Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Harvey Ussery <boxwood@nelsoncable.com>]

> We're learning what we can do to keep raising
> production on part of our one acre, double cropping, starter plants in the
> greenhouse, spring and fall crops like snow peas, vertical growing on the
> fence lines, and so forth.    ~Paul

I don't see any mention of winter crops from the greenhouse. Of course, 
your farmer's market is doubtless closed then, so maybe distribution 
gets to be an insuperable barrier. But please do experiment with winter 
greens--both "potherbs" like spinach and kale and Oriental greens; and 
lettuces and other salads. I especially recommend chicories for the 
winter greenhouse. Well grown chicories from the January/February 
greenhouse make a vastly more appealing and sophisticated salad than any 
lettuce you can find (in my oh-so-humble opinion). Maybe start with 
production for your own table to get the experience--sooner or later, 
local buyers like restaurateurs may start saying, "Hell, I'd buy that!"

Eliot Coleman's FOUR SEASON HARVEST and WINTER HARVEST MANUAL are the 
bibles on winter gardening--it was Eliot that got me started many years ago.

Seeds from Italy (http://growitalian.com/) are a primo source of seeds 
for chicories, a *big* family with a lot of interesting siblings. (Do be 
careful: Last time I went on that site I bought 19 varieties!)

~Harvey

--
Harvey in northern Va
www.themodernhomestead.us

Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our 
deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner 
sense of justice than we do.  ~Wendell Berry