US/CAN $24.95 FOOD & GARDENING Maximize Your Harvest and Feed Your Soil by Developing a Customized Plan for Your Garden Just the book you have been looking for! — John Jeavons, author, How To Grow More Vegetables (and Fruits, Nut, Berries, Grains and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagine A combination of biointensive gardening, permaculture planning and straightforward down-home wisdom, Grow a Sustainable Diet shows us that good nutrition is as close as our own backyard — Darrell E Frey, Three Sisters Farm, author, The Bioshelter Market Garden IT’S NOT JUST how you grow — what you grow and where you grow it are at the root of truly sustainable food production Grow a Sustainable Diet will help you develop a comprehensive, customized garden plan to produce the maximum number of calories, dietary staples and key nutrients from any available space Learn how to calculate: • Which food and cover crops are best for your specific requirements • How many seeds and plants of each variety you should sow • What and when to plant, harvest and replant for maximum yield While many gardening guides will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about individual crops, few tackle the more involved task of helping you maximize the percentage of your diet you grow yourself Focusing on permaculture principles, biointensive gardening methods, minimum fossil-fuel input and growing crops that sustain both you and your soil, Grow a Sustainable Diet is a must-read for anyone working toward food self-sufficiency for themselves or their family Imagine gardening as a process which improves the soil even as we grow our crops, helps balance and enrich the ecology, relies on free services of nature rather than purchased inputs — and is powered with energy from the nearest star That is the way of gardening Cindy Conner offers in Grow a Sustainable Diet — Harvey Ussery, author, The Small-Scale Poultry Flock Cindy Conner is a permaculture educator, founder of Homeplace Earth and the producer of two popular instructional DVDs on sustainable gardening Her passion lies in helping everyone to work towards growing a complete diet in a small space while minimizing the input of fossil fuels To help bring you the very best inspiration and information about greener, more sustainable lifestyles, Mother Earth News is recommending select New Society Publishers books to its readers This book is one of them www.newsociety.com Praise for grow a sustainable diet Grow A Sustainable Diet is just the book you have been looking for! —John Jeavons, author, How To Grow More Vegetables (and Fruits, Nuts Berries, Grains and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagine Amid the plethora of how-to garden books, this book stands out as the comprehensive resource written from the lifetime of rich experience of a successful gardener Cindy not only gives us experienced guidelines for the management of a healthy organic garden, but clearly explains the practical details of every aspect of managing a successful garden-homestead from planning, tending, harvest and storage to preserving the harvest If you are seeking one book to to carry you through the full cycle of gardening, seek no further! —Eli Rogosa, Heritage Grain Conservancy, growseed.org Grow a Sustainable Diet is both timely and timeless Cindy Conner’s book is a valuable addition to current locavore lexicon The practical down home advice she provides will be of use for generations of gardeners to come Cindy speaks with authority, drawing on her real life experience, her teaching skills and her love of the earth, providing practical guidance to help readers to design the garden and to grow, store and use the fruits of their labor A combination of bio-intensive gardening, permaculture planning , and straight forward down home wisdom Grow a Sustainable Diet shows us that good nutrition is a close as our own back yard —Darrell E Frey, Three Sisters Farm, author, The Bioshelter Market Garden Are you looking for ways to better nourish your family, care for your garden, and walk more lightly on the