I was going through the closet de-cluttering the other day, and I ran across my dad's old Organic Gardening magazines that I have hung on to. I have many from the 60's and early 70's. I grabbed one to look at when I decided to sit and rest. Well, I do not believe much in coincidence! I was supposed to grab that one and read it. I was amazed at one story in it.
I am going to share a few quotes with you. Just read well - and think - does this sound familiar?????
This is from March 1975.
"The more the cost of food rises, the greater is the value of the food we grow in our gardens. No one likes to see the price of food go up, but it is comforting to know that we have more protection against unreasonable prices and actual food shortages than people who don't garden."
"When the price of fertilizer goes up, our cost of food doesn't automatically go up too, because we can make much of our fertilizer."
"The situation was similar to the oil crisis in the winter of 1974. A sudden supply crunch was followed by a quick rise in prices, and then what some people called obscene profits of oil companies."
"We are heading into a permanent period of food shortage and rising prices. It is logical to believe the experiences with oil and sugar are going to be repeated with many kinds of foods - if that hasn't already happened. You, the consumer, are at the end of the long chain."
SEE where this is going?????? This isn't a new problem. Our great grandparents, grandparents, parents and even some of us - have all gone through this many times before!!!!!!! I think so many of us were so busy with life and we were so young, that we really didn't pay much attention. We go through cycles - just like everything else. This isn't a new problem!
It goes on to say.....
"The great majority of people have been all too willing to allow the basic nature of their food to be changed by processing, without complaining or even wondering about the long-term effect. Convenience was the promise."
Well I think we are all seeing that, that isn't a good thing. Health problems have truly increased in the last 50-60 years - new things no one ever thought about before. We are a fat society. We are an unhealthy society. (I am not knocking anyone or being disrespectful - it is just a fact that we are unhealthy today). REAL foods are what we should be eating - natural foods, without all the chemical enhancements. This is why it is important to grow your own or buy from locals who grow it. Organics really can be important for health.
We need to be aware of what we put in our bodies. That is our best bet to good health.
We need to eat more raw and simply cooked home-gown foods. Garden when you can, eat naturally, store your products properly and always look for natural goods. I know people say buying from farm markets or buying organic foods is expensive - well, so is your health!!!!!! I think I will spend a few cents more on what I put in the body compared to spending a ton of money on health problems.
It is just amazing to me that the same problems, the same excuses, and the high prices and shortages and challenges have been going on for ages. Truly amazing.
NO, we are not able to control prices. We do however, have control of our purses!!!! We can say NO to all the processed foods, the fast food, the unhealthy foods and the junk. We DO control of food power!!!!
Use your control and eat right and help your health. You are helping more than just your health - but a small piece of the world as well. Help correct the imbalances of the food system and help control all the waste in our food processing system. Use your diet to make a statement!
Take your control of the wallet and let those big corporations know you are fed up! Buy local. Grow your own if you can. Eat healthy.
You DO have some control!!!!!!!
Quotes from Organic Gardening magazine, March, 1975. Article written by: Robert Rodale
Very interesting and true!! In 1975 I had 3 boys under age 4 and was so busy I didn't notice much---but I do remember when our IGA came out with "generic" foods---in black and white labels. They were cheaper. And in most cases just as good! Saved me a lot of money at the time. Also TVP hamburger was about half the price. All I could grow then was tomatoes, and rhubarb came up on it's own every year.
ReplyDeleteSee, we were younger and just doing life. We thought convenience was the bomb. Time wise I guess it was, but it sure didn't help our health. We all do what we have to, to get by - no shame there. I just hope we all learn along the way.
DeleteIt seems like everything comes around again and again. Gas prices were high years ago and I remember lines in gas stations as well as specific days you could go get gas. Food prices rose and fell depending on the year as well as electrical energy. I tell this to my kids and they act like this is something so new. It's just karma biting us in the butt when we forget how good we do have it at times. (just my opinion)
ReplyDeleteYeppers! I agree. Many of us have been there and done that - it just seems many conveniently forget. They got to have something to gripe about! I just go with the flow and makes changes as necessary.
