Kim Pezza - Backyard Farming: Fruit Trees, Berries & Nuts

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Backyard Farming: Fruit Trees, Berries & Nuts
Text copyright 2015 Hatherleigh Press

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN: 978-1-57826-532-9
eBook ISBN: 978-1-57826-533-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Cover Design and Interior Design by Carolyn Kasper

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I n developing ones homestead or urban farm, fruits, nuts and berries make for an attractive second or third year addition. You might think youd need to allocate quite a bit of space for the successful production of any one of these additions, thats not necessarily true. Although any orchard, be it large or small, will without a doubt require plenty of space, individual trees and bushes typically need no more space than they themselves take upsame as any other tree or bush you may choose to plant.

And even if you truly dont have a lot of yard space to devote to a longer term planting like trees or bushes, you will find that there are many types of fruits and berries that work well in containers. What makes this so attractivebesides the fact that you dont need garden space or large yards when using containersis that it allows gardeners in colder climates to grow tropicals and other season-specific plants, which would otherwise not work within their climate type. By making the plants portable and able to go indoors during weather they would otherwise not survive, you greatly expand their growing environment.

Another great thing about fruits, nuts and berries is that they are often found growing wild on properties in rural areas, saving the rural homesteader time and money, while providing a valuable addition to their garden. Of course, it is very important that you are well-informed when you go wildcrafting (harvesting from the wild); along with the many edibles out there, there are also many varieties of wild fruits and berries that can be harmful, even deadly. Never ingest a wildcrafted fruit or berry without first verifying that it is safe to do so. However, when properly instructed on how to hunt and what to look for, wildcrafted or wild harvested fruits, nuts and berries can be just as tasty, if not more so, than their domestic counterparts.

Just like growing your own vegetables and raising your own livestock, growing fruits, nuts and berries allows the gardener full control over the planting, growing, raising, harvesting and preserving of the resulting food. They are given the choice as to whether to grow organic, non-organic or somewhere in between. With all of the varieties available, the question wont be what to put in, but which oneand how many!

Eaten fresh, preserved or cooked; made into jams, jellies, ice cream, and candy; served as main dishes or desserts; you will find as many uses for your harvests as your imagination allows. As well as providing a number of different ways to satisfy those out-of-season cravings, fruits, nuts and berries will become important members of your garden virtually from the moment theyre introduced. So, sit back, relax, and lets take this opportunity to explore these sweet and crunchy treatsthat you can grow yourself.

Kim Pezza grew up among orchards, muck land, dairy and beef farms, having lived most of her life in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. She has raised pigs, poultry and game birds, rabbits and goats, and is experienced in growing herbs and vegetables. In her spare time, Kim teaches workshops in a variety of areas, from art to making herb butter, oils and vinegars. She continues to learn new techniques and skills and now spends time between her grandparents mid 1800s farm in New York and in Southwest Florida, the first and oldest cattle area in America and origin of the American cowboy.

CHAPTER 1

A s most of us grew up with some type of fruit, nut or berry in the home, we tend to take these amazing foods for granted, and rarely think about where they came from.

Fruit was quite commonly depicted in the art of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. However, it is the Warka (or Uruk) vase which holds the distinction of containing what is thought to be the earliest known fruit pictorials. Found in Uruk, believed to be among the first cities in the worlds history, this 3 feet tall Mesopotamian vase is believed to be over 5000 years old. Made from alabaster and therefore highly prized, the vase played a special role in the sacred marriage rite. Unfortunately, the vase was broken into pieces during looting after the Iraqi war; it is currently scheduled to be repaired. This is not the first time the vase has suffered breakage, however; there is evidence of the vase having been broken and repaired a few times before. The vase depicts a wedding procession, with a number of suitable offerings to be placed before the gods to plead for good fortune in the coming marriage. Chief among these are cultivated fruits and grains, indicating that the value of these foods was recognized as far back as the dawn of human civilization.

The Uruk vase displays one of the earliest known depictions of human cultivation, showing that humans have been growing and tending fruit trees for centuries.

Wildcrafting

Wildcrafting is, in basic terms, the act of gathering food and herbs from the wild; in other words, foraging. The original trip to the grocery store, many still practice wildcrafting today, especially those fortunate enough to have wild foods on their property.

However, when foraging for wild foods and herbs, the importance of caution, proper preparation and safety is paramount. Wildcrafting comes with many responsibilities, including taking only what you need and not over-hunting, leaving endangered species alone, and not pulling plants out by the root or taking entire plants, allowing the plant to restore itself. In the event that you find yourself in need of the root or the entire plant, take only one or two plants; not all of them at once. If the plant has seeds, plant the seeds on or near where the plant was removed, to keep them going.