Something I have learned over the years is spring comes at a different time for everyone. For me to tell anyone when to plant isn’t something for me to do. What I prefer to do is encourage people to look at the seed catalogs they are getting by the dozens in the mail right now and think as big as you can. And plant your garden as soon as your region allows.
This year We have ordered all our seed from one place, they had all the variety that we normally plant, and our seeds for this season and next are here. Yes, I usually buy enough seed for two to three seasons just in case we run into a problem. Last year we found many seeds vanished and weren’t available, therefore we used our remaining supply up and as soon as we could we ordered our needs for this year and next. I also may order more in the next week to be sure we will be set on seeds that can be stored longer.
Something else We have done this year was to order different varieties of corn, all open pollenated so we can save the seed, the corn seed I have is getting older and isn’t doing so well germinating. Making it time to replace, it will go to the chickens soon. We have ordered our normal sweet corn, dent corn for grinding, and popcorn. All this corn will be planted one variety per season if need be or if we can find a place far enough, we will plant it in different locations.
With the virus scar last year, we have witnessed seeds as well as canning supplies be bought up and become harder to get, and with higher prices. We now find ourselves living a little differently than we did two years ago. Many have been saying to have the things you need in supply to get you through these kinds of times. I am sure we all know I was one of them, this isn’t a brag or an I told you so. I consider the virus to be a wake-up call and a reminder too me to never get lax, but to stay vigilant in our quest to be more reliable in our work to accomplish the life we dreamed of on the homestead. After all the purpose of the homestead is to see to as many of our needs as it can provide. We decided to plant half our garden two seasons ago, then last year we planted it all again because our children wanted to have fresh vegetables to feed themselves. It worked out well.
I am not sure where the country will end up over the course of the next four years, I can however look at the direction it appears to be going and we will prepare ourselves accordingly. This may lead some to stock more than usual or to go on from day to day or week to week. We have all lived through the virus thus far and have seen the cost of food and other essentials rise, though we are told it hasn’t we know we have seen it near double in some places. And as we can see people are still out of work and the economy hasn’t recovered totally.
It is my feeling that we are going to be in for a rough ride for a longer period of time than we thought, so my friends, plant generously and preserve plenty more than you need, stock up on items you can’t produce. But do so in a calm manner and a little every time you go into the store. I think you would be surprised at how much you can stock up on if you do it one or two items every time you go to a store.
It has been an un-usual winter for us here, it started with a four-foot snow drop just before Christmas and a week later the weather warmed up and it rained for a few days and left us with just a few inches. The past couple of weeks we have received a little over two feet over the course of that time a few inches a day. Abraham and I have taken our snowmobiles and have broken the trail to the wood lot, tomorrow we will go up and snowshoe around the trees as well as a work area. In a couple of days, it will harden up and allow us to walk on it as we work.
The homestead is as busy as one would like to keep it, winter time is a slower paced season which allows one to take a break and work at things at a little slower pace. Kind of the rest period one needs before the busy season comes and you don’t have the time for much else. Of course many of the things we like such as snowshoeing does require a little labor, it's still fun and isn't that much work and if you love what you are doing you will never work another day.
Our Grandson gets his first snowmobile ride. After that, it was off to the woodlot.
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