Sheldon wrote:
(Dick Adams) wrote:
James wrote:

Produce is high these days. Cheapest for me for 5 daily store bought
fruit & vege servings a banana, cabbage, dry beans, carrot, squash.

Home grown is even more expensive because animals and birds eat my
fruits before they ripe. I do however get a few odd veges and a good
crop of tomatoes and garlic each year.

The best bang for your buck is a small hydroponics system. See the 11
plant system athttp://hydroponicsonline.com. There is a learning curve
and a high startup cost, but it has been worth it to me. Just be
prepared for more food than you expected!

Read a basic book first. I suggest "Hydroponics for the Home Gardener:
An easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide for growing healthy vegetables,
herbs and house plants without soil" by Kenyon & Resh

A search at Amazon.com on "Howard M. Resh" will prvide you with several
titles worth reading,

Read about companion planting at http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/complant.html

For the average home gardener an inexpensive fence and some netting
works just fine... I don't think very many families will be interested
in investing in like $40,000 worth of arbortorium to grow a dozen
heads of lettuce and a few pounds of green beans.

The 11 plant system mmentioned above is a less than $150 DIY project
including 20 gal resevoir, water pump, air stone, and timer. The major
upfront cost in hydroponics is lighting and I spent around $400 for that.
Big advantages are no weed, no birds, rabbits, deer, or groundhogs having
their meals at your expense. Plus you get year-round planting as in fresh
tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, eggplant, bell peppers, etc. 12 months a year.

True you don't need it if you're living alone, but a family of four or
more can save beaucoup dollars - without $40,000 worth of arbortorium.

Dick