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I decided to do a show today totally devoid of any economics, politics, etc.  We are close to Christmas and this is a good time to de-stress and just have fun with family and friends.  It is also a great time for garden planning and even a bit of winter gardening.

So today I bring you 11 crops that are either unknown, underrated or simply considered to be hard or impossible to grown in North America.  Just about all of these can be grown in most of or all of North America.  I tried to bring in a good mix of short term argriculture and long term permaculture crops.

Tune in today to learn about…

• Amaranth the lost grain with many uses
• Belle Isle Cress a winter green that can stand extremely cold weather but is ready to eat in 50 days from seed
• Fennel a easy to grow herb with many uses often over looked by most gardeners
• Purslane which comes in many cultivated varieties and thrives in heat that kills most “greens”.  Also a great source of vitamin C and Omega 3 fatty acids.
• Red Malabar and Red Aztec Spiniches – great plants that handle the heat and don’t easily bolt in warm weather
• Orach a wonder burgundy “green” that thrives in summer heat and adds a great flavor and texture to summer salads
• Arugula the source of “dandelion leaves” in those spring salad mixes, a nice spice and bitter balancing green, also good sauted in pastas.  It grows so fast it is called “rocket salad” and handles cold and moderate warmth as well.
• Kiwis are not just for New Zeland and they are not “tropical” tune in today to learn about varieties hardy down to -25 F
• Kiwis produce about 25 lbs per vine and will produce for more then 25 years once established and can be propegated with cuttings
• Pick Kiwis early and they store very well in the fridge or in a cold root cellar
• The forgotten gooseberry, self fertile, hardy in zones 3-8 and can be reproduced with cuttings
• Figs will grow in much of North America (zones 7-11)
• Fig trees can produce for over 100 years and often two crops a year
• Tea isn’t just for China you can grow tea in much of the south and in containers in the north

Resources for today’s show

• Excellent source of Organic Amaranth
• Great Video about Wild Amaranth
• Good video about “Giant Amaranth” – Really “Giant”
• Source and Info on Belle Isle Cress
• 20 Cool Recipes that use Fennel
• Great source and some info on Purslane
• A source of Red Malabar Spinach
• Source of Red Aztec Spinach – scroll about 25% down the page
• Awesome Variety of Organic Orach
• Some great Arugula Recipies
• Good article on growing Kiwi Fruits
• Excellent source of many varieties of Kiwi
• Good cultivation info for selecting and growing Kiwis
• Information and a source of Gooseberries
• Source and Info for Fig Trees
• Great Article on Fig Trees
• Good info on varieties of Fig Trees
• Tea Plants

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