“The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times” by Carol Deppe, Chelsea Green 2010, ISBN 9781603580311, Paperback, 323 pages, $29.95.
This is one of my favorite gardening books, and one I reread nearly every year. Deppe, a respected gardener, plant breeder, and writer, takes a thoughtful but no-nonsense stance on explaining her assertion that there are five crops needed to survive and thrive: potatoes, corn, beans, squash, and eggs. Any gardener, from beginner to master, can successfully grow one or more of these, regardless of location.
The Oregon author holds a PhD in Genetics from Harvard University and specializes in developing open source crops for organic systems. She also suffers from celiac disease, which motivated her to take on a more healthful lifestyle that includes growing clean, nutritious food. Deppe points out that much of what agribusiness has convinced the public passes for food is woefully lacking in nutrients and is sometimes downright bad for the body. She encourages readers to step back and assess what they put into their mouths every day, and cheerfully points up the benefits of growing your own, even if it’s just one of her five essential food staples.
The book opens with Deppe’s Plant-Gardener Covenant, 33 golden gardening rules, complete with extended discussions of each. She introduces the chapter by saying, “…we are part of what I call the Grand Alliance, a complex association of humans, plants, animals, and entire landscapes that have domesticated and shaped each other and co-evolved over the generations.”
“The Resilient Gardener” is a workbook for growing five specific foodstuffs, but also offers a wealth of information on everything from USDA soil maps to how to grind your own flour–plus recipes, from polenta to pumpkin pie. The author discusses seed saving, and its importance to food security; how saving both homegrown and commercial seed from year to year not only allows the gardener to select for what grows best for them but provides a defense against the unthinkable.
As climate change brings ever more erratic weather, dealing with life when the electricity is out becomes ever more important. Drought is worrisome for the gardener, who learns to select for more drought-tolerant plant varieties to conserve water. When the electricity is out due to a storm or other disaster, water is unavailable for drinking and for the garden. If the power is out for more than a day, it can have devastating consequences for both humans and their gardens.
Deppe notes that growing food is only one part of food resilience; people must learn how to harvest, store, and use the food they grow. She’s a big advocate for using the fruits from the garden in the most delicious ways possible.
A recurrent theme is interdependence; none of us operate in a vacuum–and likely none of us will be growing large enough quantities of even her five essential foods to entirely sustain ourselves. I highly recommend an annual perusal of “The Resilient Gardener.”
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