DeleteThanks for posting this Cheryl you are so correct. I have read a number of books from Wendell Berry and he has been talking about the need to grow our own food and why since the 60's.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. We need to be food aware. If we can't grow it, find those that can. It is our health! There is so much nasty stuff out there in mass produced products.
DeleteI'm on my 3rd tank of gas this year ;-) Last time I did errands I was gone 2.5 hours and drove a whopping 11 miles. I have walked 210 miles since May 2 even walking to my Dentist appt for a 5.8mile round-trip. My library is just 1 mile away so I'll walk drop-offs on a 3-5 mile route. I don't tend to pick-up because then I have to carry for an hour or more. I need to rethink this. Maybe drop off on my way out and pickup on my way home? Hmmmmmm, now I feel lazy ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy garden beds were filled the week before the holiday. We've been Blessed with very unusual rain and they've grown nicely although some plants were too small and may not survive. Time will tell.
My CSA this year is HUUUUUGGGGGEEEE! Did I say big? I'm still working on produce from May 26, have consumed only 1 item (fresh mushrooms) from June 2 and we have another pickup Thursday. Salad greens really cannot be frozen so I feel like I need to eat salad for every meal for awhile. The heads of leaf lettuce this year are ginormous. Did I say BIG? ;-)
Tired of me yet? ;-D
You go girl!!!! You got it going on! I hope others see that it can be done. I have topped my tank minimally this year - and most times I had still used less than 1/4 tank! I just needed to use a discount before expiring.
DeleteI love hearing about all the things you do - it makes me smile!
You are wise. I know some can't do this because of medical problems - but IF we can - we should.
I've replaced both my knees. 2018 for #1 and 2021 for #2. The rest of me is great condition and I'm walking off the fat accumulated since the 1st knee injury in 2015, "as we speak".
DeleteThe only part I disagree with is the statement "then what some people called obscene profits of oil companies." Frankly I believe the O&G sector has taken advantage of the current situation and rather than increase production, they are using the situation to gouge consumers. Grocers and other retailers face higher costs to bring in the produce and other goods and accordingly they pass those costs onto consumers. While we can grow some of our food, areas like mine that have a short growing season cannot supply all of it. I do know as a child my mother never tasted an orange until she was 10 years old (she was born in 1928). We've become so used to the variety of food items available to us, it would be difficult to go back to the days when certain items weren't available or were just too darned expensive.
ReplyDeleteI do agree, that eating more locally sourced items is beneficial - especially if we grow our own.
I noticed like 3 days into the conflict overseas - our prices increased. WHY? Greed. The stock that they had didn't go up in price - they just stuck us full throttle. It was full out "bend over"!
DeleteI know places need to make a profit - but yes they gouge at every opportunity.
The quote was 1975 - and I am sure that is what was thought.
I like variety in my diet - but I think I could get used to seasonal pretty easily. I am not picky - yet I realize that I am pretty darn spoiled! LOL
You were on my mind yesterday, Cheryl, as we stretched leftovers into multiple meals: leftover pork chop met + diced apple + leftover stuffing for lunch, then leftover beef roast + lots of veggies + packaged beef ramen + eggs for a filling dinner for 3.
ReplyDeleteYes, everything old is new again. In the 2007-2010 recession, many people started growing their own produce and organic was the trend. We were coastal at the time and had grass removed and beds put in. Unfortunately, it sent our water bill up to $130 per month!! When water rationing came into play, it became impossible to grow much with any success. Now? The soil at our new place is pottery-thick clay and gravel. Raised beds will be necessary if we want to grow anything. We priced that out yesterday an will be looking at anywhere from $500-$1000+, depending on how much area we want to use. It will have to wait. Water is expensive in AZ, too, and restrictions are expected in the near future. Folks in other parts of the country are blessed with good soil and plenty of rain!
