LOENNECKES' PRODUCE IS ORGANICALLY GROWN

Grapes grown in the Loennecke garden produced 20 gallons of wine.

The basement was where produce was weighed and paid for.

These Roma tomatoes are from the garden, as well as Margie Loenecke's preserves.

Walter and Margie Loennecke grow a variety of plants, flowers and crops at their residence on Anna Street.

Walter Loennecke read about organic farming and ever since has practiced it, proudly. He uses flowers instead of chemicals.

"That's why there's so many varieties," said Loennecke. Using plants to deter, repel and kill pests must work because there are no bugs out biting in this garden.

Loennecke's way of fertilizing is this: you take something out, you put something back in.

When all is said and done and the growing season is over, he turns the garden under for fertilizer.

Walter Loennecke has lived here since 1958. He's survived two wives. They died of cancer.

Right now when tomatoes come in, Walter and Margie eat 3 1/2 pounds a day. Tomatoes have been known to protect against cancer.

Margie Loennecke has her kitchen set up for canning and preserving in the front of the house.

Like a true friend of nature, the bird feeders are located directly in front of the kitchen window where she can watch the birds as they feed from various receptacles set up specifically for different kinds of birds.

A vine of crowder pea grows abundantly under the carport roof right near the kitchen where she can pick as needed.

The canned and preserved items are for the couple's use, but Walter Loennecke, now retired, does sell "garden run" produce at 50 cents a pound. Sometimes the harvest is good; a 65-cent seed packet of lettuce reaped 70 feet of lettuce one year.

In 1998, Loennecke picked 100 pounds of green beans.

"Retired," he said, "I never run out of things to do, being retired."

When Loennecke's daughter was a child, the corn raised from the garden paid for her bicycle. As the girl grew, so did her aspirations, and the corn raised went toward her college fund. Now, Loennecke's daughter, Roberta Brown, works at Riverside Regional Library in Jackson.

The Loenneckes don't waste anything. Out past the garden runs a spring-fed creek that Loennecke pumps water from to use for watering when the weather is really dry. Otherwise, the gutters from the roof of the house catch rainwater in a 55-gallon barrel to be used for watering. Not only does this cut down on the water bill, it seems to make things grow better. They use the rainwater up so fast, there's no worry about mosquitoes breeding. The martins, who also reside on the property and have homes scattered here and there, also keep mosquitoes in check. The martins have left as of July 27, "headed for Argentina," Loennecke said.

He said he likes to grow things that aren't labor intensive. However, the fussing he does with azaleas and roses leads people to believe otherwise. A heaping tablespoon of Epsom salts and a heaping tablespoon of baking soda added to a gallon of water will keep pests out of these flowers.

Some interesting information from the Loenneckes:

Lupus gourds are grown for use as bath sponges.

Leave blackberries at room temperature for a day, then deep freeze to make them sweeter.

Take your seed, throw it out and say God bless you.

Castor beans don't really kill moles.

Planting garlic in your garden makes flowers smell sweeter.

Martins nest only in birdhouses with metal poles. Snakes may climb up wooden poles and eat their eggs.