and eliminate having to buy more seeds in the future. This is easiest for self-pollinating plants like tomatoes, peppers, and beans. Even if you do have some crossing between two different varieties, the fruit is still edible. For some plants, it is more difficult to save seed. Squashes tend to cross-pollinate and other vegetables, like carrots, are biennial and so will not set seed until the following year, which means you have to find a way to overwinter the plant. Most seeds will also last several years or longer in storage (cool and dry is best). A few types of seeds quickly lose germination ability such as onions/leeks/shallots, parsnips, and spinach so I buy these new every year. Some vegetables are better planted as seedlings and not as seeds. Most tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. are generally started early indoors and then planted outside when they are bigger. Starting seeds on your own saves you the cost of buying plants but it does cost money to buy pots, soil, and lights. It also takes quite a bit of time. See my post on The Basics of Seed Starting if you want to learn more. Buying pre-started seedlings has also gotten more expensive. We have Amish greenhouses nearby that have better prices than most traditional greenhouses or big box stores. If your growing season is long enough you can also delay buying plants until they go on sale near the end of the planting season. Another option is to check Facebook Marketplace. Many people who start seeds sell extra plants that are more affordable than traditional plant nurseries. I usually set up a roadside stand in the spring and give my extra tomato and pepper plants away for free. I will take donations if someone wants to donate but that isn’t necessary. Winter squash and summer squash are prolific and easy to grow. Winter squash also store well in a cool, but not refrigerated, space. What to GrowIf you want to get the most bang for your buck, I recommend growing vegetables that are easy to grow and prolific. I have great luck growing kale, Swiss chard, cabbage, peppers (bell peppers tend to produce less), tomatoes, beans, summer squash, beets, carrots, and winter squash. Lettuce and mustard greens are also easy to grow as long as it doesn’t get too hot. Some more difficult vegetables, at least for me, are cauliflower and broccoli (they also take up quite a bit of space), turnips/rutabagas, spinach, corn, and Chinese cabbage. Space is also a consideration. If you only have a small area and want to grow winter squash, consider bushy or compact varieties. Maintaining a GardenOnce you have the garden planted the biggest cost is your labor. Weeding and thinning are time-consuming but necessary. I recommend making seed tapes (see my blog here). This reduces seed waste, and the time needed to thin. You can buy seed tapes but they are more expensive than regular seed. To reduce weeding, I mulch everything. This also reduces the need for water. I use cardboard boxes and wood chips in the aisles to keep weeds down and shredded (non-glossy) paper and grass clippings (no herbicides) around plants. If you add lots of compost to your garden before planting, you may not need to fertilize much throughout the season since compost releases nutrients slowly. Otherwise, you can buy fertilizer. I tend to fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer for my fruiting plants or a nitrogen-based fertilizer for my greens. All-purpose fertilizers are fairly cheap but if you want organic, this will dramatically increase the cost. Harvesting and PreservingThe best way to get the most out of your garden is to preserve your extra produce. There are multiple options available. The easiest and cheapest is to freeze your produce. This generally requires a large pot or steamer for blanching (some vegetables like onions and peppers do not need blanching) to maintain the best quality in the freezer. A vacuum sealer is also handy as is an extra freezer, but these come with extra costs. If you do not have much freezer space and cannot afford a second freezer then dehydration and canning are good options. Check out my post on Dehydrating Food for more detailed information. Dehydration requires you to purchase a dehydrator, some are expensive, but you can get a decent starter one for about $50. Dehydrating vegetables also generally requires blanching beforehand. Canning is the third option but the most expensive. You must buy jars, lids, and a large pot or steam canner for high-acid foods or a pressure canner for low-acid foods. Much of this you may be able to buy used (buy lids new as they cannot be reused except for Tattler and Harvest Guard brands which can be trickier to use). Do not buy an electric pressure canner or use an Instapot for pressure canning. Thus far no electric pressure canner has passed third-party testing, and they are expensive. A Presto stove-top canner with a weight is a great option if you are just starting, and costs about $80-$90. See my blog post on Safe Home Canning for more information. One last option for preserving food is to plant vegetables that store well. Many winter squash and storage onions will last for months in cool, dry storage. Carrots, parsnips, and cabbage will also store well in a refrigerator or root cellar if you are lucky enough to have one. ConclusionsGardening on a budget is possible but may take more planning. Look for sales on gardening tools, fertilizers, potting soil, seeds, etc. Buy the minimum amount to get started and slowly add more over time. In my opinion, spending your money on soil health is the best investment you can make. This will directly affect how much produce you get from your garden plot.  Swiss chard is easy to grow and freezes well. Top Books on PoultryStorey’s Guides are probably the most popular series of books for beginners to learn about caring for animals. Not surprisingly, all my recommendations are either Storey’s Guides or books from authors who also write Storey’s Guides. 1. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow This is an all-purpose guide on how to raise chickens, both egg layers and meat birds. It includes information on breeds, nutrition, and common health concerns. Once we decided to raise chickens in addition to ducks, this was the first chicken book I bought. 2. Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks by Dave Holderread This book is a great guide on how to raise ducks. Although there are some similarities, caring for ducks differs from raising chickens. Ducks have different nutritional requirements, need access to deeper water than chickens when they eat, and more. This book highlights everything you need to know before and after getting ducks. Another great resource is the Metzer Farms Hatchery website. Metzer Farms has specialized in waterfowl for decades and the amount of information on breeds, nutrition, health issues and basic care reflects that expertise. 