Gardening/Storage

The University of California Master Gardeners will hold the following classes at the Garden of the Sun at 1750 N. Winery in Fresno.  Phone 600-7285.  I would recommend calling to reserve your spot.

Saturday, October 6 @ 9:30 until 11:00.  Designing with succulents: wreaths and more. Cost $15.00

Saturday, October 13 @ 9:30 until 11:00.  Topiaries.  Cost $15.00

Saturday, October 20 @ 9:30 until 11:00.  Vertical Gardening.  Cost $15.00

Saturday, October 27 @ 9:30 until 11:00.  Composting.  Learn how to make your plants happy and spend less money on fertilizers and spare the landfill!  This is a free class!!!

Saturday, November 3 @ 9:30 until 11:30.  Gardening for Children!!!  Children must be accompanied by an adult, and they definitely suggest pre-registration as class is limited to 25 people.  Cost is $5.00 per child materials fee. 


Did you know that there is a Sun-Maid raisin store in Kingsburg?  They sell by the bag at discounted prices, and also bulk.  I have visited the store, and enjoyed the samples, variety and prices.  Let me know if you're interested. 

We have also ordered olive oil at an excellent price from Bari Olive Oil Company in Dinuba.  It is just down the road from the Sun-Maid store.  This business actually presses the olives (from groves down the street) into prize-winning olive oils!  They have sampling of their various olive oils and vinegars inside their store.  It is a fun trip!!!!

If the cannery does not sell grains/legumes that you are interested in, you can always try Pacific Grain and Foods at 4067 West Shaw #116.  Phone is 271-1576.  We have ordered high-quality yellow corn from this business, and I was very happy with their service and prices.

Let me know if I can help you with anything. 

Mills, Mills, Mills!

So, you've been really good with planning your food storage and you have bought some wheat. Good for you!  Now, what will you do with it when you need to use it?  I have the answer to that question. We are taking orders for Blendtec grain mills.  The electric variety is going to cost $139.95 plus tax, and the hand grinder is $74.95.  I am going to try to negotiate shipping costs, and will let you know how much this will cost.

Parents of adult children:  The mills will make excellent Christmas presents.  Although not glamorous, there is nothing that brings as much joy and satisfaction as making your own homemade bread! 

Call me soon if you would like to order!
Sandy

Master Gardener Classes!

I am so excited about the schedule that I received from the University of California classes taught by our county's master gardeners!  All classes are at the Garden of the Sun at 1750 N. Winery.  Telephone number is 600-7285.  See below!!!

Taste of the Harvest:  Saturday, September 8th from 9:00 to 1:00.  Cost of $5.00
Just as the course title sounds, there will be harvest sampling, salsa tasting, fruit tasting, and sale.  There will be vendors with garden art, terrariums, nursery growers and more.  The master gardener experts will also be there to answer your questions, in addition to the brief seminars on gardening topics.

Learn Drip Irrigation:  Wednesday, September 12th from 9:30 to 11:00.  Free Class!
This class is a must for the new gardener.  You will learn to design, install and maintain a drip irritation systemf or your home landscaping and garden. 

Bulbs for Spring:  Saturday, September 15th from 9:30 to 11:00.  Cost of $15.00
Learn how, when and what to plant with familiar and not-so-familiar bulbs.

Curing and Processing Olives:  Wednesday, September 19th from 9:30 to 11:00.  Cost $15.00
Learn to cure olives for use during the winter months using several methods, including lye cured, Greek salt cured, and Greek cracked olives.

Square Foot Gardening:  Saturday, September 29 from 9:30 to 11:00.  Free Class!
Learn to use only 20% of the space of a conventional row garden.  Save time, water and money.  Also find out how to participate in the Plant a Row for the Hungry program (P.A.R.). 

LET ME KNOW OF YOUR PROVIDENT LIVING NEEDS!!!!

Pictures of Bishop and Suzanne's Garden

 Wouldn't you love to have a garden like this?  Well, you can!  Ask me how!!!!!!!!

Master Gardener Classes for US!

All classes listed below are located at Garden of the Sun at 1750 N. Winery, and each costs $15.00.  All classes for this series start at 9:30 and end at 11:00.  Call 600-7285 to check to confirm if space is available.

All about Terrariums:  Saturday, June 16

House Plants:  Wednesday, June 20

What's That Tool For?  Saturday, June 23

ABC's of Gardening:  Saturday, June 30

Summer Orchard Care:  Saturday, July 7

Going "Eco":  Saturday, July 14

Growing Blueberries:  Saturday, July 21

So You Think You Want to Keep Bees?  Saturday, July 28

Call me for information on these classes.  I definitely plan to attend a couple of them myself!

PIctures, Grinders, Grains, and More!

Pictures:  Please send me pictures of your garden so I can post them for other ward members to see.  If you can, please add info on what has worked, and not worked, for you this year! 

Wheat/Grain Grinders:  Is anyone interested in purchasing an electric grinder?  I am hoping to get some orders together and see if we can obtain a discount on electric wheat grinders.  We did this in the past and it worked out really well! 

