Make Do and Mend.....

Money has been tight lately; I’m sure many of you can relate. Instead of running to the store each time I think of something we need, I’ve had to instead put down the purse and search around the house to see what’s already there. And you know what I’ve learned? I usually already have what I need right at home.

It’s a skill most people have lost over the years and one I certainly need to work on. The “Make Do and Mend” motto of our great-grandparents and grandparents has been replaced with big-box store collectors and hoarders of a different kind. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bought items only to return home and realize I have two of the same item in the garage waiting to be used. Or that I could have created something with some ingenuity and some help from Pinterest. Maybe “making do” was easier than I thought.

The other day I was planning on making homemade ravioli and realized we didn’t have any ricotta cheese. My natural inclination was to plan a trip to grocery store, until I realized my wallet was bare. It was in the same moment I saw the book, “The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making” by Alana Chernila on the shelf. I popped it open and found a recipe for ricotta cheese. Milk and lemon juice; I had both. Soon I was mixing the fresh and creamy ricotta with spinach and garlic from the garden without spending a dime. And you know what? It was easy.

And I realized that this was probably what people did before. Those who lived during the Great Depression and World War II rationed, reused, saved, and upcycled* items. They grew victory gardens and kept chickens. They used what they had and they didn’t need to go to Target twice a week to survive (no offense Target, I love you!)

Many are trying to do the same thing now. We see people growing their first summer garden or trying their hand at making cheese. We see boutiques featuring recycled/upcycled items (like the lovely Embellish and Restore boutique in downtown Visalia), hundreds of Etsy stores like Appendage and Bough, and blogs showing us 50 things to do with wood pallets. It’s a sign of the times, but it’s also a sign that maybe being a throwaway society isn’t what’s best for society.

Let’s make our great-grandparents and grandparents proud. Let’s “Make Do and Mend.”

*What’s the difference between upcycling and recycling? 
I like the following definitions from Melanie J. Martin, a National Geographic.com’s Green Living writer, “Recycling means to turn waste into a reusable product or to refurbish a product for reuse. Upcycling, a particular form of recycling, involves turning waste material or an unwanted product into a better-quality product. Recycling follows the philosophy that used items can still be useful -- or provide useful materials. Upcycling aligns with this philosophy but takes it a step further, asserting that items made from recycled materials can be even more desirable than the original products.”

Chick Myths......

I’ve wanted for some time to dispel some myths related to keeping chickens. Since chickens are no longer common in most backyards, we’ve come to believe certain misconceptions about our fine, feathered friends and what happens when we keep them. I was fortunate enough to meet Kelly Lang, who along with her husband Noah and their kids grow veggies and raise chickens in Mehrten Valley. I asked Kelly about a few things people often assume about chickens.

Myth #1: Chickens are disgusting and will get you sick.

Just like with any animal, if you neglect to take care of it, the more likely it’s going to be dirty and get sick. But with proper care (no, you don’t have to clean everything every day) your chickens should stay nice and healthy. Educate yourself and your loved ones about proper maintenance and keep on the lookout for warning signs that your flock needs help. Also, wash your hands after handling or cleaning out the coop. That's just good sense people.

The Lang’s setup is quite nice. They have a large coop and two runs; one for the older hens, the other for the younger ones. And despite having a bunch of birds, the runs are both very clean since Kelly and Noah compost the droppings. “You can keep chickens in a small space, but I think they stay healthier when they have more room,” Kelly said.

Now what about that bird flu? Well, you’ll be happy to know this from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses have never been detected among wild birds, domestic poultry, or people in the United States.” Did you catch that? “Never.”

Myth #2: No rooster, no eggs.

Hens, like human women all carry eggs. No rooster needed. In fact, you only need a rooster if you’d like those eggs to become chicks. Catch my drift? So, even without those noisy roosters, hens will give you a regular supply of eggs. Kelly said their hens average about an egg a day during the most productive times of the year.

Myth #3: Chickens are loud and obnoxious.

This is only a half myth since roosters are usually the ones that are loud and obnoxious. Kelly will attest to the fact that hens are usually very quiet except for the one squawk that may follow laying an egg. And really people, compared to dogs, who will bark all night long or my neighbor who likes to have loud phone conversations at 3 a.m. on his porch, hens will be the last ones making anyone lose any sleep.

If you’re interested in raising chickens, check with your city. And then you can decide whether or not to abide by the rules (just kidding… maybe). Just do your research, make sure you have a proper set up, and then invest in a few birds. And for the sake of domestic tranquility, maybe give your neighbor some of those eggs. 

Drying the Harvest....

