tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post1677000300454876926..comments2023-11-17T12:32:11.301-05:00Comments on Daphne's Dandelions: Harvest Monday - 14 December 2009Daphne Gouldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305049560953735881noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-61569442498124488772009-12-16T22:33:11.038-05:002009-12-16T22:33:11.038-05:00Great analysis Daphne. I opt for the organic pro...Great analysis Daphne. I opt for the organic produce as the equivalent value of product cost avoided. It's the only thing that could be considered remotely comparable in my opinion - and even that is a stretch unless it is local and super fresh. <br /><br />I am not quite finished with my financial tally for 2009 because I am still harvesting items from the garden - but I intend to wrap it up and summarize after the start of the new year.kitsapFGhttp://www.modernvictorygarden.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-54032760527907331352009-12-15T07:36:49.389-05:002009-12-15T07:36:49.389-05:00Emily, I blame the zucchinis too :> They really...Emily, I blame the zucchinis too :> They really didn't produce this year and I had four plants in the garden. Which is lucky because I usually only have two, so at least I got enough to make zucchini bread this winter. You still seemed to get a decent amount from the garden.<br /><br />Dan, lol it really doesn't take me a long time. At least after I set up the spreadsheet and worked out the bugs. The hard part was remembering to weigh before I ate something. And I do think the pound per square foot is doable in a really good year if all the successions are well planned. Next year though I'm going for a lot of dried beans which won't help, but they will let me eat from the garden in winter more which is what I'm going for.<br /><br />OFB, now you are going to make me do this all again? ;> I am thinking about it right now.<br /><br />Sally, Yes there really is a book with that title. It is so easy to get carried away and spend a fortune on the garden. And I agree, counting what you spend really makes you think about those purchases. BTW I used Mainely Mulch this year because I couldn't get salt hay last year either. Now I see it all over. <br /><br />prue, the garden really changes over the months. I'll do a post at the end of the year that does overview photos from all the different seasons.<br /><br />Granny, yay! Well you harvested so much. You were buried in produce. It wouldn't be hard to come out positive.<br /><br />Michelle, it is a lot of work. I didn't even go into how many hours I spent. I do confess to spending a lot more time in the garden than necessary though because I like it. I enjoy puttering. If I'm stressed out, I either go for a walk or go to the garden. So it is good therapy to me even if it is a lot of work. As to giving away food, I have a hard time both ways. I like to give people things I know they will like. What I hate is when I've slaved over something (like my jams) and the gift isn't very appreciated. I don't want to give up my hard won produce without it being as loved by them as it is by me.Daphne Gouldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305049560953735881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-39603996781406434392009-12-14T22:08:30.754-05:002009-12-14T22:08:30.754-05:00I don't mind long posts when they're full ...I don't mind long posts when they're full of good information and interesting insights like your current one!<br /><br />You've made one excellent point that I think most new gardeners are not aware of - growing your own vegetables is not necessarily inexpensive or easy. There's far more costs and effort required to start a successful vegetable garden than most people realize (or admit to). I feel sorry for new gardeners that are misled into believing that all they have to do is plunk some seeds into the ground, stand back, and then harvest pounds of produce. It's just not that simple. Which leads to another sore point for me - people, (friends, neighbors, family, etc.) who have no clue how much effort and expense goes into the free vegetables that they like to get from me... Maybe I'm just selfish.Michellehttp://fromseedtotable.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-25737686687189676502009-12-14T21:47:19.579-05:002009-12-14T21:47:19.579-05:00Yes! I harvested a bowl of lettuce 6 days ago ;-)...Yes! I harvested a bowl of lettuce 6 days ago ;-) <br /><br />Very good article, Daphne. I had good intentions on keeping track of my costs, but that soon petered out. I know my cost was low though, compared to the amount I harvested, although I never would have bought that much food.Annie*s Grannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04772261218172078099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-9072681440495772272009-12-14T18:33:08.667-05:002009-12-14T18:33:08.667-05:00Such a detailed post! It is amazing to see the spr...Such a detailed post! It is amazing to see the spring pictures then that snow one, such a contrast (I have only ever seen snow in real life once so it is hard to imagine without the contrasting pictures for guidance) Thanks for keeping the harvests posts going over this cold and wintery time!PJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12210701278846436069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-41666389786842595502009-12-14T18:17:05.971-05:002009-12-14T18:17:05.971-05:00I'm really impressed with all the detail in yo...I'm really impressed with all the detail in your analysis and breakdown. There's really a book called the $64 Tomato? Could be the story of the season for many of us.<br /><br />As you know, I did make a tally though not as accurate as yours. I too found myself resisting the temptation to purchase items I would have in years when I wasn't keeping track. My husband came home with some great salt hay and I actually cringed...I still had Mainely Mulch from the year before (salt hay was rare in 2008), but in the end salt hay is much easier to move around. And my father allowed me to help myself to some of his rabbit fence so I could make a new pea trellis, that was a bonus.Sallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16533917819185792443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-61429305860914707162009-12-14T18:05:14.879-05:002009-12-14T18:05:14.879-05:00Fantastic post, Daphne, and your garden photos are...Fantastic post, Daphne, and your garden photos are so abundant and beautiful! You did a fabulous job, both of growing produce and of telling it like it is. I'm already looking forward to your garden posts chronicling next year's efforts!!!our friend Benhttp://ourfriendben.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-61580760681460211472009-12-14T17:20:24.702-05:002009-12-14T17:20:24.702-05:00Love all your record keeping. I am a bit of a fina...Love all your record keeping. I am a bit of a financial nut and really have to resist doing a similar system. I spend to much time on the laptop as it is :-) I think it makes sense to base the system on organic produce as home grown is even fresher and more valuable in my opinion. But I do agree on the toughness of trying to save compared to conventional produce. Food is so cheap, even after the last bout of food inflation that it is hard to beat. <br /><br />My garden came close to 1lb/sf this year, 121lbs (so far) on 163sf. If it was not for blight I bet I would have had a pound or more per square foot.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07743102355360873845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-59617258473324816812009-12-14T17:03:39.944-05:002009-12-14T17:03:39.944-05:00Daphne,