I'm seeing a lot more people shopping for groceries at Dollar Tree, Dollar General and Family Dollar here. Mostly retirees, but some families, too. It seems we all adapt as best we can. Thanks for the encouragement! --Elise
We have that thick clay here in SW PA, too. I made raised beds with cedar fence pickets which are much cheaper than cedar boards. 2x4s for corners. The expensive part for me is the components to make soilless mix to fill the beds. I know someone who would let me have all the manure I want but I have no way to haul it.
DeleteThank you, Frances. Since lumber has gone up 400% in this area (year over year), we were pricing more creative alternatives like steel feed troughs, halved (recycled) large propane tanks, and even old rail road ties. I know how to make soilless mix, and the neighbor has a horse and a mule, but that takes at least a year for safe composting w/o e-coli or salmonella and we'd need an awful lot of it. We can buy in bulk from a local supplier, as we did gravel for the driveway and walkways, but that'd run $300 delivered.
DeleteI'll figure something out for next year. It gives me time to watch and plan. But the monthly cost of water will be the trickier bit. If you live in an arid zone, collecting rainwater isn't much of an option, either. It all just varies according to your situation. Creativity is key! --Elise
P.S. If the manure can be bagged in large, black plastic trash bags, it can be hauled easier and set in a sunny spot to heat up and age for at least 6 months.
You will get it all figured out. I like that you are thinking about things other than lumber. Plastic barrels cut in half, big pots. Even children's swimming pools! When there is a will!!!
DeleteI understand not all people can do these things in all places - but we can all do SOMETHING! Shoot, even windowsill gardening is something. Use shower water or dish water to water.
Good for you on stretching those meals. That is huge!
I remember prior periods of inflation and shortages well. There were stories on the news of elderly people eating canned dog food and I thought to myself, they should just make themselves a big pot of beans and rice. As they saying goes, "The more things change, the more they remain the same." Lynn Ewing
ReplyDeleteLynn - isn't that statement so true?!!!!!! Yes indeed.
DeleteThere have been so many bad economic times - and yet many learned nothing - or were taught nothing. Once abundance comes around - we have very short memories!
So true! I remember the cost of gas jumping then -- I was a senior in high school, getting ready for college, and that increase hit home. That summer, we spent a lot of time at my grandparents farm, helping with planting, weeding, harvesting, and canning. I pulled out my canning books and copy of Back to Basics yesterday and then inventoried my pantry. Last night, I developed my canning plan for this summer -- what I have on hand, what I'll need for the year, and what I need to put up. I've got butter lettuce and swiss chard in my deck boxes and haven't bought lettuce in nearly a month -- and that was only to supplement until my starts began producing enough to harvest. The fewer trips to the store, the better, and when I do go, I plan to get ample essentials and am going to try for once a month.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a good plan! I have been basically the same. I know what I am growing, have been going through jars and lids. I know my inventory and know what I need to fill in here and there. My plan is very long range. I am not in panic mode at all - because I have been doing this for so long - I am just being aware. I agree, the fewer trips to the store the better - you can't get out cheaply!
DeleteMy plan is farm markets when I need them.
"The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to want." Proverbs 21:5 NRSV
ReplyDeleteI dearly hope I haven't come off as negative, Cheryl, it's just that I've made many costly mistakes with gardening over the years. Frustrating and costly. If one is in a hurry to get a garden going--even a potted garden--and hasn't planned well ahead, knowing all costs involved, etc. it can be a huge disappointment. Honestly, that big terraced garden on the coast cost me at least 3X more for the produce grown, all costs (including water) factored in, than just buying local produce. Even organic, which is generally much higher per pound. Needs must, and folks have to do what works best for them financially. Planning a year ahead can save $$, too.
If you have grass you no longer want to pay to mow and water, turn it over, cover it with plastic tarp (pinned in to keep it from blowing away), and leave it be. Alternatively, or in addition to, lay out newspaper and heap your fall leaves over it, water it down, cover with tarp for a month, remove the tarp before snow and let it all over winter. Turn it all under in spring. But if you have heavy clay soil, you're going to need a LOT more worked deeply into the soil to have any chance of decent growth of produce... unless you do raised beds. DO know what increases in your water bill are likely. In some parts of America, it can be very expensive.
