December 14, 2010
This turkey is grateful he didn't wind up on someone's Thanksgiving plate
I was reminded after Thanksgiving that I don’t think about and express gratitude often enough. Going around the table at supper and saying what you’re grateful for may be the traditional thing to do on Thanksgiving, but for me it’s distinctly an untraditional activity within the scope a whole year. (more…)
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: lessons
September 30, 2010
Matt in the garden wondering 'dude, where's my rain?'
I just finished my third summer in Virginia, and I can safely say that this was by far the hottest of the three. Even more of an issue for our garden, it was also extremely dry.
How dry? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration*, from June 1 to September 23, Charlottesville (10 miles from the farm) received 6.17 inches of rainfall…total. On average, it receives about 17 inches during roughly the same time period. Contrast this with the several feet of snow we received from December to February.
The dry summer has yielded brown, crunchy grass, and young trees showing signs of stress (just like grad students). (more…)
August 22, 2010
In late July and early August, Whitney and I spent a fair bit of time and away from the farm traveling. Consequently, I had grown out of touch with the garden. This past weekend I was able to invest a sizable amount of time reconnecting with it. Our Needs Eatin’ week was so successful in large part because the garden has been producing. After weeks of suspense, our tomato and pepper plants have taken off. The green beans have been steady, and cucumbers are doing well, staving off the bugs that have devastated related plants. Those of us who can consume soy recently enjoyed a small harvest of edamame. (more…)
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: agriculture, food, garden, lessons