Better/cheaper areas to be organic/raw/vegan?

[Hanalei]

Are there any websites or maps or anything that tell you what areas are better to be organic raw and vegan? I live in the Midwest, and anything organic is fairly expensive. I'm curious what areas of the country - if any - are more affordable for this type of food? Are bigger cities cheaper than rural areas?

[delmar]

Big cities would have some advantage in variety and availability of raw foods but The cost of living is higher in just about every way. From my point of view, growing your own and foraging is where it's at with regard to raw! That is easier and less expensive in rural areas but can be done anywhere.
Here are a few threads you might want to check out...
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...4973-Sprouting!

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...eds&highlight=

Also there are a lot of you tube videos on wild edibles (eating the weeds) If you live where lots of green stuff grows and learn what wild stuff around you is edible and get, or in my case build a good juicer, it will change your world.

[delmar]

oops double post

[MysticTree]

I don't think foraging is THE answer. I think growing your own is THE answer - even if that means collecting wild seeds to grow wild plants to get you going. It is much more time effective to have things growing right out side the door. If you don't have your own land of your own then obviously foraging is much more crucial.

[Traceyraw]

I do some jar sprouting this is in-expensive.

[delmar]

I don't think foraging is THE answer. I think growing your own is THE answer - even if that means collecting wild seeds to grow wild plants to get you going. It is much more time effective to have things growing right out side the door. If you don't have your own land of your own then obviously foraging is much more crucial.

I do agree. Unless you live in the tropics foraging is too seasonal to be the only source of food.

[Hanalei]

I live in the far northern part of the US, and the only time anything actually grows is June through September. Our soil around here is too crappy and we have a really hard time growing any vegetables, even with raised beds and good dirt added. (Not to mention the bugs...!) We were trying to grow a lot of stuff this year, and it didn't really work out, unfortunately. We're having a particular problem with cabbage worms on the collards, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and kale. Ugh!

[k8sl8]

I posted this awhile ago: http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...baarrel+garden

I believe it is an answer to a lot of gardening problems. Do some research online for an easily made version of this using storage containers and pvc pipe. Biggest expense would be your dirt. Very user friendly.

I have a barrel garden, but it is heavy and un-yieldy except if you have a yard. Do a quick search for that as well from a couple years ago.

[delmar]

I live in the far northern part of the US, and the only time anything actually grows is June through September...

Have you had a chance to glance at the sprouting thread? I am in the process of moving my main sprouting area to the basement so I have more space, but I have grown a lot of sprouts in the corner of the kitchen. If you don't have much room in the house you might want to put up a hoop house or a lean to green house.

[delmar]

We were trying to grow a lot of stuff this year, and it didn't really work out, unfortunately. We're having a particular problem with cabbage worms on the collards, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and kale. Ugh!

I had some trouble with the stuff I tried to grow outside too. The bunnies an chipmunks devastated my garden, but I'm getting better at building barriers. I'm not sure what you can do about cabbage worms, but if nobody here has any answers try an organic gardening forum.

[Living Food]

I'm not sure what you can do about cabbage worms

It's always the soil. Healthy plants grown in healthy soil cannot get disease, and no insect will touch them. It's been proven time and again by dozens of different people.

Protecting produce from animals is much harder.

[MysticTree]

It's always the soil. Healthy plants grown in healthy soil cannot get disease, and no insect will touch them. It's been proven time and again by dozens of different people.

Protecting produce from animals is much harder.

Rubbish. They don't get diseases as easily but they do get nibbled by caterpillars etc.

[Living Food]

Rubbish. They don't get diseases as easily but they do get nibbled by caterpillars etc.

Rubbish yerself. Your soil is undoubtedly very good, but if your plants are still bothered by bugs then it could be better yet. I can guarantee that plants grown in very good soil will never be touched by bugs or disease. I'll admit that they might have a few tiny holes in them from caterpillars or the like, but so few that you'd have to search for them. And with a couple of other unique growing techniques I think that even that can be avoided.

They're also extraordinarily resistant to cold and drought, even overwatering.

[MysticTree]

It is rubbish. The better your soil the better obviously but healthy plants will get attacked by pests. We like to eat them when they are at their prime and so do the bugs. The best way to reduce pests is to have a balance of nature. So you need an environment that supports the other bugs that predate the first lot of bugs.

I just grow enough for me and the bugs.

[Living Food]

So you need an environment that supports the other bugs that predate the first lot of bugs.

That's the first step. The second step is having plants that are so healthy that bugs won't bother them. A high brix rating keeps bugs away, but that's just one part of the equation. I'll get back to you later.