Is there any more glorious reminder of Life than the onset of spring? Perennials pushing up through the Good Mother, raising heads skyward, raising promise, raising hope. Spring, one of life’s surest benchmarks.
By the time you enter your 60th year I hope you are blessed with a deep and personal appreciation for all things living. Understand the simple joy of a flower or a bird or worm or bee. Or a friend.
Our friends at the Waterloo post office called at 6:30 yesterday morning. “Your baby chicks are here.” Shipped at 1 day old, the most fragile things. Another right of Spring at the Bar None. Twenty five Cornish that will be in our freezer by the end of June. Another sixteen prolific and colorful layers to enhance our coop. Egg production from those expected before year’s end.
There’s a sure rhythm on the farm. Comforting. Time to roll up the sleeves and get the last two months of seed starts into the ground. Joining beds already planted with seeds (carrots, turnips, beets, beans, spinach, radishes) starting to just break. Such happiness from the simplest of origins. Just in time to start again, tomatoes and peppers and eggplant and potatoes and every other green thing under the sun.
Variety then is one of the true spices of life. This year we are introducing garbanzo beans, edamame, limas, terra del fuego, cannellini, favas (chianti anyone?) and my most anticipated legume, peanuts.
Be present and happy this spring. Celebrate in your fashion. Live and Love. Be your own winner in this Game of Life.
Raised bed prep now complete. Breaking everything by hand. No fossil fuels necessary. Clean and simple.
Onions, leeks, swiss chard, cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, collards, fennel, rapini, lettuces, and kale. Cole crops from the brassica family. Cold weather tolerant. Some started as early as Feb. 2nd. Most will wake up in the garden tomorrow morning!
About Author
