[Sive]

For any of us gardeners that are lucky enough to have a patch of ground to call our own, we may need those resources more than ever as the economic news grows ever gloomier.
I see gardening as a wonderful way to keep occupied and sane....we can also enjoy the fruits of our labour and even share them around when we have a surplus....and no more generous souls than gardeners I always think.
What plans do you all have for the coming year ? What do you plan to grow ? Are you thinking of keeping hens....? Or getting a lamb to cut the grass and fill the freezer ?
It would be interesting to hear your thoughts.......

[birdie]

What a turnaround where farmland will now be more precious than developemnt land. I will be growing away as usual. All my own salad vegetables and any ones easy to store like onions and potatoes. no hens or lambs but thinking of getting a pig!

[Nozebleed]

there's a rumour going round that there'll be a tax on growing your own veg in the budget!

[Sugar_Ape]

[Sive]

Don't believe everything you read, journalists have become lazy.
Wexford was supposed to have 180 "ghost estates" according to the media. The council have counted exactly ten with a possible 19 more being nearly eligible for the description, having less than 50% occupancy.
One estate near Gorey is described as "ghost" because the builder got permission for 10 houses but only built 9 !
The media are, in varying degrees, doing a lot of damage to confidence in the country generally.We need to be told the truth, not fed dramatic headlines.

[cooler]

My signature below is coming true for a lot of people.

[walltoall]

Unemployment is capitalisms way of getting you to plant a garden'

Well quoted Cooler.

Let's make sure we do the deep digging this week for fear of the snow. It may be a cold winter but sure we have the cabbage plants under glass.

Well? We have? haven't we?

is there any truth in the rumour that

Apple is bringing out a cabbage planter app for the i-phone for the New Year?

[Adam]

[medieval knievel]

it probably isn't the place for such discussion, but putting a homeless family in an unoccupied house is not even half the battle.

however, i understand that there are hundreds if not thousands of council houses in dublin which are empty because it was easier for them during the boom to buy or rent elsewhere than to spend the (significant) money to renovate those houses and bring them up to standard.

[sunnymount farm]

My signature below is coming true for a lot of people.
_________________
'Unemployment is capitalisms way of getting you to plant a garden'.
Orson Scott Card

Great metaphor COOLER and you are so right capitalism is destroying itself and the government won't change things and are letting it take the people down with it.
I was so disturbed to hear about the two kids looking for food in bins in Waterford. Some people really are at crisis point and everyone needs to work together to sustain a future were people are feed and sheltered and not worried about taxes, wage cuts etc.
There are CSA (community supported agriculture) scheme running in Ireland and they insure a much more sustainable, affordable way of producing food and even the poorest of people can get involved and provide for themselves and others.
But governments won't encourage this way of life because how can they tax it.
As for myself I'm increasing the growing area, putting up a polytunnel, getting some pigs, and I would love to start my own CSA scheme in the community.