planet? Come spend a day, a season or the cycle of seasons with one of the nation’s leaders in ecological home food production in the pages of Grow a Sustainable Diet. Ms Conner’s practical innovations will guide your homesteading endeavors, and her commitment to living in harmony with all life will inspire you —Mark Schonbeck, consultant in sustainable agriculture Too many of us see gardening as an analog in miniature to Big Ag — an essentially extractive process powered by machines and fossil fuel, requiring purchased inputs to replace depleted soil fertility and protect crops from insects Imagine gardening instead as a process which improves the soil even as we grow our crops, helps balance and enrich the ecology, relies on free services of nature rather than purchased inputs — and is powered with energy from the nearest star That is the way of gardening Cindy Conner offers in Growing a Sustainable Diet —Harvey Ussery, author, The Small-Scale Poultry Flock Grow a Sustainable Diet provides a can-do, critical step towards a health and independence on every level—from the soil, to yourself, your communities and our planet The most powerful action you can take to navigate these transition times is to plant gardens and participate in local foods Once you do, fear fades and hope sprouts This book helps show the way —Patricia Foreman, author, City Chicks: Keeping Chickens as Garden Helpers, Compost Creators, Biomass Recyclers and Local Food Suppliers grow a sustainable diet grow a sustainable diet planning and growing to feed ourselves and the earth Cindy Conner Illustrations by Betsy Trice Today, more than ever before, our society is seeking ways to live more conscientiously To help bring you the very best inspiration and information about greener, more sustainable lifestyles, Mother Earth News is recommending select books from New Society Publishers For more than 30 years, Mother Earth News has been North America’s “Original Guide to Living Wisely,” creating books and magazines for people with a passion for self-reliance and a desire to live in harmony with nature Across the countryside and in our cities, New Society Publishers and Mother Earth News are leading the way to a wiser, more sustainable world For more information,please visit MotherEarthNews.com Copyright © 2014 by Cindy Conner All rights reserved Cover design by Diane McIntosh Gardening tools image © iStock (Mark Swallow); plate/table © iStock (sorendis); garden plots © iStock (Skystorm); all interior illustrations by Betsy Trice Printed in Canada First printing January 2014 New Society Publishers acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) for our publishing activities Paperback isbn: 978-0-86571-756-5 / eisbn: 978-1-55092-553-1 Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Grow a Sustainable Diet should be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below To order directly from the publishers, please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to: New Society Publishers P.O Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada (250) 247-9737 Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Conner, Cindy, author Grow a sustainable diet : planning and growing to feed ourselves and the earth / Cindy Conner ; illustrations by Betsy Trice Includes bibliographical references and index Issued in print and electronic formats isbn 978-0-86571-756-5 (pbk.). — isbn 978-1-55092-554-8 (ebook) Permaculture. Organic gardening. Gardens — Planning Gardening — Environmental aspects. I Title S494.5.P47C65 2014 631.5’8 C2013-907439-2 C2013-907440-6 New Society Publishers’ mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to so with the least possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision We are committed to doing this not just through education, but through action The interior pages of our bound books are printed on Forest Stewardship Council®registered acid-free paper that is 100% post-consumer recycled (100% old growth forest-free), processed chlorine-free, and printed with vegetable-based, low-VOC inks, with covers produced using FSC®-registered stock New Society also works to reduce its carbon footprint, and purchases carbon offsets based on an annual audit to ensure a carbon neutral footprint For further information, or to browse our full list of books and purchase securely, visit our website at: www.newsociety.com Contents Foreword by John Jeavons xiii First, a little history xv Sustainable Diet What If the Trucks Stop Coming? 