May Day

for those who come to the farm this time of the year,  might be good idea to love the sounds of tree frogs right out open windows, as is the sound of water on all sides.  if natures ons and offs are of an interruption to sleep earplugs are a must.  cause everywhere in a year of rich water, the land is alive with sound and gusto.   all seeds sprout, even the potatoes so protected from light in the root cellar, they too must reach for the sun.  out piggies (two)  are now big enough to be in the pasture with our two milk cows Babe and May..    the graze as a foursome through the field as if of one unit.  cute, and actually really good to grow.  Daisy, our older cow, now happily lives with Mac and Ethel, our only other milkers on the creek.. their needs are such that Daisy will be good for them and their family as we do not need 3 milk cows for our family farm attitudes.    Babe still is producing over 2 gallons a day, which we share with ourselves, and like minded few, and much goes to the piggies,, making bacon on the hoof…  Ruddy Stew ( he got two names )the baby steer that we are milking Babe from his birth is still in a lower field till he fully forgets about mom’s nipples.. then he will join them up above the farm house.  the garden is much planted with spring greens. still too soon for summer crops up here. although we now have low lever hoop hut technologies to add to the finges of growing time.. we will put those into the mix as we go along for future times and summer shades..  22 varieties of tomatoes are growing along,, as tomatoes are loved by all first to last..   and the sauces we make,, umm.. say no more,, let me go sing to those babies, and see if they will come along a  bit stronger for me.

this is the time of year where all needs a little touch, and i feel small in the mix.. john loves his mix into here and as life moves forward, finds more and more the pace we share here to full fill the deep places.

we have been stirring beautiful art from john brown hand into a calendar, and greeting cards. john is the artist, and any one who knows something about gettting this to a print point, there are many steps in between.  imagination and ability to draw are wonderful gifts john has in him.. computer and worldly side, tis me.. doing my part to suppport to beauty in this man.. just about to move outside this membrane here…  this is very good,, long birth ..

last weekend in May ( 25th -27th),

Sunswept has the honor to share her lands with josh fox and juneberry fest..  I’d like to invite you to the Juneberry Lovefest– a celebratory, open-space gathering for love and healing. Join us on the magical Sunswept farm for a weekend of yoga, qi-gong, plant walks, sing-alongs, school-house games, sunrise hikes up Max Patch, pond-swimming, chanting, and whatever magic you wish to bring! This family-friendly festival will be limited to 50 participants and registration has already opened.  4-5 amazing fresh, local, and wild meals; and camping (limited cabin space is available on first-register-first-serve basis).

More info and registration at:http://juneberry.joshfox.com

we are growing more food than we need as usual.  most of what we grow we use, and have margins in case of failures.. then we expect to offer food toward gatherings.  and then there is much more of the rest.  at present neighbors come help through the summer and pick and take what they need from the bounty that is here.  if this idea appeals to you as a way to visit with a goal as well. please come and share in the summer wonder of the mountains that this land is.. 

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first full moon of spring, creative energy is rising

arise to the nature of the universe, participate, roll back the rock

 

greetings spring time honors us with buckets of spring all at once.

by john brown

we at higher elevations are still at dogwood peak,  with the carolina silver bells adding a myth of snow to the treetops… the moon tonight will be one of the biggest of the year.  what will the early spring give us  farmers to work with.  as i wonder about spring crops and whether i am too late for some, the weather finally cools to seasonal conditions for the next week with frosts in the weather for the next while. the forest is wild with fresh food, ramps and onion grass, waterleaf, and fiddler heads.  our garden is giving kale, spinach, celery and asparagus, carrots and lettuces.  all wintered over with this mild past months.    this year we are !! making salves of the new spring growth of chickweed and comfrey, cleavers,  rose oil, with our beeswax and olive oil.. raphael is learning and doing as the spring unfolds so seems to be interests.  the salves have turned out nice, not oily..  learning as we go.. we have started dandelion tinctures, and burdock root as well..

all the springs are giving water as the rains have been full and regular..  the thunder beings and lightning has brought that special green to all the pastures and the lady forest is putting on her cloths, this all those various greens still new and just starting to color up..  the full moon will keep you from seeing the conjunction of venus and the pleiades this first week of april.. open to the truth and heart of all things.   but this is part of the mayan knowledge of the skies, venus so central to their calendar. this event is noted as timing in 2012.

