At What Point Do You Start Growing Wheat?
Hypothetically speaking… How much land do you think you’d need to grow your own wheat? Because I think that’s where we’re headed at this point.
Basically, my husband has lost his mind.
We had another 10 yards of manure delivered the other day to build up the lasagna garden and while he was out there dropping bucketfuls of manure, he got the bright idea to combine the two gardens.
Which once tilled, basically added another 40′ X 25′ garden along with another 6′ x 25′ foot garden {because he had to make the sides all even and everything}. 😉 But a 130′ x 40′ garden for 2 people!?
That’s in addition to the small kitchen garden we already have in front of the house.
What the original lasagna garden looked like in May.
What the two gardens {the lasagna garden and the new religious family sized garden} looked like in early June.
What the two combined gardens {and then some} looks like now.
I mean really, why stop there? Why not till up the whole property!?
So seriously, at what point do you start growing wheat? Because HOLY COW MAN… a 5,200+ square foot garden {plus a small kitchen garden} for 2 people is HUGE. I mean at this point, we might as well get chickens and a cow, to go with the wheat, right?
~Mavis
Alice says
The new kitchen means a bigger garden because he’s expecting goodies. You gotta watch those guys because they have motives and they’re not talking.
Mel says
If you grow wheat, you’d have to rename your place Camp Toast & Butterfield.
We’ve grown small amounts of grains as a cover crop. I have no idea how much you’d have to plant (or what equipment you’d need), to actually harvest and process it.
Kim says
I was thinking you guys were going to fence in your garden this next year. Mercy! That might cost a fortune.
Your HH is definitely a good sport about projects.
Any comments about your choice of manure, as opposed to bulk compost?
Mavis Butterfield says
We already added the good 50 compost/50 soil in the spring. Plus, tha manure was cheaper {and I think much needed}. I’ll toss seaweed and other bits on the garden over the winter. Although, I’m going to need a lot more of it now.
Mrs. C. says
In terms of fencing, the cheapest and easiest way to fence off the area is with t-posts and welded wire. That will keep out rabbits, turtles
(who eat my melons), etc. It will not keep out deer and climbing critters, like raccoons. So, what to do? For critters other than deer, you run an electric wire around the bottom of the fence, a few inches off the ground. You can run another one along the top, too, which may deter some deer. You will not keep a bear out with this set up.
A cheap means of keeping deer out is a double fence, or at least the illusion of a double fence. Living Traditions Homestead on YouTube built a huge double fence using t-posts and welded wire fencing, and set the fences up 6 feet apart. Deer have poor depth perception, and they do not want to jump into an area that they can’t really figure out. There are also kits of parts that allow you to attach a gate to t-posts so that you can enter and exit the garden. When it’s time to till in amendments, just remove a few t-posts so the HH can use the tractor, or you can use Manny.
If you don’t want to do that, other homesteaders, like Cog Hill Farm on YouTube, attach 2-3 extensions to the t-posts and string fluttering flag banners from post to post at a 6-7 foot height. This makes the deer think that the fence is 7 feet high when it’s only 4-5 feet high.
Margaret Hudgins says
I follow Cog Hill Farm and have ever since they started their blog over at little cog hill when Mary Carl was a wee thing. LOVE LOVE LOVE them.
Kathy Wolfe says
He wants you to have your own little vegetable stand at the end of your driveway. What’s the next step up from a religious garden?
Carole says
I was thinking the same thing!!
Jennifer says
A commune garden? Lol
Mrs. C. says
I am 100% on board with HH. This is the gardening equivalent of chicken math. What you can grow in all this space are dried beans, like pinto, etc. One 50′ row of bean plants will produce 1-5 pounds of beans, depending on the soil, variety, weather. Think of all the bans and rice and Saturday night beans you could make!
it makes me so happy to see this. Mavis, you are such a generous soul, that I see you giving a lot of the produce away, and even setting up your own little farm stand to sell some of the produce!
Mrs. C. says
The only special equipment you’d really need to harvest wheat on a small scale is a scythe or two, and muscles. There is a blogger/author who lives in Idaho, and she and her family experimented with this about 11 years ago. Here is the link, if anyone is really interested. http://www.rural-revolution.com/2011/11/conclusion-of-our-first-years-wheat.html
J in OH-IO says
You’ve got a serious green thumb- go grow with it! You’ve been inspiring about what you’ve planted and grown – especially encouraging about planting a fall crop. Thank you!
Karen says
Why would you want to grow wheat? What would you do with it after harvest?
Toni says
grind it up to make flour!
Diana says
Flour. If not flour, the grain can be used to feed chickens. The wheat stems are straw and can be used in compost, mulch and to cover over potatoes when growing.
Anita says
I think your husband is brilliant for doing this! As often as you eat beans, you could grow quite a few of them yourself, and the wheat too since you love to bake bread and other things. Plus you won’t have to put up two fences for two gardens, just one big one. 🙂 I love it!
