What a year for gardeners in Western North Carolina. A cool
spring with late frosts in May delayed planting; heavy summer rains barely let
up for even a day so leaves on our plants could never dry out; late blight and
other diseases persisted in the wet weather; an early winter with mid-October
freezes ended summer crop harvests earlier than usual; and scurrying
animals—probably preparing for the early winter—gnawed on fall crops that they
usually pass up for more enticing clover outside of the garden.
Yet, even with all the challenges, I was overcome by the
bounty from the garden. As you can see from these
photos of the M R Gardens 2013 harvest, I was in no short supply of blueberries,
peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, squash, cucumbers, greens, beets, turnips,
parsnips, carrots, cabbage, okra and even Mountain Magic tomatoes (a blight resistant
variety).
I froze the tomatoes whole, packing my freezer full with
several gallon-sized bags, and am still unthawing them bit-by-bit to add them
to soups and stir-fries. I canned 20 pints of cucumbers, using up a 2-week
harvest from just two plants. I put up enough tomatillo salsa jars to give away
for Christmas gifts and still have enough for my kitchen to last through next
summer. I made several batches of green tomato chutney so I could perfect the
recipe, a new favorite addition to my plate.
My garden coach clients whom I taught the no-till method had
just
as much success as I did. This year reminded me of a few of the many advantages
of the beds I build. Heavy rains can soak deep into the loose, uncompacted soil
so that it doesn't overload the plants with water. The layers of organic matter
that I spread months before the start of the season decompose to form a rich,
fertile bed, which I simply loosen with a fork rather than till. Beds that I
have maintained in this manner for several years are now an intact ecosystem of
beneficial microbes that work in synergy to control disease.
This year also reminded me how important it is for more of
us to take part in the growing of our own food, even if it's just a
small amount. Field-scale farms aren't easy to run in a year that weather is
uncooperative, which seems to be the norm rather than the exception lately.
Farms that have rows and rows of the same crop in large fields make machinery
the only practical way to prep the beds, and healthy soil tilth becomes
difficult to maintain, especially in wet years. While gardeners can
rejoice that one crop did well and not worry so much about the variety that did
not, large-scale farm operators, especially if they're not diversified, do not
have that luxury. One crop failure can mean an entire year's failure.
The small-scale grower also has the luxury of chalking up
uncooperative weather as learning lessons. Even though I am building a business
around gardening, I embrace the challenges. Every year since I started selling
plants, Mother Nature has taught me something new. The first spring was super
windy, the second was unusually hot, and the third was cool. Each year I needed
to adjust my growing system to be able to work with what was given to me. I'd
much rather be figuring this out when I'm selling 400 plants than when I'm
marketing 4,000. So I consider the challenges gifts. A lesson in the nursery
becomes a good lesson in life—when life delivers harsh winds, simply adjust
your sail.
In stating the benefits of small-scale growing, I'm not at
all trying to contribute to the tendency of farmers and gardeners to put
themselves into two separate boxes. (My friends who are not as immersed in the
agricultural arena as I am are surprised to find out that there's sometimes
tension between these two groups). While substantial differences certainly exist
between the operations of small-scale versus large-scale farms, I like to
concentrate on the fact that all people who work the land have commonalities. As
I've said before, all types of growers are important as we transition our
agricultural system to a sustainable one, especially as healthy diets become
more of the norm in our culture.
My point here is simply—why reserve the joy of growing food
for a select few? Not only is it more responsible for the longevity of society
for more of us to be involved, but also we all can gain from the quality
of life and the learning lessons that are inherit with gardens. With the help
of a garden
coach, the transition from being a beginner grower to an accomplished grower can be more fun
than frustrating.
Who knows all that 2014 will bring, but I can
just about guarantee that there will be challenges and it won't always be
smooth sailing. But that won't stop me from gardening, and I hope it won't stop you. On the contrary,
we can appreciate how the garden molds us into strong, tenacious people,
capable of being flexible and nimble in even the harshest of weather.
