Spring Has Sprouted

Part of feeding a large family is always having food. We make the weekly and sometimes mid-week treks to Trader Joe's but the way I feel that I would rather feed my family would be to raise our food. The latest book I have checked out from the library is called "Backyard Homesteading: A Back-to-Basics Guide to Self Sufficiency." It has chapters on beekeeping, raising chickens, raising goats and 3 chapters devoted to raising your own food.  I already have the chickens, (we eat their delicious eggs) and I have 10 garden beds filled or soon to be filled with edibles. I enjoy working in the garden, I can spend hours out there, weeding, turning compost, replanting, whatever needs to be done is a joy for me, not a chore. Currently I have seedlings of tomatoes (some my Dad started and gave me,) squash, corn, kale, basil, dill, chervil and borage.



Lots of basil starting here!

 

In the garden my potatoes, sugar snap peas, lettuces and carrots are all coming up, all directly sown. I also have parsley that started coming up all over 2 of my beds, seed that had been laying dormant over the winter. I can't wait to turn all that parsley into delicious, pungent salsa verde!

 

 

It will have to come out so that all the tomatoes and squash can go in. I have also planted soybeans for the first time. For some reason I had made the assumption that it would be difficult to grow soybeans, but after reading up on it they are just another legume. This weekend I plan to direct sow my string beans. We'll see if that gets done amidst the soccer, softball and T-ball games. I hope you all have something edible growing in a spot of dirt, or on a windowsill! Happy growing and eating!