Trump announces a 25% tariff on all products entering the USA from Canada and Mexico. On day one.

[MissB]

119. All good points

I garden and can (water bath and pressure can) and it was a long process of figure stuff out. I’m still not utilizing all my yard in the way I’d like, but each year it’s better.

I am growing micro tomatoes indoors this winter. I started some last winter and had production up until spring. This time I’m growing just two micro tomatoes plants and one cucumber plant. All three are in pots that sit near my large south facing living room window. They get enough sun there that I don’t need to supplement with grow lights. I could add more, but I’m still in the “let’s see how this works” phase. If needed, I could scale up to way more pots. (I’m growing a micro San marzano, a micro Jip and Jannke and a quick snack patio cuke).

It’s a heck of a time commitment to figure out what will thrive in my garden. I grew rampicante squash for the first time this year. They’re pretty big (long) squash that stores in normal household temps for almost a year. I also picked up a sweet meat squash from a farm stand - a variety I grew a few years ago but didn’t this year. I wanted to see how it canned, and was quite shocked at how many pints of cubed squash I got out of one squash. So do I grow rampicante - tastes like butternut- and just store them and use them as I need, or do I grow some sweet meat too and can it because it’s fabulous in pumpkin pies and breads? Can dedicate time and space to grow and process both?

Longer term, I’d like to produce enough pickling cukes on site to not have to supplement from the farm stand. Can I extend that to growing the contents of the pickling spices too? I use red pepper flakes in the pickles; how many cayenne peppers do I need to grow to dry and use for pickles and for all other uses? It comes down to how much space do I dedicate to cayennes vs fireball peppers, because I have to have fireball hot sauce to go with my hens’ eggs.

I mean, I’m not bored. But I am going down rabbit holes to figure out how to grow more, how to keep more (preserve or not) and make sure that I know how to save seeds to have more for next year. I don’t mind the hobby/urban homestead, but I don’t want to actually be forced into figuring all of this out! I still work 40 hours a week.