[mbynack]

The author hasn’t read the book, “The 500 dollar tomato”. I grew a garden last year. It cost me about three hundred dollars for dirt, fertilizer, fence to keep the dogs out, plants, and pesticides. I managed to can 8 quarts of tomatoes and 4 quarts of chili peppers. The squirrels got the beans and a lot of the tomatoes. Worms destroyed the cucumbers. Coons, borers, and drought got the corn.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

There’s a learning curve to gardening. I’ve been at it on a serious basis for more than 15 years now and don’t have those problems any longer.

Keep at it! Once you’ve got the basics down, you really can grow a ton of food VERY cheaply. There are cheap ways around the problems you’ve listed. :)

Join our Weekly Gardening Thread for pointers and help. :)

[cornelis]

Don’t be a pessimist. If all else fails, you can get a government job.

[Indy Pendance]

Perhaps you started out too big? Do herbs, the perinals, oregano, chives, etc, a couple cherry tomato plants and peppers. 3-4 plants. It's fresh snack food. Don't expect to can 200 quarts all at once. Go to your local farmer's market. Can that stuff.

Go to pick your own farms. We picked 45 pounds of strawberries and made 75 jars of jam for 60 bucks. Learn what your yard can grow. We have a ton of trees.

Start small, manage that, then expand. I've learned, our yard sucks, the only place I can grow is where the deer flies attack, so I head to the farmers market. Another place to find is dented cans stores. We have one near us. I can get hundreds of cans of everyday produce for 15 cents a can.