this weekend we welcome those who in joy cooking, full rock on nature alive and vibrant, and community connections.. with young, old, music and the general circling that comes with cobb oven and baking,, fish catching and smoking.. egg dyeing and hunting,, as some of what this weekend is about.  raise up the energy roll back the rock,,   join in to the celebration of this natural world and the generosity of the mountains…

 

we will bake on saturday and smoke fish,, sunday egg hunt late morning.. lots of beauty in the woods, come hike, yoga barn is clean (mostly)  yoga always loved here… in joy with us,,

energy rises

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creative commons/ year of the dragon

the moon is bright in the late night sky, beaming into my skylights as a street light of the winter silent hours.  all the seed catalogs are here and it is easy to expand the dreams into greens and small plants of spring.  our winter projects include building the soil here at Sunswept.  we are wealthy in many material ways here. not really the kind of wealth you take to deposit into a bank as that magic paper we all chase, but wealth as in fresh wonderful cow’s milk, &  the vibrant universe of manure, cow, chicken and horse!!  we have learned much over the years about what it means to put manure into a garden too hot, too late, and any other way of finding out how to make better and better soil..

who nose

this season, we have more knowledge than ever! before,, thank you John Nilsson, for your consultation last fall.  we now know how to build a truly amazing compost pile system using our manure so close and rich, and adding our own biochar, and proper ionic and magnetic soils to bring all levels of soil value to a supreme addition to our own gardens and fields and more.  so composting we will go, the gravel is here to begin the place where compost will brew with in ground pipes bring air under the manure and rotting hay and produce oxygen rich environment to grow just the right bacteria and organics best for soil and additions.

as weather is allowing we are moving the oldest manure to the poorest soils adding rotting hay and last year’s abundant biochar we have successfully learned much making.  this mixture is on beds destined to be this year’s tomato patch,, with our own bent tube hut built over the 60′ x 12′ wide tomato paradise.   Madison county grows, ( in my opinion ) the Best tomato umm.  trouble is blight from tobacco mosaic.  gets my tomatoes more often than not if a wet summer. so covering is my answer amongst other care like soaker hoses, not water on leaves, etc.. so far,, so good on that..  by building proper soil with proper mycrobes, i can beat the blight ,, so this year i am making my plan and it begins now.

feet in it all

the sun’s return is very noticeable now.. the chickens are laying more eggs.  the grass has a glow of green i can imagine spring green to build upon.  the snows come and melt into the soil, full of the nitrogen that snow adds to the wet.  it will snow some more tonight..  last wednesday those all over Asheville talked of a brilliant double rainbow,

thunderbeings become light

to the ground, with more that the usual colors in both rain bows, actually mirroring each other,  how can that be.. for them is was the bow, here were the thunder beings, winds and whirl and the light moved through to the west.  rain/snow/hale/sleet and rush of thunders moved the house to tremble, and protect.  seemed the energy started here and vibrated radiance from these hills and earth print.  they say thunder in january big snow in two weeks.. i am counting,, umm,, January 25th then  let us see about mountain speak.  we come together now to build up our store of firewood,  plenty up hill on the mountain, good dry locust like you can’t buy,  still even with equipment and the know how Raphael and John have, it is really UP hill with 150′ of 1/2″ cable to hook to a locust log is work for sure.  our house is warmed by the wood and the work of those who live here.  even with the roll of the waves of being ourselves, the routines kept bring us to our knowledge of our full connection and loyalty to our place in the universe. for now it is here.  live the moments that you have to live.

we are a creative commons, welcoming the playful engagement in meaningful play.  intelligence is at the edges of a system.. reaching as lock to key of the moment ever unfolding we will go..  light through the cracks in the universe creative are we pot and potter

 

i’d rather be a Could-Be if i cannot be an Are:
because a Could-Be is a May-Be who is reaching for a star.
i’d rather be a Haz-Been than a Might-Have-Been by far,
for a Might-Have-Been has never been, but a Haz was once an Are

