Farmer Jason is the children's music alter ego of alternative country
pioneer Jason Ringenberg of the now legendary Jason and the
Scorchers. Ringenberg grew up on an Illinois hog farm, and practices
sustainable gardening/farming on his hobby farm between Nashville and
Memphis.
Created by Ringenberg in 2003, the Farmer Jason character
has garnered international acclaim with his two cds A DAY AT THE FARM
WITH FARMER JASON and ROCKIN' IN THE FOREST WITH FARMER JASON, both on
Kid Rhino Records. At his family concerts around the world, kids often
ask him questions about farming and farm related issues, so he decided
to join the team and do a column based on those questions.
Jason has been nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Children's Program
Mid-South Region for the 2008 'It's A Farmer Jason WNPT' interstitial
program.
If you would like to ask him questions,
email him at jr@farmerjason.com
Visit him on the web at www.farmerjason.com
Last modified:
Wed Jun 2 16:30:15 EDT 2010
*
A sk Farmer Jason
Question: After gardening for 5 years, I really have to question the economics of this enterprise. I figure my tomatoes cost me 4 times what I could buy them for in the store. Every time turn around it seems I have to
buy something for this garden. Am I doing something wrong? - Allen Brentwood, Tennessee, age 29
Farmer Jason:
To be 100% organically honest here, unless you have
superhuman penny pinching powers, gardens cost money. Yes, you probably can
buy vegetables at Wal-mart cheaper than you can grow them yourself. That is
a fundamental bummer, but essentially true for most people, especially first
time gardeners. For starters, you need seeds, tools, topsoil or compost to
amend our poor Tennessee soil, garden and soaker hoses, and mulch materials.
That's just the tip of the iceberg lettuce! If you aren't using raised
beds, you also will have to pay someone to till your plot. All this costs
money, and a good bit of it. However, over time you will find that the costs
begin to level off. You figure out how to save or trade seeds. You learn
what tools you need, and to find them at garage sales. You might share a
tiller rental with neighbors.
But even given all that, you shouldn't garden because it saves you money.
Gardening is one of life's greatest therapies. Spending time in your garden
connects you to the earth, and to your primordial past. It gives your family
quality food that you grew with your own hands. If you become successful at
it, you will be the envy of the neighborhood. Everyone admires a good
gardener, and harbors secret dreams to someday have one in their backyard.
It is best to think of it as a hobby, like golfing or fishing. Hobbies cost
money, but in the case of gardening, the return can be deeply satisfying.
There is no place of greater peace and well being than a well tended garden,
and enjoying those fresh vegetables straight out of YOUR garden is a
culinary delight with no parallel.
Question: Is a pony a baby horsey? ~Ruby, age 6, Nashville, Tennessee
Farmer Jason:
Great question Ruby! Ponies are not baby horses. A baby horse
is called a colt. A pony is simply a smaller version of a horse. We have a
pony on our farm. Her name is Tinkerbelle. Our goat Azalea is her best
friend. They hang out together all the time!
Question: Our garden dies every year in July and August. What can we do? ~ Brandon, age 43, Kingston Springs, Tennessee
Farmer Jason:
I have three words to say to you: water, Water, and WATER!
You HAVE to water the garden during long hot spells, at least once a week if
rain is scarce. Water those plants deeply and consistently. If you are on
city water, this of course will raise your water bill. However, if you get
stingy on the watering, you will lose everything in your garden. All that
work you put into it will be for naught.
Also, try to use plants that can take some serious heat. For example,
Better Boy tomatoes can take the heat. Ditto for Kandy Corn (a super sweet
corn that thrives in Tennessee). For more on that, check out the Henry
Fields seed catalogue's Southern Version. They mark the plants that are bred
to do well in the hot dry Southern summers. It's a great free way to find
out what plants do well in the dry heat.
TIP THE FARMER:
This tip relates to the last question. Everyone argues about when is the
best time to water your garden. Some folks say the morning, so the plants
will dry quickly and not get diseases. Others say the evening is best, so
the soil stays wet longer. I am sure Congress will soon debate this
momentous question, and we should expect a filibuster of some sort...
I am going out on a limb and give my opinion, although I may lose friends
and fans by doing this. Such courage...here goes:
In hot climates like Tennessee, you should water your garden in the evening
so the soil stays wet all night, and the plants can use it. If you water in
the daytime, that sun will dry that soil almost as fast as you can water it.
