I bought a house and my own whole woods! The reality is still setting in… I have dreamt of this for 15 years. It’s finally real. I bought a house. I bought a house on 29 acres. I bought a house on 29 acres! A creek runs through the property. It is heavily wooded withContinue reading “Into The Great Wide Open”
Terrified but Exhilarated
I’ve been chasing a dream for the better part of 12 years. I’ve had great successes & epic failures. There have been many highs & lows. A few detours as well. At this moment I am at the threshold of stepping into the reality of my dream coming true. The work is far from finished.Continue reading “Terrified but Exhilarated”
Peace
I’m in love with this new piece of ground I will call home for the next year. I’m procrastinating and putting off all of the things that need to be done because I am caught up in childlike wonder at the beauty I have been blessed with. Staring out the window, watching maple leaves danceContinue reading “Peace”
Take The Leap!
Well, I did it… I left my home state of Colorado (yet again) and went east to the greenbelt of Oklahoma. Found a quaint little midcentury house on 1.3 acres on a hill and surrounded by old growth trees. The deer frequent the property every morning and every evening. I have a screened in patioContinue reading “Take The Leap!”
It’s been a while….
It’s been a while since last I wrote… A lot has happened since then. There has been debilitating heartache and excruciating pain. There were hard decisions that had to be made. Trials and tribulations that I thought would never end, but also victories and revelations and self-care and growth. It’s in these moments that weContinue reading “It’s been a while….”
Shifting Winds
I don’t know who keeps hitting the fast forward button, but they need to stop… It was Summer just weeks ago. I vaguely remember Winter and now it’s Spring again. The wintered over onions are pushing bright green shoots out of their dry paper skins. I’m not really feeling it this year and I’m notContinue reading “Shifting Winds”
Companion Planting: How to Make the Most of a Small Space
While living in California, I had my first encounter with companion planting. I came upon a roadside fruit stand selling strawberries and, of course, could not resist. Across the road was the man’s strawberry plot. The plot was edged by onions. The onions made a nice border, but I was curious why he chose themContinue reading “Companion Planting: How to Make the Most of a Small Space”
The Desert Southwest: Chaco Canyon
The desert has always spoken to me, even though I was born and raised in the mountains. I’m an ectotherm and can relate to the lizards sunning themselves on the hot sandstone. I like being warm. An excerpt from Edward Abbey’s book Desert Solitaire explains my passion for the desert best. “The wind will notContinue reading “The Desert Southwest: Chaco Canyon”
Yellowstone
I went to Yellowstone once when I was 12. It was the last family vacation before my parents divorced. I didn’t remember much about it but I’ve always wanted to go again. My son was 11 when I took him. We spent a total of 6 days on the road and in the park. WeContinue reading “Yellowstone”
Soil Health: Directly Related to Your Health
No one thinks about soil seriously. I mean, it’s just dirt, right? As one of my former employers once said, “Dirt is what is under your fingernails. Soil is a medium for growing healthy plants”. Many of us think of soil as special dirt we get in a bag at the local garden center, but thereContinue reading “Soil Health: Directly Related to Your Health”
The Importance of Growing Your Own Food: Where to start?
I cannot reiterate enough how important it is to start growing your own food, right now. All one has to do is look at the condition of the world on every level, and it becomes very clear, if it’s not already, that something, a lot of things, are very wrong. Food prices are going throughContinue reading “The Importance of Growing Your Own Food: Where to start?”
