Farm Class

Ended with the decision that commuting 80 miles round trip during 2012 summer is not realistic, so farewell, farmer's path, for now. May be my family is one of the few who is somewhat indifferent to rising gasoline prices. We did sign up for a small garden plot in town. We're waiting to hear about a second opportunity.

From Toby Hemenway's Gaia's Garden

The movement toward sustainable landscaping is heating up.  Gardeners are increasingly burying their resource-guzzling, zero-habitat lawns under native-plant gardens, wildlife-attracting thickets, and sun-dappled woodlands. It’s an encouraging trend, this movement towards more ecologically sound, nature-friendly yards.

Countdown: Four Months

In 2012, my family may have access to a quarter acre for organic gardening. We visited the site today. Beautiful plowed field, rust, beige, dun, tan. Ready for autumn, Thanksgiving, then snow. Hadn't noticed before a beautiful persimmon tree standing next to the homestead, complete with black spotted leaves. Top was almost bare of leaves, but each branch sported persimmons just waiting for the final ripening. Found only two ripe persimmons on the ground. Split the first seed: spoon, which means snow.

The Countryside Companion

I found a hard cover copy of this great collection of essays, first edition, 1947, in an English open air market. It's edited by Tom Stephenson. One chapter is entitled "Stiles and Gates." Thomas Hardy refers to stiles in his novels; authors today probably refer to interstate rest stops. Today my mail box contains a notice that my copy of Toby Hemenway's book has arrived from Amazon. You can find copies of The Countryside Companion on Amazon.

December 2009

I saved this post two years ago. It's been fallow with no ideas planted or harvested.

Tobias Hemenway's New Book

Gaia is on my wishlist. I like the diagram about evaluating the drainage that runs downhill, then planting trees in a diamond pattern to trap the runoff and divert it to watering the trees.

Farm Incubator

Last Thursday my application for an organic farming class was accepted. When I complete the course, I'll have access to a quarter-acre in a nearby county. After that comes a stall at a farmers market.

Last year I didn't have a garden and didn't even compost anything. This year a few plants did extraordinarily well, consider the composting was interrupted for one year.