Grandparents & gardening wisdom

Several people i talk to about gardening mention what they remember their grandparents doing in the garden and then preserving the harvest.

The generation (let’s say old enough to remember the great depression and WWII rationing and earlier) mostly got it right. They didn’t spend money they didn’t have, they lived within their means and they always tried to put back for a rainy day. They knew by experience that things didn’t always work out and they knew they were responsible for their own well being. And they all seemed to have a garden, someone in the family knew how to can and the “root cellar” didn’t get strange looks when mentioned. There were/are exceptions, but generally speaking I’d say this is more true than not.

Funny how most of the people around me have forgotten about this-

We are spoiled by fresh produce flown and trucked in from around the world, always available around the corner at the large grocery store of our choice. Yeah, it will be there forever, why should we know how to do this stuff? Monsanto feeds the world now so we don’t have to worry right?

Probably still a good thing to know how to do.

I didn’t hear this recently from my grandparents, they have long since passed away.

But I know it is still true, this wise old tomato told me so.