The Importance of Growing Your Own Food: Victory Gardens
During WWI as well as WWII, victory gardens were an important part of the war effort, not only in America, but in Europe and Australia as well. They were a way to support the troops and be self sufficient. People didn’t have a lot of money and there was a food crisis, a lot likeContinue reading “The Importance of Growing Your Own Food: Victory Gardens”
Grace
It was late summer. School had only been back in session for two weeks. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. She had the world at her fingertips. She was beautiful and smart and funny. She could sing better than most. She was wild and rebellious. A kind of reckless abandon. She caredContinue reading “Grace”
A Hint of Autumn
There’s a coolness in the air. Just the tiniest bit of crispness can be detected in the oppressive heat. It will be August tomorrow. Cumulus clouds are building on the horizon. The sky is just a little paler than yesterday. The air smells different. The vibrant green of the trees is slightly less, but theContinue reading “A Hint of Autumn”
Roadside Ponderings
I have had many conversations on the side of the road, over peaches and tomatoes. I chat with strangers about the weather and politics. Over cherries and apricots, we’ve discussed faith, fear and loss. I feel like a bartender or a hair stylist. Passersby come to hear news or confide. These sources of information areContinue reading “Roadside Ponderings”
No Water
The whole world is on fire. The sun rises through smoke filled clouds. The mountains have no details today. Just distant silhouettes. My dog and I do a speed hike in the early morning hours. The heat keeps breaking records. It’s June and we have seen 100+ degree days for nearly two weeks in aContinue reading “No Water”
Rough Country
Cumulus clouds wander across the sky, offering the hope of rain but never making good on their promise. It never rains here anymore… I turn off of the pavement and onto the dirt road towards the Bookcliffs. Past the dunes and the dry watering hole. I go as far into the canyon as the truckContinue reading “Rough Country”
Wild Flower Hunting
The western United States is in a severe drought. This is the worst it’s been in a very long time. The mighty Colorado river is drying up. Lake Meade’s hydro-electric dam won’t be able to produce power if the reservoir gets much lower and house boats are no longer allowed on Lake Powel. These areContinue reading “Wild Flower Hunting”
A Brief History of the Tomato
The Tomato’s history can be traced back to the Mayans and Aztecs around 700 A.D. It is because of this that it is believed that the tomato is native to the Americas. A mutation was likely responsible for changing the small two-chambered wild tomatoes into the larger, lumpy, multi-chambered fruits that represent the vast majorityContinue reading “A Brief History of the Tomato”
The Struggle is Real
It is time to start seeds for the longer season, heat loving vegetables that I love so much. Tomatoes and peppers! Amongst other things, like eggplant and squash and cucumbers and melons and herbs and………. The struggle is real! I love them ALL so much but I only have so much room. Every year IContinue reading “The Struggle is Real”
The Three Sisters
According to Iroquois legend, a very long time ago, there were three sisters who lived in a field. The youngest was so small she could not yet walk so she crawled along the ground. She was dressed in green. The middle sister wore a bright yellow dress and loved to dart back and forth acrossContinue reading “The Three Sisters”
New Normal
I am not going to lie, I miss 2019. In September of 2019 I had just wrapped up my 3rd year of roadside produce sales in a small mountain town in northern Colorado. It was a good season. We had decent weather and made good money. We decided to go on a big adventure. IContinue reading “New Normal”
Spring is Here!
I’m so excited I can barely contain myself! I am almost finished completely revamping the garden! All of a sudden my friends, family and neighbors are asking if I would like to “farm” their yards. Of course I would! One problem is that the soil around here is very alkaline. It would require a lotContinue reading “Spring is Here!”
Dwarf Variety Vegetables
I have found a new obsession and it keeps getting worse (or better)! Dwarf variety vegetables are awesome! They can be grown in a small pot either indoors or outside. They can be used as edible home décor or edible landscaping. I just planted seeds for a dwarf tomato plant and a dwarf pea plant.Continue reading “Dwarf Variety Vegetables”
DESERT WANDERINGS
Sunsets grab me by the heartstrings, every single time. I crave watching the landscape as it changes colors. The cliffs and plateaus go from red to purple to velvet blue. The sky changes from pink to lavender in the east. Magenta to fluorescent orange and then copper and red in the west. No two areContinue reading “DESERT WANDERINGS”
Green To Gold
After my first year as a farmer, I now have a deeper respect for winter. Spring is exhilarating! The prospects and potential of what will come out of the soil. The anticipations of those first signs of life. The tender seedlings and the first blooms. With summer comes maturity and first harvests. The constant battleContinue reading “Green To Gold”
Health Benefits of Oregano
Today is a dreary, rainy, cold March day…. I am longing for my garden. Plotting and planning. Drawing pictures and planting herbs indoors to hold me over to warmer days… One of my favorite herbs is oregano. Oregano is an herb in the mint family. Peoples all over the world have used it for thousandsContinue reading “Health Benefits of Oregano”
The Benefits of Rosemary
Rosemary is a well-known evergreen shrub that is native to the Mediterranean and used in cooking all over the world. Its leaves can be eaten fresh or dried. It can also be made into tea or infused oil. The medicinal uses of Rosemary have been used for centuries and research confirms rosemary is an importantContinue reading “The Benefits of Rosemary”
Nomadic Farmer 