This week I had the special privilege of visiting the home of Gorden Corey and Cheryl McAuliffe to learn about drying (dehydrating) a variety of foods. While I’ve sun-dried tomatoes and raisins, I hadn’t really dove into the world of drying mostly because I figured it was a lot more time and work than I wanted. They showed me the opposite is true; with the right equipment drying can be easy, fast and fun.

The couple has been drying for about 25 years and started out using sulfur and old appliance frames. They also experimented using a regular oven. But soon enough, they purchased an Excalibur dehydrator and never looked back.

“I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I got this,” said Cheryl.

The dehydrator holds about 9 sq. feet of food at a time and dries items for about 8 hours at 135 degrees.

Prior to putting items in the dehydrator, Cheryl uses a couple kitchen tools to ensure each item comes out just right. She said she found the perfect tools, a mandolin slicer and Back to Basics Peel Away hand cranked machine for apples at the Exeter Mercantile. Both were impressive, especially the Peel Away machine which not only trimmed the skin, but cut apples into perfect little slices after only a few turns. For those looking to shave time off the drying process, these tools seemed indispensable.

They have collected a collection of recipes over the years and now dry everything from citrus to mushrooms they either grow themselves, receive from friends, or buy at the grocery store. They use dried foods in a variety of dishes or give them away as gifts. In addition, the couple also cans and freezes produce to preserve their bounty.

“You end up having fresh stuff available all year long,” said Gorden.

Cheryl recommends starting with the book that comes with a dehydrator for recipes and ideas and then writing down what works the best when it comes to texture and taste. She also recommends rinsing apples in pineapple juice rather than lemon juice to preserve flavor and color.

If you’d like to learn how to dry your own food, the National Center for Food Preservation has some great tips from choosing a dehydrator to sun drying. For more information visit www. nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry.html.

If you are looking for even more information there are plenty of books out there specifically on drying and dehydrating like “Making & Using Dried Food” by Phyllis Hobson  or “The Complete Guide to Drying Foods at Home: Everything You Need to Know about Preparing, Storing, and Consuming Dried Foods (Back to Basics)” by Terri Paajanen. Most books on canning and preserving the harvest will also have at least one section on drying foods so check out those too.

A special thank you to Cheryl and Gorden for the all goodies I received along with the great tips during my visit!

Permaculture.....

I apologize for my recent absence; sickness and busyness got the best of me, but I’m glad to be back. Anyway, a few weeks ago I mentioned the term “permaculture” in a column about front yard food. It essentially means, “a set of techniques and principles for designing sustainable human settlements.” A nice enough definition, but vague. So I picked up a copy of a book called “Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture” by Toby Hemenway.

I don’t mean to sound overly dramatic, but it challenged everything I thought I knew about gardening. I have spent years compartmentalizing the yard, spending a small fortune on organic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, and essentially battling Mother Nature, only to inevitably lose time and time again. Permaculture does the opposite. You work with nature and slowly build an ecosystem in your yard that in many ways takes care of itself. Less weeding, watering, worrying, and less of a need for chemicals. Nice huh?!

So what’s the recipe for permaculture? Start with organic gardening, throw in using renewable resources, a pinch of native plants, a lot of biodiversity,  a dash of layering, a cup of companion planting, a compost pile here, an apple tree there, mix thoroughly and you have permaculture. Or at least a wonderful start to a permaculture landscape.

Hemenway suggests layering using multiple stories (as in “that building is three stories tall”). Each addition to the garden should perform several functions. The apple tree provides shade for the house, as well as a noise/wind break from the street. It also slightly shades the plants below from the hot sun. Garlic planted around the tree wards off opportunists and herbs provide a barrier to weeds. Separately they accomplish multiple things, yet they work together to aid each other. Do you follow me?

Start at your doorstep and work outward. The high maintenance plants go right next to the house and the least (most likely natives) go at the farthest end of the property (see zones image below). Build up the soil and add layers of various vegetation. Look for plants that draw beneficial creatures to the garden. A garden with birds, praying mantises, toads, and ladybugs is a healthy one. It goes back to what we learned in Biology. Healthy soil is full of life and in return leads to healthy plants. Healthy plants attract other healthy organisms. And soon you have an environment that doesn’t need us to control every aspect, it flourishes naturally.

The most striking example of permaculture Hemenway uses takes place in the desert in New Mexico. A family’s yard was essentially baking throughout the year. They tried multiple things, but everything died. So they started planning the yard in such a way that it would store moisture. They built up the soil and planted some large trees. Then they started layering the garden with food bearing and native plants. Years later, they rarely have to water and they have more food and plants than they know what to do with it. The desert remains a dry and foreboding landscape around them, but inside their yard birds and other creatures abound. It is an oasis in the desert.

That’s permaculture. For a better explanation, pick up “Gaia’s Garden” or visit my Permaculture board on Pinterest.