Thanks for your thorough post. Your spre...Daphne,<br /><br />Thanks for your thorough post. Your spreadsheet inspired me to keep track this year of my harvest weights and I think I used your estimates for prices.<br /><br />I haven't been posting total weights and values because it is quite sad in comparison, but from my 48 square feet of garden, I got 34.5 lbs of produce. So I guess I didn't make one pound per square foot. I blame the zucchini. I planted 3 and only got one zucchini the whole summer. <br /><br />I'm hoping I may have another harvest next week. We'll see if the temp in the cold frame warms up so I can pick something.Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00500390722832190990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-32646703695673184942009-12-14T14:22:43.143-05:002009-12-14T14:22:43.143-05:00Kalena Michele, Thanks.
vrtlarica, I'm contem...Kalena Michele, Thanks.<br /><br />vrtlarica, I'm contemplating just keeping track of volumes too. But I keep changing my mind. And yes I don't add in the cost of land to garden. That would be way too much.<br /><br />The Mom, well you could amortize that start up cost like I did with my fence (as long as you intend to be there for a while). My fence cost me $1200 originally and I amortized it over 20 years which means it cost just $60 a year.<br /><br />fairegarden, I did amortize my fencing which was put in 18 years ago which was my major start up cost of the garden. If I did amortize everything I would have to know what I spent in the past to get an accurate measure. I just figured I'd replace what needed replacing and buy what I needed to buy for the year. It would all average out. Trust me next year I'll probably spend even more (more soil blockers and more lights).<br /><br />mss @ Zanthan Gardens, I just try to keep those overhead costs low. It is an effort not to spend money on the garden, but I try. Well to a certain extent.<br /><br />Thomas, start up costs ought to be amortized as Frances was saying. If your start up cost was $1000 and you expect to garden there for 20 years (and the stuff you bought will last that long) then for the next twenty years you add $50 to the record of the cost of your gardening. Interesting idea of having gardening cost deductible. That might get people to garden more. Maybe.<br /><br />Anonymous, I scavenge a lot of materials too, but probably not enough. My raised bed garden uses down trees from the backyard instead of boards to build some of the beds. I like the rustic look. I didn't think about adding in irrigation costs. If I go that far I ought to add in electricity costs for raising my transplants too. And I did give away flowers and vegetalbes. I still counted them though.<br /><br />Michelle, it was a rather long post. I wonder when I write the really long ones if people love them or hate them. They do take a long investment in time to read.<br /><br />Lou, I print out sheets that I made that have columns for variety, date, and weight. I keep the sheet in the kitchen so I'll remember to write it down. Then once a week before harvest monday I copy it into excel - well now open office (I switched computers recently). I set up the spreadsheet to calculate everything automatically I just have to plug in the numbers for that week. I started in the winter by looking online for organic produce prices. So I started off with estimates. Then as the farmers market opened the numbers were refined for my local price. If I could find it that is. Otherwise I used the online price. If I couldn't find either for my crop (like Komatsuna) I guesstimated what the price should be based on similar items at the market. And yes buying the big things adds a lot, but those are the things you should amortize over their life. The only really big thing in my garden is the fence, put in 18 years ago. It is amortized and I put a cost of $60 for it in this year.<br /><br />EG, I hope your applebutter works well. I've been enjoying mine for quite some time.Daphne Gouldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305049560953735881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-36947318018003897182009-12-14T12:11:24.130-05:002009-12-14T12:11:24.130-05:00Daphne - your garden did very well this year, and ...Daphne - your garden did very well this year, and it's cool that it put some money back in your pocket, too. BTW, i'm gonna use your instructions from an earlier post about making apple butter this weekend, as it's the only one that I've seen that makes sense! Thanks for posting about it!Jeff Vandiverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07200011426236637927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-57390039022279822042009-12-14T11:32:32.988-05:002009-12-14T11:32:32.988-05:00Wow, very impressive bookkeeping. I love seeing th...Wow, very impressive bookkeeping. I love seeing the photos of your garden in summer. So nice to remember at this time of year. <br /><br />I've been inspired by your blog to start weighing my harvests, and harvested about 6 lbs this week. Next year, I plan to keep better records and a running tally like you're doing. Do you use a computer program? How do you determine the value of your harvests? <br /><br />But I'm not sure that I want to tell everyone how much I really spend on my garden, especially this year when we invested in raised beds and bought compost, or last year and the year before when we were buying our fruit trees. Those are all investments in happiness!Louhttp://greenlifeinsocal.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-50714004545905110822009-12-14T11:25:30.497-05:002009-12-14T11:25:30.497-05:00Oh dang, I only have time to skim through your pos...Oh dang, I only have time to skim through your post at the moment. I'm going to come back and leave you a proper comment when I get back from the dentist!Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07812702328134261533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-16639267718661112122009-12-14T10:53:36.778-05:002009-12-14T10:53:36.778-05:00Good analysis. Thanks for your work!