4 Making Changes Garden Maps Plan Outside the Box Permaculture Plan Tools for Map Making 14 18 20 Crop Choices Growing Calories Growing Protein Growing Calcium Oils and Sweeteners Other Crops More Planning Tools Worksheet: Temperatures Worksheet: Precipitation 25 26 28 31 31 32 33 36 37 How Much to Grow Worksheet: How Much to Grow Biosphere Homegrown Fridays Oils and Sweeteners Keeping Records 39 40 42 43 44 46 ix Resources ◆ 175 Country Living Grain Mill Country Living Products, 14727 56th Ave NW, Stanwood, WA 98292 (360) 652-0671 countrylivinggrainmills.com GrainMaker Mill Bitterroot Tool & Machine, P.O Box 130, Stevensville, MT 59870 Toll free (855) 777-7096 grainmaker.com Homeplace Earth blog post comparing grain mills: homeplaceearth.word press.com/2011/05/03/grain-mill-comparison-country-living-vs-grain maker Chapter 12 Sheds, Fences, and Other Stuff Ashton, Jeff The 12-Month Gardener New York: Lark Books, 2001 CobraHead tools Online store Toll free (866) 962-6272 cobraheadllc.com Coleman, Eliot Four Season Harvest, rev ed White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 1999 Coleman’s The Winter Harvest Handbook, published by Chelsea Green in 2009 has information on using unheated greenhouses for year-round vegetable production The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook by Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch, published by Workman Publishing in 2012, contains plans and ideas for making and using a 10' × 12' portable greenhouse Kencove Farm Fence Supplies All types of fencing 344 Kendall Rd., Blairsville, PA 15717 There are also warehouses in Indiana and Missouri Toll free (800) 536-2683 kencove.com Logsdon, Gene Gene Logsdon’s Practical Skills Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1985 Premier One Supplies Portable fencing, solar chargers, and more 2031 300th Street, Washington, IA 52353 Toll free (800) 282-6631 premier1 supplies.com Purple Mountain Organics Professional gardening tools Online Store Toll free (877) 538-9901 purpletools.net Way Cool Tools Professional gardening tools Online store P.O Box 235, White Hall, VA 22987 Toll free (877) 353-7783 waycooltools.com Chapter 13 Rethink Everything! Bane, Peter The Permaculture Handbook Canada: New Society, 2012 Hibiscus tea Homeplace Earth blog post on growing, drying, and using Red Thai Roselle Hibiscus tea homeplaceearth.wordpress.com/2013/02 /05/red-thai-roselle J Sargeant Reynolds Community College, 1851 Dickinson Rd., Goochland, VA 23063 reynolds.edu McDorman, Bill and Stephen Thomas “Sowing Revolution: Seed Libraries Offer Hope for Freedom of Food.” Acres U.S.A., January 2012 Seed library at the JSRCC Goochland Campus, Virginia jsrcclibrary.word press.com/2013/03/14/goochland-library-hosts-seed-library Index A alfalfa, 2–3, 55, 125–126 alfalfa meal, 47 alliums See garlic; leeks; onions amaranth, 30 animal products See meat/animal products Appalachian State University (ASU) food dryer design, 143 apples, preserving, 140, 143, 144 Ashton, Jeff, 152 Ashworth, Suzanne, 110 assassin bugs, 65 ATTRA, 65–66, 67, 71 Austrian winter peas for compost, 54 as grain cover crop companion, 55, 94 planting date, 91, 94 in rotation, 87, 89, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97 nitrogen-fixing, 86 preserving, 43–44, 93, 139, 143– 144 for protein, 28–29 in rotation, 89, 93 seed quality, 109 seed saving, 110 as staple, 28, 43 storage, 94, 135, 147–148 succession planting, 79 Three Sisters interplanting, 29, 33, 68–69 See also cowpeas bed width/length, 9–12, 13, 14, 16–17 bees See honey and bees beets and beet greens, 86 frosts and, 78 overwinter harvest, 43, 76, 83 oxalic acid, 31 pigs and, 126 in