For potted gardens, a single tomato plant will make deep roots and they need space; the plant will look nice at first, but then shrivel and fail if your pot isn't big enough. Big pots = more potting soil and water. Soapy water saved from in-house use will change the soil ph and can cause your veggies to fail. Ask me how I know this. Potted salad greens will bolt more quickly in heat. Check out books from the library, talk to your local ag department, plan well ahead and be sure to calculate all costs to be sure it will all be cost effective.
Consider co-ops as an alternative. If you're a senior, your local area likely has a senior food bank program. A former neighbor in his 80s would bring their weekly food bank bundles to me and I'd cook for him and his wife from it, plus some for my own family. We did that for 6+ years. There's often a LOT of produce, organically grown or not. --Elise
Not negative at all - just informed.
DeleteYou are absolutely correct - it is a lot of work and often times money in areas that do not have good soil or ample water.
Each and every person needs to do what is in their budgets and their aptitude to do.
IF I couldn't grow things myself, I would do all farm markets and orchard stands as I could afford. That is me. I like having as close to fresh as I can.
You have given many beginners a lot to think about and plan for. Thanks. I hope no one is ever so discouraged that they don't try something. Everything helps a little.
I just thought it was very ironic that in print back in the 70's they were complaining about the same things we complin about today. We act like we are the only ones that this mess has happened too. It is history.
Understood, Cheryl. Your post didn't just remind me of the 1970s, but also of the last big recession when many plated vegetable gardens and young folks took up canning. To be honest, I've been surprised that those trends faded so quickly. My hunch is many weren't aware of the time, work and cost involved? Which doesn't mean it should be avoided now. Good planning avoids much frustration. Gardening is a good way to get more sunshine, exercise and enjoyment!
Deleteoops... I meant "planted". LOL!
DeleteYeah - how quickly we tend to forget!!! I figured when people were going nuts buying all the canning items in 2020/2021 there would be aa big glut at yard sales. May be - cause I haven't gone to any to see.
DeleteGardening gives us a lot more than food!!!! It soothes the soul.
It really helps to just get busy and plant. You'll learn as you go and will feel good about your knowledge. You will worry less for sure ...about eveything ....like the current news and life in general.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion is to only grow what you like. If you don't like Kale and you planted it then you are wasting gardening space for other great veggies.
Gardening is the best!
YES! Grow what you eat. Just like stocking - stock what you eat and eat what you stock. No reason to plant things you don't like. Use the resources well.
DeleteYes, gardening is like meditation to many. It soothes, it prepares, and it provides.
Amen sister. You really need to write a book, even if it is an E-book my friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!!!! My head is so full of 'stuff' it might scare people! LOL
DeleteSeveral of my books on saving I've thrifted were published in the 70s. Lots of good information. Getting harder to find them as time goes by. I actually prefer them over the slick, more recently published ones.
ReplyDeleteEven in tight times in the 70s my parents still entertained and mom had lunches at friends' homes. I think it's attitude. I'm really putting a lot of effort into saving on food and yet lately I think our meals have been some of my best!
Elle has got me thinking about walking more. I used to walk to the library that's a mile away and really the only thing close worth walking to. Aldi's is 3 miles away. I wouldn't be able to buy a lot at one time. But maybe for the health benefits it would be something to do and I could pick up a few things. I'll have to work up to a 6 mile trek though. I do have a handicap that if it flares up walking becomes difficult so it could be awhile before I can build up the stamina.
I have a plot at a community garden & it's only $25 per space and it includes water. I do have to drive to it but I combine it with other nearby trips.
