Around the Farm
Look what the cat dragged in. Oh, that IS a cat. Isn't she the most gorgeous thing? Someone must have let her off somewhere around here, but we found were in the middle of our property. She must have been someone's house cat from how friendly to us she is, although she is a bit suspicious of the other cats. She would love to be a house cat here to, but alas she'll have to content herself with her favorite stump outside. And eventually she will have to learn to eat with all the other cats.
Eggs, incubating. We meant to do at a batch earlier, but these will be ok. I'm probably going to cut my chicken flock some anyway, but you always need new layers.
"Don't we look delicious?" I think it was Tom Robbins who said, never trust a pig selling bar-b-que. These guys have been raised on weeds, mostly yellow dock, but also all the plantains and wild lettuces and tops to any root veggies we didn't eat ourselves, pea shells, etc. They will probably make mostly tamales, chili, pot pies.
For example, the turnips are wonderful, raw or cooked. The tops are wonderful greens . . . or, feed for the rabbits. As are the peels.
Fava beans are the inspiration for the beanstalk in Jack and the Beanstalk, so if you haven't grown any, you should. They are old world beans (most of what we know as beans are new world plants) and grow in really cool weather. These are the large seeded variety. We also have the small seeded variety growing, and they are over my head tall and covered with beans but not quite ready to pick yet.
Multiplier onions, with parsnips and fava beans in the background. The onions have actually been weeded, but I'd love for folks to take note of just how thickly stuff is planted. That is intensive agriculture. There's also a yellow dock leaf visible. Eventually that will be taken for the rabbits but until then, it is welcome in the garden. But then, I shouldn't get started on soil mechanics and how rotten for the soil tilling is, or how beneficial weeds are. I mean, you try to give the food plants an advantage, but that is all they need.
ok, well, I had a few more photos to post with this, but blogger has decided to not post photos AGAIN. Maybe later . . .
And Happy Solstice!
7 comments:
Tilling = bad; what about deep digging? I tried to keep the tiller out of the garden this spring, but I got so far behind on the digging, I decided that getting it seeded in time had to take precedence over treating the soil just right. Next year I won't be delaying things by amusing myself moving sod around... we hope...
I've been wondering about thicker planting, too, as I look around at all the bare ground I've got, it doesn't seem right. But in this dry climate, competition for moisture could become an issue.
... and Happy Solstice to you and yours, too!
aaaah, I wouldn't really equate tilling as bad, always, there is always room for various practices in various circumstances. I think digging can be done without . . . but using it can speed things up as far as development of soil, etc.
I have no clue on your climate, but we've found deep beds hold moisture, as does thicker planting and leaf cover. But water is a big thing.
If this cloud cover tonight doesn't bring rain, I'll need to water some stuff in the garden tomorrow. Thing is, if I'm growing just for myself, I can do that. But I'm not going to go to that bother and work and trouble for a market, even a premium upscale market.
Anyway, those are soundbite answers to more complex issues than soundbites allow for. But I once read a most interesting thing about the physical dynamics of a raindrop hitting bare soil. . .
I do adore your yin yang garden.
Thanks!
in thinking about it more, I'm thinking that the prevention of evaporative water loss by thick vegetation way outweighs the use of water by that vegetation. It also flat improves the construction of the soil (roots, worms, creepy crawlies, bacteria on all and assorted) which in turn improves its ability to hold water, etc.
Using a thick layer of mulch provides most of the same benefits.
you never know what might turnip on your blog.
Wow, what a cat, she looks very cuddly.
Your photos make me want to dissappear into the mountains and get away from all this heat and mess in Alamogordo.
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