rotation, 60–61, 97, 98 beneficial insects borders and, 13, 22–23 companion planting and, 63, 64– 67, 69, 70–71 cover crops and, 55 Bermuda grass See wire grass beta carotene, 114 Biosphere 2, 42–43 Biosphere 2: The Human Experiment (Allen), 42 bishop’s weed, 67 Bitterroot Tool and Machine, 45 B bananas, 43 Bane, Peter, 161 basil beneficial insects and, 64 preserving, 90, 94, 143, 144 in rotation, 89, 90 bean beetles, Mexican, 29 beans, green and drying bush vs pole, 34, 78 germination speed, 108 177 178 ◆ Grow a Sustainable Diet black locust trees, 158 black soldier fly larvae, 119 black walnuts, 32, 135 blueberries, 12, 69 borders, 13, 22–23, 32, 69–71 Bowes & Church’s Food Values of Portions Commonly Used (Pennington and Spungen), 114 brassicas, 86, 88 See also broccoli; cabbage; radishes broccoli, 78, 86 Brussels sprouts, 86 buckwheat as compost crop, 54, 55–56 as filler cover crop, 55–56, 96 as nectar source for bees, 32 in rotation, 95, 96, 97 Bugg, Robert, 66 burdock, 28 C cabbage, 86 frost and, 78 interplanting, 68, 69, 88 cabbage-root maggots, 71 calcium, growing, 31, 41, 96, 113, 115 calcium for chickens, 118 calories, growing as difficulty, 2, 25, 113 eggs/milk, 115 planning for, 41 suggested crops, 26–28, 29, 31 canning, 43–44, 129, 139–142 See also preservation and storage carrots, 86 beneficial insects and, 64 overwinter harvest, 43, 76, 78, 83 pigs and, 126 preserving, 141 in rotation, 60–61, 97, 98 Carrots Love Tomatoes (Riotte), 63 cassava, 28 catalogs, seed, 77 cauliflower, 86 celery, 64, 86, 144 chard See Swiss chard charts See worksheets chickens and eggs, 116–120 chicken houses, 116, 117, 153–154 chicken tractors, 51–52 feeding, 117–119, 123 fencing, 117, 155, 156–157 nutrition (vitamin B12), 114–115, 116 planning and, 16–18 rabbits and, 125, 153 Chicken Tractor (Lee and Foreman), 117 clay, 12–13 climate change, 111 clovers for composting, 2–3, 10 crimson clover, 54, 55 Dutch white clover, 10, 71 red clover, 55, 97, 99, 126 coldframes, 76, 77, 152 Coleman, Eliot, 87, 152 collards, 86 calcium, 31 harvest, 79–80, 83, 98 preserving, 143–144 in rotation, 95, 96 Colorado potato beetles, 66–67 comfrey, 70 communities, 161–162, 164 community supported agriculture, xvi companion planting See interplanting compost crops, 52 buckwheat, 54, 55–56 grains, 2, 28, 30, 53–54, 58, 91–92 Jerusalem artichokes, 54, 91 Index ◆ 179 legumes, 2–3, 10, 29, 30, 54–55, 91, 97 rotation maps, 97–98 composting chickens and, 154 clay and, 12–13 on garden beds, 19–20, 53–54, 97, 98–99 planning for 60% compost crops, 56–58 30/1 compost, 52–53 cooking, 2, 8, 30 cooling cabinets, 136–137 corn for chicken feed, 118 composting, 54, 91–92 grinding, 144 growing to dry seed, 29–30, 110 as pig feed, 124 planting patterns, 92 popcorn, 30, 44, 89, 91–92 in rotation, 53–54, 95, 96–97, 98 storage, 147–148 Three Sisters interplanting, 29, 33, 68–69 Country Living Mill, 144 cover crops, xvii–xviii, 3, 49–50 See also Austrian winter peas; buckwheat; clovers; hairy vetch; interplanting; rye; wheat Cover Crops and Compost Crops IN Your Garden (DVD, 2008), xix, 11, 53, 99 cowpeas advantages, 29 beneficial insects and, 65 for composting, 54–55, 97 illustration, 102 in rotation, 95, 96 storage, 43 cows and cow’s milk, 115, 121–123 crimson clover, 54, 55 crop choices, 25–35 for calcium, 31, 41, 96 for calories, 26–28, 29, 31 for oils and sweeteners, 31–32, 46–47 for protein, 28–30 resources, 33 for taste or other factors, 32–33 See also variety selection Cuba, 123 cucumbers, 86 preserving, 93, 94, 138–139, 140 in rotation, 89, 93 trellising, 93, 154, 156 cucurbits See cucumbers; squash; winter squash Cunningham, Sally Jean, 69, 71 cutworms, 71 D Daikon radishes, 95 dairy, 115, 120–126 Dawling, Pam, 61, 87 Deppe, Carol, 33 detoxification, 26–27 Develop a Sustainable Vegetable Garden Plan (DVD, 2010), xix, 73 dill interplanting, 64, 93 in pickles, 138 in rotation, 89, 93 disease management, 86, 103 dogs (as pests), 155, 157 ducks and duck eggs, 115, 120 Dutch white clover, 10, 71 E Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture (Morrow), 18 Eating