This year my goal is to grow 2,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. I think I can do it. With 16 raised garden beds, a greenhouse, a raspberry patch and a few more planting beds sprinkled throughout our property, I believe growing 2,000 pounds of food is an attainable goal. Even if I do live right in the middle of high maintenance suburbia, and my neighbors think I’m nuts. ~Mavis
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This past week I was able to harvest 9 pounds 11 ounces of potatoes {gleaned} kale, lettuce and broccoli. I gave all the greens to the chickens and kept the potatoes to eat. With only 19+ pounds to go until I reach my goal, I may just harvest the rest of it tomorrow so the chickens can enjoy a nice big Thanksgiving feast along with the rest of us.
If I had to guess, I’d say the chickens are pretty thankful for all their scraps this year, and that they are chickens and not turkeys. Ha!
So what do you think? Should I just go out there and try to harvest 20 pounds of greens tomorrow and get this over with, or should I keep torturing myself with small harvests? I’m going to let you decided in the comments below. Majority Rules.
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Here is what I have harvested so far this year:
Apples 6 lbs {how to make applesauce}
Banana Squash 6lb 2 oz
Basil 1 lb 9 oz {how to make pesto}
Beans 21 lbs 3 {green bean salad, how to can green beans, dilly beans}
Beets 58 lb 20z {how to can beets}
Blueberries 4 lb 9 oz {mixed berry pie recipe}
Bok Choy 9 lb 14 oz
Broccoli 11 lb 10 oz {pasta salad with broccoli, carrots, and sun dried tomatoes}
Broccoli Rabb 1lb 6 oz {chickpeas with broccoli raab and bacon}
Brussels Sprouts 8 oz {Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar}
Cabbage 58 lb 4 oz {how to make sauerkraut}
Carrots 117 lbs 6 oz {carrot cake jam recipe}
Cauliflower 7 lbs 3 oz {cauliflower hummus rocks!}
Chives 1lb 3 oz {chalkboard painted herb pots}
Cucumbers 55 lbs 5 oz {cucumber salad}
Anna Swartz Hubbard Squash 184 lbs 1 ounces {Hubbard Squash Pie}
Butternut Squash41lbs 6 oz {Butternut Squash with Spinach and Pasta}
Golden Hubbard Squash 22 lbs 5 oz {Hubbard Squash Soup}
Sweet Meat Squash 15 lbs 1 oz
Kale 11 lb 9 oz {how to make kale chips}
Lettuce 15 lb 11 oz {bbq chicken salad}
Mint 4 lbs 12 oz {Fresh Pea Salad with Spinach, Feta and Mint}
Onions 41 lbs 11 oz {Kentucky Fried Chicken Cole Slaw}
Oregano 4 lbs 15 oz
Mushrooms 9.25 oz {read more about how I grew mushrooms}
Peas 38 lb 13 oz {fresh peas and bacon recipe}
Pears 8 lbs 15 oz {how to make pear jam}
Peppers 5 lb 8 oz {Homemade Salsa}
Potatoes 129lb 11 oz {potato soup recipe}
Howden Pumpkins 59 lbs 11 oz
Cinderella Pumpkins 45 lbs 4 oz {roasted pumpkin seeds}
French Pumpkin 13 lbs 4 oz
Jarrahdale Pumpkin 39 pounds 7 oz
Spaghetti Squash 36 lb 10 oz
Sugar Pie Pumpkins 3 lb 10 oz {how to make pumpkin puree}
Misc. Pumpkins 352 lbs 11 oz.
Acorn Squash 12 lb 14 oz {stuffed acorn squash}
Radish 16 lb 6 oz {how I bartered radishes for avocados}
Raspberries 2 lb 10 oz {how to make a raspberry buckle}
Spinach 2lb 7 oz {garlic spinach dip recipe}
Sprouts 10 oz {how to grow sprouts}
Strawberries 18 lbs 9 oz {strawberry basil jam}
Swiss Chard 32 lb 2 oz {rainbow Swiss chard recipe}
Tomatoes 186 lb 11oz {roasted corn salad with tomatoes and feta}
Zucchini 257 lb 11 oz {how to make zucchini relish, zucchini salad, zucchini brownies}
Miscellaneous 8lbs 2 oz {This means we let someone come and pick vegetables, or did not get a chance to weigh them individually, and this was the total weight of all the vegetables combined}
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Total Food Harvested in 2012: 1981 pounds 6.25 ounces
I have spent a total of $524.20 on seeds, soil, plants and supplies for this year.
Botanical Interests is having a 20% sale right now and it includes everything on their site!
MaryW says
Harvest it today. The chickens can be thankful they aren’t on the table! 😀
Margaret says
Harvest it today!! Then contact CCN to cover the story! Happy Thanksgiving!
Roo says
I say tomorrow (or today)… only because I can’t wait to be *sure* that you made it. I’m inpatient.
Roo says
IMpatient. Jeez.
Sarah b says
Harvest and give yourself a pat on the back! Or hurry and plant more kale.
Sara says
Harvest Today. Also did you have any more brussel spouts to harvest for Thanksgiving?
Saralie says
HARVEST ALL!!You will be able to say you got your 2000 pounds before your thanksgiving. That way you can be ‘thankful’ it is over!!
Heather says
I agree…Harvest now so that you can say you grew a TON of food in ELEVEN MONTHS! Congrats!
Kathy says
Harvest now and give yourself a hearty pat on the back! Congrats for Ohio on your excellent achievement!
Erin says
Harvest today. Then you can say you grew 2000 lbs in just 11 months and have the whole month of December to lounge around in your footie pajamas.
LaToya says
Still no fireworks and streamers? Ugh! Go out there and get it done. I’m tired of waiting – LOL!
Mary Ann says
Do it now and get it over with so you can relax for the end of the year! Well, as much as you CAN relax with all the holiday chores coming up.
I still think you should guestimate and add the weight of the eggs you’ve harvested from your backyard farm this year, too! You’d ALREADY be done!
CONGRATS!!!
Hege says
Do it little by little please, it is the journey and the anticipation -not the destination-that we love so much. 🙂
Michele says
Harvest it today and enjoy the Holidays….You work so hard you make me tired. lol
Lisa says
Harvest it now and then sit back and gloat because you did it!!!!
Lissa says
Go for it! You will have an entire month to bask in your glory!
Sam says
I say harvest it NOW! The suspense is killing me! :o)
Michelle says
I say harvest it now. 2000 lbs in 11 months is even more impressive than 2000 lbs in a year! Although, 2000 lbs is impressive no matter what!
Paula Perez says
Now, please!!
Susan Robinson says
Puleeese do it tomorrow! The suspense is killing me! I’ve been so afraid you wouldn’t get it all in. What was your penalty going to be? Lashes with limp kale? I want you to relax and enjoy December, dreaming with your seed catalogs. Great job, girl scout!!
Niki says
Harvest and be done with it, congrats!!
Chris says
Agree – sooner the better!
laura aguero says
HAR-VEST! HAR-VEST! (said in a chanting tone:)
Margaret says
What will you do with it all if you harvest it right away? Freeze, dry, can? You should harvest when it is right for you. I never dreamed you would be able to come so close to your goal. Congratulations on a worthy effort.
Elizabeth F says
Keep on with your original plan…to infinity and beyond. If you want to do it next year differently than change it up in Spring ( or whenever you start gardening there in PNW.)