Sometimes it takes me a while...

Recently, I have discovered some things. Actually, I have rediscovered that I own some things that, for unknown reasons, I didn't pay attention to at the time I acquired them.

Not long after I moved here, I was nurturing a new love for the sound of the banjo, thanks to one song by Grant Lee Buffalo. I was, as a result, discovering music that I previously (in my immaturity) would have sworn I would never listen to... like bluegrass. One of my roommates recommended that I listen to Gillian Welch. Not being very well off, I didn't run out and buy any CD's. At some point, my brother gave me a copy of Welch's Revival. I can't remember when. Scanning through my CD's a month ago, I ran across it, and realized I should have listened to it long ago. It is amazing.

Two days ago, I discovered that one of my tomato plants has a bad infestation of aphids. My immediate reaction is to do a search on Google. So I did. But then something in my brain triggered the memory of a book long neglected on my bookshelf: Organic Gardening, by Geoff Hamilton. My sister-in-law gave it to me for Christmas a year and a half ago, and being the middle of winter, didn't think to read it right away. Perhaps I should have. Anyway, the combination of my current tomato woe and the hot weather outdoors led me to pull it out and do some reading.

After reading This Common Ground, and my recent 'research' into farming and keeping animals, this tied things together nicely for me. The basis of organic gardening is caring for the soil to provide the proper environment for plants to grow in. The thing that amazes me most is that this can really only be accomplished with a little bit of everything. I know that was vague, but I'll try to explain.

'Conventional' farming (which is a term that is ridiculous to me, since it has only been the norm for the past 60 years, as opposed to thousands of years) applies chemical fertilizer to the soil to feed the plants. The soil is just the holder of the 'nutrients' needed for the plants to grow and reproduce. Every natural living thing in the soil ends up dying off, the soil degenerates, and as a result, more fertilizer is needed, pests become more of a problem, and a vicious cycle of chemical treatment is created.

In a natural and organic farm/garden, nearly all parts of nature contribute to maintain healthy soil. Plant material and animal manure is returned to the soil. Worms, bacteria, and fungi help break the 'waste' down where the plants can use it again to produce healthy, nutrient-rich produce. Bugs have their place, too. It really amazes me to see how God intended everything to work together, and how man can really mess things up when we decided that we can do it a better way.

I've realized how limited my little garden is. My compost pile receives only leaves and kitchen scraps. Manure would help it immensely. My small garden plot only allows for limited growing, which means I notice when the rabbit has nibbled my plants (which makes me mad), and makes the idea of 'crop rotation' a joke.

I find myself dreaming again about having the one or two dairy cows, half a dozen chickens, and that little acreage that could possibly be a nearly self-sustaining family farm. So, although it is hot out, and my swelling feet and belly give me an excuse to let the weeds grow around my lettuce and carrots, I keep thinking of little steps I can take toward my dream.

The latest wild hair is to build a little worm farm. There is a section in Organic Gardening about it. Worm castings are suppoesd to be great for the soil, and I'm sure my kids would love to raise some. The book shows how to build outdoor worm farm, but I found a link that tells you how to easily maintain one in a plastic tub. Even if you aren't interested in doing it yourself, it is a funny read. Just click here.