MISC MARKET NOTES

Many of you in our Market family are aware that after a long construction break your fearless Market manager began rebuilding the garden at Hortons Farm this year. We’re building quite literally from SCRATCH after years of an unplanned sabbatical as evidenced by all the wild grass trying to take over. But rebuild is started and this is an update on our progress AND lack of progress.

The GOOD: PERMACULTURE WORKS. So far I’ve built four permaculture beds (in addition to three stock tank raised beds) from locally sourced and recycled material here on the farm. I decided on this after years of observing a relative’s success with this method and studying multiple sources on the internet. I’m happy to tell you that I’ve had minimal weed problems inside the beds that were planted and have been happy with what they’ve produced.

One of our favorite things is a burn pit that Mr. Horton blessed the garden with. We currently have a good amount of charcoal made from felled limbs around the property. It will be crushed and activated to use as biochar in existing and future beds. We are SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to create this “thousand year fertilizer.” The only downside to the burn pit is that I have to watch my step if I venture near it after dark. That sucker is DEEP.

We’re also starting to see a few winecap mushrooms spring up in the beds from mushroom spawn included at construction. This was added to speed the soil building process. WindRiver Microbes from Longears & Herbs are in there too to give the soil additional advantage.

The BAD: In retrospect I should have worked on walkways simultaneously while building the beds. Since that didn’t happen nature took over and it’s been a battle keeping grass and weeds low enough to walk on. Thank God for weed eaters! But with all the rain it’s still a lot of work keeping it under control as evidenced by tall grass (on the left) in the photo below.

”NEEDS A LOT OF WORK”: Where do I start!?! This winter I’ll be working on east side infrastructure: finishing the bed(s) needed there and fixing the paths between beds so all the existing grass/weed roots are dead by spring. I’ll also be collecting more organic material for building soil in the beds.

Greenhouse repairs are needed. Thankfully we have the material and I should be able to start seed again early next year.

Once the she/shed and garden fence (west side) are completed the plan is to cover a section of ground with tarps for a few months as the beginning of a Grocery Row Garden. That’s a whole topic in itself!

Finishing up: the following is my favorite bed. I think it’s beautiful. It is the newest and is built around a witch hazel tree from Dothan Nurseries, Greenhouse and Gifts. (And I can’t tell you if they’re still available as it’s been there a year or two.) As you can see, it’s rather rustic with big logs and branches for borders and all kinds of plant material tossed on top. Right now the plan is to put tumeric and maybe ginger on either side of the tree once the material underneath has broken down more. If you can see it, those round things on top are anniversary roses gone on to their next life.

These are visible at the top of the Market Page. You are always invited to browse around and take a look at what is/is not available. You never know but what someone you know might be looking for something you noticed.

Katherine’s Kitchen Happy August!

God has been so merciful to us this July with all the rain. Even if you’re not a farmer, you can thank the Lord that this will help keep fresh seasonal food prices down this summer. I hope we can all get ready for a typically hot August and use the lush results of July to prepare us for possibly some real dry weather coming up!

Here is some poetry by Isaac Watts to put our thankfulness into words:

With songs and honors sounding loud
Address the Lord on high!
Over the heav’ns he spreads his cloud
And waters veil the sky.
He sends his show’rs of blessings down,
To cheer the plains below;
He makes the grass the mountains crown,
And corn in valleys grow.

~Katherine’s Kitchen

Avalon Farms: Hello My Friends, thank you for all your prayers and thoughts. We are doing ok and taking each day as it comes with God’s grace.

I don’t have any produce growing. Taking care of my Dad for the last 4 weeks left the farm unattended and everything died. 

BUT all of our jarred items and pralines are available.

We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. Thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!