I grow vegies and fruit for several reasons.
1. It's not just a plant...it's food! So I feel justified on spending money on it.
2.Fruit and vegies in my stores are shipped from CA. IN the state of CA they tasted pretty good when they got to the store. Shipped across the country they taste like **** by the time they get to the store.
3.I'm as organic as possible I use Amdro and round up as little as possible,and am switching to a GR for the ants this year instead of Amdro.
4.It's a greener way to live. Shipping all that produce from CA contributes to pollution.
5.Why not? I grow things anyway.
6.Fresh food picked that day tastes wonderful!
As for the economy, I'm not too worried. We have a one income lifestyle and I'm going back to work for cheaper benefits,savings,charity money(very important right now) and to pay for my son and I to get more education. PJ

I think the interest has grown some even without the economy being what it is. A lot has to do with people being more contious of what they are eating and the organic trend that was on the upswing. Along with the tomato scare of salmonella.

I would love to do a veggie garden as I always had one growing up and loved being able to just go out and pick it fresh. Unfortunately I don't have the time to devote to it right now or I would have started one with our new house as we have some great spots for it.

Economy wise - I'm worried. We already have had several layoffs and I can't see it stop. We are currently baking an addition to the family as well so it would be hard right now to find another job even if they were available.

Well.....I had predicted a world wide depression about 3 yrs. ago, and it seems we are moving in that direction.

I doubt it will end until after I retire in about 2 1/2 yrs.

Don't you believe that "Texas is better off than many states." That's happy talk. The company my husband works for has reduced its workforce twice in the last four months. Applications at food banks, homeless housing, and other charities are up, up, up.
We have gardened, ornamental and vegetable, for 35 years for the sheer enjoyment of it. Now we are expanding our vegetable garden to have vegetables to give to the local food pantry. Fortunately, we live on a small farm and can cope better than someone in a city apartment.
What scares me is that no one has asked the American public to make sacrifices. We are still puttering along on the assumption that this is a glitch in the economy. I think Rick McDaniel is right, and we are staring a depression in the face. We may have to learn to make do, or do without.

It's the elephant in the room that some don't want to see. I don't think this can be "fixed"...not anytime soon, anyway. Too much damage has been done. It looks like we might have an economic house of cards...and it's falling. There's some layoffs here, some stores/businesses in bankruptcy or closing...not too much yet, but it's still early. The results of this will be seen more later on. The new Toyota plant in S.A. was cursed by its only product being the Tundra...very few nowadays want a big gas-guzzler truck. So they shut down active production for a few months and now they have only one production line out of two going. Only a matter of time until there's layoffs there. We had been acquiring silver coins and a little gold coins and jewelry just in case, because I saw something coming and have been dreading it and hoping it didn't happen. Too bad the prices on silver and gold are going up now. We want to stockpile food. Don't laugh...it doesn't hurt to do that and if it's not needed later, it can be eaten anyway. We're putting in a larger storage shed so we can have more room for emergency stuff. I'm trying on veggies, although this year wasn't very good. I have a few small native trees/bushes that make small berries and fruits. Also have a peach, a plum and jujube tree. I want more fruit trees. I grow herbs, which can come in handy, both as edible food and for medicinal purposes. DH is on disability, both SS and VA (100%). I want some chickens for eggs and maybe meat too. But first I want a coop in place. Some of the neighbors let theirs free-range, but I don't like that idea.

Oh, and did you see on TV what two things are selling like hotcakes now? Safes and guns!

I have a small plot at the community garden. I mostly grow stuff for the lizard so he can have mustard greens & stuff. I don't really do much over there. Not enough sun at the house though I do mix peppers into the flower beds cause I'm a pepper head.
There is a lot of news about how many people are growing their own veggies. The economy is a lot worse in other places than here. I'm planning on putting in some stuff after we get the soil samples back, 4' of salt water did a number on the garden. We can plant a couple of crops here since we can pretty much garden year round. Got some great cabbages last year. I garden organically so they have to be better for us.
I always have food stockpiled but that's because of hurricanes. My brother had stockpiled food because of concerns over world famine, the world coming to an end, blah, blah. He got a bit upset when I asked him why he needed food if the world was going to end. It all flooded.
I just can't spend time worrying about this. Heck, most of my friends and family don't have homes or jobs since the storm so we aren't too concerned with the world. I'm happy the gas is back on.
Hang tight everyone. We'll make it.
TallyHO!

I believe it is bad but it's not as bad as it's going to be in the coming months or years ahead?
I believe that America is in big trouble, just look at all that's happened in the past 10 years, I never believed in the 401K for retirement and now maybe some of you can see why, it relies on stock and the stock market is nothing more than a gamble. About a year ago my husband got a bonus and we thought WOW this is the first maybe something good is about to take place and things are looking up, Well not so fast next thing I know we got his 401K statement in and he'd lost as much as his bonus was. Don't know what that was all about but it looked funny to me.
When my husbands company cut back payroll, cutting two dollars an hour from his pay check in 2002, took away one weeks vacation BUT while the labors took all the cutting the CEO's still got their fat shares on millions.
My in laws have money, they came from another country .. Holland.. with only 60 dollars in the 50's. They saved their money going without so they'd have a good retirement without worries but with many of the companies they held stock in have failed or faultered since 1999 right up to a few months ago. MIL is scared straight not knowing what is next.
She emailed me telling me she had listened to some guy on a program and he is telling everyone we had better have saved up enough money to live on for one year, fearing job cut's and lack of jobs out there.

