An Incredible Tale of Squash Strength

  • Post published:11/29/2014
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Turkey, squash and pumpkin pie are the Thanksgiving triumvirate. And we will give thanks for all three, as well as the oyster stuffing, creamed onions and all the rest. A groaning board indeed to stand in for all the blessings the year has brought us. Thanksgiving has been a tradition from our founding, but the harvest has been marked with festivities probably since the invention of agriculture. Squash was probably a part of our first thanksgiving meal because…

The Road to Thanksgiving

  • Post published:11/26/2014
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The road to Thanksgiving leads from our house to our daughter's house. We were trying to beat the big snowstorm but we met it on the way. Fortunately, the snow did not get beyond pretty by the time we arrived. Our assignment for the Family Feast was to bring a farm fresh turkey, cranberry sauce and cranberry bread and my famous Green Apple Mincemeat Pie. Still a lot to do before the rest of the family arrives tomorrow.…

Thinking About Our Gardens

  • Post published:11/22/2014
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  As I‘ve worked  to put my gardens to bed this fall I’ve also been thinking about gardens and how they came to take this form, and how any garden takes form. Some people plan a garden in one fell swoop. Or have someone do it for them. But I think for most of us we begin slowly and one step follows another. Which is a good thing because we learn about our site, and about ourselves as…

Cold and Ice on Wordless Wednesday

  • Post published:11/19/2014
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By the time we had ice on the trees and landscape we had already had our first snowfall - one and a half inches of the white stuff. But that weather all felt like a heat wave. This morning the temperature was a record breaking 16 degrees! AND the Farmer's Almanac predicts a  much colder winter in our part of the world!  The firewood is almost all stacked. For more (almost) Wordlessness this Wednesday click here.

Intervale Center – Still More Projects

  • Post published:11/15/2014
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  My visit with my cousin, Travis Marcotte, at the Intervale Center in Burlington, Vermont stunned me with the varied ways an organization could support farmers, the vitality of their conservation effort, the size of a marketing project like a food hub, and the excitement and involvement of a large community. Last week I described two of the IntervaleCenter’s programs: the Farms Program which allows farmers to lease land and equipment at reasonable rates; and the Success in…

First Snowfall of the Year

  • Post published:11/14/2014
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This morning I woke to the first snowfall of the year. Just over an inch. Thirty degrees and breezy. A pretty preview of what is to come.

Surprises on Wordless Wednesday

  • Post published:11/12/2014
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This pot of pansies was all but forgotten until the sun shone on it this afternoon. This large clump of chrysanthemums is still blooming so energetically that it refuses to be forgotten. For more Wordlessnes this Wednesday click here.

Fall Cleaning on the Daylily Bank

  • Post published:11/10/2014
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The Daylily Bank is beautiful in August. It is also  the best idea we ever had for this steep bank right in front of the house. I started planting it from the top down and it took about three years to cover the whole bank. And there is still room for these clumps to continue to increase. For the most part I have chosen gentle colors of pale yellow, peach and pink, but some red crept in I…

Intervale Center in Burlington Vermont

  • Post published:11/08/2014
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Intervale:   n. Regional. A tract of low-lying land, especially along a river.  The Intervale  Center in Burlington, Vermont has three goals: to enhance the viability of farming; to promote the sustainable use and stewardship of agricultural lands; and to ensure community engagement in the food system. Last weekend my husband and I went to Vermont to visit some of my cousins who grew up on a dairy farm in Charlotte. My father also worked on that 300 acre farm…

View from the Bedroom Window – October 2014

  • Post published:11/04/2014
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The view from the bedroom window shows that I have been working out in the Lawn Beds, and not picking up after myself, and the arrival of the first hard frost. The weather warmed up but there was another lighter frost on October 13. The gingko trees are slowly turning gold, color has nearly all left the rest of the distant landscape. Since the 13th we have had about 7 inches of rain in three rainfalls. There has…