Herbicides can be used to combat the growth of weeds in alfalfa fields. The herbicides typically used are quite toxic, and federally mandated directions for their use require such measures as 24 hours’ notice, onsite inspections to prevent “water contamination or drift into residential areas,” and the use of “special equipment (respirators, protective clothing and the like).” Many farmers would prefer to use Roundup agricultural herbicides, which control nearly every weed species in alfalfa crops, “dissipate[] rapidly in the soil” without residue, can be bought at any local hardware store, and can be used without any specialized safety equipment. The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has found the active ingredient in Roundup—glyphosate—to be one of the most environmentally responsible herbicides available commercially. But applying Roundup to kill the weeds in conventional alfalfa fields would also destroy the alfalfa.
Gregory Garre, Attorney for Monsanto, Petitioner's Brief in Monsanto v. Geertson
Although Monsanto v. Geertson is about alfalfa--not something that makes up a large part of my diet, except very indirectly (principally as dairy products)--its focus on pesticides got me thinking about the food value of the plants we're growing. I recently read that among the grocery store foods to approach with the most caution are generic potatoes, which leach pesticides from the surrounding soil and transport these chemicals directly to their consumers. Yum!
Sadly, we did not elect to grow any potatoes this year--we'll have to rely on organics from the grocery store and farmers' market to avoid concentrated chemical pesticides. (Side note: Summer did keep an indoor potato plant alive for quite some time once before, but it never seemed to grow particularly tuberous.) But it is nice to know that the vegetables we are producing will not have been drenched in anything but sunshine and, for the outdoor plants, the occasional downpour.
And, speaking of the outdoor plants, they are continuing to thrive and are beginning to pay dividends as food (despite my propensity for parenthetical phrases today, I will eventually address the promised point of our plants' food value). As for the thriving, there is no longer much (if any) visible bedding in the leafy greens, the vegetables are growing like crazy (including the once-overcrowded pepper), and the tomatoes are blooming in earnest now. The only concern with the vegetables is the aggressive cucumber plant, which is shooting out tendrils in an attempt to take over the whole cage and planter from the eggplant and pepper. Those two scrappy vegetables, however, seem to be holding their own. Meanwhile the basil has leaves to rival (or best) the spinach and arugula in size, and Summer has managed to multiply the already impressive mint by replanting cuttings.
Back to food(!), though, the leafy greens are probably overready for their first harvest. I tasted an arugula leaf the other day and was blown away by the peppery flavor, whose intensity bests even leaves from the farmers' market. I guess nothing beats straight-from-the-garden for flavor. The mint is also more intense than any I can remember having tasted. Summer intends to make fresh mint ice cream TONIGHT, an idea which has me giddy with excitement (and which had me slavering at my desk this afternoon). We are trying to figure out what to do with the basil; many of these greens and herbs have become so large so quickly that our meal plans failed to account for their viability as ingredients. All vegetables are still in the floral stage, so we've had to resort to the farmers' market for fresh (and delicious) tomatoes which we consumed tonight.
Turning our attention inside, the leafy greens have not really recovered from their attack by a hungry and ornery (and obese) housecat. In fact, both indoor arugula plants and a spinach seem to have fully kicked the bucket; the two collards and the remaining indoor spinach soldier on but remain small. If they don't demonstrate a little more interest in getting big, they might have to lose their experimental status and go outside. The indoor tomatoes, however, continue to explode ever upward (forming an interesting contrast with the bushy tomatoes outside), shooting out branches at odd intervals. They do not seem to be flowering as quickly as the outdoor tomatoes, but they are unquestionably healthy and happy.
Summer has a menagerie just beginning to crop up inside as well. She is raising two varieties of tomatoes and green peppers from seed. In weeks past, they were barely visible; now, they are several inches tall. With any luck, the six varieties of tomatoes planted on two different time frames will provide us with a steady supply of late-summer fruits. And I realized that I've been neglecting the culinary potential of another indoor denizen under Summer's care: lavender. Sure enough, I just plucked and tasted a leaf from the plucky herb, and it is delicious.
So, with the exception of those few that succumbed to feline hunger and orneriness, our plants are healthy and are in the process of becoming edible. We haven't even had the tiniest thought about resorting to chemicals that are quite toxic, that might contaminate residential areas, or that require respirators or special clothing (nor to their counterparts that dissipate in soil and leave no residue). To put things into a bit of perspective, it's true that our garden is nowhere near subsistence-level, but it's equally true that hazardous chemicals have no business being anywhere near our food. And to make sure that your food is chemical-free, the only thing better than knowing your farmer is growing food yourself.
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