Food security

For the second year, my lovely partner and I have signed up for a CSA share. We were mostly happy with last year's, but they seemed to pick everything just a little too late; the produce we got was often a little too large and a bit bitter. This year we've signed up with the Turtle Creek Farm, and our first box came on Friday for pick-up at our favorite co-op. So far, as expected, there's a lot of spring greens, including some tasty-looking spinach we'll be having tonight (probably as a salad). All of it looks really good, and the family running it seem really friendly.

Below the fold: our garden, companion planting, locavores and kitchen gardeners

We also have our own garden going, a 5 x 20 ft. plot that I started a couple years ago. This year is the first time we've managed to get the thing planted in time to have some real success with it. The long, cold spring helped us in that regard—it gave us more time to buy seeds and plants and get them into the ground. Currently planted:

• Three mounds with corn, to be joined by beans and squash
• Six tomato plants, companion-planted with two Thai basil plants
• One half-row each of butterhead lettuce and spinach
• One row of onions (though I'm pretty sure these won't work)

This evening I'll be planting the other half-row each of spinach and lettuce, so that I can harvest them incrementally. I'll also be planting the beans and squash to join the corn.

Meanwhile, I'm following the pursuits of similar-minded folks around the country via the Locavore Nation blogs. I've also been regularly reading the Kitchen Gardeners International site for tips, and by the end of the summer we'd like to be able to can our extra produce.