I also believe that with all the food scare more people are willing to put forth the effort in growing their own food, not just the economy.

Well, I'm glad most of you don't think I'm paranoid when I worry about this.

I don't watch TV, so maybe the TV media is saturated with economic news, and I just don't know about it.

I do know the people I associate with don't seem to be concerned, and then I wonder if I'm over-reacting when I decide to create several raised beds for veggies and to plant berries and fruit trees this year.

I actually contacted one of my neighbors about 3 months ago and told her I was worried about our economy and with the support of the neighborhood assoc. president I asked her if she thought our neighborhood could use her extra plot of land to create a community garden. (The City of Austin will actually give grant money at certain times of the yeard for this kind of thing if it's established and well-organized.)

She proceeded to tell me that in her job as a legal secretary, all was going very well, and that her attornies had lots of business. After talking with her, I felt a bit like I was Chicken-Little saying the sky was falling. She said she'd think about my proposal but never got back to me.

Six weeks later, this neighbor moved to Dallas, and now has her home for lease, which isn't leasing. I decided to quit trying to take care of the neighborhood and just to focus on me since no one else is as concerned. Guess each person can garden on their own.

I learned that the official head count for the turn-out for the free veggie gardening class mentioned in my previous post was not 200-250 people, but 320 people, and even though all of those people attended, few bought many of the veggie plants at the nursery.--This information came from one of the nursery workers.

Have to say I don't have my retirement in a 401K or in the stock market. My mother was a product of the Depression and repeatedly told me not to invest in the stock market. I don't know that she was necessarily right, but I never did because I'm just not one who can handle risk. My dad also lost $400,000 in Blue Chip stocks in 2001.

Still, if deflation occurs I'll be hurting.

First, you must understand that the economics of money, are against the individual, at all times.

If an item increases in cost, to produce, whether in labor, materials, or overhead, that cost is not just passed on, it is incorporated into the wholesale price of the item. Then that cost increase becomes a factor in mark-ups, by wholesalers, jobbers, and retailers.

By the time it gets to the consumer, it has potentially tripled or quadrupled, in amount.

That is, in effect, what leads to vegetable gardening, and home-sewing, and all other "do-it-yourself" activities. It becomes readily evident, that the amount of increase, is disproportionate to the increase in the cost of production.

There is no real remedy for this problem, in a society which seeks to continuously increase the level of consumption, and purportedly, the "standard of living".

The only way to stabilize prices, is to maintain level consumption, which can be done only by maintaining the population level.

Since world population has been increasing exponentially, in the last 200 yrs., and in fact, is expected to double, world-wide, in the next 40 yrs.,.......Houston.....I think we have a problem!

I agree wholeheartedly about the increasing population, Rick .....MAJOR problem !!!!

In Texas, availability of water is already very limited in many areas. When the population doubles, the water supply doesn't...it stays the same. Yet where is the incentives offered by cities or counties for rain water collection systems? There isn't any that I know about...other than saving on water bills. In the town of Bandera, there is a business owner who had a really good one put into a building she was having built...to be completely self-sufficient on water. The town is trying to force her to connect up to the municipal water system and pay the minimum amount they require every month. Even threatening to fine her daily for not connecting up. She wants to go to court to fight it. And the food being produced in this country is decreasing while the population is doubling. Anyway, with high prices and high bills, when the little guy can't pay his bills, he/she can't take a corporate jet to Washington to ask for a bailout.

Cities are not interested in conservation......just revenue.

Precisely why government has gone bad.

In fact the area of conservation, has been one of Dubya's greatest shortcomings.

The one thing that is keeping all afloat right now is the price of gas dropping below $2. If not for that, things would be much worse than they are right now. Of course, as soon as the OPEC countries (and others) turn down the tap (and we start driving all over everywhere again) the price will go up to probably $5 or $6. When that happens, brace up. My folks live out in the country with acreage on a busy highway. When gas was over $4, there was a lot less traffic on a Sunday afternoon. Last Sunday afternoon, traffic was zooming along as before. My personal goal has been to get rid of my consumer debt, which isn't much, and to continue to hold off on some purchases. I've thought about doing some food crops as well and will probably look into that for spring. This is a great topic.

Carla in Leander

I think the nail was hit on the head with what marlingardener said. The public isn't being asked to change the way they live. We're looking to the government to save us, and that just isn't going to happen, because the government can only give out money that is taken from the American people in the first place.

