Question of the Day - Paw Paws

Have you ever tasted a paw paw? What are they like, and more importantly, do you like them? I've been curious about this fruit for a number of years now but have never been able to actually taste one. They are not grown commercially so you'd have to forage for one or be lucky enough to find a local farmer who grows them. From what I've read, they are tropical fruit in the custard apple family and can be found growing wild in most areas of the United States. Depending on the variety, paw paws can be hardy all the way down to zone 4. To think - a tropical fruit tree we can actually grow outdoors here in New England!

Anyway, I need to find a way to get my hands on one, though I have a feeling that their short season may be over by now.

Survival Seeds

Last week, Hometown Seeds offered to send me a "Survival Seeds" kit, which contains 16 varieties of open-pollinated vegetables. My initial reaction to this was - "Do I really need more seeds this year?" But as I read and thought more about it, I began to realize that unlike the other seeds I've purchased and intend to grow this year, this kit serves a different purpose.

I am a 32 year old husband and father - old enough to remember the Cold War tensions between Russia and the United States prior to 1990, and young enough (or should I say jaded enough) to be ultra-cynical about what happens on Capital Hill today. I wouldn't consider myself to be a food activist (well, maybe a passive one), but I will admit that all of the headlines of this past decade surrounding terminator genes, genetic engineering, decreasing bio-diversity and patenting life have made me a bit nervous about the security of our world's food supply. It seems that whenever human beings choose to limit the bio-diversity of our crops and animals, the more we put ourselves and our food at risk. It happened to the Irish and their potatoes; will it also happen to Monsanto's Round Up Ready soy beans?

When my survival kit arrived today, the first thing I noticed was how tightly sealed and heavy it was- like my own personal ark of veggies. It's somewhat comforting to know that these seeds will last for up to 10 years if kept frozen. Now all that's left to do is to make sure that I preserve enough of this year's harvest to stock our large pantry in case of a real emergency and learn the art of seed saving.

So what do you think? Are we really at risk for a sudden and widespread food catastrophe? Or is all of this talk about "Franken-foods" blown way out of proportion? I can't help but to think about all of those people who built nuclear bomb shelters underneath their homes during the Cold War. Were these people crazy, or just plain realistic?

Footnote: Please check out a couple of very interesting posts written today by Daphne (Daphne's Dandelions) and Kelly (How My Garden Grows) on issues related to this very subject.

Question of the Day: Is Pressure Treated Wood an Option?

When constructing my raised beds and garden gate, I was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to use pressure treated wood. Like with many other modern-day inventions, it seems as though we're forced to weigh the benefits of convenience (or in this case, durability) against the potential safety and health risks involved. While I was aware that Arsenic was no longer being used in the process of treating the wood, I wasn't able to find any real consensus on whether or not the new preservatives, which might end up in our soil, were "safe". The best I could find was this post by Penn State Master Gardeners. And unless the rules have changed, it seems that the USDA still does not allow certified organic farmers to use pressure treated wood in their production beds.

I guess I wanted to get a sense of what other gardeners knew or felt about this particular subject. Do you use pressure treated wood in your vegetable garden?