Hello from the Boston Mountains,

**woodsy_gardener** · 09-19-2009, 06:06 PM

the high point of the Ozark Plateau.

I'm a retired chef. 30 years ago I bought some very isolated woodland acreage with the intention to retire there if things were still good or to hide out there if things go bad. I chose this area because of the abundance of wild food available here year round. My little dome cabin is almost ready to move into. I've been gardening there for several years now. I've grown hundreds of varieties there looking for food plants that grow well on the poor, untilled soil, using no poisons and only my urine for fertilizer. You can see my successes and my failures by clicking my sig line.

Off the grid but I have a cell phone. Light in my cabin comes from 2 solar powered lanterns, I have several solar cells that keep my AA batteries and 6v batteries charged. A solar powered electric fence keeps the deer out of the garden. I have a 12v solar trickle charger that keeps my scooter battery charged. Plenty of water from rain catching.

Most of my cooking is with a homemade solar oven though I have a small propane stove for morning coffee.

I'm here to learn and to share.

**Sourdough** · 09-19-2009, 06:08 PM

Welcome to the forum

**Ken** · 09-19-2009, 06:14 PM

Welcome to the Forums! Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

**pocomoonskyeyes** · 09-19-2009, 06:24 PM

Well hello and welcome!! Glad to have you, hopefully we can pick your brains for some good recipes???

Just Kidding. Glad to have you... For real. You should fit right in there are a couple of others here that are "Off-Grid" as well.

Btw that's a nice Garden!! you have a lot more variety than I thought from your post!! Nice Job!!

**crashdive123** · 09-19-2009, 06:29 PM

Hello and welcome. Sounds like you've got your own little slice of exactly what you want. Good on you.

**Rick** · 09-19-2009, 07:52 PM

Woodsy - It has been years since I put out Contender bush beans. Do they have a fuzzy outer skin? Seems to me those have like a fuzz on the outside. If it's the one I'm thinking of they are the pits if an animal gets in your garden. The fuzz will catch the animals fur and there is no way to get it off. One of the reasons I went to pole beans.

You look like you have plenty of room. Have you considered the three sisters for your garden?

Oh, yeah. Welcome home.

**chiye tanka** · 09-19-2009, 09:57 PM

Welcome aboard.

**woodsy_gardener** · 09-20-2009, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by Rick

Woodsy - It has been years since I put out Contender bush beans. Do they have a fuzzy outer skin? Seems to me those have like a fuzz on the outside. If it's the one I'm thinking of they are the pits if an animal gets in your garden. The fuzz will catch the animals fur and there is no way to get it off. One of the reasons I went to pole beans.

You look like you have plenty of room. Have you considered the three sisters for your garden?

Oh, yeah. Welcome home.

Thanks everyone for the welcome.

For gardeners who grow bush green beans I would recommend trying Contender. Seed to first batch cooked: 53 days! The pods are not 'greasy' or slick but the fuzz is unnoticeable. Alas, like all my beans and peas this year they were wiped out by leaf disease. (Note: When it finally got hot and dry around here the Cowpeas and Yardlong beans resumed growth and put out a fine second crop)

Three sisters? I've played around a little with it. I tried it with Corn-Squash-Peanuts. Good corn and squash but almost no peanuts.