Cant help but thinking of the future probably should be focused on the now.

picture of the land i want to buy

So its that time of year again time to start thinking of spring and of growing food. Although I have made the decision to not go to market this year and to downsize the size of my operation in order to get this house in order to sell and find my future home and farm I still cant resist planning a garden.  I just cant. So here I am on a very cold and as pooh bear would say a blustery day in bed with the blankets on surrounded by my dogs Booker and Lulu reading seed catalogs and reference materials and creating the first growing plans of the season.  Doing this i think is one of the only things that gets me through these dark days of winter.

The past few years my garden has been about 120 feet by 60 feet somewhere about about 25-30 60 foot rows of vegetables. This year depending on where I end up I am planning on a plot of about 25 feet by 35 feet for 8 rows of intensively grown vegetables. Trust me it was hard for me to fit everything in. I kept forgetting things and saying oh shit forgot broccoli and that whole family of vegies oh now where am I going to put the potatoes. But I think i have come up with a plan that will work. I need to take a year off from the pressure of producing for a farmers market and figure out how to grow the things I am struggling with (damn you carrots) learn how to control weeds so i dont keep compounding my problems from year to year and figure out how to work smarter and not harder (hate that phrase but it sums it up) so I can be successful farming while I have a full time job and limited time.

I kind of thought I could just stop farming for a year and move on I am not always known for my staying power when I take on new ventures frankly I can be a little flighty.  But I guess at least for now farming in my own small way is still running through my veins and wont be denied. I think one of the main reason I need it because it helps me dream of the future without farming what do i have to look forward to? Going to my job, commuting, making dinner, drinking wine and then going to bed. Farming keeps me focused on a cause thats greater than the day to day monotony. Its a link to the past a link to the old ways where people took care of themselves at least to some extent the days where almost everyone had a victory garden and didnt rely on things that come frozen. The 1950's have a lot to answer for. Life cant always be about convenience sometimes it needs to be about doing things the right way for the right reasons.

Stay warm everyone and keep dreaming of spring unless you ski or something then I guess you dont mind winter!