How Much Does a Garden Grow: August 2017

Finally! It is nearly the end of September, and I am finally updating you on the garden progress through August. You really never know busy until you've tried to prep for a new class you've never taught before plus tried to finish a book in the same month. (More about the book very soon, which I will shamelessly plug here!)

In any event, I am pleased to say that the August garden helped push our garden tallies to a much more reasonable retail value total. Some highlights:

Tomatoes! I planted 71 tomato plants this year, and next year I hope to plant more. All the room, all the tomatoes. Cumulative totals through August:

Coure di Bue: 511 oz., $127.75
Principe Borghese: 493.5 oz., $123.38
Siletz: 364 oz., $91.00
San Marzano: 574 oz., $143.50
Black Krim: 167 oz., $41.75
Martian: 428 oz. $107
Volunteers: 226 oz., $56.50

So, through the end of August, I harvested 155.65 pounds of tomatoes for a retail value of $690.88.  September will add to these totals.  Nowhere near the goodness of 2009, when I think I harvested at least 300 pounds, but certainly better than we've had in years.

I was able to can 9 quarts of juice, 2 12-oz. jars of tomato soup, 7.5 pints of chili sauce, and 6 pints of tomato sauce, in addition to over a quart of dried tomatoes.  Again, not nearly enough to get us through, but hopefully enough to give us some cushion.

Another good haul for the month was beans, and I harvested 118 oz. in August for a value of $22.42. We ate some of those fresh and I canned a lot for Mr. FC&G's winter lunches. I also plan to be selling bean seeds this year, since I have developed a strain that is very hearty and prolific.

Cucumbers did not do fabulously in their new spot this year, and I admit I lost track of the zucchini a bit, so I didn't can nearly as much as I should have.

All in all, a much better year.  And I haven't even told you about September yet, or for my plans for harvests into the winter!

Cumulative Totals:
Total Ounces of Harvest: 3717.5
Total Pounds of Harvest: 232.3438
Total Retail Value of Harvest: $855.40

Total Expenditures: (-$287.67)

Total Profit: $567.73