In: From the Field to the Kitchen in Biosphere (Silverstone), 42–43 180 ◆ Grow a Sustainable Diet Ecology Action author’s relationship, xvii, 160 location, 29 suggested publications, 33, 46 See also How to Grow More Vegetables eggplants, 86 electric fencing, 154 English walnuts, 32 equipment, xvii–xviii See also hand tools F Fallon, Sally, 127 farmscaping, 65–66, 67 See also beneficial insects; borders Farmscaping for Biological Insect Control (ATTRA), 67, 71 Farmscaping Techniques for Managing Insect Pests (Virginia Tech), 66 Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control (ATTRA), 65–66 favas, 29, 54 feast days/celebrations, 43, 83–84 fences borders and, 69 chickens and, 117, 155, 156–157 pigs and, 124, 126 planning for, 13 as reference spots for measuring, 21 types of, 154–158 fermented foods beans, 139 cucumbers, 93, 94, 138–139 for detoxification, 26 sauerkraut, 137–138, 139 soy, 30 fish, 115 fodder radishes, 95 Fodor, Eben, 143 Foley food mill, 141 food forests, 18 Foreman, Patricia, 117 Four Season Harvest (Coleman), 152 Frey, Darrell, xvii frost dates, 74–76, 88 G garden maps, 9–23 bed/path planning, 9–18 compost crop planning and, 56–58 nuts and bolts of making, 20–22 permaculture and, 18–20, 21, 22– 23, 160 record-keeping and, 46–47 with rotations, 88–98, 94–98 usefulness, 160 garlic, 86 as calorie crop, 26, 27 in dill pickles, 138 harvest, 78 overwinter growing, 83 in rotation, 87, 95, 96 storage, 43, 131–132, 133 Gene Logsdon’s Practical Skills (Logsdon), 153 geophagy, 26–27 germination testing, 105–106, 108– 109 goats, 120–121 as brush-clearers, 121, 126 fencing, 156 goat’s milk, 115 vitamin B12, 123 goldenrod, 67 gourds, 86 GrainMaker mill, 144–145 grains for composting, 2, 28, 30, 53–54, 58, 91–92 harvesting, 59–61 milling, 144–145 Index ◆ 181 for protein, 28–29, 29–30 storage, 135, 145 See also corn; rye; wheat grapes juicing, 141 leaves in pickles, 138 mead, 139 preserving, 44, 143 trellising, 156 Great Garden Companions (Cunningham), 69 green beans See beans, green and drying ground beetles, 71 groundhogs, 155 GROW BIOINTENSIVE methods See Ecology Action H hairy vetch beneficial insects and, 69 for composting, 54, 55 in rotation, 89–90, 91, 94, 95, 96 hand tools harvesting cover crops, 54–55 list of useful tools, 148 for no-till methods, xviii, 92 storage, 147–150 hazelnuts (filberts) as border plant, 69 as fat source, 31, 44 storage, 135 herbicides, 50–51 herbs, preserving, 90, 94, 143, 144 Home Food Systems (Yepsen), 129– 130, 136 Home Power (magazine), 143 honey and bees, 160 feeding bees, 32, 46, 158 for mead, 44, 139 potential yields, 45–46 storage, 135 How to Grow More Vegetables (Jeavons) companion planting, 63 germination rates, 106 plant spacing, 88 as resource, 25 vegetable consumption chart, 39 yields charts, 29, 39–40 How To Grow Vegetables & Fruits by the Organic Method (Rodale, ed.), 87 The Humanure Handbook (Jenkins), 51 hybrid seeds, 101 I indigenous diets/practices, 26–27, 29 Integral Urban House (Farallones Institute), 125 interplanting beans/corn/squash, 29, 33, 68–69 beneficial insects and, 63, 64–67, 69, 70–71 cabbage/lettuce, 68–69 for continuous harvest, 78–79 cover crops, 55, 89–90, 94, 96–97 cucumbers/dill, 64, 93 defined, 63 potatoes/cabbage, 88 resources, 69 J Jeavons, John, xvii, 25–26, 28, 160 See also Ecology Action; How to Grow More Vegetables Jenkins, Joe, 51 Jerusalem artichokes as calorie crop, 26 for composting, 54, 91 pigs and, 125, 126 J Sargeant Reynolds Community College, xvi–xvii, 4, 161–162 182 ◆ Grow a Sustainable Diet K kale, 86 calcium, 31 harvest, 79–80, 83, 98 preserving, 143–144 in rotation, 95 Katz, Sandor, 93, 137 keyhole beds, 16–17 kohlrabi, 86 L ladybugs, 65 Lee, Andy, 117 leeks, 26, 27, 86 legumes See Austrian winter peas; beans, green and drying; clovers; cowpeas; hairy vetch; peanuts; peas lettuce harvest, 80, 152 in rotation, 95 seed saving, 110 slugs, 68 libraries, using, 159, 161 Logsdon, Gene, 153 low tunnels, 152 M manure, 51 maple syrup, 32, 45 marigolds, 69–70, 89, 92 McCormack, Jeff, 110 McDonald, Richard, 66 mead, 44, 139 meat/animal