Easter is always a magical time for our family. Trying to figure out how that Easter bunny gets around without being seen is an all day affair for our kids. Being on a farm, it's pretty common to stumble across animal burrows in the ground. Of course you never see the animal cause he's scurried off further down into the lower chambers. So a rabbit hole is a curious thing. After all, Alice did tumble down into one. We've been keeping an eye on the same one in the garden for a couple of years now. But this year, Henry noticed a new hole in the ground on the other side of the garden fence... the grand entryway to our smorgasbord of tender lettuces. Henry and Hattie do what they always do when a guest is coming, in this case a rabbit, make handmade cards to give to the newcomer. They use words like" I love you Easter Bunny" written in scented magic marker all over. Henry stuck his card down the rabbit hole.

Later, the candy filled plastic Easter eggs entice them through the yard, across the creek, up the bank and through the garden gate. The card is gone and an egg dyeing kit is in it's place. Afterwards, Henry takes all the dyed eggs and stuffs them down the rabbit hole.

This picture of my family reminds me of a modern day WPA Walker Evans photo.

Planting Fingerling Potatoes

Despite the approaching freeze, we worked hard to plant some of the fingerling potatoes the UPS man brought yesterday. Interns Eva Brewer and Paul Oliver are helping Alex and I sheet mulch the walkways and plant taters every foot which then get covered in straw. It's a great system where as the potato vine grows and leaves out, we add more and more wheat straw to hill them up. Then you pull the straw back around 90 days later, you find clean little fingerlings ready to harvest. I'm loving this

no till method. I'm also crazy about this pic of Paul's dog Scout with Alex in the background. Wonder who is bossing who? Scout is the biggest baddest Chocolate Lab with a sweet heart. He makes our mixed breed Boxer Mickey look like a chihuahua.

Little Miss Unpredictable has played a good trick on us again. We thought is was a time of Spring Mayflowers and Dogwoods but Surprise Surprise! Just when you thought it was safe to go into the garden and plant.....mid twenty degree weather is in the forecast for us here in Downing Hollow and throughout the Midsouth. Tuck your plants in and make a pot of chili, it's gonna get cold! I hear laughter in the forest from all the cute little wood sprites....

Beets for Obama

All day I've been thinking about that South Lawn garden. A little over 1,000 square feet, what a grand thing it will be. But no beets. Obama is not a fan of beets. And I'm sure he has had ample opportunity to taste them in the most fabulous ways in the most fabulous of restaurants.
In honor of that up and coming famous organic garden, I've been potting on little beet seedlings, hoping that it will all work. .......my seedlings and Michelle's vision. I know that people are sitting up and taking notice. Look!! They're turning ground!!!
Imagine what fun the White House kitchen and garden staff are having right now!

Seed starting afternoon

We had a great afternoon at Sue's house starting seeds with CSA workshare friends. We demonstrated the soil blocking technique that Elliot Coleman talks about in his books. Best of all, we started a worm composting system that Sue had researched and learned about from friend Andria Lisle.

Thinking about the living soil, reflections on wounding a toad with my BCS tiller

This is turning out to be a promising growing season for us. First, we have a possible 5 interns. One such fellow, Paul Oliver, is visiting almost every week and cranking out some serious dedication to the soil. He's been hauling horse manure from the local stable as well as our stable and lurking in the back alleys of Savannah Tn collecting huge sheets of cardboard that the local furniture stores throw out. If you wonder what this is all about...it's called lasagna gardening or better yet, sheet mulching. It is the organic gardeners reason for living! Building soil fertility and at the same time conserving water and eliminating weeds.
When you till or plow your soil with either tiller or tractor, you destroy the soil structure, killing it's animals and it's ability to sustain growth. Most old timers these days plow, disc and till the soil to a powdery mess. When you use permaculture ideas you should be able to reach down and take a handful of your soil and it should crumble nicely like a rich chocolate brownie, hopefully with a couple of worms falling out. So when you choose a no-till method, your options are to lay biodegradable materials down like newspaper with soy-based ink or brown cardboard and mulch with spoiled hay, wheat straw, wood chips or leaves. Then all you have to do is pop a hole in it with a trowel and sink your little transplant right down in there. Happy plants don't attract mean old pests. Ladybugs maybe!

Not as easy as they make it look

well winter is here and I'm still behind. But I guess that just comes with farming and homeschooling and all the other things we get caught up in. My waxing poetic days are gone, but instead I've been enjoying just a quiet introspection. Not good for the blogging duties I should say. And being full of turkey and dressing might have to do with this state as well. But still, I'm glad I was bold and started a blog even if it is messy and empty. I do have high hopes.