Sustainable Life

I have been encouraged over the years by Alex's ways.  I've read books he has recommended, become a better giver, tried to live with less, loved more, and have begun to look at more sustainable ways to live -- in a sense, become greener -- and I'm not talking about recycling.  

For the past two summers we've tried our hand at container gardening.  We have had better luck with some crops than others.  Take, for instance, the lemon cucumber crop.  Perhaps our success was due to the large quantity of plants he planted.  18 plants will give you many cucumbers.  Though eating them was not high on our list.  Even with adopting a plant-based diet, we couldn't find a way to fit them all in.  I admit I tossed a few rubberized lemon cucumbers early this week to regain control of my kitchen from the fruit fly coup that was occurring.  I think I was successful, though I don't believe it was the fault of the cucumbers. 

I ran into an urban farmer from our old neighborhood a few weeks back and talked to her about her crops and the garden, what grows & what doesn't.  This lady has been growing vegetables in a back-yard garden for as long as I've known her (about 20 years).  She suggested I order a seed catalog -- I think she was actually growing tired of my questions.  Territorial Seed came through and the catalog arrived in the mail.  I've been pouring over it, dreaming of abundant crops of carrots & spinach, baskets overflowing with tomatoes just like in the pictures.  I even saw an advertisement for a chicken tractor and thought for a very brief moment of raising chickens.  

My crazy, hair-brained idea was quickly quelled.  No chickens, no goats, no bees & definitely no mushrooms.  

Mushrooms, I have learned, need to be grown indoors and apparently after a few harvests become fly attractants.  (See paragraph above regarding fruit fly coup)  With the quantity of mushrooms we eat in our house (enter, plant-based diet), I thought a mushroom farm would be a good idea.  I guess, in the meantime, I will just keep someone else in the dark & feed him lots of poo... Just kidding!  

Maybe in retirement I will figure out an outdoor, covered, warm way to grow mushrooms.  Oh, and if you think my mention of retirement there was a lead-in to something, it's not.  I will be working for many more years.  Perhaps, I should say "in retirement, HE will figure out a way to grow mushrooms."   We do have that extra-large detached garage available.  Hmmmm...

Off to do more browsing through my seed catalog & contemplate growing eggplant.  Baba ganoush is sounding pretty good about now.