Farewell to Raven

[Ruth]

Having a dog and birds mean I have to be very careful what I grow and that it is not posionous to them. I have really big and long blinds that cover my windows and usually have them shut. On real nice days I open them. I don't think I'm into gardening right now. It's a good idea for the future, though.

[Catherine]

Growing parsley would be nice. The birds could eat the parsley couldn't they?

I want to grow fresh vegetables for my guinea pigs.  The fresh kale is so much better that the stuff from the store. Carrots would be good too. The guinea pigs love the carrot tops.

You do need good light though.

[Ruth]

There isn't much room on my window sills to grow things. I don't know if birds can eat parsely.

I hope your garden turns out how you want it to.

[Catherine]

I have hopes of growing lots of good things. The animals at the shelter will get fresh picked veggies and I can help myself when I am over there working on the garden. It will be good for everybody.

[Ruth]

Do you get organic veggies and fruit? I have found them to taste better than ones that are not organic. I'm going to Nature's Bin this morning to do some shopping.

[Catherine]

The regular produce here is good. I can get fresh stuff from farmers markets all summer. I can get organic veggies and fruit, but I usually don't bother. It is all good. Of course I tend to avoid out of season fruits and vegetables when I can. I don't buy anything that had to be shipped a long distance.

They have started selling irregularly shaped "imperfect" produce at a better price. It is good stuff, it just might be odd looking.
I plan to eat it, not look at it so I don't care what it looks like.
The guinea pigs will eat it all, peel and all, so they really don't care about appearances.

[Ruth]

I'm not sure where produce comes from around here but some is labeled. I didn't go to Nature's Bin but went to the grocery store near me. They had lots of produce on sale for .99 so I got all that. I also got some real big apples that are so tasty. I've never seen the imperfect produce. It should be good and does not matter what it looks like.

[Catherine]

The imperfect produce is a new idea. I know some stores in Toronto are trying it. For many foods imperfect is good enough.
If I am cutting it up or peeling it who cares about the shape or even the colour.

We get our produce from all over. I just make a point of choosing the local or at least nearer product. If you buy corn on the cob right now, it is not local. Squash could be because we are probably still eating last fall's squash. I buy big carrots so they are not too far away. Fresh spring carrots will have traveled far.

I don't mind a reasonable journey, but if it came from the other side of the globe it came too far.  There is fresh produce coming from Texas and California in the winter. That is not too far.
We are never short of anything. I just like it better when it is fresh grown local summer veggies.

[Ruth]

I love veggies, too. I just had a nice spinach salad. I got some carrots that were grated. Suzy likes carrots, too.

[Catherine]

I had the most amazing coleslaw at a friend's house the other day. They grated carrots, apples and celery root and mixed tarragon/wine  vinegar with mayo as a dressing. I loved it!