It’s that time again. You ask, and I pretend to know things and answer your burning questions. It really is so much fun to open my inbox and see the wide variety of questions you guys have. Reminds me that my readers are so diverse and pretty dang awesome. So keep those questions coming and I’ll keep racking my brain for answers. As always, please pipe up if you have any input or are knowledgeable when it comes to any of the following questions:
How do you plan enough food for 1 person for each year? I’m trying to calculate how to grow enough food and was wondering maybe you have some good resources on how to decide how many of each vegetable to grow and how to get good at succession plantings?
~Edward
I get this question often and it is such a hard one to answer because it’s so personal. We eat a TON of veggies in our family but some people are picky about certain veggies. You have to take a look at how you eat, what you eat and how frequently you eat what you eat. As far as succession planting, it’s totally the way to go. I cannot recommend it more. You can get more info on succession planting HERE. If you use the succession method, you can get away with using as little as 200 sq ft per person. The following amounts are a good rule of thumb planting guide for 1 person, although you’ll have to tweak it for you:
Asparagus: 5-10 plants, Beans: 10-15 plants, Beets: 10-25 plants, Bell Peppers: 3-5 plants, Broccoli: 3-5 plants, Brussels Sprouts: 2-5 plants, Cabbage: 3-5, plants, Carrots: 10-25 plants, Cauliflower: 2-5 plants, Celery: 2-8 plants, Corn: 10-15 plants, Cucumber: 1-2 plants, Eggplant: 1-3 plants, Kale: 2-7 plants, Leafy Greens: 2-7 plants, Lettuce Leaf: 5-8 feet, Melons: 1-3 plants, Onions: 10-25 plants, Peas: 15 plants, Potatoes: 5-8 plants, Radishes: 10 plants, Summer Squash: 1-3 plants, Tomatoes: 1-2 plants, Zucchini: 1-2 plants
Hi Mavis, I just recently started ordering meat from Zaycon Foods. Am I supposed to tip the guy who unloads the truck?
~Thanks, Kathy
I think this is totally up to you. I’ve asked and they absolutely do not expect it. But if it’s important to you, I’d offer a small tip every time and see if they’ll accept it. I don’t think it’s necessary, but it certainly is kind!
Have you been a “helper” at the Zaycon Fresh events? How was it and what do you do?
~Jamie
I haven’t but I have had a friend who has and loved it. They said it was a great company to work for and what you do depends on the size of the event. You could be helping with traffic or checking receipts or unloading trucks. If you have specific questions, I’d reach out to them. Seems like a great way to get an awesome deal on meat!
Dear Mavis – I am a newer reader and am very interested in the process you use to pay off additional principal payments for your house. I am guessing that you are not paying 5 full mortgage payments every month, but was wondering if you have an older article I could review that could help me understand the process so I can implement it myself. Thanks in advance for any info!!
~Anna
Hi Mavis, I enjoy your down to earth posts. You mentioned making 4 additional mortgage payments this month. Can you tell me how you were able to do this, lol. I would LOVE to be out of debt. If you are using a formula could you share it or a goal. I am very encouraged by people like you. You make me think I can do it to.
Step one was setting a goal. Which really motivated me to save. We set a strict budget, I have cut back on almost ALL unnecessary spending and put into place some seriously crazy cost cutting measures in all areas of our budget to accomplish this. I mean I’ve given up trash service and cable for goodness sake.
You have to make sacrifices if you want to see the benefits. So we stick to a strict budget and then any extra funds go towards principle. It’s okay if you don’t want to be as crazy about saving as me. Just start small. I did a series on 52 Ways to Save $100 a Month. Take a look at that and then implement the ones you can, using the saved money to go right towards principal payments. It might not seem like much at first, but when you start doing it, it becomes addicting and almost like a game you really want to win!
My cabbages never get as big as yours. Additionally how do you like your all American canner, I have my grandmothers Mirro which works fine but I do have some problems with water going in my jars. I think this is because maybe the heat is too high? I have a weighted gauge. I don’t want to spend the money on the canner but do lust after the idea of doing two racks of jars at once. Thank you for your time.
~Alison
I LOVE my All American-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner! It’s like the Rolls-Royce of pressure cookers! It’s awesome. It is an investment, but if you can frequently, I highly recommend it. It’s so worth it! As far as those cabbages are concerned, we have really great soil for cabbage growing. If you want some tips, check out this post on How to Grow Cabbage From Start to Finish. Hope that helps!
Have a questions for me? Submit them HERE and I’ll try to answer them.
~Mavis
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