====== 2019 ====== ===== At the Garden ===== ==== More cover crops ==== Looking for crops that had more impact on the soil I tried tillage radish and some buckwheat ==== More flowers ==== More flowers, sunflowers, marigolds, poppies and chamomile Photo of Garden flowers ==== Dale's dahlias ==== {{ :garden:intro:2019:img_4120.jpg?direct&320|}}Dale enlarged the section of dahlias. We talked about his gardening part of the Fall City Garden.\\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ ===== At the Farm ===== ==== Well established grape vines ==== {{ :garden:intro:2019:img_3910.jpg?direct&200|}}Grape vines at the Farm ready for a productive year/\\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ ==== Trouble with animals ==== === Pigs in a pen === {{ :garden:intro:2019:img_3841.jpg?direct&200|}}{{ :garden:intro:pix:img_3933.jpg?direct&200|}}A renter of a part of the farmland built a pen and brought pigs to live there. These forceful and inquisitive creatures liked to escape from the rudimentary pen and root around any uncovered ground - in my garden among the grape vines!\\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ === Marauding cattle === {{ :garden:intro:2019:img_1668.jpg?direct&720 |}}Almost regularly, cattle who broke through (weak) fences in a neighbors property next to the farm visited and enjoyed trampling corn plants as they scavenged the ripening cobs. Fences were seldom fixed and a temporary fence failed to stop the raiders. \\ \\ {{ :garden:intro:2019:img_3003.jpg?direct&400|}}Late in the season the renter brought in cattle who, just as the neighbor's herd, broke through fences and feasted on leaves from grape vines or corn stalks. One time a calf got stuck inside the hoop house and damaged a number of tomato plants. Herds demolished corn crops several times!\\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\ ===== It was a good year! ===== There were more challenges than in the past and some were real downers. But by reasonal measures it was a good year: * I harvested more than 1,600 pounds of produce. * I donated over 1,400 pounds to two local food banks. * I gave several hundred pounds to family and friends. * We filled up our freezer with vegetables and have supplies of winter squash. It comes as no surprise to me that my body is tired. I was working in the gardens well into October. I am taking time to recuperate. View a [[garden:intro:2019:gallery|gallery of 2019 photos]].