Toni says
Mavis I read many years ago that the average family could get by with 1/4 acre to have in wheat.
Anne in VA says
I have a friend who grinds all of her own flour. Her family has a farm and the farmer always grows some wheat for her. She has a small hand-crank grain mill as well as a slightly larger electric mill. She stores all the wheat in the freezer until its needed, grinds some flour and then freezes that. It hasn’t been treated (like the store bought stuff) and draws weevils and other bugs. I don’t care for store bought whole wheat flour, but her home-ground flour is wonderful!
Paula says
You need to take the keys out of the tiller tractor. Way to easy to rip up sod.
Brianna says
I am laughing!
Maybe he wants to keep you so busy with the garden next year that you have little time to look around the house to come up with projects for him to do. Gardening will become your full time job and he can hang out in his ‘nothing’ box.
Maybe he was secretly bothered by the separation of the two plots and just figured it looked better as one large plot.
Don’t ask questions or try and figure out his motive, just go along with it and spread your potatoes out next year for a bumper crop.
Amanda says
When are you opening your own country store? LOL
Karen says
Exactly, homemade bread, tomatoes, eggs!
Christie says
It’s not beyond comprehension that you’ll need to grow wheat soon! Have you seen the price of flour lately? I say go for it!
Michelle says
Plant gladiolus and zinnia’s to bring the bees in for pollinating your veggies. You could also sell/give away the cut flowers with your abundant crops!
Dena Wessels says
Fence the entire area and put a chicken house in the middle. One year use one side for free chicken run (and fertilizing) and the next year, use the other side. Lots of fencing (plus two gates for the tractor) for the sides (and the top), but I’ve seen this done before, if you have the property!
Diana says
GREAT idea!
Ashley Bananas says
I grew up in CT. Christmas tree farms were very popular for people with extra land. A bit more passive than growing and harvesting gardens hard every year. Still work, but less labor intensive.
suzanne says
Time for some more perennial crops lol. Do grapes grow well in Maine? Gooseberry jam? You’ll have fun this winter planning it out.
Katie C says
I love it! Holy cow, you can grow whatever you want! I think it’d be really cool to see you grow a bunch of unique dry beans. And a HUGE pumpkin patch. And several rows for a cut flower garden.
KC says
Potatoes and pumpkins and everything else you didn’t grow more than you could eat this year? Or yeah, you could put in some wheat: https://www.pressherald.com/2017/01/29/maine-gardener-looking-for-a-new-gardening-thrill-try-growing-grains-at-home/
(or you could try growing and spinning and weaving your own flax! The possibilities are endless…)
Linda says
The Amish grow slept and grind their own flour.
I agree with Mrs C. We grew pinto and cannelini beans this year, two 20′ rows of each and harvested a gallon jar of each.
I would be happy to send you some Sweet Greek Red squash seeds. They are enormous plants and it’s the sweetest squash on the planet.
Pauline in Upstate NY says
Here’s your chance to go perennial, Mavis! Asparagus bed, rhubarb, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, some dwarf/semi-dwarf fruit trees. That would take up a lot of the new space, but you’d still need those fences…
PSUCHIC06 says
Haha! Your husband!
Hope the 2023 list has “new” canning cabinet, and a root cellar!
Angelia says
I totally agree!
Linda Sand says
He’s just playing with his favorite toy. Much more fun than remodeling a kitchen. 🙂
Patti Vanderbloemen says
Brilliant! That stand at the end of the driveway is SO YOU!!!!!
Terri says
I vote for a flower bed to take up some of that. The bees and butterflies will love you for it. We know they need all the help they can get.!
Susan says
HH Winter Project: Build a Road-side Garden Stand and sell your surplus, and or fresh-baked bread from the new AGA (when it’s up and running), next year to fund ??? Another research trip?? Or plant a flower garden, get some beehives, and sell flowers and honey in the new roadside stand. Go big I say. Sue
Molly Jo says
agree roadside stand, beehives and extra flowers….you got this Mavis!
Shari says
You are an entire church garden now!
Tracy says
First, I love your husband’s motivation. And now you can call the whole garden “The Very Devout Religious Family Garden”.
Check out the YouTube channel “Garden Answer”; the video from this morning showed Laura planting a test plot of winter wheat. She went over the basic types and their benefits. As a suburban homeowner, I found it fascinating. Might be useful to you! Here’s an idea? Perhaps change the kitchen garden right by the house into a flower garden and culinary herb garden. That way you can have more cut flowers for the house, it’s pretty to walk through and the herbs are close by. You’ll definitely need to fence the Very Devout Religious Family Garden now! Good luck!
Susan Sleeman says
I couldn’t imagine growing and harvesting wheat, but I do buy wheat berries and grind my own flour as I need it. Once you grind your own, you’ll never go back to store bought flour. It makes the best whole wheat bread you can imagine. I use a Mockmill 100 electric mill that grinds so fast it’s crazy.
