Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Recollections of a Farm Woman for June 18th, 2008

Organic farming is not new; a lot of people were practicing it years ago. I was born and raised on a farm, and as I got older, it was my job spring and fall to clean out the chicken house and put all my findings on the garden spot.
Most of the time, this job was uneventful, but one time, an opossum appeared and I was at a panic level; if it got into the chicken house, it could raise havoc. I whacked it with my hoe; it immediately played dead. I hollered for my father. It came to again; I whacked it, it fainted again, and again I called for my father. My father arrived on the scene and came to my rescue and removed the unwelcome intruder.
Last spring, I heard that my new resident llama might be able to help me with my tomatoes. It wasn’t difficult to acquire llama leavings. He likes to make his deposit in the same spot, a tidy fellow.
I observed him do this one evening. He checked out the spot, turned around, backed up, and done his duty. I prepared the tomato bed and planted them. In no time, I could tell when they got their toes in Lenny’s tidy deposit. I was afraid I had been too generous as they got quite large and stately and maybe wouldn’t set on tomatoes. That’s what happens to you when you overfertilize, but I had worried for nought as they were loaded with tomatoes.
Goat berries, as they are referred to, are also good and you can side dress with them as they won’t burn your vegetables. You might have to work a little harder to collect them, though.

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