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eclipses

snow whirled last night and came in to blanket everywhere. plows cleared the roads as the season to hunker down is upon us.  well worth the in joyment of just that hunkering.. this morning the brilliant whiteness of the snow covered close inner shoulder that faces the first breath of morning sun, was so  bright wild white, the light back lit or front lit the rest of the cove still in the east mountain shadow. every moment was moment so unlike the one before as the sun moved into the cove.  the fabulous sparkles that occur as the light throws the rainbos in the still crystalline frozen hexagon snow flake out like  little spot lights appearing in the still shadows of early light.. reflecting the coming brilliance running into this holler.  snow is gonna stay here for a bit.  time to hunker down.. john has made it be we have our winter’s wood.

needs of town are few.

i have so looked forward to time to sew curtains, giving john less to do in the wood department..  it is he who does so many of the routines we here are sustained by.. warmth twice, and love adds the forever part.  farm blog and site pulling in for a bit.. in joy the return of the sun.  the waltz this year was wonderful to see the in joyment all around.  biochar and land knowledge has increased.  recognition of jewelry world is strong.  we have the application in the hands of the state now completed until i might understand otherwise.  real progress in these ways.  being stable and holding these basic routines though the other rolls of life is so unusual these days.. may i wonder at the pleasure of these simple things.

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between eclipses

snow whirled last night and came in to blanket everywhere. plows cleared the roads as the season to hunker down is upon us.  well worth the in joyment of just that hunkering.. this morning the brilliant whiteness of the snow covered close inner shoulder that faces the first breath of morning sun, was so  bright wild white, the light back lit or front lit the rest of the cove still in the east mountain shadow. every moment was moment so unlike the one before as the sun moved into the cove.  the fabulous sparkles that occur as the light throws the rainbos in the still crystalline frozen hexagon snow flake out like  little spot lights appearing in the still shadows of early light.. reflecting the coming brilliance running into this holler.  snow is gonna stay here for a bit.  time to hunker down.. john has made it be we have our winter’s wood.

needs of town are few.

i have so looked forward to time to sew curtains, giving john less to do in the wood department..  it is he who does so many of the routines we here are sustained by.. warmth twice, and love adds the forever part.  farm blog and site pulling in for a bit.. in joy the return of the sun.  the waltz this year was wonderful to see the in joyment all around.  biochar and land knowledge has increased.  recognition of jewelry world is strong.  we have the application in the hands of the state now completed until i might understand otherwise.  real progress in these ways.  being stable and holding these basic routines though the other rolls of life is so unusual these days.. may i wonder at the pleasure of these simple things.

clear and still

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today we adventure further into biochar and soil wellness.

love and permanent culture joining in the garden

at the wonderful waltz in late august we met many new folks who made there way to sunswept farm.. that night was magical, full of star light streaming down into our mountain cove and mixing with the fiddle and guitar and lifted us all to a melodious community moment. children dancing with elder children along with seasoned waltz steppers, and those looking to in joy the romance of dance for the first time.  in this musical mix appeared the biochar man,, jon and his daughter full of life, dance and talk..  jon and i talked, when feet were still, and brained up this day as a day to apply jon genius to our mind’s eye of dreams to grow better understanding of fertility and soil based beauty.  jon comes to consult and give us the intelligence  based understanding of modern bio engineering of mycrobes and bacteria and manure rich investments into soil.  if you don’t mind some rain come this way and learn about the wonders of bio char, and wealthy soil lasting a millenia..

currently only a small handful of people rule the corporations who control our food industry..  we refuse to be content with this historical moment’s march.  small as we are, we are one of the many voices & biceps that makes small farming and family farming continue in this modern moment. got to get back to the garden in heart mind recommunion with the real earth which we are a part.  to me this is the only answer i can wrap my self around on a daily basis.    politics and the current march of humanity numbly marking today as same as yesterday and wakes not to the conditions of vulnerablity we bring to ourselves and our planet does not weaken our resolve to continue to herald the microbes and terra petra..  little it may be to make good soil, but start where you stand,, rise up in little ways as a citizen of the earth, and claim a better way.. today we will do that..  come listen to jon talk to us if you have the time to attend.. fresh made cornbread and fresh pressed apple cider to in joy while ears are open to new info for applications of your own..

 

a quote, as to our ability to return to a more full citizenship of our land, by returning to the soil and gardens that were the lifestyle this country found origins, within the cycles and intimacy with land and food.      

