Repeat daily as needed
Posted on November 4, 2007 - Filed Under Uncategorized, children, farm maintenance, green market, hedges, neighbors, pecans, planting
This weekend was spent picking pecks of proliferating pecans peppering our property. This will be an ongoing activity through the end of the year…fair warning, you will be hearing much more about this subject. Jett and I have also been sanding gourds. He has big plans for these gourds involving real tools, drilling holes, some wood creation and acorns. He has yet to divulge more than that. We also played his current favorite game: Dodgepear. Think dodgeball with pears. The target sits on the pasture gate. At first I was understandably hesitant to lob pears at my son, but considering my aim isn’t that good, most of the pears are pretty soft and he can actually take a hit (my aim is improving with practice, although I never go for the head) — it’s pretty fun!
We also visited a couple we had yet to meet who had answered a newspaper ad we placed several months ago seeking nearby organic or natural farmers/gardeners wanting to meet like-minded individuals/families. You don’t run into many folks like that around here on a daily basis, so yes, it was necessary to run an ad. And from that ad, we only got about a dozen responses. From that dozen, we’ve only actually met 3 so far:
1) An older couple who have a 60 acre organic farm which they are trying to sell because they can’t make any money off it…at least around here. Mostly, I think they’re just tired of trying and want to retire to Florida.
2) A Florida woman with 20 acres and all kinds of ideas, but she’s never home so I don’t know if she’s actually moved forward at all.
3) The couple we met yesterday. Originally from Athens, Ga by way of Tennessee where they lived in a school bus and interned at an organic farm. They inherited 53 acres much of which is devoted to a licensed nursery. Although they grow all kinds of stuff, their specialty is bamboo. Which is just what we need! John will be picking up the first round of clumping bamboo this week to make our neighborly hedge.
I really enjoy seeing what other people are doing. Especially since we have no idea what we are doing. It provides much inspiration. For instance, next spring I am planting way more than I have been. The idea being some plants will be sacrificial to the bugs and gods, the rest for us (and maybe selling at the Green Market). I’m also going to clump and mix my plantings. I’ve deviated some from the formal row planting, but I’m really going to go more free form. Really. We’ve decided we definitely want to have more land. Seven acres is definitely plenty, but when it comes to land, you can definitely never have too much — whether as a buffer to neighbors and over-building, an area for horseback riding or other activity, to cultivate, build homes for friends and family, or simply enjoy the abundance of nature.
I do have to admit, although it’s inspirational, it’s also kind of intimidating and frustrating seeing what we perceive as other people’s successes versus our unwitting attempts. Don’t get me wrong…I really love our place, I just have high hopes for it and us. Maybe I’m too competitive or overly ambitious. Sometimes I feel like we’ve done nothing. And all these other people have done so much more than us. Often though the truth of the matter is they just have a head start. For example, both our neighbors have been setting up their property for 20+ years. The couple we met yesterday inherited much of what they have now. The organic farmer who now wants out has been at it 10+ years. And none of them have a 5 year old boy. Perhaps it’s all relative. Maybe they think the same thing about us. Patience. Do not covet. Appreciate what you have. This will be my daily mantra.
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3 Responses to “Repeat daily as needed”
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Hey Angela and John,
Great seeing you both at Cody’s Bar Mitzvah. Still never got the photo of Scott and John with their yamulkas. LOL!! I’m sending Scott the URL to your site. He was very glad to meet you both and he has a great respect for you both, especially getting a chance to chat with John. Not sure we’ll be able to “stop by” on our way back from Panama City, he has to work on Monday.
Will keep in touch. XO – LC
Angie,
Organic farming is the way to go. I think this generation will hopefully go in that direction. I met a man in Costa Rica who just purchased a sail boat to set sail next year. I learned he had a girlfriend who inherited property north of San Fransisco who began organic farming. Needless to say, he said she is a multi-millionaire because of her farms.
Is that inspiration? Just ask Kevin Trudeau.
Mushrooms….yes!!
all I can say..compared to your > 1/4 acre in Ft L where you only harvested grass on a weekly basis, you’ve made tremendous progress!!
I’ve been reading up (no experience yet) on veg gardens and it totally supports whatever makes you happy approach espcially when thinking about what should be planted together (green beans a few weeks after corn kind of thing).
Good luck with your bamboo crop.
see you soon. save us some pecans.