3. Storey’s Guide to Raising Turkeys by Don Schrider Like the Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens, this is all-purpose book provides the basics you need to get started with turkeys. Raising turkeys is different and more challenging than raising chickens as the poults are more delicate than chicks and we found turkeys are more curious and get into more trouble. 4. Storey’s Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds by Carol Ekarius Aside from the information provided on breeds in this book, it is worth buying for the pictures alone. They are fantastic! Although the book does not cover every breed of bird it does a great job highlighting the most common breeds of chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. It also has a section on less common birds such as guinea fowl, ostrich, emu, peafowl, quail, swan, partridge, dove, pigeon, and pheasant. 5. The Chicken Health Handbook: A Complete Guide to Maximizing Flock Health and Dealing with Disease by Gail Damerow The Chicken Health Handbook is a comprehensive guide to health issues you may encounter when raising chickens. It gives more details on nutrition and diseases caused by parasites, worms, protozoa, bacteria, and viruses. Most people who raise chickens do not live near a veterinarian that specializes in birds and unless a chicken is a pet many people are not willing to spend money on veterinary care. This book helps you diagnose problems and gives you guidance on how to treat birds on your own.   Top Books on Alcohol Fermentation: Wine and Cider1. From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes & Making Your Own Wine by Jeff Cox In addition to covering information on making wine, this book also covers grape growing. Although this is a great beginner's guide to growing grapes and making wine at home, it mostly focuses on the Vitis vinifera varieties, the classic wine varieties that grow in warmer zones (generally 6-9). It does not cover the particular challenges that northern grape growers have (like me in zone 4) when growing Vitis labrusca or hybrid varieties for wine. 2. Techniques in Home Winemaking: The Comprehensive Guide to Making Château-Style Wines by Daniel Pambianchi This is a great, detailed book on making wine and includes much of the science behind the process. I also like that the author is Canadian and therefore has experience working with grapes in colder climates. He also runs two Facebook pages and has an informative website containing free calculators and guides to help winemakers. If you are new to winemaking, I would recommend starting with another of his books, “The Beginner’s Guide to Making Wine from Juice and Grapes” which is better for those just starting to make wine. Also, on my “to buy” list is his updated book, “Modern Home Winemaking: A Guide to Making Consistently Great Wines.” 3. The New Cider Maker’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Craft Producers by Claude Jolicoeur This book is the first I have purchased regarding making hard apple cider. Our apple trees have just started producing the past two years and we have started making ciders as we do not have the storage space for bushels of apples. This book includes descriptions of some of the classic cider apple varieties as well as a detailed description of crushing and fermenting the cider. I have several other cider books on my “to buy” list but this book is a great resource. Chamomile: Roman versus GermanCommon names of plants can be confusing because many plants have more than one common name and their usage can vary by location. Different plants can also have the same common name. Chamomile is one such name. There are two commonly propagated chamomile species plus many other wild chamomile species and although they share a common name, they are not all in the same genus. The two commonly grown/used chamomile species are German chamomile or Matricaria recutita, also known as M. chamomilla, and Roman chamomile or Chamaemelum nobile. Although they share the common name of chamomile they belong to different genera, but do share the same family, Asteraceae, or the aster family. If you are allergic to plants related to chamomiles, including daisies, ragweed, chrysanthemums, or marigolds you may also be allergic to chamomiles. Chamomiles share a similar fragrance and flavor, often described as apple-like, and look like each other as well, although there are differences. German chamomile is probably the most well-known chamomile, commonly found in teas, especially those thought to promote sleep. Wild chamomile, or Pineappleweed (Matricaria discoidea) is native to much of the United States and Canada (BONAP map). Pineappleweed, although edible in salads or teas, is considered a weed by many and generally not cultivated. Both cultivated chamomiles have been used for their potential healing properties since Egyptian times, although most modern studies have not proven a connection. Both chamomiles grow best in full sun to partial shade and tolerate dry soils.  German chamomile from my flower garden steeping in a pot of green tea. German chamomile is native to Europe and perhaps Asia, although it now grows wild throughout much of the United States (BONAP map). It is the taller of the two commonly grown chamomiles, reaching 2-3 feet in height. It has feathery leaves and flowers that resemble daisies. German chamomile is an annual, but it will self-seed prolifically if you allow the flowers to go to seed. Because German chamomile is not a native plant, I try to limit its spread by picking the flowers soon after opening. In addition to being used in teas, German chamomile is also harvested for its essential oil which is a deep blue color, resulting in another common name of blue chamomile. Roman chamomile, also known as English chamomile, looks similar to German chamomile but it is shorter, growing up to 9 inches-1 foot in height. Roman chamomile is a perennial, hardy to zone 3 or 4, often grown as a ground cover, and some believe it has medicinal properties. The flowers are also daisy-like but grow larger than German chamomile flowers and tend to have a stronger fragrance. Roman chamomile is native to Western Europe but can now be found in parts of the United States, particularly the Northeast and California (BONAP map). German chamomile can also be used in teas and for aromatherapy. References and Resources
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AuthorIn 2016, my family and I moved from the New York City area to small town Wisconsin. Our move, this website and blog (and our previous Etsy store) is the result of our desire over the past several years to simplify our lives, increase our quality of life, reconnect with nature, and enjoy a more self-sufficient life. I grew up as a country kid in central Pennsylvania working on my grandfather's fruit farm and as a corn "de-tassler" at a local seed farm. My background is in biology where my love of nature originated. I am a former research scientist and professor and have now transitioned to a part-time stay-at-home mom, self-employed tutor, and small business owner. Thank you for taking the time to check out my site. Archives
January 2025
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