Garden Planning and Books

The green beans have died. We're getting a bit of drought in Atlanta this year. The onions died from the summer heat, as they do, and it is August.

I picked up seeds to get a few things lasting through the fall.

On the docket once I do some weeding is: new beans (for a late crop or two - for canning), snow peas, beets, and broccoli, although I haven't had much luck yet.

I've been doing more reading on local living.

A new book just came out, called "Canning for a New Generation" From looking at it at Borders, it seems to have some interesting recipes that are better than most of them that are heavy sugar around a little fruit. I'm going to order it, and the author will be at the Decatur Book Festival. That is one of my favorite free festivals in Atlanta.

The book Plenty is a great read about a couple in British Columbia who decide to eat local for a year. In many ways, it launched a bunch of local food movements. Great read and many of the issues and challenges are universal throughout North America.

I am about halfway done with Farewell, My Subaru. This guy is a little crazy, but the challenges he is facing are interesting, and written in a very humorous demeanor.

Read the books, especially the last two. They really bring light to the thoughts of eating local and the challenges in today's world. Did you know that an average tomato travels 1500 miles to get to your plate. That is further than most people travel. Not to mention that most climates can grow tomatoes at least in the summer.

On one last note, why is it that the stores in Georgia (the Peach State), where the peaches taste the best and are currently in season, have decided to stock peaches from New Jersey, California, and South Carolina?