This year, I...Good analysis. Thanks for your work!<br /><br />This year, I was establishing a new garden on terribly horribly neglected/abused land. Plus the hottest driest summer in recorded history. So I can just about count my yield on one hand. However, I'm a pretty good scavenger for materials, tools, and seeds, so the cash balance wasn't too bad.<br /><br />Another cost that could need to be included is irrigation. Either paying for utility water, or capital investment for a rainwater system.<br /><br />Another benefit is what goes onto corporate books as "goodwill" - the non-monetary value that somehow makes the enterprise worth more than its total. For example, you stopped cutting flowers. You could have also been giving them away to random neighbors, who will someday come jump your car battery, or such.<br /><br />Looking forward to next year...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-52931002852384519112009-12-14T10:38:20.306-05:002009-12-14T10:38:20.306-05:00Now that I have a kitchen scale, I think I will st...Now that I have a kitchen scale, I think I will start keeping track of my harvests starting January 1st. I am curious myself as to whether or not growing your own veggies is economically advantageous. But then again, you're right, it has a lot to do with how you spin the numbers and ultimately, the value you place on knowing where your food comes from. <br /><br />I think you also have to discount some of your start up costs...now if only we can get the federal government to deduct dollars spent on growing your own food, then it would be a no brainer...maybe that should be our next cause!Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09303344546714641616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-47343632041194879842009-12-14T08:38:32.311-05:002009-12-14T08:38:32.311-05:00Excellent. Keeping track is so important to dispel...Excellent. Keeping track is so important to dispel the gardening myths on both sides, as you did. Although you conclude (and I agree) that gardening provides far more value than you can add up on a calculator, it's still very important to keep records, to be able to show a quantitative value as well as a qualitative one.<br /><br />The only "crop" which I weighed last year was my tomatoes. For a variety of reasons (lack of sun, drought, squirrels) my harvest was small. However, since I already had the tools, and well-amended soil from years of gardening and growing non-edible plant, my outlay was not too high.mss @ Zanthan Gardens (Texas)http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/gardenlog/?p=2663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-9457359736988016112009-12-14T07:50:14.205-05:002009-12-14T07:50:14.205-05:00Hi Daphne, we have no harvest here, but did eat ra...Hi Daphne, we have no harvest here, but did eat raspberries almost daily from the vine until just recently. Let me help you from an accounting point of view. The tools, fencing, and other long term usuable items should be amortized over the life of their usefulness including depreciation. At least twenty years for shovels and forks, five years for hand trowels. Gloves barely make it a year. See where I am going? You divide the cost of the tools by the number of years of use you will get. The light set up too. That might help your bottom line. As for the store bought, absolute use organic prices and don't forget that carbon footprint of shipping, overhead at the grocer's, labor. Your own cost savings will spike! :-)<br />FrancesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-76021890394539114682009-12-14T07:29:58.694-05:002009-12-14T07:29:58.694-05:00You keep such wonderful records. I wish I was as ...You keep such wonderful records. I wish I was as good at keeping track. Next year's garden is already in the hole from garden expansions and equipment. By spring I will have spent about $1500, but most of that will be on things that will be in use for many years to come. <br /><br />I figure it all comes out in the wash. How many other people can say that their hobbies pay for themselves? As time goes on it will cost me less to garden.The Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15070310346205563561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-44611354993962035012009-12-14T05:17:58.068-05:002009-12-14T05:17:58.068-05:00You have kept so detail track on your garden. I gu...You have kept so detail track on your garden. I guess I could never do that, especially not comparing it to what is worth on the market... perhaps I could next year just keep track on volumes only.<br /><br />My vegetable garden would never be profitable, as I have bought a plot next to mine, just so I could have a garden. That’s investment that I can’t pay off with veggies... but it makes me happy, and that’s what’s important!<br /><br />One additional element could be counted and valued: time spent on gardening...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-75757006963566662522009-12-14T02:27:08.117-05:002009-12-14T02:27:08.117-05:00That's an awesome tally for this year. Next y...That's an awesome tally for this year. Next year, I'm going to keep track of my expenses and savings as well.Kalena Michelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08199232894763467920noreply@blogger.com