Annual Tiny Farm production blog

[Andrew Cumberland]

I've become a bit more serious about plotting the food that I grow and harvest here on the block.  Mostly, because of the Youtube shedwars contest I am in... it's actually just an excuse to share gardening tips for beginners but it also forces me to track my produce by weight.  

I've decided I will do this for 12 months and maybe even more, even though the contest stops in April.  You see, I've realised:

1. I produce much more than I thought
2. I can use this to make a planting, harvesting and jobs calendar for my block.  

I've tried my best to include fruit, veg, herbs, animal products and meat.  

I realise it is incredibly simple to only use weights.  If 2 grams of chili make a meal taste fantastic then wow.  I once tried to do it with $ values to try to allow for that but even that was a tad silly.  It gets even worse when I value add the produce by turning it into pesto or something.  It doesn't matter.  I'll use this very blunt tool to help me make my calendar and to make myself feel good about my gardening progress.  

I'll update on a monthly basis. 

[Andrew Cumberland]

Thanks Dianne.  I really love watching the produce shift with the seasons. A full year of this will provide me with all sorts of useful information. 

[Dianne Caswell]

You are growing quite a mixed assortment of Vegies. Isn't it amazing what you can grow in a small space. Congrats for you last haul.

[Andrew Cumberland]

And here is this month's total.  Up overall, despite being way down on eggs (I gave half my layers to some friends).  Tromboncino produced well, as did Rozie's red papaya. 

McDowall Manor Shedwars 21 Food Weights
Food	Weight in grams
	January	February	March	April
Veg/Salad	1211	4864	5974	0
Green beans	307	365	88
Snake beans			26
Cucumbers	382
Shallots	508	559	610
Pigeon pea	14
Egg plant		177
Tromboncino		3462	4881
Sweet leaf			60
Capsicum			20
Kang Kong		237	271
Lettuce		64	18
Fruit	3003	5721	7572	0
Grapes	413
Tomatoes	546	92	598
Mangoes	1058
Red papaya	295	875	4495
Lemonaide	691	4564	1347
Passionfruit			97
Fiejoa			1035
Figs		190
Herbs	622	256	333	0
Lemongrass	120		56
Keffir lime leaves	2
Mint	25	182	5
Chives		2	5
Turmeric	98
Curry leaves	3	2	3
Chili	360	43	137
Rosemary		2	8
Parsley			3
Basil	14	25	116
Animal	10343	8540	6003	0
Quail meat	389
Quail eggs	2015	1820	1443
Fish meat
Chicken eggs	7440	6720	4560
Honey	499
Total	15179	19381	19882	0

 

[Dianne Caswell]

Congrads on the 20kg weight loss. 

[Andrew Cumberland]

You might say that I excel in keeping records. Hahahahahaha!  Get it?  Excel?  Jeez, tough crowd.

The other interesting thing is realising how much growing my own has changed my diet.  I eat completely different food, it varies by the season and I've never eaten such gourmet.  And to top it off, I lost 20 kg! 

I'll definitely share the calendar when it do it.  Feel free to take a copy and make it your own.  

[Dianne Caswell]

You are so Organized, I am sure this has been a great help with future plantings. I don't think the value of homegrown produce can be measured in $$'s just in the satisfaction of growing and cooking is enough repayment.

[Sophie]

so satisfying! well done Andy!

[Barbara Tealby]

Andy, I've been doing this since 2015, and its amazing how things add up. I've also been putting a dollar value on crops, by using the price I would have paid retail for the item in question. When the cost of fertilisers, bird feed, purchased mulch (not much of that, as most of my mulch comes from pruning the ornamentals) is subtracted, it gives a good, if rough, estimate of the dollar value  of what is grown. (I have to confess I don't add in the cost of town water when I need to use it, though. Going back through the years' records gives a good idea of what has done well, and when.

[Andrew Cumberland]

McDowall Manor Shedwars 21 Food Weights
Food	Weight in grams
	January	February	March	April
Veg/Salad	1211	4864	0	0
Green beans	307	365
Cucumbers	382
Shallots	508	559
Pigeon pea	14
Egg plant		177
Tromboncino		3462
Kang Kong		237
Lettuce		64
Fruit	3003	5721	0	0
Grapes	413
Tomatoes	546	92
Mangoes	1058
Red papaya	295	875
Lemonaide	691	4564
Figs		190
Herbs	622	256	0	0
Lemongrass	120
Keffir lime leaves	2
Mint	25	182
Chives		2
Turmeric	98
Curry leaves	3	2
Chili	360	43
Rosemary		2
Basil	14	25
Animal	10343	8540	0	0
Quail meat	389
Quail eggs	2015	1820
Fish meat
Chicken eggs	7440	6720
Honey	499
Total	15179	19381	0	0