Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Claudia & Linda" <dragonhill2@netzero.net>]

We have potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips and parsnips planted.  Many of
these were planted in early fall and we protect them with heavy mulch and
row covers.  But we also have spinach, several types of lettuce, chard,
broccoli, cabbage, winter greens, peas, and kale seedlings growing now and
we protect them with mulch and row covers also.  This is the first time
we've ever tried to keep cold season crops going thru the winter here (Zone
6) but our winters have averaged warmer lately (no global warming tho'!) and
we have another gardener here now so it seemed worth a try.

Our potatoes are Yukon Gold started from potatoes we harvested from the
garden this summer.  The original seed potatoes were purchased locally.
Seeds we planted were either saved from previous crops or ordered mostly
from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Bountiful Gardens, or Pinetree.   Almost
all seeds planted were open-pollinated varieties.

Claudia