How much do you think you can eat?

That's the question I am currently wrestling with.

And I don't mean in one sitting, but over the course of the next year. There are some vegetables I no longer buy, so I better start enough seeds to get enough plants to cover at least this years consumption. Better yet, 2 years worth, because there are such things as crop failure and spoilage of preserves to consider.

So... here are my basic considerations:

There's 2 of us, we both pretty much like the same vegetables (Phew, lucky, right?) and we have enough planting space to accommodate our needs.

Husband likes celery (yick), but he tends to forget that we have any; I keep it in the crisper and as far as he's concerned that's like cloaking it with the shields up; so I plan on 5 plants, and cutting as he eats it, leaving them in the ground and growing.

Why don't I' just buy it, you ask? Because he never, ever eats a whole bag, so it goes bad when I buy it, because organic celery is rather expensive and it's one of the dirty dozen, so there is no way I'd buy it non-organic and I can't stand the smell of it, so I wouldn't process it like I do other veggies we can't use up immediately. Cut and re-grow will take care of that.

Now that those are out of the way, here is my trusty little spreadsheet:

Yeah, that's a lot. Remember, planning stage. Also, adding chickens to the equation, so there will be some tweaking as I get closer to spring, to at least partially feed the little raptors.

If you look at the headers there, you see that I have 'need', 'have' and 'seed out'.

'Need' is a number roughly representing how much we need to feed ourselves completely (tomatoes and cucumbers, watermelon and zucchini among others) or at least supplement our diet (Garlic, we fear the sparkle) for one year, so that includes enough to not just eat fresh, but to eat all winter, too. Plus we share, but that's a different story altogether.

'Have' is the number of planned plantings  (you thought I was crazy) and yes, there's linkage and formulae going on behind that entire thing that sort of identify me as a nerd.

'Seed out' is just simply 'have' multiplied by 1.25, because I never get all of my plants to make it. Except when I do. Then there is MORE sharing.

Last year: 25 zucchini plants, NO zucchini. Fat chipmunks, obese squirrels, pouting, reluctantly indoor cats, no zucchini. None of those things are going to happen again, just so we're clear ;)

Another factor you are seeing here is my good intention, there is a percentage buried there to account for my row against hunger. Last year did not pan out, if we have normal harvest this year I am contacting small local charities to see if there are any families that could use a 'CSA-like' box. Not sure how that will pan out, and not making any commitments, but I am planning for it.

Well, it's actually time for me to seed out the first little guys this weekend, the crops listed here:

The Winter/early spring crops.

That's all I have for now,
Happy Pinching