I have recently become more firm in my opinion about
how to handle my extra produce, and thought I would
pass my humble rantings on.......

Recently I have been feeling very much like the ant in the
"Ant & the Grasshopper" story. In the past, I have picked loads
of Bell Peppers, hot peppers, cherry tomatoes, & salad tomatoes
out of the garden and gave it away in plastic grocery bags.
It always irritated me that when i gave away my extra produce
to friends& others, that it wasn't valued as much as it probably
should have been, but they hadn't done hard labor
to produce it so how could i expect them to fully empathize.

I have worked through years of summers, even when the heat index is
over 110deg. loaded 100's of full pickups of gravel/ mulch/ compost
weeds etc/etc/etc/ plus all the other labor & monies for organic amendments
it takes to keep it managed, {& I don't have a working back/ feet/ or
knees
anymore} while the Grasshoppers were inside reading books in 65deg
air-cond.

When I ask why they don't just want to plant a tomato, some will honestly
say they don't want to go to the trouble.

So here is my solution........

It's all in the packaging !!! I no longer will throw stuff in a plastic bag
& hand
it to anyone like they are doing Me! a Favor.

Instead I will now give it away Only as my Thanks You's to people.
It will have a proper presentation, in wicker baskets with raffita,
ribbons & bows & lovely custom printed "Thank You" labels, & maybe special
recipes;
essentially it will now be given as if it is a $40-$60 mail order gift
basket
whenever I have a need to give someone a Thank You.

I bought a tall wicker laundry basket at Wal-M. that I will keep in my
mudroom,
I also went to the local Thrift Stores & bought bunches of baskets that
have been
sitting there for years for about 50cents ea. The Laundry basket is a
perfect place
to store the assortment of small baskets, & whenever I need to make a
basket;
I just choose the size I need, go to the garden and pick whatever is
harvestable.

since I have flowers in the garden, I also bought a collection of the glass
vases
that the thrift store has for 25cents, and use them for my Flower-vase
Thank-Yous.

anyway, I like this new approach, it make me feel less resentful of all the
hard work,
and I enjoy being able to give something nice as a Thank You.

well, thanks for listening!