Farm & Garden

We are celebrating a quarter century on the farm and our garden reflects the years of change and growth. There has been a natural progression from annuals to perennials, to shrubs and trees. We now have a garden with good form and structure filled with plants that have proven themselves worthy from the border to the table. Our kitchen garden has filled our needs with herbs and greens, and we have had plenty of flowers to fill our vases.

This year we are thrilled to have our daughter Sophia back on the farm. She has been doing market gardening and working a barnyard full of animals in Maine, and has become a very serious farmer. With her help we finally have the ingredients in place to become more self-sufficient. Sophia got us started with animals many years ago and we have carried on in her absences when she was off exploring the world and learning new skills. Now that she is back we have the energy and time to really do it right. The animals play an important role in farming and gardening in addition to adding to our table.

We have added a hoophouse to extend our seasons, which Sophia built and put to work immediately. We enjoy fresh cut salad mix in winter and our summer garden gets a head start. We love having summer tomatoes instead of the usual fall harvest. Her field crops help carry us through winter.

A few new chicks each year keep our laying flock productive. We are spoiled by our bright farm fresh eggs. A couple of rounds of meat birds each year fill our freezers. The goats provide milk for our fresh cheese and whey for the pigs as well as meat for our table. Our sheep keep the grass down, fertilize the orchard and grace our table as well.

It has taken many years of trial and error but we are feeling pretty good about our systems as they become increasingly integrated, providing us with a full larder and a lively farm.