Good morning all.
Still harvesting tomatoes, corn, and zucchini. But the green beans are done. Out of a 30 ft. patch ( 15 ft. bush and 15 ft. pole) we have a stuffed freezer and happy neighbors.
Waiting for the corn to finish so I can shred/chip the stalks and work them into the new compost pile.
I have three piles going right now, one is from 2 years ago which I have not finished spreading around the garden. the second is due for use next spring, and the new one I'm just starting, due for use in spring 2026.
Each pile starts out as a collection of leaves, wood chips, garden debris, a couple of bags of powerful chicken manure, a bag of bonemeal, and wood ash from the firepit, and we feed it table scraps for the entire time it cooks.
I "cook" them for 18 months, turning regularly. All my garden soil is manmade in place (by me).
The biochar is already in the ground under the rows.
It's becoming quite a productive garden. I really enjoy growing a garden even if I give most of it away. And as long as I replenish the soil and rotate the crops, it should stay healthy in perpetuity.
But after reading the headlines it may become much more than a hobby. I currently have about 10,000 sq. ft. under cultivation. I may have to expand if things continue to go south with the economy.
I'm thinking of buying a small rabbit hutch and chicken coop just to have on hand.
The thread is open.