Thursday, December 30, 2010

It all begins with the magic of seed!

Two days of the old year left, snow melting outdoors into MUD (oh, yay!) and it is time to turn to the wonders of seed. When i see our seed library, i get a sense of security like no insurances could provide. I see that with Mother Nature's cooperation, we will be well fed, some others will have greater variety in their home gardens, and the circle of life will be so evident around the beauty of this small farm!

In this first blog, we'll begin with our seed storage ways, and ponder what we all need from this garden time, and list what's needed to steward the kitchen garden and ornamental beds. We cannot be just takers, but givers to our soil....feeding it as any family member, in a way.

Again, this blog is meant to emphasize what we gardeners can do to raise the quality of our lives, and feed those we care for in a better way. In an area such as ours, with few market farmers, and less choice or diversity of produce available than in so many other locales in the USA, we need to grow our own, or do without. The garden feeds us -body and soul, allows some friends to have more choices in eating, and sure is necessary for getting me back in shape!!

With so many choices these days, we do not have to eat the same few things our Kentucky ancestors had ALL the time. The common few : 'Taters, 'Maters, Cabbage, beans, onions, corn. We can eat now in a riot of colors, tastes, and with exotic menus - which help us to eat cuisines we are accustomed to in the old life out west. We can cook Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, French, Japanese, and good ol' California Cuisine....ALL because we can grow ingredients that cannot be procured without an hour and a half drive each direction- IF one wanted to pay the price for non-local vegetables and ingredients that were jetted to Kentucky from faroff lands. We are able to live in exotic deliciousness - mostly without buying into a big carbon footprint getting them here, or by buying ingredients questionably grown in less than healthy ways. It is a win/win situation!

Please feel free to share this blog with anyone you know is interested. My goal is to see us all living better, in times that may be an affront to such expectations :)