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We are gardening on a dime this year! Look at all these seeds. Over 50 packets.
They were free! Faye, who works at the local garden center (aka grocery store, pizza shop, movie rental store, deli, hardware store, and so on–the little store in town), took them home from the store last fall and kept them in her fridge at home over the winter. They were going to be thrown out. They can’t sell last year’s seeds. Tim (who owns the little store) told her she could give them away! So Faye took them out of her fridge this week and back to the store–and handed them out. I love Faye. And Tim! Recently, they had a freezer breakdown and were going to throw away boxes and boxes of berries that thawed–Faye took them home for free and made cobblers for all her friends! (Including me!)
These seeds may not sprout as well as brand new packets, but they’ll do all right. Whatever we get out of them, they’re free. A whole garden full of free!
Last week, we got two tons of compost from the City of Charleston for $50. Not quite free, but that’s a lot of compost!
Two truckfuls. You know exactly how much compost that is when you’re unloading it one shovelful at a time from the back of a truck. Here’s the compost after it was spread around the garden.
Next we’ll take one side of the fence down and till the compost in with the tractor. We’ve got all kinds of other stuff we’ve been saving up over the winter, including poopy straw from cleaning out the chicken house and goat house.
I’m working on getting some things going in my homemade biodegradable seed-starter pots. Yellow and green peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash, eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower….
It’s still too early to plant in the ground here for most vegetables, but we’ve got the peas and lettuce fired up.
We are beginning Year Two of making a farm out of nothing. This 40-acre farm, wooded and long-abandoned, was once cleared land with crops and pastures wherever possible in the sloping landscape. Abandoned for at least 60 years as any kind of working operation, we had not so much as a tumbled fence post to start with to turn this land back into a farm. Our first year farm goals included basics like getting the house built, starting our chicken flock and goat herd, and establishing a garden. Last year’s garden was full of challenges due to top soil being scraped away during house construction. All that compost this year will help.
We also got quite a bit of fencing done last year, but more is on tap and soon. We need to get the sheep out of the goat yard and onto greener–and bigger–pastures.
Second Year Farm Goals:
1) Fencing and pastures for the sheep.
2) A better garden than last year! (And we’ve got 10 new fruit trees coming!)
3) Pigs. Yes, we’ve decided to get pigs! And, as if the planets were either in perfect alignment or completely out of whack because this is so bizarre, on the way home from picking up Morgan at softball practice yesterday the Ornery Angel stopped me on the road and out of the blue offered to give me a piglet. I don’t make this stuff up!
4) More chickens!!!!!!!! If they don’t cooperate and make some for me, I’m going to go out and get some! We lost a hen the other day. Have no idea what happened. Just went out to the chicken house and there she was, dead. No sign of any wound. Just….dead. I think Mean Rooster did it. In the lounge with a candlestick.
5) Goat babies of our own. (Please, Clover?) We don’t know yet if Clover’s pregnant.
Clover: “That’s on a need-to-know basis. When I think you need to know, I’ll tell you. In the meantime, I would like a pickle cookie. Just in case.”
6) Take control of the animals……….
Posted by Suzanne McMinn on April 3, 2009Reminder: The Chickens in the Road interview will air this weekend on Inside Appalachia. (Saturday at 6 am and Sunday at 6 pm.) You can also listen to the interview online here at the West Virginia Public Radio website.
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1:36
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I am also planning to expand my garden this year. Last year was my first. Have you tried any heirloom seeds? I know you can save your own seeds to plant from them. I love your idea for seed starter pots. I may just have to try that.
Thanks.
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5:12
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Oh you and your neighbor might become friends over a little pig!!! Who knows she might be sneaking up your drive way at night to see what is going on at your house and decided that you need a pig also. lol. All I know is that when you say you would like some kind of farm animal. God is listening to you and he is provideing them for you. At least that is how I see it.
5:13
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Now that is gardening on a dime!!! Even $50 for all that compost is a great, great deal!! I’m using your seed starting pots, and they seem to be working great! I just didn’t start saving soon enough….using egg cartons, too.
And how is #6 working out for you???????????? hehehe!
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5:44
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I have pig envy and you don’t even have yours yet.
And can we get a hallelujah and an amen for the Ornery Angel.
We have witnessed “Do Unto Others….” in action!!!!
Well Done!! Well Done!!!
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But it’s still going to be a great year for you!!!
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We don’t have any critters yet except some boarding horses, but hope to someday. Thank you for all your stories!
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7:20
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I think I’ll pass them up. Year old seeds to just fine. I’ve had seeds much older than that germinate. Good luck with your garden. I’ll be watching with great interest.
- Suzanne
7:32
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I can’t wait to see pictures and hear what Clover has to say about this!! (my six year old loves the animal posts & loves when Clover demands cookies)
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8:09
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I admire your energy!
8:09
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Robyn (11) is so jealous. We love reading the animal posts.
Thanks for the daily dose of inspiration.
anni and Robyn
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On Sept 13 2008, Hurricane Ike struck our portion of the upper Texas coast. More damaging than the wind was the storm surge that flooded 75% of the homes on the island. A lot of the vegetation on the island was damaged. Butnow its spring….
The oak trees survived (including the one we planted right after we bought our house in honor of a dear friend that died–we stole the acorn from her yard while we were helping clear her stuff out)
The fig tree is back–even though it was partially uprooted. We had four massive oleanders, we lost two and the other two are critical.
But, things are GREEN! The mockingbirds are chasing the squirrels. And my cats.
And the house is repaired. Almost.
I love spring. And this little island.
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8:47
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Don’t you have to let chicken poop sit for a year or so before you can use it? I’ve always heard it was HOT and couldn’t be used right away.
Susan
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I predict that you and the Ornery Angel will be fast friends sometime soon. She just needed some time to warm up to you! And how could she resist?
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Wow, your farm is coming right along!!!
10:38
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I see you have bean seeds, not sure if you are doing corn but plant your green beans with corn plants as the beans give off nitrogen and corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder.
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Brenda
3:38
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You won’t look like this at the end of the day either–covered in poop.
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5:36
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I think that was her way of welcoming you to the “holler” (as we say here in WV)
She just may become a friend some day.
And did you ever dream you’d see the day you’d be thrilled over two pigs and a truckload of compost?
6:41
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Oh, how I love Clover. She’s the goat version of ME.
6:45
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I don’t comment much, but I wanted to say that I just listened to the radio broadcast and it was done so well. It was really neat to hear your voice.
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