Buckwheat: A Look Back

Ahh, yes, the title does sound rather formal, but, it's buckwheat.  How formal can buckwheat get?

Last spring, after much research into green manure, my husband and I decided that we would give buckwheat a try.  Our original garden plot was seven years old.  We thought it would be a good time to give it a rest and use the buckwheat as a cover crop, as well as one that would be used as a green manure.  This was going to be a boost to the soil as well as a deterrent to the weeds that have no problem growing in my garden, no matter what is going on with the soil.

*DISCLAIMER:  WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING (BUT WE THOUGHT WE DID)!*

Disclaimer having thus been issued, I can fill you in on the details.  

The buckwheat was easily procured at our wonderful local feed mill, Bowser's.  It was then hand broadcast onto our tilled garden.  It grew into a lovely plot of buckwheat.  The local bee population seemed to enjoy it as well.  A huge plus, I think.  Here's where things went awry, in my humble opinion.  From what I understood, the buckwheat should be tilled under before it flowers and goes to seed.  OR, it can be left and the first frost would kill it and then it can be left to rot and then tilled into the ground.  I thought the first option sounded more "green".  I was going with that.  It seemed a happy thought.  When the buckwheat began to look like it was going to flower, the guy who runs the tractor and hooks up the equipment on this little corner of the world was informed of said event and that the plot needed to be tilled very soon.  I even offered to run the tractor, if he would connect the tiller.  The offer of me running any type of equipment usually speeds up any process for fear that I might actually do it.  When he sees me with a hammer, well, you get the picture, I think.  But, this time it didn't work.  It seems he didn't really believe I would even attempt to connect the tiller, let alone run it in the garden.  The buckwheat bloomed.  After much wringing of hands, on my part, the plot was mowed.  I thought, then, that it would be tilled.  At this point, the big guy had so many irons in the fire that there was no hope of getting the tiller on the tractor.  It wasn't long before a second crop of buckwheat emerged just as lovely as the first, albeit, unwanted.  This second crop was then mowed.  Yet, again, another crop was beginning to show it's strong and sturdy self.  At least the frost saved us from another round.  Fast forward to the spring.  The garden was tilled.  Crops were planted.  And, yes, you guessed it, there is buckwheat sprouting in the garden.  Thankfully just a few plants here and there that are easily dispatched and used as green manure, manually.  

All this being said, I am certain that there are plenty of folks who have had great success with green manures and are seasoned veterans at this craft.  It seems as if the use an old Presbyterian motto might work here, "But, we've never done it that way before."  You can teach an old dog new tricks, I think, just not these old dogs.

I have no idea if our soil has profited from our experiment with buckwheat.  I really don't know if we will ever try it again.  (My boss says, "NO".)  I still have weeds, though.  But, I think that's just life with a garden.  Or, maybe it's just life.

To read what real experts say about green manure, you can check out Gardening When it Counts, Growing Food in Hard Times, by Steve Solomon.  Or, online here.

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P.S.  My camera was accidentally left at our daughter's in Minnesota.  It is being returned when they come for a visit the end of June.  I miss it.  

My sweet ride, Hazel, my John Deere, had to go in for major surgery this spring.  She has yet to be repaired.  In the meantime, I'm using an old Craftsman, which gets the grass cut with twice the amount of time and effort...the steering is bad.  I miss it more than my camera.  My arms and shoulders are getting a great workout though.

O LORD,

Whose power is infinite and wisdom infallible,

Order things that they may neither hinder, nor discourage me...

Permit me not to labour at work which thou wilt not bless,

     that I may serve thee without disgrace or debt;

Let me dwell in thy most secret place under thy shadow,

   where is safe impenetrable protection from

     the arrow that flieth by day,

     the pestilence that walketh in darkness,

     the strife of tongues,...

     the perils of youth,

     the temptations of middle life,

     the mournings of old age,

     the fear of death.

I am entirely dependent upon thee for support, counsel, consolation.

Strengthen me by thy Spirit in my inner self

     for every purpose of my Christian life.

--selections from Refuge, from A Valley of Vision

Spring, Again

We had a wonderful, warm March this year.  And then there was April.  Cold, dreary and, probably, normal.  While there were many folks that thought this would be a great opportunity to get a jump on getting their gardens in, I just knew the other shoe had to drop.  It was March!!  Sure, enough, there were frosts a plenty and some areas nearby had snow just last week.  Call me cautious, I would not rather waste time, money and seeds and have them killed with frosts, which are more than normal in April...and May.  So, today it is as if spring has come again.

Yesterday, after church, we had lunch and then took a chance that our Amish friends were not having a church Sunday.  Since we are now attending a church not far from them and gas prices being what they are, it seems like a good chance to take.  What wonderful Providence to have all our friends together for a great visit.  Obviously, it was not a church Sunday and everyone happened to be visiting at David's place.

I was ashamed to have to admit that I didn't have anything in the garden yet.  These ladies had planted quite a bit.  Radishes, lettuce, carrots, peas, beets and potatoes.  Lizzie and Lena have their plants covered.  Lizzie's garden would make any 'modern' gardener proud.  She has her early plants covered with row covers (hoops covered in plastic).  She has purchased on Amazon.com a gardening book, Garden Ways, Joy of Gardening (one that I grew up with).  I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that this young Amish lady travels the Internet with ease.  This is unsettling to my fairy tale view of their life in Amish country.  Needless to say, her garden is beautiful.  Do you sense any garden envy going on??

