Hi. I’m Taylor. I’m 26 27 years old.
I grew up in Alabama. Now I live in Massachusetts. I’ve been here since September 2007 and I came all because of a boy named Pete (naturally) (the boy part, not the Pete part). (EDIT: The boy is no longer! Onward to the gardening!) I’m still getting used to it. (Did you know that this stuff falls from the sky here? It’s white and fluffy and cold. I’m still confused by it. Also there is ice. ON THE ROAD. WHERE I AM SUPPOSED TO DRIVE MY CAR. Who’s idea was all this? I think we need to have a little discussion…) Where I come from, tomatoes are ripe in early June and August is the month of scorched-earth.
The title of this blog is a bit of a joke. I am, truly, trying to survive Massachusetts. It’s extraordinarily different from what I’m used to. And I don’t just mean the weather (though that is a very, very large part of it). But this isn’t really about me surviving, it’s about me surviving on what this state can give me. Hence surviving “on.”
I desperately want to grow my own food, all of it, but I’m only a weensy bit successful at it. And I figure, if I can’t grow my own, I’m damn sure going to get whatever I can from local farms. I believe in good, local, fresh food. I believe in organic, but if I have to choose from an organic watermelon grown 3,000 miles away in Mexico and a watermelon grown with pesticides by the farmer who lives 3 miles from me, I’m going to pick the local.
I believe in pasture-raised meat. I believe that cows should be eating grass and chickens should be eating bugs and that all animals should have grass beneath their feet for the majority of their lives. I want to see the faces of the animals that I eat and I want to know that they weren’t so sick that they had to be shoveled into a processing plant. I want the person that raised them to have cared for them.
I don’t believe in antibiotics being crammed into our food. I am alarmed by tomatoes in January and Brussels Sprouts in July and oranges all-year-round. I believe that the best watermelon in the world must be eaten in August. I think that once you have that perfect peach, every other mealy, rock-hard fruit will not be worth it. I live for the perfection of eating something that is growing right when it should and eaten alive right off the vine (or stalk or branch).
And y’all, I’m new at this- a recent convert, if you will. So please bear with me. I’m learning as I go.
Stay tuned, ok…
Me in October of 2007. The cast is an embarrassing story.
Hey Taylor! I love your new blog. I admire your desire to grow all your food yourself and makes me want to start a garden. Keep up the good work!
Taylor – I’m a Massachusetts girl transplanted to the South and after 20 years I’m still adjusting. Some things, like what qualifies grits to be an actual food product, may be forever lost on me. It is fun to look at your blog from the other way around and your goal to eat locally is admirable.
Hi! I’m from Oklahoma originally and am just trying to start growing things in Massachusetts. I never tried much in Oklahoma but it does hit home when I realized I have to worry about frost until May!
Where are you in MA? Looking forward to following your blog and getting some tips on my own forays…we’re on the same page on this food/meat thing!
Hi,
I am a master gardener and my profession is programmer/project manager. This spring, I taught myself the PHP programming language to improve my professional skill set. To practice, I created The Farmer’s Garden website. The site, http://www.thefarmersgarden.com is a place where people can post free classifieds to sell, trade or give away their surplus backyard garden produce.
I launched my site in May 2009 and it is nationwide. I think it is a great resource for members of your community. It is very easy to grow more produce than you and your family can use. Why not share your local, fresh and delicious vegetables, fruit, berries, etc. with others?
Registration is free and required to post classifieds to buy, sell or trade surplus produce. Individuals and non-profit organizations can also post wanted classifieds. Registration is not required to search the classifieds. Can you please provide a link to my site, http://www.thefarmersgarden.com on your site?
Thank you,
Maureen Farmer
The Farmer’s Garden
Hi Taylor – Just found your blog. I live in MA too, have lived here my entire life and hate snow. 🙂 Love your blog! Your veggies look fabulous