Sunday, April 24, 2011

Gibson's Easter Pig

"Well, what can I say about this pig that hasn't already been said? I know a lot of you folks have come out to the farm and you've seen the words, and a lot of you have asked me, 'how could this have happened?'. I don't know, but it has happened... at a time when we really don't see many miraculous things. Maybe we do. Maybe they're all right there around us everyday, we just don't know where to look. There's no denying that our own little Wilbur... he's part of something that's bigger than all of us. And life on that farm's just a whole lot better with him in it. He really is some pig."
Homer Zuckerman
Charlotte's Web


This year's Happy Easter picture special delivery from Gibson, NC. Hope it gives you a smile.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Green All Over






















I'm browsing the NY Times Well blog this morning with some time to read and find three articles of interest. The first a long term study that shows pesticide exposure to a pregnant mom causes IQ loss in the baby. Ouch. Second,UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Public Health is conducting a study to see if eating locally produced food yields better health. Cool. Can I be in it? Third, a New Yorker tries to make it on the 100 mile diet. That one has to be hard because I've tried it and we grow year round Down South. It gets really tough in January when it's greens, greens, greens on the plate and you know that's all there is in the fresh vegetable category.

And green it is in the garden. Everything is up and reaching critical mass. Too much lettuce not enough people, so I'm giving it away. Too much broccoli so I'll be freezing it. Too much mustard, kale and swiss chard so it's already frozen. Onions are blooming so those going in with the mixed greens.

Two cool things: The apple trees are apple-ing and, for the first time ever, the pomegranate is flowering. Lots. And just now I'm wondering if pomegranates and pyracanthas are cousins-thorns, narrow leaves, orange fruit...

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Spring at last.

An accounting is in order:
1. Broccoli is heading.
2. All manner of lettuces have been harvested and eaten.
3. Mustard reseeded, is up and is being eaten.
3. Ditto the swiss chard and kale.
4. 'Taters are up man!
5. Peas have flowers
6. Blue Lake pole beans have popped up.
7. Onions, garlic and shallots are "brilliant"!
8. And...drum roll please... the belle of the spring garden, Sage, is blooming!