One of the recent sub-themes in the Cumberland Saga is the use of "shingling" or overlapping time-horizons to create resilience.
Amira observed something like "There will always be another crisis coming along. It is just a matter of time."
The idea comes from the strategy of having a "ladder" of Certificates of Deposit of varying maturities to supply a steady flow of income. If the income is not needed, then they can be reinvested like a link in a caterpillar track.
The people in Copperhead Cove expanded their short maturity food crops and applied fertilizer to maximize yields. They also invested in cows which have a much longer time-horizon than annual crops. A cow can live five-to-fifteen years depending on care and upon the owner's willingness to tolerate lower milk production in later years.
The small-fruiting bushes are even longer-horizon than the cows. They will start fruiting in their second year in the ground and some of them will spread on their own. A thirty-year life span in a home garden is not unreasonable. Small fruits are also very resilient with respect to the weather. Given a little bit of snow-cover, most of them can sustain -30F.
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| Reportedly a 700 year-old Sweet Chestnut tree |
The chestnut orchard is the investment with the longest time-horizon and it occupies the least desirable land. They might start producing nuts in four or five years (if fertilized and weeds are controlled). Some will die of blight but others will have resistance. On a favorable site, a single chestnut tree can live and produce human-quality food for hundreds of years. Nut pines, Black Walnut trees, oak with sweet acorns, persimmon, olives and pear trees can last just as long. Apples are a 30-to-50 year enterprise. Most stone-fruits are 5-to-20 year enterprises.
Looking back at pre tractor farming Tree Fodder was a treasure in both feeding animals as well as easily processed without power tools firewood. The nuts, apples, fruits like mulberry and such really kept the animals healthy. Willow was well noted for anti-worm effects.
ReplyDeleteLook up tree fodder.
https://northernhomesteading.com/index.php/2024/02/28/how-to-grow-and-harvest-fodder-trees/
https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/09/how-to-make-biomass-energy-sustainable-again
As a general note, we no longer tend to think in such long term tranches. A five year plan is surprisingly rare anymore.
ReplyDeleteHave you read Orwell's essay 'A Good Word for the Vicar of Bray'? A lovely reference to planting long-growing trees, particularly Black Walnut.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.george-orwell.org/A_Good_Word_For_The_Vicar_of_Bray/0.html
DeleteLast summer bought one small Peach tree. It was discounted and looked kind of scraggly, but I'll be darned if that skinny, short tree doesn't have about 50 peaches on it.
ReplyDeleteI probably need to pull some of the smaller ones off to give the bigger ones a chance. And also figure a way to keep the birds off them.
My neighbors used to have a couple peach trees - they put rubber corn snakes in the branches to keep the birds away. (I have also heard of hanging colored Christmas tree ornaments in the tomatoes to discourage the birds from pecking the fruits)
DeleteMentioned the rubber snake idea to my wife. She said not only no, but hell no. Why would I even think it was a good idea. ( Wife absolutely hates snakes.)
DeleteHave to spray mine (with sevin) continuously (it seems).
DeleteMaybe an owl decoy?? --ken
DeleteCommercial peach growers used to hire kids to "spank" the trees with carpet beaters to thin the peaches.
DeleteOne peach every 6" to 8" is the hot ticket. More distance in colder regions. Closer together in warmer regions.
You can buy netting inexpensively on fleaBay to keep the birds out.
My great uncle used to hire a bunch of us to do that. The boys would chase the girls around and spank them and the girls would chase us around and spank us. I don't know how good of a job we did on the trees though but it was fun. ---ken
DeleteI started the orchard at our new homestead this year. Apples, peaches, pears, and olives are planted. Blueberries and rhubarb too. In a few years we will be eating from them and hopefully my grandkids will to one day.
ReplyDelete