Grain:  I am also interested in getting another order together to purchase grains from the grain store in Fresno.  Is anyone interested?  And, if so, what would you like to order?

Fresno Cannery:  Still open!  However, there is no set date for discontinuing the staff doing the canning for us.  If you would like to place an order with the cannery, simply call 255-2377 on Tuesday or Thursday.  The list of products is on the church website.  After the discontinuation of the staff's ability to can for us, we will still be able to purchase products, but all will be in bulk, and we will have to check out the dry pack canner to can the grain ourselves.  It is actually an easy process....

Let me know if you would like to do anything this summer to help you with living providently! 

Lemon Delight

I know this has nothing to do with provident living, but I promised to post this recipe (from Heather)

Lemon Delight
1st layer:  1 c. flour
               1/2 c. butter, softened
               1/2 c. chopped pecans
Mix well, pat into 9x13 dish.  Bake @ 350 for 15 min.

2nd layer:  8 oz cream cheese
                 1 c. powdered sugar
                 1/2 large cool whip
Mix well and spread over cooled crust.

3rd layer:  3 c. cold milk
                2 small pkgs of lemon instant pudding mix
Mix together 2 min.  Let stand until thickened, then spread over 2nd layer.

4th layer:  1/2 large cool whip
Use the rest of the cool whip to spread over the top.

Smash up Lemonheads candy and spinkle over the top of the cool whip.

Yummy!

COMPOST!!!

Your Guide to Kitchen Compost Containers

and other Compost Info

10 Things to Consider Before You Buy

1. Appearance                 Try and match it to your kitchen's decor or appliances.

2. Capacity                      You'll want to figure out how much compostable waste your household generates on a daily basis. For instance, if your household generates half a gallon of food scraps each day, you'll want to ensure your container can handle 1-2 gallons

3. Cleanability                  Make sure it's easy to clean. Try to avoid containers that have 90 degree angles. Instead, look for containers that have smooth, rounded edges. Some containers are dishwasher safe. This is a great feature and saves a lot of extra hassle.

4. Weight                        How much does your container weigh? Remember, you're going to be adding a lot of waste to this container and it will get heavy.

5. Handle                         Does your container have a handle? This is tied into our last point. Make sure the handle is securely reinforced and attaches well to the pail itself.

6. Lid                               Does your container have a tight-fitting lid? If not, you may have some odor issues. There have also been accounts of the loose-fitting lids allowing fruit flies to get into your container. If you're anything like us, you'd like to avoid those little buggers in your house.

7. Filter                           Most models now contain some sort of filter. These are usually just simple carbon/charcoal filters, but they do cut down on any unwanted odors.

8. Ventilation                   This criteria is usually met by the filter, however, we wanted to restate it. Avoid units that are 100% sealed. If no air is allowed to enter your compost keeper, you will create anaerobic conditions and some nasty odors. This is important to avoid, because you'll create problems in your compost pile outside if you add this anaerobic mess to it. If your container doesn't have a filter, please be sure it has some sort of ventilation for air circulation.

9. Size of Opening            This is often one of the things you don't think about until after you've bought the container. How big is the opening? Can you hold a large plate over top of it.

10. Composition               What's your container made of? There are several types of materials to choose from, including plastic, stainless steel, ceramic, and even bamboo. Most people outgrow their kitchen compost container before the container, itself, breaks down.

Why Compost?                 Compost increases water retention, decreases soil erosion, improves aeration, gives your garden nutrients. 

Composting Made Easy:    Combine equal amounts of browns (dry leaves, sawdust, dry grass or garden clippings, shredded newspaper, dryer lint) and greens (fruit and veggie peels, green grass clippings, feathers, hair, wool, crushed egg shells) in a container.  Use materials that have been shredded/cut to approx 1-1/2 inches in size.  Keep your pile moist (like a wrung out sponge), but not wet.  Turn and aerate your pile often to prevent overheating.  In the summer heat, you should have a rich compost in 2-4 weeks.  Matter will be reduced to about ½ and have a pleasant, earthy smell. 

www.youtube.com

                                      http://www.compost-info-guide.com/beginner_guide.htm

                                      http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/compostingathome.pdf (my favorite)

                                      A Gardener’s Companion for the San Joaquin Valley (456-7285)

                                      Gallo Vineyards 5686 E. Olive Avenue, Fresno  (458-2565)

May Gardening To-Do List

May is the month to mulch.
It is also time to put out bait for snails. 
Control mildew on your vines. 

It is also time to thin the fruit on your fruit trees.  Feed your vegetables with an all-purpose fertilizer.  Fertilize your citrus this month, as it is the last month this year to do so. 

If you haven't planted your garden yet, now is the time to do so.  Plant your cucumber, eggplant, peppers, sweet potato and tomato.  You can also plant seeds for basil, beans, cantaloupe, corn, okra, pumpkin, squash, and watermelon. 

There are several ways to remove unwanted pests/insects from your plants:
Use sticky material to prevent crawling insects from climbing up your tree, remove some insects by hand.  Learn which insects are harmful and which are helpful.

