David Nightingale

I agree with many comments of posterity, and a few of the newer ones.  We live in a golden age of plenty, right?  I just take that to mean I can grow almost anything I wish, 8b-9.  But what do I really want?  I helped my son plant some herbs this year he’s 10.  And he loves processed foods:(  I don’t say much as he has a natural idea they’re not good for him.  I plant, grow, harvest, and cook, and he watches.  Over time he started to cook, putting herbs with greens into simple but wonderful combinations.  I’m honest as some weren’t great but his taste for greens developed.   A few friends came over for some games and then they’re out in the garden eating veggies.  Fresh veggies have moved to a rare commodity status in these modern times.   Then he asks me to plant more, and actually reads some of the gardening books that look good.  This is also how I developed a taste for greens, herbs, squash, beans, fava, and even turnips(a veggie my father really disliked).  That is the whole point of growing up on a farm, love begets admiration for nature.  I remind my son often, I already grew up on a farm.  I made this one to share so he could have the same experiences.  Why he asks chewing and cringing slightly on some arugula.  I just smile.  

I endeavor each day to corrupt the human urge to dominate with a simple love of nature.  

Monocultures are big producers, and big targets for predation.  Even if they’re not yours, but next door, or even just near by.  I keep Starlings colonies and leave tall grass 1/2 acre plots untouched every other year, ie the Fallow system.  The birds clean up all over populating insects and break pest cycles.  I use BTU for tent caterpillars in the orchard, but caterpillars and recently grasshoppers are all over.  As long as I don’t cultivate large areas every year, I have no insect over population so far.  Cheers

Very interesting Greg, I had the similar thoughts planting Myoga under a few Japanese plums, and persimmons.  I read somewhere traditional Myoga cultivation in Japan is under trees.  So I planter Myoga near my anaerobic composter at the edge of my garden just inside overhead watering.  The Myoga (Mioga) has made it 2 winters with over topping compost of alfalfa 3-4” which composts down to 1”.  Speciation/Family planting other plants in the same family may help as my turmeric and cardamom are in the same bed.  I’ve been running soil assays on that bed, but haven’t figured the dominant soil ecology yet as it changes seasonally.  Cheers.

Howdy,  Just curious as to your looming.  Floor loom, or wall?  And what do you weave?  I’ve been learning on an old floor loom in the evenings.  Jean rugs, for the kitchen tuff, soft and blue.  They last for more the a lifetime.   Cheers.

Wow, this thread reads better than any cookbook I’ve read in a long time.  Brilliant in so many ways. It’s a privilege just to read, and re-read.  Thank you, all.   In an effort to feed the kids I replaced the spinach in Saag Paneer with nettles and soy bean cultured pressed paneer.  Keeps in the fridge, and I find kids coming back every other day.

Horseradish, love the stuff.  Dense clay soil at our farm so it’s a concerted effort to grow.  I was warned of invasive qualities, but I’m fine with that.   I just use it as a companion plant with plating trees in newer areas.  Prevents many versions of tree predation, scavenges free ions from the soil. The leaves sliced wrapped with arugula and chives are an excellent spicy appetizer. Just wondering about different types of horseradish, flavors. Wild herbs show the soul of a place, and an infinite imagination of nature.  Cheers.

I agree, unlikely on the poisonous weed front.  Vomiting pigs, yes that seems like the corn.   Check the corn source for sprays pesticides.  Whenever changing foods try soaking over night with probiotics ie short fermentation.  The hotter it gets the more pristine the drinking water needs to be.  Nothing floating, growing, tinting the water.  Cold, clear, and a lot, as well as a wallow for your pigs.  Hope this helps.

Em, Hello,  Happy Sol-stead day to you.  Peaches, I really love them.  My farm’s soil in western WA loves to decompose them with fungus, soil bacteria, and bugs faster than they can grow.  Stubborn and hungry I planted 10 around my 8b farm in a few wetter micro climates.  6 did not even leaf out of dormancy, and by the next year all had died.  I have native roses, and cherries,( same family as) peaches so they should be able to make it here.  Companion planting with a Rosa rugosa, (local wild rose) has worked with Elberta, Frost, Red Haven, but peaches still seemed slow growing.  In places I have only clay, so soil depth with deeper planting 4’ holes of my own compost was a start.  Later, planting in dry locations stand alone Baby Crawford, King George, and a John Fanick with 4-5 grams pelleted zinc sulfate in the soil near the tree 4-5 inches from trunk the peaches took off.  Adding spring Composted Pig manure (phytic acid rich phosphates) 2’ out narrow ring of 2lbs wet and water timely causes roots to chase outward ie more growth.  
Copper or Zinc Sulfates, I don’t like either fungicide, mossicide/algaecide.  Yet the second you plant peaches they start to get eaten by everthing so a small amount of Zn SO4 at least encourages quick and abundant leaf growth, limits pathogenic colonization, which helps slow the decomposition of the trunk.  One more ring of zinc just outside manure line from tree at year 2 same amount, and that’s it, no more.  ZnSO4 binds into horseradish, garlic companions planted just inside the manure line helps bug and larger competitive friends mind the P’s and Q’s.  This is a start. I hope this helps, Cheers.

Nature lives everyday in balance.  On Solstice we free ourselves of gravity at the top of Earth’s orbital arc, as time steads our sun to equity twice yearly to remind us.  

June, in the northern hemisphere.  A beloved month of green, endless sun, and the Solstice.  Here on our farm we have a strange Solstice tradition of snaking our fruit trees, bushes.  I hand the kids enough small rubber snakes, plastic bugs 3-4”, and we tie them to branches nearest fruit.  Why? Well, the kids love it, but it has a practical purpose.  The birds will often leave the fruit alone anywhere near a snake/bug for awhile.  It does not stop all fruit loss, but sharing is ok.   Sure Im crazy, but try it… a small way to celebrate Solstice.