However, DON'T use sprinklers. They are a waste of water and get the full
plant wet, which spreads diseases. Use soaker hoses, or hose the water
around the base of the plant as slowly as you can. The idea is to
thoroughly wet the soil without getting water on the foliage. Moisture on
the foliage spreads plants diseases. That is a fact.
Question: I want to get my parents a fruit tree for their anniversary. They have a very small yard. What should I buy them?
- Madison, age 30. Franklin, Tennessee
Farmer Jason:
Tennessee is actually a very difficult state to grow fruit in. Trees bloom early during balmy warm spells, and then get hit with our inevitable late frosts. On top of that, droughts are becoming more common these days, plus fruit trees are susceptible to many diseases in this humid climate. All things considered, fruit is not easy to grow. If you’ll notice, we have very few commercial orchards in Tennessee.
Considering all that, apples are your best bet. You will find them to be reliable producers here in Tennessee , most of the time anyway. Like the ubiquitous tomato, almost anyone can successfully grow an apple.
You mention you have a small yard. I would recommend a new dwarf size called Li’l Big. Most big seed companies carry these. They are smaller than semi-dwarf trees (which themselves can get 15 feet tall, “hardly semi-dwarf”) and grow about 6 feet tall. They are very easy to manage in a small yard. Fuji, Sundance, and Liberty are good breeds that do well in Tennessee .
Question: Where do moles live? Are they nice?
- Ben, age 4, Chicago, Ilinois
Farmer Jason:
Moles are really neat animals. They live in the ground in cool dark tunnels they build themselves! They can’t see very well, but they can smell and hear better than you and me. They are very nice animals, and help our world by bringing air into the ground with their tunnels. Believe it or not, the soil loves to breathe too, and moles help them do this.
Question: This time of year I get so impatient to start the early spring plants like lettuce and radishes. It says on the seed packets that February 1 is a recommended date to start in this region. What is your opinion?
- Brandon, age 25, Murpfreesboro, Tennessee
Farmer Jason:
I have never in my life had any luck whatsoever seeding early spring plants the first part of February, even in cold frames. Invariably, we get severe freezes in March that kills all your work. I always wait until March 1. It is a mantra I never deviate from… well ALMOST never… Ok let’s get real. No one can resist planting lettuce or radishes during warm snaps in February!! I’ll bet even Buddha would have succumbed to the urge…Go ahead and plant that early if you want, and tempt the fates.
The opinions in the comments section
are not necessarily those of Local Table LLC. or any of it's staff. And please let's remember to be clean, courteous, kind,
and to follow our
terms of use.
Taylor Dozier
21 Jul 2010, 12:26
Thanks for helping so many people with your great knowledge Farmer Jason.
I have a quick question about worm castings and organic farming. When
using worm compost/castings on veggies and herbs, do the inputs (food
scraps and the rest) need to be organic in order for the worm castings to
be considered organic?
I love my worm composting bin, which takes up little space in my small
house/deck, and I would love to incorporate the casting and black tea into
my first organic gardening attempt. Thanks so much!
neele, 5 years old, germany
26 Nov 2009, 10:15
hello jason!
say hi to petunia-
love their "singing" to PUNK ROCK SKUNK-
are pigs suitable animals for gardening?!
all the best, neele
Randall & Mary
25 Nov 2009, 06:09
We recently moved to the area and have approx. 3 acres of farmable land. I
read artciles about, goats, farmers markets, llamas and bees and tons of
other interesting information. But once a person decides what it is they
wish to grow or raise, how does one go about marketing the critter or the
crop to try and compensate for the effort and expense. Bottom line is we
don't expect to make much money, but are we expecting too much to think our
small piece of God's earth can help pay for itself?
Melissa Scruggs
20 Jun 2009, 12:23
corn, wheat, tobacco, soy beans, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, brocoli,
squash, butternut squash, watermelons. Mainly though big farmers here who
are growing for money are growing tobacco & corn or soy beans. Hope this
helps!
April S
20 Jun 2009, 11:54
What crops are traditionally grown in middle TN? What are some
local-produce-only recipes?
Melissa Scruggs
06 Jun 2009, 15:07
Farmer Jason, I live in Springfield, TN & I am very interested in organic
eating and farming. I have been looking for places that I can buy organic
food & unfortunately have been laughed at and unlucky in my endeavors.
Where can I buy organic food in Robertson Co. TN? Thanks!
