Family Gardens September update

Organic home gardening is an inspiration to many people across the nation as the quality of food is diminishing and the prices are rising. Here at Family Gardens we are working toward a more sustainable future. We are planting alfalfa as a hay crop for our milk cow and horse, then we use the manure they produce from eating the alfalfa for our compost and garden beds.

When the alfalfa gets two weedy and the stand is weak then we till it in and plant our garden beds there and plant alfalfa where our garden beds were. Ideally rotating every 4 years. 

I have a friend that has been doing this for the last 30 years and has not imported any fertalizer for the last 25 years. He is an inpiration to us. About 10 years ago I planted my first alfalfa field, now I must say these are small fields about 1/4 acre each. I used a roto tiller and it just about wore me and the tiller out so I have been waiting to get a tractor as part of my retierment plan. I just got one and have replanted 1 of my old alfalfa fields.

I am now tilling up my next old alfalfa field and will cover crop it with peas and oats for the winter then plant my vegies in it next year. I will also plant alfalfa where I have been growing vegies for the last 30 years starting a sustainable rotation.

Our homestead farm is based on permaculture techniques which have slowly been growing over the last 30 years.

We will also be canning tomatoes today, we just harvest onions, have planted our fall/winter green house lettuce and greens, made our last batch of pickles and are still pulling a few weeds.

Enjoy the last days of summer!