As we've said, farming this year is about two things: 1) improving the soil and 2) learning about the soil, weather, bugs, etc in this area. As such, Phil has a lot of little things going on, all with those two goals in mind. For example, he's growing a lot of green manure--plants like crimson clover, vetch, and a rye-type grain that will get tilled into the soil later and add important nutrients and materials. He also has a pumpkin patch. Pumpkins come with a lot of green stuff that can get tilled into the soil. Plus, we may even have some pumpkins to carve or sell. Then there's the lasagna gardening--raised beds of layers of straw, manure, and other stuff.
To learn about bugs and get a baseline for what will grow in the soil he's also planted a variety of plants like herbs, tomatoes, peppers, peas, beans, and okra. We don't think we'll get a lot to eat, but that's not the point of this year.
Right now it's a muddy mess out there (apparently when it rains in Mississippi it's always a torrential storm, never a pleasant sprinkling), but here are some pictures we've taken over the past few months.
You have lots of things growing that weren't there a few weeks ago. Bravo, Phil!
ReplyDeletelooking good man !!!
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