Return on investment

I'll save my rant about Thoreau for another day, but for now I'll acknowledge my (admittedly begrudging) indebtedness to him for inspiration to tally up the costs of my recovery garden and then, in the fall, compare that to the value of the harvest.

I'm fortunate to be spared many of the major expenses of farming:

• land acquisition


• tool acquisition


• initial clearing and cultivation


• established perennials (e.g., asparagus and rhubarb)


• anti-critter fencing

I could, if absolutely necessary, grow a garden this summer without purchasing anything at all. Unlike Thoreau, however, I don't see virtue in parsimony or deprivation. I'm aiming for more balance, getting a solid return on investment, not mere subsistence.


So far, and with the assistance of my next-door neighbors who are farming with me, I've incurred the following costs (including shipping and/or tax, as applicable):

• Garlic bulbs ................................$29.10


• Seed starting soil.......................... 4.19


• Peat pots .................................... 18.00


• Onion plants .............................. 28.60


• Assorted seeds *......................... 34.75


• Dill seeds .................................... 1.05

The total, so far, is $115.65.

We'll be buying tomato and pepper plants and a few other things from the local nursery. I'll report on those costs later.



*In case you're wondering, the ordered seeds are: black seeded simpson lettuce, new red fire lettuce, rocky cucumbers, basil, butternut squash, honey bear winter squash, spaghetti squash, Bright Lights swiss chard, and yellow crookneck squash.