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The Country Farm Garden Owning
considerable land would appear to make producing one's own food a relatively
simple matter. However, doing
so in the country is somewhat more difficult than having a small garden in the
city. For one thing
there is the increased problem with weeds, garden pests and disease. In the country
weed seeds abound by the millions.
Whereas in the city they are much more under control. Also using
natural manures as fertilizer, actually plants undigested weed seeds in the
garden. There is a similar
problem with garden pests. In the city
with lawns maintained, and so much land consumed by buildings and pavement,
garden pests are kept to a minimum. Additionally,
many municipalities have programs to spray trees for such pests. The city gardener indirectly benefits greatly
from such spraying. The same is
true of other problems such as fungus and mildew. Then there is
the increased population of animal damage caused by mice, rabbits, squirrels,
racoons and possums. The racoon will
monitor a corn crop and destroy a stand of sweet corn at the exact time it is
ready to be harvested. Another issue
in the country is there is not the “warmth and shelter” of the city to moderate
spring and autumn temperatures. A late unexpected frost in spring can destroy
an early setting of tomato plants. Once a garden
becomes large enough to totally supply a household instead of supplementing its
food supply, all these problems become more difficult to deal with. Supply of
adequate water becomes another critical issue. Now the garden
area must be prepared. The space is too
big to prepare by hand, and small
enough to make maneuvering tractor pulled implements difficult. Perennials such
as fruit trees and grape vines need constant attention. Annual crops
require planning and advance preparation. Some crops are
planted directly in the garden. This must be done at the right time. Seeds are
sometimes saved from last years crop and others must be purchased. Many crops are
started from seeds indoors or purchased as young plants. Doing so ensures
a higher success rate as well as lengthens the growing season. The garden must
be laid out based on things like soil condition, daily sun exposure, and need for
moisture. Also, certain plants are known
as companion plants and should be planted near each other. Others have a “dislike” for each other. In addition to
fertilizer, lime needs to be used to control PH levels. We also use
ashes from our wood burning stove to increase the PH level. Manures
produced by our chickens, goats and other animals are used. Additionally,
composted hay gathered from our winter cattle feed area is used. This not only contains
the composted hay, but large amount of cattle manure. We are constantly
seeing the ground level of our garden area rising. During the
growing season a garden requires constant attention. Weeding, spraying,
watering and harvesting all must be done with diligence. Once crops
begin to be harvested, they must be dealt with. First choice is
to consume them fresh. When supply is
greater than can be immediately consumed, they must be
processed either by canning, drying or freezing. Some crops can
be stored in our root cellar fresh, although we have had limited success with
this due to temperature and humidity requirements not easily maintained. This calls for
organization and planning. It is no bargain
to process food one will never eat. Once enough is
processed for the year, crops are either given away of used as animal feed. The videos on
this page will show much of the activities described above. |