February 3, 2014

We think we have most of the farm infrastructure in place.  We are finishing the greenhouse, we are finishing the fence around the growing area (so the deer won't eat everything), and we are finishing the rebar and bird netting around our fruit and nut trees (mainly, again, because of the deer).  We are planning to join our local Farmer's Market and work to make it a success.  We bought a "Gardening by the Moon" calendar and coordinated it with the planting times for the Piedmont of North Carolina.  (I figure if the moon can affect the tide, why wouldn't it affect plant growth?)  This past weekend, we planted our cabbage (white and red) and broccoli seeds which are growing in the house until we get our greenhouse completed.  We have been hauling rocks (that we earlier tossed out of the garden) to the greenhouse foundation to serve as our thermal heat sink.  We will then add smaller rocks that we will have to purchase to even out the flooring.  Hopefully, the plastic will be ready to be attached next weekend.  John is still teaching and having to take courses, so he can only donate Saturdays and small other bits of time to this enterprise (time that is shared with everything else we need to do - like visiting family), so it will be up to me to keep us organized, and working (my job is more flexible and from my home office.)  I am currently re-reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable, Miracle, as I think it is important to keep motivated with inspiring reading.  I am picturing a pantry full of a year's worth of food at the end of the year, along with sales at the local farmer's market of our excess.  Already, when doing a cash flow comparison (we use Quicken Home & Business) our food spending is down $417 from this month last year (but still too high at $557, which includes eating out and anything else we usually buy at the grocery store like paper goods and cleaning supplies).  We have, however, made higher quality choices in our spending on food including cheese.  This also includes pet food which costs way too much.  Homemade pet food is in the plan as soon as we start harvesting our own meat.