Planting season is here and not only am I planting the usual annual garden, but I'm planting with jubilant vision as well, and some replanting with repentant remorse.
I now have five rows of the early produce like lettuce and radishes, but I discovered a couple years ago, if I wait until after the early spring rains to plant my onions, there are no soft mushy centers, so onions will be planted after Passover. I will enjoy the last week of March, planting beans and corn and the mainstay of the garden and then by the middle of April, I will celebrate having rendered unto Caesar in taxes, with planting tomatoes and peppers.
It's a pretty full agenda here in the spring. Actually, by the time I'm planting tomatoes and peppers, I'm usually enjoying radishes and greens. Seems by the time I the kids arrive and the herd doubles, it's time to start planting, then time to clean house for Passover, then the milking begins again, the bottle calves arrive and more planting, then it's time to start harvesting the early crops. I have no idea how I would have a "real job," and I'm so grateful to not have to figure that out. I'm very grateful to live this lifestyle and be able to work on the computer from home. I am truly blessed.
I know YHWH had so much better planned for us than staying cooped up in buildings on concrete and trying to make enough "green" to buy food that someone else is raising. I just realized as I described office work or factory work, it's a very similar description to what animals rights activists are fighting against corporate farming.
Wouldn't you know it, here in America, we'll confine our children in institutional settings for day care and education to spend our lives confined in buildings on concrete with artificial light, but we don't want chickens and cattle to live like that! We truly are a curious lot . . .
I have to replant some trees that I lost being disobedient last year and the plague of drought and pestilence that doesn't usually affect this little pocket of land tucked away. Planting trees makes me feel like a visionary. I'm 55 years old, so these trees are for the next generation or generations. I've also started a vineyard and wasn't sure what would be coming up there, but yesterday, I saw some strong vines and I did see some fruit vines up the way that have taken root and are growing. Last year I planted elderberries and a couple of other berry plants that I'll just have to see what blossoms and comes on the branches. I noticed down the lane the wild blackberries are leafing out. Those blackberries are such a blessing. I've never seen such large berries on wild plants! I didn't get to enjoy as many last year, since my arm was broken, so Yah willing, I'll be in better shape this year for what is to come.
Yesterday, I added to the perennial garden of asparagus, horseradish, and garlic. This is a pretty chilly spring, so the planting is going a bit cautiously, but I'm making headway. My last nanny to deliver did so this morning with a double portion blessing of two little doelings. The only ones left to kid now are last year's doelings, so it will be awhile.
The potatoes in buckets is a great idea which I'm truly going to enjoy harvesting this year. I'd much rather dump 5 gallon buckets of dirt, than dig! This is supposed to be great country for strawberries, but so far, I haven't been able to manage that. I'm going to try my hand at cantaloupes this year for an organic product. I'll be getting those started in the next couple of weeks, and will definitely keep you posted.
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