Looking Forward...

I went to my accountant's today. This for me is an indicator that one growing season is turning over into the next, like a large, slumbrous person under several blankets, shifting slowly, trying not to let the cold in. It's time to settle in and assess the past year, and to look forward to the coming season. So, tax-time, how did I go this year? 

The good news is that I earned more this financial year than the last. The bad news is that it was only $220. I've kind of been expecting an average year after the myriad crop failures of spring and early summer (early peas, salad mix, onions, beans weren't great either), so I have to look on the bright side: now I know how not to do those crops again.

On the plus side, the leased land is going very well, providing me with potatoes, leeks and tons of brassicas (below), that I would have struggled to squeeze into my home patch. Also, the corn came off well (phew!), and my holding crops are promising a comfortable start to the coming financial year over late winter and early spring.

Also, the Growing Vegetables workshop at the farm in March was a great success, with terrific feedback and a fun time had by all. The food was particularly good, and for me it was wonderful to be able to share all that I have learned over the last five years. (I don't mind being laughed at whilst wearing my fame weeder, guys -- laugh all you want. It works,  I swear!) 

The workshop was so much fun, in fact, that I am holding a series of three workshops over spring. The first will focus on growing organic vegetables, from breaking ground, to soil preparation and types of beds, as well as fertilisers, compost and varieties of produce. The second workshop is for those interested in making an income from their garden, so it's about planning your garden for ease and watering, the best techniques, and how and where to sell your produce. The third workshop is about year-round supply, whether for the home garden or for the market gardener. This is my passion: finding out when to plant what vegetables so you have a bountiful garden all through the year. If you are interested you can find out more about the workshops here.

I'm also looking forward to more people visiting and helping on the farm over the coming season. I've had a few spare days at this quiet time of the year, so I've been working on some wwoofer accommodation, based on the traditional Huon Valley picker's hut.

The hut is coming together well, and I am hoping to be able to host interested backpackers who would like to spend some time working and learning on an organic market garden.

I'm also open to the idea of people coming and helping out on the farm in exchange for food and vegetables. I've had a few people (now friends) that have joined me on a regular basis to hoe, weed and plant for a day every week or so, which saves me time, meaning we can linger over lunch and harvest a few veges as a thank you. You can contact me here.

All in all, I'm looking forward to the coming year; I've learnt a lot, have more land to play with, and I can almost smell spring in the air...