On The Blog
It’s time to plan a garden.
One that looks a little different.
These guys aren’t going to stay young forever. Right now, they love being outside with me working around the farm, taking care of the chickens, gathering eggs, feeding the cats and so many other things. Everything we do together creates a memory. Even if they can’t recall the details in 20 years, they will remember the smell of the hay, the shavings, the early morning fog, late night fire pits, putting the chickens in and the sound of Grampa’s laughter. They will say to each other in the years to come “Remember at the farm when we used to……” even if they only experienced it for one summer, one winter, on one creek bank and in one rainstorm. That memory, that life extending moment will be forever etched in place in their memories. This is what I am after in the next phase of gardening. We are planting more than flowers and vegetables.
My vegetable /flower garden is sort of big. It is 108’ x 20’. It is big because I need it to do a lot. It has to produce enough food for two families to eat from all summer and well into January. By then the potatoes are getting a little soft and the squash needs to be finished up and frankly, everyone is bored with potato soup, “fresh” pasta sauce from the freezer over homemade noodles, and the amazing applesauce made from last fall’s frozen apples. We try to dress the meals up with fresh bread or biscuits, real butter and homemade jams and jellies. The fresh eggs continue to come from our hens and they continue to get the kitchen scraps so it is reciprocal. But, one of these days someone is going to groan “Where are the fresh greens??”
So this year we are going to dive in to the microgreen river. I bought a microgreen mix from my favorite seed company but, alas, it is filled with mustard greens and bitter herbs which I don’t like. They grow great! But, I can’t eat them and none of the rest of the family will either. So, we are going a different route: sunflower seeds, baby kale, spinach, beets, green peas, and swiss chard. I can also include a basic salad mix too. And this is where the kids come in.
Micro greens are fast growing so I will have the kids help me plant and water them. Then we will watch the progress all the way to harvest. After the harvest the kids will be able to feed the soil sponge to the chickens. They will love it! And the greens can be clipped, put in a bag and delivered to their mom as part of dinner.
I have a table and light set up in the house. Now it is just a matter of getting the soil, trays, and seed in place, and away we go. This first time through I will have the boys help me and it is going to be loud and messy. But isn’t that where memories are made? I think so.
Hopefully we will soon have pictures and report on our progress so, stay tuned.