LC says
I was just thinking the other day you weren’t far off from a farm – why not go for the whole shebang! A continued inspiration and joy to watch your garden grow; can’t wait to get my own going, aside from the containers we have now.
Angelia says
Wow, give a man a tractor and he will find ways to use it.lol.. seriously thought, you have a space you can dedicate to perennial gardening. Apple trees, more berries,and a ton of perennials like potato onions,leeks,oca tubers,sun chokes, horseradish, to name a few. Can’t wait to hear your plans..
Randini says
dedicate the north 40 to a food bank garden where you grow beans and other hardy veggies. YOur local food back may benefits from your HH’s tractor work, er garden design.
or plant pumpkins and invite the neighborhood kiddos to come pick a pumpkin in the fall.
Laura Z says
This is a wonderful idea. People who rely on food pantries really need fresh food. Could also donate to soup kitchens.
Dee says
love that idea. you could keep everything you need, sell something to break even and everything above you donate
Laura Z says
I had a few thoughts that weren’t already mentioned. 1. Grow amaranth — very nutritious with beautiful, colorful flowers. It can be stored for the winter like quinoa, and ground into gluten free flour. You could also it on etsy. 2. Set out innoculated mushroom logs in rows. You can dry them for the winter or sell them for a pretty penny at the farmers market /roadside stand. 3. Grow flowers suitable for drying and reselling (strawflowers, etc) wreathmaking. 4. Grow herbs for making tisanes or soaps (chamomile, lemon balm, verbena, lavender, etc.)
California Girl says
Maybe you could grow quinoa?
Teri says
Corn! And you definitely need chickens!!
Kippy says
Maybe you can barter some future vegetables in exchange for a professionally built fence around the garden.
Mary Kerns says
I agree that you def need chickens.
Cathy says
Sweet corn! Fill it with sweet corn! Corn fritters, corn bread, corn chowder, creamed corn, and the best – fresh corn on the cob! Can’t wait to see what you plant next spring!
Katherine says
Now you have plenty of room to grow lots of corn and use the stalks for the beans. You have plenty of room to feed the deer too! The idea of planting some pollinator plants is a good one. It really helps my garden.
Ann Duncan-Gibbs says
Now is a good time to plant winter wheat for harvest next spring. It would keep the soil covered and protect it. Next year after harvest….and you could hire someone with the right equipment, you might consider planting some perennials…asparagus- could take up a lot of room; rhubarb; berry bushes; fruit trees or grape vines on a trellis…I think you could fill up the space quite quickly with those. There’s also things like horseradish, sunchokes, walking onions…lots of veggies and fruit to consider.
Nancy says
Love it! Incredible farm stand and food bank opportunity! No break between the two gardens does mean less mowing. Flowers planted in there too among the veggies will make a gorgeous garden space. I’m excited to see what comes of it next spring!
Carrie V says
That is so funny and challenging!! I vote for perennial plants for 2 rows and grass seed that you surreptitiously sow! You have the winter to research the best varieties for your purposes. I showed my husband and he just said “Don’t get any ideas”! Ha! If you were still here in the Puget Sound area of WA you would have loved and hated our Autumn weather. Almost no rain since June and it was 88 on Sunday!! Beyond belief…! This Friday, rain is forecasted and then into next week. I am getting quite a few Christmas crafting projects done that involve spray painting and prepping my kitchen table and chairs washing them with TSP and then sanding before the rain comes. Painting can be done in the garage. Best wishes with your farm!! Maybe a red barn comes next?!
Tamara says
Sounds like he needs to start his own business selling veggies! LOL!
Jim D says
That garden is AWESOME :)! Time to build another vegetable stand! You guys seriously rock, we want to be you :)!
Emily says
I love how supportive your husband is of your gardening schemes. When the pandemic hit I had to talk my husband out of tilling our whole yard to expand our garden. We both work full time so it would have been too much to tend, but in retirement I could certainly see us turning into the two of you.
Deed says
I don’t know any man who could resist an opportunity this this to use their tractor. Boy howdy, that’s why he’s got one! Driving a tractor, working on the land, is usually a peaceful time. The land isn’t going anywhere, so you don’t have to use every foot of it immediately. After all, you have all winter to consider the possibilities. A Pick and Pay berry or Pumpkin garden could work. A couple of men I know helped send their kids to college on heir strawberries and tomato sales. Just enjoy knowing that it is there and ready for you to use. I like the idea of chickens. Too.
Jerilea says
Yes – get some chickens. Maybe even rabbits or goats/sheep. With these animals you can grow food for them in your garden, in addition to putting up your own food and they all provide wonderful potein. Their manure will feed your garden. The animals will control bugs in your yard too. Goats and sheep are fantastic lawnmowers so no more mowing! Win-Win-Win situation.
Mary says
Hi Mavis, extra vegetables can go to the local food bank. With the economy so bad families can use all the help they can get.