products, 113–127 Biosphere 2, 42–43 dairy, 115, 120–126 nutrition from, 29, 31, 113–116 as part of sustainable diet, 3, 25– 26, 113–116, 126 rabbits, 125–126, 153 See also chickens and eggs melons, 86 mindfulness, 163 Morse, Ron, xviii Mother Earth News (magazine), 114, 130 mulching carting/transporting, 13 grains and, 28 for path maintenance, 10–11, 71 persistent herbicides and, 50–51 pests and, 98 planning for, 81 rye at pollen shed, 55, 58–59, 89 soil temperature and, 75–76 sources of materials, 10–11, 12 mustards, 86 N National Center for Home Food Preservation, 140 Navazio, John, 110 New Organic Grower (Coleman), 87 The New Self-Sufficient Gardener (Seymour), 27–28, 86–87, 93 nightshades See peppers; potatoes; tomatoes no-till methods, xvii–xviii, 66, 92 Nourishing Traditions (Fallon), 127, 137 nutrition calcium, 31, 41, 96, 113, 115 dairy, 115 eggs, 114–115, 116 meat, 115–116, 120, 123, 125, 126 protein, 28–30, 115 sustainable diet and, 1–2 See also calories, growing O oats, 94–96, 118 oils, crops for, 31–32, 44–45 oilseed radishes, 88, 95 okra, 143 Index ◆ 183 omega-3 fatty acids, 114 onions, 32, 86 overwinter growing, 83 preserving, 143 in rotation, 87, 95, 96 storage, 43, 131–132, 133 open-pollinated seeds, 101 organic certification, 67 The Organic Seed Grower (Navazio), 110 outside inputs, 50–52 oxalic acid, 31 oxen, 123 P pantries, 134–136 papayas, 43 parsley, 86 beneficial insects and, 64 nutrition, 31 preserving, 90, 144 in rotation, 89, 90 parsnips, 26, 27–28, 86 Pasture Poultry Profits (Salatin), 117 paths maintenance, 10–12, 50, 71 width of, 9–10, 13–14 peaches, 143 peanuts for calcium and fat, 31, 43 for calories, 28 harvest, 76, 78, 92 for oil, 44–45 for protein, 28–29 in rotation, 87, 89 for soil building, 30 storage, 135, 147–148 peas, 86 in rotation, 95 seed saving, 110 sugar snap, 78–79 See also Austrian winter peas pecans, 32 peppers, 32, 86 germination speed, 108 harvest, 78 preserving, 90, 143 in rotation, 89, 90 seed saving, 110 permaculture borders and, 32 mapping and, 18–20, 21, 22–23, 160 principles of, 5–6, 161 The Permaculture Handbook (Bane), 161 pest management, 66–67 borders and, 70 crop selection and, 29 mulching and, 98 path maintenance and, 71 rotation and, 86, 87, 88 See also beneficial insects; fences pigs, 124–125, 126 pigweed, 30 planning, 33 for compost crops, 56–58 harvest length, 78–81 plant/harvest schedule, 75, 81–83 plant needs, 105–108 quantities to grow, 39–42, 44–45 seed inventory, 103–105, 108 timing, 73–74, 75, 77–78 See also garden maps; record keeping; worksheets Polyface Farm, 125 popcorn, 30, 44, 89, 91–92 potassium, 26 potatoes, 43, 86 as calorie crop, 26–27 canning, 141 companion planting, 88 harvest, 78 pest management, 66–67, 70–71 in rotation, 94–96 storage, 131–132, 132–133 184 ◆ Grow a Sustainable Diet Premier One Supplies, 154 preservation and storage, 129–145 canning, 43–44, 129, 139–142 cooling cabinets, 136–137 crawl spaces, 132–133 in general, 2, 90, 93–94 kitchen cabinets, 130–132 pantries, 134–136 record-keeping, 48 resources, 129–130, 140 solar drying, 19, 85, 94, 141, 142– 144 See also fermented foods Price, Weston A., 26–27 processed/prepared food, 2, protein, growing, 28–30, 115 pumpkin seeds for oil, 31–32, 44 R rabbit pests, 155 rabbits, 125–126, 153 radishes, 86, 88, 95, 96 record keeping, 46–48 bed crop month calculations, 56–58 frost dates, 74–75, 76 opportunities for improvement and, 87 plant/harvest times, 84 plant spacing, 107–108 variety selection, 77 weather records, 34–37 yields, 39–41, 47–48, 107–108 red clover, 55, 97, 99, 126 The Resilient Gardener (Deppe), 33 rice, 43 Root Cellaring (Bubel), 129 rotation, 85–87 See also under individual crops rutabagas, 86 rye, 30 composting and, 53–54 cutting at pollen shed, 55, 58–59, 89 harvesting, 59–61, 89 in rotation, 87, 89, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97 rye grass, 30 S Salatin, Joel, 117, 125 salsify, 26, 27 sauerkraut, 137–138, 139 season extension, 152 seeds, 101–111 factors involved in choosing, 101–102 germination testing, 108–109 open-pollinated seeds, 101 planning for