Sunday, July 5, 2020

The corn is waist high

True. The old saying is it's knee high by the fourth of July but we've had an exceptional growing season. After a chilly May the last frost came early. We had a bit of a dry spell that ended a week ago but otherwise very well spaced rain. My own garden is jumping. The onions, garlic and potatoes should be ready to harvest soon, then I'll fill in the beds with fall crops.

I've decided to semi-retire, at least temporarily. I've been working from home now of course, and not having to commute to Providence every day has completely changed my relationship to my land. Instead of getting in the car at 7:30 and driving while ODing on NPR, I walk down to the garden and pull some weeds or do whatever else needs to be done. So next year I'm going to go much more extensive. I'm going to get serious about it -- plan next year's garden now, prepare the beds in the fall -- I'll probably need to buy a truckload of compost since I can't make enough -- and grow just about everything I can think of.

Climate change is an unimaginable catastrophe for humanity, but it's actually good for Connecticut agriculture. Or at least it seems to be so far. But more important, the present intersecting crises have provoked many people to recognize that locality, small scale and community have to become much more important in the economy. Finding all of our food in a megamart where it came from 5,000 miles away is the wrong way to organize our lives.

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