Gardeners: What do you really save by gardening? Community Project!

[vfem]

I started this over on BYC's sister site The Easy Garden. Please feel free to join if you want. I have a spreadsheet available.
http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=27660

We're going to start tracking our costs, weights and price of produce from our 2010 gardens. We can all really get a chance to see what it costs us and what it saves us each year. It will show us what exactly we are capable of producing from our spaces. Do we need to cut back in garden size? Do we need to expand? Can we profit? How much is this cutting your grocery bill.

I think it will be informative and fun.

Share your findings in the thread if you want and don't have time for the spread sheet, or get the spread sheet and share at the end of the season.

I am planning on writing a book based on my findings, and anyone who wants to share theirs as well. Sometimes gardening can be challenging, but I want to prove its not going to send us to Brokeville if we decide to!

Read the rules on the thread, and how to join!

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=27660


Here's a copy of the spreadsheet link here if you want to join the discussion here and not over on TEG.

http://www.rent-my-hubby.com/Trial-Garden-Spreadsheet.xls

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!

 

[vfem]

Quote:
You already have some lovely peas I'm sure will produce wonderfully for you this spring! ...and at least 4 times bigger then mine already.

 

[aussieheelr]

And here I was thinking... I save my sanity. Best peace and quiet every is garden or chicken time.

 

[Slywoody]

I have lots of flowers and i do sell a few in the spring. I just do it as a hobby. I raised taters last year and garlic. I didn't have to buy any of either over the winter. I planted my garlic ( German Extra Hardy from Seed Savers in Iowa) again this last fall. I'm getting it to multiply so must be doing something right. Plan on adding another breed of garlic this fall and someday i'll be selling it. I'm getting into heavy mulch gardening, like about 8 inches thick everywhere. This year i'm experimenting with planting a crop of squash and maters around this huge mulch pile that i've been adding to for 20 yrs. Time will tell.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Great idea!! I added to the spreadsheet for me. I added how much seed/sets was purchased...the cost per pound of seed purchased....and when seed/set was planted. <---Just to help me keep better traking of things

I sure hope I have mine filled out right

Also, how do I find out the Market Value?

 

[vfem]

Now don't get to over done! I wanted to keep it simple (you can go over board if you REALLY want to see more numbers). I see sooooooooo many new gardeners coming in and they are worried about COST! What will this cost me? What will I save? What the financial benefits from all this? I just want to show every1 3 things, that you can re-coop your money back going small scale, that organic is healthier & more cost effective, and that ANYONE should be able to feel good about the time they put into it.

Now as far as market costs go in the columns of the spreadsheet, those are meant for you to look at prices of 'tomatoes' (replace whatever veggie name there, this is just an example) at the supermarket while you are shopping all season.

Ex: You pick 5 lbs of tomatoes on June 14th, you grew them using organic methods that weekend you goto the grocery store and see they have organic tomatoes on special for $3 a lb. That is what you write in to the column asking for market value. BUT if you aren't using organic methods (which is ok, this is about the fact you garden...period!) then you see none-organic tomatoes are $1.59 lb, that is what you put in the market value column for that week. Do not change these #'s if say 2 weeks later your next batch of tomatoes are picked, and the market value has changed! You put in whatever the market value is at the time, or as close to it as possible! If you harvest 4 times and didn't get the costs from the store for a month, that's fine... just use that one trip to get as much cost info as you can.

This is a personal goal to figure out you garden's value in $$$ to YOU!!!! You are not trying to profit from this. We are just trying to get that extra good feeling that you were RIGHT your gardening was really helping financially as well as mentally and emotionally. Even if I were to learn I lost money, I would still garden... it makes me happy and that is most important. Though when I started, I was hoping to save money on my groceries as well, and have healthier food available to my family.

P.s.- The notes section is for ANY information related to your garden you would like to share. I personally am going to use it to keep track of crazy weather days, any bug outbreak or diseases that I may run across. Things I think will effect the bottom line! I'm only doing this the one year, but I think in 1 year I can learn a lot, and maybe enough to get new gardeners interested, and educated!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Oh, I'm not new at all to gardening and I have already saved just by buying seed instead of the actual veggie plant. Here is what I have so far.....

Red Onion Sets----$2.50 lb-----bought 1 1/2 lbs.-----$3.75
Yellow Onion Sets----$2.50 lb----bought 1 1/2 lbs.----$3.75
Roanoke Onion Sets----Free---- Note: These grow year round and once you buy them that's all you have to buy

I can get you some if needed. The man gave me several sets to try but the run $4.99 lb.
Cabbage----$0.39 per plant----bought 9 plants----$3.49
Brussel Sprouts----$0.39 per plant----bought 9 plants----$3.49
Red Potato Sets----$3.12 lb----bought 50lb. bag----$16.00
Squash----Free----saved seeds from last years harvest
Zucchini----$2.00 per oz.----bought 1/2 oz.----$1.00
Beets----$1.00 per oz.----bought 1/2 oz.---- $0.50
Radishes----$1.10 per oz.----bought 1/2 oz.---- $0.55
Carrots----$1.00 per oz.----bought 1/2 oz.----$0.50
Broccoli----$2.64 per oz.----bought 1/8 oz.----$0.33
Lettuce----$2.40 per oz.----bought 1/4 oz.----$0.60
Lima Beans----$2.50 lb.----bought 1/2 lb.----$1.25
Sugar Snaps----$3.00 lb.----bought 1/2 lb.----$1.50
Green Peppers----Free----saved seeds from last years harvest
Green Beans----Free----saved seed from last years harvest
October Beans----Free----Saved seeds from last years harvest
Pumpkin----Free----saved seeds from last years harvest

We bought 8 40lb. bags of Lime for the garden----$45
We bought 1 40 lb. bag of Black Cow Manure for the garden----$5
We bought 1 50 lb. bag of Veggie Soil Starter Mix for the seeds----$7
We bought 2 Gallons of gas for the Tiller ---- $5.18

So, this means, so far we have spent.....$98.89 not including tax or future gas purchases to run the tiller

We are also going to be purchasing about 35 Tomato plants and about 15 Cucumber plants.

So far, I think we have done pretty good

I know the total harvest will definitely out-weigh the cost of starting.

Now, I have to go and buy a new seal for my canner

So, How are we looking so far?

 

[vfem]

Wow, I think you are very cost effective there Acre! So far this year, due to the layoff (which is getting no better) hubby and I have traded and traded and traded!

However, we did spend a good amount on starter pots and peat moss starter mix for the seedlings. --- about $20

I bought one packet of seed on sale for $1.39 (Fennel)
I also bought $20 worth of compost to mix into new beds because I didn't have enough compost.
I also spent $16 on garden trim to help keep the weeds out of the new front yard beds. There will be mulch yet to come, but that's about $20 worth for the front yard and $15 for the back yard gardens, since I will be using straw in the back.

I had a 200 square foot garden last year to plant (for veggies) this year I am hoping to add another 200 ft to that space just for veggies. The rest of my garden still has flowers and none edibles. I can't help I like the pretty stuff.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
That's what I was thinking too! If I can't get dirt under my nails once a day, I get cranky!!