quantity needed, 105–108 seed inventory, 103–105, 108 seed libraries, 161–162 seed saving, 3, 33, 60, 64, 102, 109–111 Seed to Seed (Ashworth), 110 Seymour, John, 27–28, 86–87, 93 sheds, 147–150 sheep, fencing, 156 Silverstone, Sally, 42–43 slugs, 68, 71 The Small-Scale Poultry Flock (Ussery), 119, 120 snails, 71 snap beans See beans, green and drying So Easy to Preserve (Andress and Harrison), 140 soil fertility amendments, 47, 52 intensive growing and, 41, 88 rotations and, 86 See also composting soil temperature, 75–76 solar drying, 19, 85, 94, 141, 142– 144 The Solar Food Dryer (Fodor), 143 sorghum, 32, 43, 45 Index ◆ 185 Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, 34, 102, 110 Southern peas See cowpeas soybeans, 28, 30 space use (efficiency) bed width and, calorie yields, 26, 28 mapping and, 88 oil and sweetener crops and, 32, 44–45 rotations and, 85–86 soil quality and, 41 See also garden maps spacing, plant, 88, 106–107 spiders, 71 spinach, 31, 86, 95 spined soldier bugs, 67, 71 squash, 29, 33, 68–69, 108 See also winter squash Stocking Up (Stoner), 129 storage See preservation and storage succession planting, 79 sulfur, 47 sunflowers beneficial insects and, 67 composting, 54, 91 sunflower seeds for oil, 31–32, 44 sustainable diet animal products as part of, 3, 25– 26, 113–116, 126 defined, 1, 2, 159, 162–163 transitioning to, 6–8, 41 Sustainable Market Farming (Dawling), 61, 87, 110 sweeteners, crops for, 31–32, 46–47 sweet potatoes, 86 as calorie crop, 26, 27 harvest, 76, 78 interplanting with corn, 96–97 in rotation, 90, 95, 97 storage, 43, 132, 133 timing, 90 Swiss chard, 31, 79–80, 86 T tansy, 67, 70–71 tea, 44, 160 Thai Red Roselle (hibiscus), 44 Three Sisters interplanting, 29, 33, 68–69 threshing, 59–60 tilling avoiding, 50, 54, 94 beneficial insects and, 71 resources, 61 The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast (Wallace), 34 tomatoes determinate vs indeterminate, 80–81, 91 disease problems, 103 preserving, 43–44, 90, 140–142, 142–143 in rotation, 86, 89–90, 94 seed saving, 110 starting, 75–76 trellising, 90, 154, 156 for variety, 32 tools See hand tools transplanting, 77, 81, 90, 107 trellises for cucumbers, 93, 154, 156 for peas/beans, 78 for tomatoes, 90, 154, 156 turnips, 86 The 12-Month Gardener (Ashton), 152 U USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 140 USDA Standard References, 114 Ussery, Harvey, 119, 120 V VABF (Virginia Association for Biological Farming), xix 186 ◆ Grow a Sustainable Diet variety selection catalog availability and, 110 for oil, 31–32, 44 planting/harvest timing and, 77, 78, 142 for regional adaptations, 3, 33–35, 96 temperature considerations, 34–35 Victorio Strainer, 141 Virginia State University, xix Virginia Tech, xvii–xviii, 66 vitamin A, 114 vitamin B12, 113–115 dairy, 115 eggs, 114–115, 116 in meat, 120, 123, 125, 126 vitamin D, 31 vitamin E, 114 voles, 87, 88, 98 W Wallace, Ira, 34, 110 walnuts, 32, 135 washing stations, 150–152 water for beneficial insects, 71 for cows, 122–123 for ducks, 120 storage of, 150 for washing, 151 weather records, 34–37 Weston A Price Foundation, 30 wheat, 30 for chicken feed, 118 composting, 54 harvesting, 59–61, 93 legume interplanting, 55 milling, 144–145 planting, 92–93 in rotation, 87, 89, 92–93, 95, 97 as staple, 43 wild areas, 22–23, 69 Wild Fermentation (Katz), 93, 137, 138 winnowing, 60 winter squash, 86 importance of, 33 as pig feed, 125 in rotation, 19, 95, 96, 98 seed saving, 110 storage, 43, 131–132, 133 wire grass, 13–14, 70 worksheets bed crop months, 57 crop quantity planning, 40 plant/harvest schedule, 82 plant/harvest times, 75 precipitation records, 37 seed inventory, 104 seeds and plants needed, 106 temperature records, 36 worms, 118, 125 Y yarrow, 67 yields oil crops, 44–45 record-keeping, 39–41, 47–48, 107–108 Z zucchini, 143 About the Author Cindy Conner grew up in Parkman, Ohio Having been active in 4-H, she naturally went to Ohio State University where she met her husband and received a degree in Home Economics Education Since she learned to make her own clothes in 4-H, sewing was