 

 

Food Power: Only Connect

 

This rising global food movement taps universal human sensibilities—expressed in Hindu farmers in India saving seeds, Muslim farmers in Niger turning back the desert and Christian farmers in the United States practicing biblically inspired Creation Care. In these movements lies the revolutionary power of the food movement: its capacity to upend a life-destroying belief system that has brought us power-concentrating corporatism.

 

Corporatism, after all, depends on our belief in the fairy tale that market “magic” (Ronald Reagan’s unforgettable term) works on its own without us.

 

Food can break that spell. For the food movement’s power is that it can shift our sense of self: from passive, disconnected consumers in a magical market to active, richly connected co-producers in societies we are creating—as share owners in a CSA farm or purchasers of fair-trade products or actors in public life shaping the next farm bill.

 

The food movement’s power is connection itself. Corporatism distances us from one another, from the earth—and even from our own bodies, tricking them to crave that which destroys them—while the food movement celebrates our reconnection. Years ago in Madison, Wisconsin, CSA farmer Barb Perkins told me about her most rewarding moments: “Like in town yesterday,” she said, “I saw this little kid, wide-eyed, grab his mom’s arm and point at me. ‘Mommy,’ he said. ‘Look. There’s our farmer!’”

 

At its best, this movement encourages us to “think like an ecosystem,” enabling us to see a place for ourselves connected to all others, for in ecological systems “there are no parts, only participants,” German physicist Hans Peter Duerr reminds us. With an “eco-mind” we can see through the productivist fixation that inexorably concentrates power, generating scarcity for some, no matter how much we produce. We’re freed from the premise of lack and the fear it feeds. Aligning food and farming with nature’s genius, we realize there’s more than enough for all.

 

As the food movement stirs, as well as meets, deep human needs for connection, power and fairness, let’s shed any notion that it’s simply “nice” and seize its true potential to break the spell of our disempowerment.

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rain & sun

it’s nice to have the alternating rain and sun, ever more growth still advancing the summer.  wet years, like this one for us, have different ways to them than dry years,  different water management.
in a wet year we manage gutters and trenches, mold and forever weeds silt and all forms of run off. we receive much power from the micro hydro, ( our electric company pays us about $5. a month for our extra power… yeah!!   in dry years we manage hoses, and mulch  and water shared with animals ( including us ) fish horses cows chickens and the forest floors and field and pay for electricity much more directly with dollars.  either way, not too much to do but to accept what is given and in joy the life that is provided.  a farm is good for reminding me at least of this nature of the universe.
our bee hives have been established long enough to have me trained up enough to know something of what i am looking at, and to understand where  the hive is in its progress.  i love this part,, to be part of the story of the hives.  i know they react to my way of being with them.. how i am in side myself is what they respond to..i can’t fool them and they remind me of who i am as a human being, present in myself.
the sisterhood rules in the hives.. all serves the sisterhood that is the community and connectedness of purpose through all the hive.  it is not service to a queen because the queen is also in service to the hive especially. the queen is in total service to the group goal – the ongoing wellness of the community.  john saw what to him looked like a small swarm of bees thursday just before the yoga retreat during the first weekend of july.  that thursday john saw what looked like a small dust cloud moving up hill  from where the 7 hives we have are located.  only raphael and i knew one of those hives had lost it’s queen and that there was a queen cell about ready to hatch out that week.. well she did hatch out, i could see the cell vacant with an opening this week, and seems to me – what john saw was a ritual mating flight of that young queen.  it is only once a queen will fly and the drones ( male bees ) of the neighborhood will follow her ( i had thought i saw a increase slightly of drones in the mix also recently,  this is her mating ritual. 

