Grandma Emma's large garden in Iowa....1930's

Our Grandmother Emma was a very wise woman... In the 1930' she lived in the early days in Iowa with our Grandfather and two children. Every spring she would plant a large vegetable garden that would provide most of the families food for the entire year. Her garden filled one city lot with a well rounded selection of healthy vegetables and some fruit also. These included peas, carrots, potatoes, string beans, corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, raspberries, gooseberries and much more. Grandma would serve and cook the fresh produce and also can and cook sauce for later in the year.... She would also sell the fresh strawberries in a wooden quart box for ten cents, heaped with beautiful, sweet berries. One year she made thirteen to fourteen dollars in profit....She was a farmer and a business person who was successful! She also traded her produce and gave it to the local homeless to help feed many. They would get enough vegetables from her to make large kettles of stew to help feed the workers in the camps along the railroad... when they rode the trains while going between jobs....So indeed Grandma Emma was a clever and kind person....she was living a good  frugal, simple life.... We should take with us our heritage, her good ideas and learn. I hope that someday I will be able to grow a large and healthy garden and provide for my family just as she did so many years ago. So today I say Thank You to Grandma Emma for her knowledge and wisdom.....written by her oldest granddaughter Sandra , July 11, 2013