Progress
On a disappointed note, we have run out of our home-grown potatoes. We had to buy potatoes a few day ago for the first time in months--and they are not nearly as good as the ones from the garden. I really didn't think there would be a great difference, but there is. Granted, the purchased ones are not the kind I normally like as well, anyway, but they seemed somewhat flat-tasting to me at lunch today, even drenched in butter, salt, and pepper.
But on an exciting note, this past week, we had the honor of visiting with Mr. and Mrs. Smith (a.k.a. the world's best-apple growers! Ref. Dec. 9 post; sorry, I don't know how to link to it and Keith's not around just now to tell me.), where we got 15 or 20 apple tree starters from his root stock. He also gave us a number of muscadine starters, something Keith has wanted for a long time. The smell and taste of muscadines flavor some of Keith's earliest memories. And we got something else of great value while at the Smiths--a few drops from their fountain of knowledge, wisdom, and experience, as well as a great visit with them on an incredibly beautiful day. They are good folks who are willing to share their knowledge; wonderful neighbors, even though they are 40 or 45 minutes away.
By the way, Mr. Smith gave us two kinds of muscadines--one kind is wild, and one kind he got from someone who had originally bought the stock. Not surprisingly, Mr. Smith prefers the taste of the wild muscadines. They don't get quite as large as the others, he said, but the taste is better.Keith, with help from the boys, has set all the plants out. We are to return to the Smiths in two or three weeks to get grafts for the apple trees. It will be awhile before we see the fruits of our labor, so to speak, but we're excited to be making progress!
Mary Susan
posted by The Bradshaws at 4:29 PM
4 Comments:
15-20 apple starters and muscadines- you found the treasure chest!! How wonderful!
One of the grapes my dad pruned back and we planted as starters was a muscadine. I've been keeping them watered, hpoing they won't perish!
Sounds wonderful, we have considered adding some fruit trees to our plot as well, though our space considerations are "limited" for now. Good luck with these!
Regards.
Bummer on the potatoes. Did you get to save any for seed? We just ran out of fresh stored tomatoes. :( And to think there was a time we thoguht we had too many! :) We still have the ones that got canned.
Tune into this radio show on NAIS or download the streaming audio and listen on your computer. Even if you miss the broadcast you can catch it later via MP3. Spread the word and tell your friends, blog about it, tell people on other lists.
Cheers,
-Walter
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To protect against disease and terrorism, USDA will register and track domesticated animals, and the properties in which they reside, throughout the United States. This leads us to ask, “What impact will these good intentions have on small farmers, ranchers and hobbyists?”
This Saturday at 9AM Pacific (10am CT, 11am ET) the Food Chain with Michael Olson hosts Dr. Mary Zanoni, Founder of Farm For Life, and small farmers from around the United States for Part II of a conversation about the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
Listen anywhere, live or delayed, on your radio, computer or iPOD at MetroFarm.com. (This web link has a list of stations as well as the link for the MP3 file to listen on your computer.)
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