Post by Okwes on Apr 14, 2008 13:40:46 GMT -5
Navajo Gardening and Preserving Garden Produce
Introduction: Gardens form one of the primary elements in the Navajo food
resource. The traditional Navajo received virtually all his food from his
animals and his garden. We have been growing corn and squash in our gardens
for thousands of years. In recent years we have added potatoes, carrots,
watermelons and apple, cherry and pear trees.
Preparing the land for gardening: If there had not been a garden in this
spot before, or if there were a lot of weeds growing, the garden plot was
first burned off. This did a couple of things:
1.The fire burned all the grass and weed seeds so they wouldn't become weeds
later.
2.The ashes formed a rich nutritive addition for the red garden dirt.
3.Burning the previous plant matter made it easier to prepare a nice seed
bed.
After it was burned the garden bed was prepared. This was done with a
greesewood digging stick, sharpened on one end. This kind of wood is very
hard and durable. The stick was used to dig up the dirt where the seed was
going to be planted. Often, the seed was planted at the same time the dirt
was loosened up with the digging stick. Usually, only the dirt around where
the seed was to be planted was disturbed, rather than all the dirt in the
garden. Planting the seed was the woman's responsibility. But a man could
also do it.
Irrigation: After the garden was planted, because of the very low rainfall
in this part of the world, the seeds needed to be watered every day. After
the seeds sprouted and began to grow they continued to need frequent
watering, weeding, and care.
When harvest time did come, the squash was cut off the vine and put in the
hogan. Being cool in the summer and relatively warm in the winter, this was
an excellent place to keep it. The squash lasted here for several months
without spoiling.
The corn ears were picked off the stocks before they were dry and thrown in
a big pile where they continued to dry. After they were dry, they were
husked by hand and poured into a sack. This sack was stored in the hogan
with the other food that was being kept for the winter.
Home Page: waltonfeed.com/peoples/navajo/
These pages a public service of Walton Feed, Montpelier, Idaho.
Copyright 1997 by Al Durtschi. All rights reserved.
Updated: 7 Apr 97
--
Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.21.7/1332 - Release Date: 03/17/2008 10:48 AM
Introduction: Gardens form one of the primary elements in the Navajo food
resource. The traditional Navajo received virtually all his food from his
animals and his garden. We have been growing corn and squash in our gardens
for thousands of years. In recent years we have added potatoes, carrots,
watermelons and apple, cherry and pear trees.
Preparing the land for gardening: If there had not been a garden in this
spot before, or if there were a lot of weeds growing, the garden plot was
first burned off. This did a couple of things:
1.The fire burned all the grass and weed seeds so they wouldn't become weeds
later.
2.The ashes formed a rich nutritive addition for the red garden dirt.
3.Burning the previous plant matter made it easier to prepare a nice seed
bed.
After it was burned the garden bed was prepared. This was done with a
greesewood digging stick, sharpened on one end. This kind of wood is very
hard and durable. The stick was used to dig up the dirt where the seed was
going to be planted. Often, the seed was planted at the same time the dirt
was loosened up with the digging stick. Usually, only the dirt around where
the seed was to be planted was disturbed, rather than all the dirt in the
garden. Planting the seed was the woman's responsibility. But a man could
also do it.
Irrigation: After the garden was planted, because of the very low rainfall
in this part of the world, the seeds needed to be watered every day. After
the seeds sprouted and began to grow they continued to need frequent
watering, weeding, and care.
When harvest time did come, the squash was cut off the vine and put in the
hogan. Being cool in the summer and relatively warm in the winter, this was
an excellent place to keep it. The squash lasted here for several months
without spoiling.
The corn ears were picked off the stocks before they were dry and thrown in
a big pile where they continued to dry. After they were dry, they were
husked by hand and poured into a sack. This sack was stored in the hogan
with the other food that was being kept for the winter.
Home Page: waltonfeed.com/peoples/navajo/
These pages a public service of Walton Feed, Montpelier, Idaho.
Copyright 1997 by Al Durtschi. All rights reserved.
Updated: 7 Apr 97
--
Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.21.7/1332 - Release Date: 03/17/2008 10:48 AM