I also wish there had been focus on the difference between monoculture and integrated production.

Acres and acres of one crop is invitation to pests. When I dug into IPM , I grew marigolds and nasturuums to plant thruout the garden. Beans grew up the poles supporting the tomatoes. A classic is the three sisters, corn, beans and squash planted together. More and more producers are serious about returning to mixing different produce to decrease need for chemical herbicides and pesticides by looking at how nature does it.

Of course this requires hands on work, and no space for huge machinery. And brings back small farming.


Today our squash supply was moved from stairway to cooler basement. Now that the woodstove has been restored, its blasting out the heat. ( Our woods supply the wood.) The kale is still in the garden, waiting to be harvested. Scallions too. Though I did pot up a few to grow in a window thru the winter. And potted up parsley, too.

Gotta go..... garlic needs planting.