Master gardener?

I did my master gardener training 4 years ago...I hope I'm able to recall some of that when it's time for me to plan my garden this spring. I'm really psyched about this urban homestead idea. It's time to move beyond tomatoes and herbs; why not try to subsistence farm? I'm a little worried about the opossum and squirrels that frequent the yard, but I'll figure something out, especially since I want to get two hens as well.

One key thing I learned as a master gardener is that size matters. The young crops are usually more tender; larger specimens tend to have gone to seed (nature's mechanism of creating legacies). Bigger is not better, in fact its usually bitter.

When I was shopping for my colonial root veggies, I knew I had to go with Whole Foods because a farmer's market wasn't an option. When I took my grandmother to Reading Terminal on Monday, I chose young firm eggplant.  My grandmother bought rutabagas. Boy was I shocked. They were huge, at least 4 times the size of the ones I purchased from Whole Foods and they were covered in wax, as if someone had accidentally let a candle drip over them. So much wax, it left a residue on my fingers after handling.

To think, cucumbers, apples, and who knows what else is waxed for longevity...what about the pesticides?

All of the root crops were enormous -  the turnips, beets, parsnips. The stuff looked like it was on steroids. There were also Peruvian sweet onions masquerading as vidalias.

I'm not sure if this blog has made me more discerning or cynical about food.