Harvest time

5 years ago I planted a small garden.  I never would have guessed that it would turn into my summertime hobby.  It has grown over the years (ha ha) from a meager 10 square foot plot into a 12' x 23' rectangle of bounty.  This kids have gotten into it as well over the years, so they get just as excited as I do about the preparation, planting, cultivating and harvesting.  This time of year wraps up the months of work.  It is the time to enjoy the fruits (or veggies) of our labor, which we eagerly do around here.  The planting list for this year included 4 varieties of tomatoes, 2 varieties of beans, sugar peas, sweet corn, jalapeno peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, strawberries and green onions along with basil, dill, cilantro and chives.

We have been eating well.

To tie in with a previous post, what makes the food all the better is only having to travel to the outside of my house to get it and that it was produced as naturally as possible.  No herbicides, no pesticides, just all natural compost and water.  The kids eat the food like it was candy.  They like to sneak over to the garden and reach their grubby paws through the fence to grab another pea pod or green bean pod and wolf it down before I notice.  Another benefit is the cost savings.  I really only pay for seeds and water.  The rest is up to God to take care of.

We also like to visit some local growers to stock up on some food items that we cannot grow ourselves.  We will go to Stuckey Farms, Spencer Farms and Tuttle Orchards for blueberries and strawberries to freeze for later, pumpkin to roast and put up for bread and muffins, apples for apple sauce and apple butter, and peaches for canning.

And for those who are thinking about it, it is not too late to go out and get some good, fresh food.

Our recent harvest of carrots.  5-7 pounds!