from that single flight the queen and only she will lay for up to 5 years day and night, every 13 seconds, a new egg.  now that is dedication for sure.. to see such a flight is rare,  and special.. for a hive to successfully requeen shows deep cooperation to the goal of the community continuing.  with out loss of individuality is that not what time it is in human being history?? to return to where the good of the larger whole is served together… ?? the time here at sunswept farm continues to unfold in this direction..
this is sourwood time, and the honey flow is on in full for a second time this year.  because there are few cell phone towers, and few pesticides where we are in region ( no cell phone reception here ), the bees are well supported environmentally. we are learning and – we have learned enough to be of assistance to the apiary – the hive as well, so we have joined the team of nature here more fully as is one of our highest goals here, a rare treat to be settled enough to begin to be of value to our very own nature and place in the universe.  may it be so..  beginning again to be a human being rather than a human doing.  4 people join us today to stay for a week or more as work trade for being here.  a family of 4 arrive from texas, where the drought has hit hard.  they are a traveling family staying with like minded folks, and sharing knowledge and skills and opportunity amongst us all..  here we go!!  on friday russell comes to stay for 4 months, and new projects will surely be in the mix, as well as time for horses and tomatoes!!!!!!!!!!! yum and yee haw

love and permanent culture joining in the garden

 

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here comes the summer sun

the sound of water abounds, spring creek is our part of the world, and well named we are, cause here water bubbles up everywhere in a wet year.  right now is a wet week part of june’s usual i am glad to say.  the spring rains have moved on to be summer rains, gracing our garden spots with the waters of life.

how does your garden grow

how does your garden grow

growing is like so visible even in the just over night time of one night.  squashes are coming, oh i can see them grow.  our nights are cool, cool enough for really good sleeps, and cool enough to slow summer crops down, and keep spring fare available to us where others have burned up spring favorites.  our broccoli is zooming, and we will eat much of the green stuff this weekend at the yoga retreat and community gathering we are welcoming here.

beautiful air beautiful space to play with your yoga body

this is the second year meghan and mado have chosen to partake in sunswept hospitality and bring their bright light to join us.  yoga instructors extra ordinaire  they are, with kindness and steady instruction, i always find my way to the union of mind body and spirit with the focused leadership of these two  strong gifts of insightful leadership in yoga and more.  i have eaten alison’s cooking and wondered at how much my body has enjoyed her healthy tasty concoctions.  alison loves the woods and what we can eat from the wild.  her love is infectious and brings us goodness in taste form. can’t wait to see what spontaneousness we are in for.    these are special times, with change so greatly a part of the moment.  time is speeding up, and transition and transformation are available and called for.  we will circle together as cells in a body prime, growing into the garden and galaxy, ever more aware we are the conscious ness of star dust reflecting on the light with in and out.  through food music and commonality we join as community of friends and forest combined.  the last of the eclipse sandwich of this month long set of three eclipses starts this weekends gathering.  that and sacred fire to sit around and share each our piece of the current puzzle will we find story and our common root.  stronger with the gift of community we will emerge, growing more united as the song which is our selves gathered.

who nose

we spent our last weekend welcoming the farm tour to our door.  again and again we heard others say as they looked into our farm life, how good it is to come here, and see a work in progress. we demonstrated bio char making and shared the process of doing this with children and parents both. we had the privilege of being photographed and storied up for use in national magazines and personal use in the future.

 

no one on the farm told anyone visiting of our spirit soul connections with the land.  everyone who came spoke of the obvious ways we connect with this land and the peaceful way so vibrantly felt here.  sanctuary is what each group of arrivals would say,, this is a sanctuary, you can feel your love for your land here.  then each would say thank you for the look into a life nested in the land.  this is the beginning of a 900 year project.. we have just begun, 30 years and counting.

love and permanent culture joining in the garden

 

Posted in biochar, community, events, family, random thoughts, retreats, stewardship, trust, volunteers, wine, wnc, work, yoga | Leave a comment

Raindrops are falling on my head

The full moon arrived two early mornings ago and brought with her much action.

We welcomed a new baby cow into the world yesterday morning.  Our Jersey cow, Daisy, had a girl.  Wide-eyed and full of wonder, the new babe is waiting to be named. Pictures of her are coming soon.  Right now she  is nestled in some hay with her momma.  Both are shielded from the rain in the barn this evening.  Milking is just around the corner.  Daisy’s other cow buddies Babe and Cinco are feeling the separation from her.  Longing ‘moos’ reflect off the hills.  It’s a big, exciting change for everyone here.

The clouds opened up and sent down the rain this morning.  A good soaking has left the vegetables extra happy.  Asparagus is shooting up faster than we can consume it. Abundant lettuce in all shapes and sizes.  Tomatoes are ready to be transplanted into the almost completed hoop hut.