Responsibility both for one's own welfare and for the welfare of the community is going to have to become more localized and personal, and part of that is surely going to be growing food. Vegetables, fruit, even eggs, milk and meat may see a great resurgence. Sustainability and environmentalism are gaining in popularity for many reasons. I think this will serve us well in the long run. I just hope the long run isn't as bleak as the current outlook.

I don't think you're being paranoid. I do think things are going to get rough but I'm not sure how rough.
I'm personally not worried. If all else fails (not that it wouldn't totally suck) I have survivalist skills for mountain,desert(eeekkk can you say bug dinner?) and I'm close to being familiar enough with TX to survive here too.

That being said, one of the main reasons I'm not too worried is the very nature of my neighbors. These aren't really dyed-in-the-wool city folks like back in Los Angeles.
If food became scarce in Los Angeles nobody has enough body weight to survive more than a day or two anyway (snicker couldn't help it) They really would be lost at any rate.

Texas is another planet. Most of the people I know have sport hunters in the family. If there is white tail,doves,rabbit,squirrel or turkey around they're gonna eat fine. Most of the women I know grow herbs,vegies and at least SOME fruits. Most of the people have Pecan trees around them. Acorns (boiled a couple times and drained) are nutritious. I can't see Texas without 10 zillion acorns around to eat all 4 seasons. A great deal of people I know have the know how to can food. Texas is rather self sufficient in it's own skin. Food grows well here,animals are abundant, and the winters aren't too harsh. Summers are brutal but people lived here without A/C for many,many years and lived to tell the tale. I think we're gonna have to live with less amenities. PJ

I usually have lettuce growing this time of the year, but didn't get it in. I'll have to look for transplants. My peppers are abundant this fall. I had a few tomatoes over the summer and also tried growing strawberries, but I think I got them in too late last spring. When we built out house 12 years ago, I purposely left an area in the backyard as a designated vegetable garden. I have herbs growing there and also have grown seasonal vegetables. One year I grew the most beautiful and delicious eggplant. They were very easy and I liked them, but couldn't get anyone else in my family to eat it. They thought it was gross, so I haven't grown it again. Green beans do well in the summer - I prefer the Kentucky wonder pole beans. They taste better than bush beans. One year in late winter I grew sugar snap peas and got a decent harvest. I also grew carrots a couple years in a row and they were good, especially if we picked them when they were still small.

I tried sweet corn for the first time last spring, but didn't have very good luck with it. I may have planted it too late and it could be it needed more water than what it received even though I tried to keep up with it.

I do have to amend the soil a couple times a year with compost to keep the soil soft and easy to work. Some seasons, I don't have enough time, but I sure do give it a good try and sometimes with plenty of success. One year I planted too many cucumbers and made so many pickles that I got sick of them. I did give quite a few jars away.

Another thing I have grown with a lot of success is blackberries and have experience with canning blackberry preserves. I think once a gardener starts to learn what grows well and how to grow it, a hot water canning pot comes in real handy. I always keep some new canning jars and lids on hand too.

I really do think it helps growing your own vegetables and fruits if you have the room and the time to dedicate to caring for the garden. It does help cut down on your grocery bill and the savings can add up if you are frugal with your gardening space. Don't forget that as long as you garden organically, you can mix in a few vegetable plants with your ornamentals. I know people who grow vegetables in the beds in their front yard as well as their backyard.

I heard that Washington Mutual's has announced the San Antonio center will remain open. Apparently they announced that they aren't laying any employees off. After that, employees contacted the media saying that they have received letters saying their jobs were being eliminated. One lady said about 150 are being laid off just in her department. The company received a grant from the state enterprise fund and their contract requires a certain number of employees in Texas, so I imagine that they will be required to pay that money back to that fund. The severe drought continues here. It'll be hard to keep plants alive if this continues next year. And it seems that the prediction of a cold winter may turn out to be true.

Eggplant gross???

How was it prepared?

Food growing, is fine for those who wish to do so, but over 80% of all food produced in the US, is grown by corporate farms. Has been that way since I studied the issue, 40 yrs. ago.

I would hope that people will NOT resort to killing the wildlife for food. It is time for humans to stop taking everything for themselves at the expense of every other living thing.

Rick,
The predators that kept the deer,squirrels etc... in check are gone. The deer populations need to be thinned. They will decimate entire ecosystems over browsing. I wish the predators were still around but I'm not holding my breath on that happening any time soon.
Squirrels and rabbits breed ...like rabbits! Hunting doesn't do much to dwindle thier populations. Personally I wish people would live on wild deer and stop farming cows,pigs and domestic animals with all that chemical crap they load them up with. If the area that was used for cattle ranching and farming animals was allowed to go back to it's natural state for hunting it would help the natural world. PJ

The only thing that will help the natural world, is for humans to stop meddling in it, and to reduce their numbers...humans that is.

Speaking of the economy I went to 'That Home Site' on Garden Web to link one of the forums to a question on the discussions page and stumbled upon the 'Money Saving Tips' forum. There's some interesting, helpful and fun stuff to read on there. Check it out when you have time ....

Here is a link that might be useful: Money Saving Tips site