The Gothic Homesteader

What a delight, to know when the time comes to get a large garden going again, that I have so many varieties to chose from.  I know some of these will grow well out in the Desert Southwest where my husband and I plant to dwell.  A Goth in the desert you say? A straight up Desert Goth, is a Goth from any type, which has adapted to the desert.  Don't scoff.  I have dwelt out there before, and would consider myself a Desert Gypsy Goth, which is a kin to Hippy Goths, Dark Mori,  with just a few twinges of Wild, Wild West style Steampunk-Goth thrown in for good measure.. And why not?  Santa Fe, NM and Phoenix, AZ are both centers for art.  Phoenix itself has a Goth Scene to boot, as PhxGoth website proves.  Santa Fe has beautiful Gothic Chapels, and is the oldest capital in the USA dating back to 1607.  And with Day of the Dead (Dia del la Muertos), and all the items from that, is it any surprise there are Desert Goths and Desert Gypsy Got...

I am getting more and more excited as I find all these awesome foods that can be grown, why has no one complied list of these before?  I have been around the Gothic community for over 10 years now, and other than a few black flowers, I never knew just how much we had available to us... I not sure anyone did or does.  This is just exciting!   Today I want to share with you some of the Gothic Radishes, Turnips, and Potatoes I have found: Black Spanish Radishes Purple Plum Radishes French Breakfast Radishes White Globe Turnips Purple Turnips ( solid purple, not the purple top turnip s) Kohlrabi - German Turnips Purple Wonder Potatoes Mountain Rose Potatoes Okinawan Sweet Potatoes ~ Morria Please Note:   Many of these are rare and/or harder to get ones hands on, but still do-able.  Most are heirloom  varieties .  Patience  and a good determination to hunt for the plants is needed.    Enjoy!  I know I am!  Mos...

As I have begun working on research for my future book: Gothic Homesteading , and if nothing else for my own Gothic homestead . Thus,   I thought I would share with everyone a short list of Gothic Beans I have discovered.  Enjoy! Royal Purple Beans Black Valentine Beans Orca Beans Anasazi Beans Hopi Black Beans Hopi Black Pinto Beans Hopi Gray Lima Beans Christmas Lima Beans Tarahumara Purple Star Beans Four Corner Runner Beans Scarlet Runner Beans Black Tepary Beans San Pablo Tepary Beans Yoeme Purple String Beans Black Beluga Lentils ~ Morria Please Note: Some of these beans, especially the Native American varieties are rare and hard to get ones hands on quickly. Most if not all are heirloom beans.

As I have been studying Black, Purple, Blue, and other "dark" Gothic Plants, I would like to introduce you to a personal favorite:  Navajo Blue Corn, also called Hopi Blue,  is a variety of Flour maize grown in northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, particularly in the states of Arizona and New Mexico.  One of  the “Zea mays” corns  domesticated by Meso-Americans along the Rio Balsas of Mexico by at least 6,700 BC.  Corn is a staple food and has many ritual uses.    In my studies, I have found that Navajo Blue Corn was originally developed by the Hopi, and remains an essential part of Hopi and Navajo dishes.  Blue Corn Kernals are gound to make meal, and has a sweet flavore.  Blue Corn is also a staple of New Mexican Cuisine, where it is also known as Zuni Blue Corn.  The Navajo dry farm this corn below their canyons and mesas (near a flood plain to catch natural monsoon rains), thus making it a nice drought hearty...

I have seen in my day alot of " You might be Goth if... " and " You might be a Homesteader if... " lists, but nothing like this.  So for the fun of it, I sat down and wrote out this list.  You most likely ARE a Gothic Homesteader if even a few of these are true... 1) You're a Goth who invested all your time and money into a piece of property most people wouldn't want. 2) You dont care about career or success, and are mostly interested in the size of your black carrots or the health of the bats in your bat houses. 3) You want your children ( if have any ) to learn to feed and milk the goats, and feel it is important skills to learn as they teach the value of hard work. 4) You know nearly every type of edible food that grows in black or purple, and you have tried/are going to try/are growing them. 5) You know all about the moon cycles and when is the best time to plant, harvest, and the likes. 6) You have very little money, but you know if...

I have been researching for the past two months "Gothic Plants" especially veggies, herbs, and fruits for the gardens and homesteads out there.  Much to my surprise 2 months in, I have thus far discover over 90 plants, and the numbers are still growing.  Sadly, due to work, my time to researching has been greatly cut, but I am continuing to work on info.  I wonder if anyone has done any books on this yet?  I will have to look into this more closely. One thing that has caught my eye is Shady Plant growing.  Where we are at now, we do have a large garden we share with family ( corn, beans, and potatoes ) and pots on the deck, but I am eyeing under the deck for more growing space.  According to my research, beans, broccoli, salad greens, beets, radishes, leafy greens, cauliflower, beans, are good for shade gardens.  In fact, I know beans are, as they grew well in the shade at our rented acre lot last year in New Mexico. ...

My friends and I have just recently finished watching a post-apocalyptic show, and it got me thinking.  Having lived through 2 tornadoes and three icy storms which knocked out power, I know the importance of being prepared for an emergency. So I have been asking myself, what would any one, not just a homesteader, but any good goth need to be prepared, in case of bad weather, earthquakes or other disasters? Preparedness Checklist: Candles  ( the 24-72 hour prayer candles work will and come in glass ) Oil lamps and oil Matches, Lighter, and Fire Strikers Glow Sticks Flash Lights and Backup Batteries Radio with Backup Batteries Weather Radio with Backup Batteries Sleeping bags Pillows Blankets ( Wool and Cotton - for winter and summer ) Sturdy Clothing ( Wool, Denim, Cotton: lighter color for summer - gray? ) Sturdy Work Boots ( No heels ) Walk shoes or Moccasins Food ( enough for at least 72 hours, preferably 1 month - my goal 6 mont...