Another Farm Season

November 19th, 2008

The crew out at the Farm

From Left to right: Bill, The Author Susan Heydon, Her Husband John, Yours truly Nick, and Carl

Well, I must tell you all that we had another very successful year at the farm. What a beautiful season it was. This year we did not have to water once. For our lakes and streams this is a good thing. The water tables get replenished and the earth receives the natural rain water that it should.

Once again we were astonished at the abundance of food we grew. It has always amazed me what one little packet of seeds can produce. The “tomato guy” struck again. Big time!!!! Sauce, sauce and more sauce. I think next year I should learn how to make ketchup. Our heirloom tomatoes performed very poorly. We had to replant after the first frost and I think the growing time then became a little too short. It was also cooler towards the end of the season so they struggled to mature. Never mind, we will be trying again next spring.

We planted six rows of beets, which I did pickle. My Mum was the actual “pickle queen” and this year as you may know from Nick’s website, our Mum passed away. It somehow seemed fitting that I would continue the tradition for her.

Even when her eye sight was very limited she always enjoyed pickling. As beet pickler’s know the beet juice can sometimes find its way to spots we don’t see. For my Mum this was double jeopardy!! As I discreetly wiped up pickle juice in her kitchen, she would laugh and say, “Don’t tell me I missed a spot”. I knew then she was well aware of my efforts to wash the floor and wipe down the walls!!! But those were some of the best beets we ever tasted. As I wiped up after myself this fall I could hear that laughter again and was comforted by the thought that she was still watching over me.

River Through a Farm

The zucchini was terrific. What a truly versatile vegetable that is. Chocolate zucchini cake, amazing. Only 2 vines and we harvested at least 30-40 zucchini.

My runner beans did well. Now, the day we planted those was, I must say frustrating. This year the “boys” plowed the garden which takes you much deeper than a rotoiller and underneath was a solid layer of clay. Well” tomato guy” was just going to hammer in a couple of posts and put up some trellis for the beans and nearly broke his wrist. It was like hitting cement.!!!

You know I have never figured out why we laugh at others’ misfortunes but the look on his face was priceless. Yes we did laugh until the boys realized they would have to help dig the post holes. Mission accomplished, with a lot of groaning and I did manage to collect some seed for next year. By the way I have bags of runner beans in the freezer for the next roast beef dinner.

I had lovely bouquets of sweet peas for the house and we were even treated to a visit by the hummingbird. My dahlias and cannas were enormous. We invited a couple of young ‘city” friends out this year and they couldn’t wait to get their boots on. They had a wonderful time digging and carrying box loads to the truck. Those potatoes in the “big” field we didn’t plant, were really good. What a day we had. Laughter, sunshine and both feet planted firmly in the ground.

Farmers Field by Pauline DeForest

We made our last trip out last week to tidy up and dig the last of the carrots. The weather was beautiful .We took Maggie for a nice long walk planning next year’s crops. We talked of family and reflected on what a difficult spring it had been for all of us. Losing the matriarch of the family (she would smile at that description I’m sure) was very unsettling.

Of course, in the garden, is where I feel both of my parents the most, and where I think the course of healing started. I realized that the garden holds the presence of our parents more than anything else ever could. It is where all my happiest memories are found, and for that I’m truly grateful.

There was just one other thing I asked for that day, no I would have to say begged for, “Please don’t buy so many darn tomatoes.” The grin from all three of them suggested that my plea had fallen on deaf ears!! As I stood there laughing, the wind ruffled my hair and I knew there were two more spirits having way too much fun in this Eden of ours.