her first area of interest in home economics With arms and legs longer than average, she realized you don’t have to settle for what’s available in the store when you can make your own clothes to fit Being a stay-at-home mom to their four children gave Cindy the opportunity to carry that kind of thinking over to the food she prepared for her family Her study of organic gardening and sustainability led her to become a market gardener, then an educator Cindy Conner founded Homeplace Earth to provide permaculture education with an emphasis on sustainable food production, including getting the food to the table using the least fossil fuel She researches how to sustainably grow a complete diet in a small space at her home near Ashland, Virginia, and has produced the videos Develop a Sustain able Vegetable Garden Plan and Cover Crops and Compost Crops IN Your Garden Cindy was instrumental in establishing the sustainable agriculture program at J Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Goochland,Virginia and taught there from 1999–2010 You can follow Cindy’s blog at HomeplaceEarth.wordpress.com All the worksheets in this book are available for download at http://tinyurl.com/mf4a33r 187 A Guide to Responsible Digital Reading Most readers understand that buying a book printed on 100% recycled, ancient-forest friendly paper is a more environmentally responsible choice than buying one printed on paper made from virgin timber or old-growth forests In the same way, the choices we make about our electronic reading devices can help minimize the environmental impact of our e-reading Issues and Resources Before your next electronic purchase, find out which companies have the best ratings in terms of environmental and social responsibility Have the human rights of workers been respected in the manufacture of your device or in the sourcing of raw materials? What are the environmental standards of the countries where your electronics or their components are produced? Are the minerals used in your smartphone, tablet or e-reader conflict-free? Here are some resources to help you learn more: The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics Conflict Minerals: Raise Hope for the Congo Slavery Footprint Recycle Old Electronics Responsibly According to the United Nations Environment Programme some 20 to 50 million metric tonnes of e-waste are generated worldwide every year, comprising more than 5% of all municipal solid waste Toxic chemicals in electronics, such as lead, cadium and mercury, can leach into the land over time or can be released into the atmosphere, impacting nearby communities and the environment The links below will help you to recycle your electronic devices responsibly Electronics Take Back Canada - Recycle My Electronics United States - E-cycling central Of course, the greenest option is to keep your device going as long as possible If you decide to upgrade, please give some thought to passing your old one along for someone else to use If you have enjoyed this book, you might also enjoy other BOOKS TO BUILD A NEW SOCIETY Our books provide positive solutions for people who want to make a difference We specialize in: Sustainable Living • Green Building • Peak Oil Renewable Energy • Environment & Economy Natural Building & Appropriate Technology Progressive Leadership • Resistance and Community Educational & Parenting Resources For a full list of NSP’s titles, please call 1-800-567-6772 or check out our website at: www.newsociety.com ... Foreman, author, City Chicks: Keeping Chickens as Garden Helpers, Compost Creators, Biomass Recyclers and Local Food Suppliers grow a sustainable diet grow a sustainable diet planning and growing... 247-9737 Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Conner, Cindy, author Grow a sustainable diet : planning and growing to feed ourselves and the earth / Cindy Conner ; illustrations by...Praise for grow a sustainable diet Grow A Sustainable Diet is just the book you have been looking for! —John Jeavons, author, How To Grow More Vegetables (and Fruits, Nuts Berries, Grains and