Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["mtncats" <mtncats@myway.com>]

I'm guilty.  After years of abuse, my back went out several years ago.  A 
yoga teacher friend gave me a copy of "Treat Your Own Back" that changed my 
life.  I'm certainly not doing everything I used to do, but most have no idea 
that I favor my back.  Significantly raised beds are important.

Learning to live with a bad back takes some practice, and frequent 
stretching.  After awhile it becomes automatic.  Yesterday a considerably 
older friend and I took down an 85' oak that was threatening an outbuilding 
here.  Loaded 1½ cords on my truck for him, leaving me to determine the 
future of the remaining 38' log.  At the end of the day tired, but no injury. 
 Anybody here need a substantial beam?

Gloria, I'm puzzled why you need to dig out tree seedlings.  We live 
surrounded by a deciduous forest and get hundreds of tree sprouts every year. 
 Once recognizable leaves are out, you should know what it is and simply pull 
it up.  My oaks, tulip poplars, hickories, whatever are never more than a 
very few inches tall when they hit the compost pile.

Volunteers are almost the entirety of my raised beds.  Just need to choose 
which ones stay.

Hope your fortunes improve.  We were contacted this week about a potential 
cell tower.  Major windfall- IF it works.

Tom (in central Virginia)


 --- On Fri 04/27, TradingPostPaul wrote in part:

And with all the physical work we have to watch our backs. Once we
strain it too much it's all downhill from there, and your back is one thing
you don't take chances with. I know there are folks here to testify to
that. 

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 4/27/2007 at 8:06 AM Gloria Baikauskas wrote:

>Most of you won't know that our financial situation is horrid right
>now....but the reason for the post is just to say that when we pick up
>food from church charities most of the time the dairy products are all
>organic. 
> 
> Yesterday we picked up organic yogurt, and organic milk......and
>whipping cream. I am guessing the higher prices on it cause folks to buy
>the nonorganic dairy items. 
> 
> Maybe that will change soon. Maybe when most of the dairy is
>organic....or all of it.....they won't charge more for the privilege of
>eating/drinking organic food. 
> 
> All of the crop failures are beginning to worry me in more ways than
>one. I have planted beans.....the only thing I got in before the storms
>started hitting <from seed>....and they are coming up so slowly. It is to
>the point that fairly soon they will not produce mature beans at the same
>time. That means I would have to gather as I could, but I wouldn't get
>enough for one meal in one picking. 
> 
> With luck the corn is going in today.....then more beans and some squash
>per the Three Sisters plantings. The good thing is that with the
>lateness of my planting <corn should be in by Apr. 30th here> I haven't
>lost the baby corn plants to the storms like so many have.
> 
> It is so hard to work through the weather to prepare the beds. My
>biggest problem is the rye grass that must be pulled, not cropped and
>planting in the stubble. Takes more time. I am also now getting more
>Queen Anne's Lace than I would have liked. 
> 
> Because of the way I have my land I get many volunteer trees in my beds.
> That means I also have to dig them out. In the one area where the corn
>is going I dug out two in one place, and have 4 more to take out. 
> 
> Anyway....scary spring this one. 
> 
> Gloria, Texas


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