It's also a good idea to check your spinklers and change sprinkler heads as needed.  As noted in the last post, there is a class for learning how to use drip irritation. 

Have fun with your garden.  Give your children a chance to help by possibly giving them a section of the garden to plant vegetables/fruits that they love. 

Come to the Relief Society Tip night on May 17th to learn more about gardening!

County Extension/Master Gardener Classes

The University of California, County Extension, is having a class on June 6th from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at a cost of $15.00 entitled "Canning and Freezing Your Tomato Harvest". It will be held at 1720 South Maple Avenue. If you are interested in attending this class, please call 559-600-7285 to find out how to register.

May classes include how to have a weed-free yard/garden on Saturday, May 5th from 9:30 to 11:00 at the Garden of the Sun at 1750 N. Winery. Cost is $15.00. Call number above for more information.

Kids Garden Day will be held on Saturday, May 12th, from 10:00 until 1:00. This is free! It is being held at the Garden of the Sun. Call 559-600-7285 for more information.

Drip Irrigation!!! There is a class on May 19th entitled "Converting to Drip Irrigation by Retrofitting". Class is from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., and is Free! During this class you will learn how to design, install and retrofit a drip irrigation system from traditional irrigation to drip for your home garden. It is being held at the Garden of the Sun. Sounds like a great class!

Compost

Gene and Jeff picked up a truckload of compost last week. They said it was very easy, and the compost, I must say, is GREAT!!! Gallo also has wood chips and other garden needs available at their site. Look into this! Get your garden going!

If you are interested in ordering ANYTHING in the near future, please let me know and I will post your wants to this blog so we can see if anybody else is interested in ordering.

Compost!!!

Gallo Winery at 5610 E. Olive Avenue sells compost by the yard. A large truck load is approximately 1-1/2 to 2 yards - cost $14.00 per yard. ****This is a change from what we understood earlier*****. A smaller truck bed load is approximately 1/2 yard and runs $7.00.

Hours of Operation for Compost: Monday thru Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and

Saturday 7 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Phone number for further information: 458-2565.

If you would like to hook up with someone else who has a truck and is going to pick up compost, you can definitely use this blog to do so. If you want to contact me directly, please feel free to do so.

Classes, food storage, more

For those of you who are new to the blog, please see the blogs from our earlier days to obtain information about what we've done and how this all works.

There is another class scheduled through University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources at Garden of the Sun, 1750 N. Winery, in Fresno. (For those of you who have not attended classes here, we have been instructed by the Master Gardeners of Fresno, and they have been wonderful!). Saturday, February 11th, 9:30 to 11:00, Free Class!, "All about Citrus". There we will learn how to keep our citrus trees in top shape, as well as producing abundant fruit, including preparing soil, planting and caring for your trees.

On Saturday, February 18, there is another Free Class!, (same place, same time) "Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes!". Starting plants, trellising plants, and seed saving will be discussed.

Saturday, February 25 is the Smart Gardening Conference, at the Ramada Inn @ 324 E. Shaw in Fresno. There is a charge for this class: $30 advance registration, $40 at the door. Information for this conference is at http://ucanr.org/sgc

Bithell Farms is offering frozen fruit for sale again for their Spring Delivery. The fruit is high quality (Joel W. uses it in his pies). The order deadline is February 29th for a March delivery. They only do this twice each year. We ordered last year, and the fruit truly is yummy! For information, please go to www.bithellfarms.com If you would like for me to try to put a group order together, please let me know asap, as I believe we can get a discount for doing it this way. Fruits include, but are not limited to, boysenberries, peaches, cherries, raspberries, and more.

The Fresno Cannery is open for your orders for a short time longer. Feel free to call the Cannery on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The number is 255-2377.

If you would like me to borrow the dry pack canner for foods you already have, please let me know.

COMPOST: When I phoned the Gallo Winery last fall, they said that they still sell compost by the large or small truckloads. If you are interested in doing this, please let me know.

Pearls for becoming Self-Reliant

I actually came across this in our new book entitled: "Daughters in My Kingdom". Here goes:

Becoming Self-Reliant

Learn to love work and avoid idleness.

Acquire a spirit of self-sacrifice.

Accept personal responsibility for spiritual strength.

Accept personal responsibility for health, education, employment, finances, food, and other life-sustaining necessities.

Pray for faith and courage to meet challenges that come.

Strengthen others who need assistance.

I find this good advice to live by. Don't you?

Dry Pack Canner, and grain!

As announced in church yesterday, I will be picking up the dry pack canner tomorrow, and will have it for one week. If you would like to use it, please let me know.

Additionally, we have sisters who want a variety of different types of grain, but not one particular grain. We have talked about corn, and others. If you would like to order grain, please contact me or Pacific Feed and Grain (Fresno). I will reserve the dry pack canner on an at least every quarter basis.

One last item: the cannery is still in operation. Contrary to prior reports, cannery personnel are still dry packing grain for us. Feel free to call the cannery and order what you need. The available products and prices are available on the church website under provident living.