I'm not the greatest gardener but I do have success with certain vegetables that I can store/ preserve. I'm still using tomatoes from last summer. I've tried some of the other vegetables I see others growing at the community garden and I just don't have much luck. Even so, every year I try a few new ones. Last year I tried jalapeno peppers and got an abundance off one plant. I still have some from last summer! My regular green peppers don't do so well usually. This year I'm doing jalapeno and banana peppers. I'm also trying a different bell pepper.
I try to walk the line between overspending on gardening (staying frugal) vs not doing it correctly (enough) and actually wasting time, money and effort. Same with sewing.
~~margaret
I like all the older books as well. It seems they were more down to earth, and do this and save - than financial planning and investments and such. It was all in simple terms!
DeleteYou can live quite well and not spend a lot. I like my meals and when G was here, he always loved my cooking and never complained. He was a big man, and he loved food. I have been frugal most of my life - and you really just need to be creative and you can use simple and clean ingredients and still have great meals.
Exercise is so good for us. We tend to forget that over the winters!!! LOL
See - you have found a way to garden. That is great. I love that many areas have plots or community gardens. That is wonderful. We learn as we go.
Good luck!
Thanks Cheryl - thank you for sharing past old and new problems and for all the posts you have written on how we can do our best.
ReplyDeleteJoy
You are welcome and thank you for your comment. I love getting feedback and seeing new people!
DeleteI remember those 1970s days well. Bought our first house with huge interest rate, cars too were financed at 12-13%. When Pres. Gerald Ford took office, he wore a huge lapel pin saying "WIN" (Whip Inflation Now). We spent every cent we earned, but we were young and optimistic that things would improve - and they did eventually. Remember the 'Jewel T' grocery chain? Their more reasonable prices kept us fed.
ReplyDeleteYes, the interest rates - oh my goodness. Young and optimistic - those were the days. I remember my ex and I getting our first charge card in 1975 (Sears) and we thought we were it!! Boy, what we didn't know.
DeleteI remember the name of that store - I think we all had one that we could kind of identify back then! We generally used Standard grocery when growing up. I used Cubs until they left as an adult. I loved that store!
Everything comes in a circle and I am so glad that both our boys (and us) plant gardens and that our youngest son is willing to take what we declutter in order to round out his new house. It is amazing what we have found that will save him a dollar or two, and right now that is important.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Yes, life is full of cycles - which we tend to forget about. So happy your boys are planting and taking care of themselves. Nice to recycle those tenderly loved items to help another.
DeleteHi, I've been reading for a few months now and have to say I look forward to every post you write. I remember the gas lines and odd and even days from when I was young. My Dad loved Organic Gardening Magazine I wish I would have saved them. I garden, can and have a small hobby farm. Thank you for all you do. Nancy in NC
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy, so happy you found your way here. Many people remember the crazy partying 70's - but yes, there was a lot of serious stuff going on. I have a few of dad's old magazines, wish I had them all.
DeleteHope to have you join in anytime! We love new ideas.
I have the entire Organic Gardening magazines on CD. Need to transfer them to a jump drive, but they are out there.
DeleteThanks good to know - may have to invest those!
DeleteFascinating! The text is almost verbatim with what is spouted today. You and I have lived through at lot of these crises and survived. My mom shopped at Standard Grocery and also A&P. We used to shop at Cub and found some good deals.
ReplyDeleteIt is - that is why I thought I was guided to that magazine. It just amazed me. We have made it through much and we still keep going!!!
DeleteI didn't do A&P much until they got ready to close in my area. Got some great deals!
Another post went POOF! I'm beginning to feel shunned by the blogging gremlins!!
ReplyDeleteWell - bummer. Is there a way you can 'refresh' or something? Or go in and change something - then see if it helps. I wish I had answers.
DeleteIn 1975 I had a newborn, five- and seven-year-old. When sugar prices rose, I remember Hershey bars doubled in price and never came down. I never did the gas game of going on certain days and waiting in line. Husband did this, thankfully. I had enough to do!
ReplyDeleteI would say you did. That was a handful. There were a lot of struggles back then - just like today.
Delete