The swing of the pendulum seems evident in so many aspects of our year here in the Okanagan Valley of southern BC. With the weather extremes from floods in the spring to drought through the summer, Our gardens and farms swing through these seasons as soils, changing as they have done for millions of years. … Continue reading Welcome to the 2018 Growing Season
What a year, it started out with a heavy dump of snow on unfrozen ground in early January, a great snow mulch for some of the intermediate hardy vegetables like Tuscan Black Kale. These had been selected and left in the garden for seed crop as the weather has been moderating for several years now … Continue reading Welcome to the 2017 Growing Season
As we reflect upon the ‘Year of Soils’, 2015, as designated by the United Nations, we lament the loss of more of this most valuable resource, not just for humans but for most of life on terrestrial Earth. Every year more fertilizer and pesticide petrochemicals are spread on the soils of the earth in the … Continue reading Welcome to the 2016 Growing Season
As we finish cleaning our seeds for this coming year, we are getting a rather deep snow cover finally here at the New Year. As the white flakes fall from the sky, I ponder briefly how many of the H20 molecules will end up being flushed through the gills of the migrating Sockeye salmon as … Continue reading Welcome to the 2015 Growing Season
Our growing season started with great promise, a predictable spring after a mild winter with good snow cover. Many brassicas and even some artichokes managed to survive a winter where we saw only a couple of nights below -15*C. Although warm winters are easier on the woodpile they are also easier on the insects and … Continue reading Welcome to the 2014 Growing Season