"There comes a point in the spring when winter is finally over and one can dream of things to come. Making plans for the garden, ordering seeds, the spring air is refreshing, birds are singing announcing to all who will listen that there are good things to come, warmer weather, spring rains & flower blossoms. Here the often caprices and unpredictable Mother Nature has sworn an oath to thoughtless alliance with those who are best able to serve her. They apply themselves year after year, to extract the perfection from the potential which she provides.” ~
Haut-Brion The Film

This means having the patience and wisdom to wait when others are planting, tilling & fertilizing. Knowing when is the right time for you and your land. Even more important is being ready to act when the time is right.

The warmer weather in early April brought a relief and a opportunity to get some soil prep work done much earlier than last year. We have started our seedlings at this time and have had some good results so far. Mostly tomatoes and peppers as seedlings but I’ve already planted some peas and potato. They went into the ground after lots of amending to the soil.

I’ve tilled the ground after the frost was over. Then added manure and tilled again. Added compost and tilled again. And just to make sure I’ve tilled the gardens about a dozen times. We get our manure from a great farm that uses the manure to fuel their methane powered farm. The manure is cooked at such a high degree that virtually all the weed seeds are destroyed.

The plan for this year is not much different than last year. To put it simply, the idea is to grow organically & healthy food and preserve as much food as possible by either freezing or canning. Oh and this year we plan on installing a windmill for “homemade” electric energy.

This year we will be more prepared for the apple & pear harvest. (At least that is our hope) We plan on making apple cider in addition to apple/pear sauce, jams & jelly's, pies and anything else my lovely wife comes up with.