This past Saturday was our first market of the summer in Hot Springs.  I took down some produce and eggs and set up at Harvest Moon, hoping for success.  It was so successful, in fact, that all was gone within the first two hours or so. It was nice to meet new faces in Hot Springs.  I feel my roots beginning to grow deeper and stronger here in the past few weeks.  There is so much community opportunity in Hot Springs.  One step at a time will spread the word of Saturday markets.  I’ll be this Saturday starting at 9 til about 2.  Come down and get your farm fresh eggs and home grown produce :)

Today Dory and John racked the dandelion wine.  This is our first time making it and there is lots to learn about the whole wine making process.  If anyone has ideas and/or advice on this new path for us, please share.

This weekend we look forward to having some friends over to help us do some farm chores.  We are going to begin volunteer days more officially throughout the summer.  Let us know if any one out there is interested in visiting us and helping out around the farm.  The more the merrier!

Life is good.  Really good.

Posted in community, cows, eggs, family, hot springs, milk, produce, random thoughts, volunteers, wine | Leave a comment

Flowers, flowers, everywhere

A new wave of flowers and ornamentals got planted today. Some seedlings from the greenhouse, others direct-sown seed — zinias, cosmos, impatients, nasturtiums, edible flower mix, coleus. Many went in front of the house — around the spiral and above the walls and stairs. So green and lush everywhere! Judging from the blackberries and insects, we should be beyond any real cold snaps … early for it to be so warm!!

Also planted a large tray of sorrel starts. First time growing sorrel. I’ve only had sorrel as an ingredient in Jamaican bottled iced teas and sodas before. Sort of lemony and tart. Interestingly, wikipedia says that its sharp taste is due to oxalic acid, which it says is poisonous in large quantities and is the component in rhubarb leaves that makes them poisonous. The concentration in sorrel is much lower than rhubarb, which is why sorrel can be eaten in moderation. If wikipedia is to be believed, sorrel is safe in salads as well as cooked applications like soups (saying it is used similarly to spinach in cooking).

Our other floral project — a 5 gallon trial batch of dandelion wine, which we started three days ago, is bubbling away in one of our new glass carboys. A few weeks ago, friends and family picked bunches and bunches of dandelion blooms from around the property, and the blooms were frozen so we’d have time to gather supplies for the actual making. Dory did some scoping online and found most sites recommending just using the petals, i.e. removing all the green that holds the petals. I’m not sure how it would have measured out fresh, but the the frozen measure, after loosening the mass some, was 25 cups. That’s a lot of petals!!!

Carboy with Dandeliion Wine Must

Carboy with Dandeliion Wine Must

We went with the simple “old fashioned” recipe we found online for the most part. It was a recipe for a single gallon and our carboy holds five. So, I also looked at a more complex dandelion-rose wine recipe that was portioned for 5 gallons to get an idea of how to adjust the recipe up. Had to make a couple of other modifications along the way too, since we couldn’t find the white raisins that we bought. The notes from the same site with the two recipes said the raisins were in the recipe for their tannins, since floral wines are lacking in tannins and can thereby taste blah. The notes mentioned being able to use strong tea for tannins as well. So, I took a leap of guess and added both some strong tea and some white grape concentrate to make up for the missing raisins. It will be some time before we know how successful the experiment is.

The lower garden.

The veggie gardens are also perking right along. The lower garden is jam packed — beets, carrots, kale, broccoli, cabbage, arugula, lettuce, onions, oriental greens, chard, radishes, and on, and on …. We’re relishing the asparagus that’s rolling in from the upper gardens. Potatoes are mostly in, with a final potato spot still in the works for later this week. And, even with all that, there’s still a slew of seeds yet to plant … things that need the soil to be a bit warmer, like corn and beans. Tomatoes and peppers are happily getting bigger in the greenhouse … almost ready to go out to the hoop hut area. Flats of cucumbers and squash got started in flats today too. So exciting to have everything chugging along so well. I can’t wait until we start harvesting stuff that we’ll freeze or can. Looking forward to a myriad of tomato concoctions, a variety of pickles, blueberries galore …. The never-ending garden story!!

Posted in fruit, herbs, veggies, wine | Leave a comment