That being said, today my hands are dirty.  Life is good.  While the weather people, dastardly beings that they can be messing with my life by giving bad predictions, fouled up my laundry day a bit (late showers, my foot!). In the end it was not much more than a long sprinkle.  It wasn't so bad that I couldn't get some goodies in the garden.  There are onions, spinach, lettuce, radishes and red potatoes planted today.  Now, I no longer hang my head in shame.

I learned something about potato planting.  Yes, there is much I still need to learn.  It seems that folks plant peas on St. Patrick's Day--heard about that one--potatoes when the dandelions bloom.  Well, my dandelions are well underway.  I've never planted potatoes this early.  I hope things go OK.  Last year, I got them in to late and, with the hot summer, I did not get a good crop.  It is supposed to be a warm, damp week here, so we will see how it goes.

At least my hands are dirty....Yes.


Though we often feel mastered by sin on all sides, you have given us another master, your Son, Jesus Christ, and now our hearts are turned toward holiness and our longings toward obedience.  May his great love cover the multitude of our sins;
may his perfect obedience replace our daily disobedience;
may his great power save us from love of the world, pride of life and from everything that is natural to our fallen state.  
May His beauty captivate us more than our sin and His love ground us in truth and holiness.


In Jesus name we pray,
Amen


Adapted from the Valley of Vision

Here is a post from My Backyard Farmyard that makes for interesting reading.

  The Abandoned Cultivator: How Pesticides Changed Farming Among the Pennsylvania Dutch

March Musings

It is already March!  How did this happen?!The winter here has been very mild and at this point I hope it stays this way.  If it would suddenly decide to get very cold and stay that way, the fruit trees could be in trouble.  (Not that I know a whole lot about that, but that is what my friend said and she knows more than I do.)  With all that is happening in the world, I would like to not have fruit issues this summer and fall.  We have had a good deal of rain this winter.  I wonder if we will have more pest problems this summer due to the mildness. 

Life here is normal.  Whatever that means, I guess.  The kids are fine and my husband is filling his days with helping family members with building projects.  This has been helpful for both of us.  His expertise is being used and others are benefiting.  I have my house to myself without constantly making meals.  Someone once told me that when her husband retired she told him, "I married you for better or for worse, but not for lunch."  My days are quiet and mostly relaxing.  I'm able to do things at my own pace with breaks when I need them.  There is much spring cleaning to tackle and I'm trying to do a few things at a time.

I am learning a bit about myself this winter.  Old idols and lack of people in my life have shown weaknesses that I would rather not look upon.  No doubt this means that I'm just not complete yet.  I still have much to learn.

Spring will be here in no time and my fingers are anxious to get dirty!  The sunshine is a welcomed sight today.  It won't be long till I can get outside and feel the warmth of the sun.

Save me from great hindrances,
   from being content with a little measure of the Spirit,
   from thinking thou wilt not give me more.

Is it a duty or an error to pray
   and look for the fullness of the Spirit in me?
Am I mistaken in feeling I am empty of the Spirit
   because I do not sense his presence within,
   when all the time I am most empty
   and could be more full by faith in Christ?

Teach me to find and know fullness of the Spirit only in Jesus.

--excerpts from The Valley of Vision, God the Spirit

Christmas Blessings

"For unto us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his
   shoulders.
And he will be called
  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
 Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this."

Isaiah 9:6-7

  "In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to his own town to register.
   So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."  Luke 2:1-7


Christmas Blessings to you all!
  


 

Dad's Lunch Bucket

Some folks may call it a lunch pail, a lunch box, but my dad always called it his lunch bucket.  He carried it everyday along with a thermos of hot coffee to work at the Sintering Plant in Saxonburg, PA.  For many years of cold winter mornings and hot summer days, the lunch bucket would make it's trip to Saxonburg from Meridian.  When we moved to the farm, the commute was longer and there were barn chores to do when he got home.  We all chipped in, of course.  Since my dad worked shifts, the three of us siblings would do the afternoon chores...bottle feeding the new calves, throwing down hay bales and making sure the water hadn't frozen over and the electric fence was on.  The several times the cows broke out, my dad was always working midnight.  He would come home to a worn out family who had been chasing cows all over kingdom come, laugh and go to check the fence and head for bed.

He did the majority of the work around the farm.  He worked two jobs and really loved the farm work best of all.  I believe it helped him relieve the stress of working at the mill.  The farm gave me the opportunity to watch and learn.  To work along side of him burning calves horns, mending fences, cleaning out the barn, working the top of the hay mow in July, and helping in the garden.

After years of constant use, the clasp on the lunch bucket broke, there was certainly no need to get a new one.  A big ole paper clip would fix it.  It would work until he retired.

When my mom was moving, I claimed the lunch bucket.   This is just one way we keep dad in our thoughts at Christmas.

All-wise God,
Thy never-failing providence orders every event.
   sweetens every fear,
   reveals evil's presence lurking in seeming good,
   brings real good out of seeming evil,
   makes unsatisfactory what I set my heart upon,
   to show me what a short-sighted creature I am,
   and to teach me to live by faith upon thy blessed self.

--a portion from Peril, from The Valley of Vision

Frosted Friday

The sky was beautiful and clear--full of stars last night.  Driving home from a meeting last night, I could see the frost forming when I looked at the bright parking lot lights.  It was almost as if it was "raining" frost. This morning, everything looked as if it had a light coat of snow, but it was frost!


Frosted hedges




Frost on our Burning Bushes

It certainly made things a bit chilly for hanging out some sheets.  Even the clothesline was covered with frost!

O LORD,

No day of my life has passed

   that has not proved me guilty in thy sight.

Prayers have been uttered from a prayerless heart;

Praise has been often praiseless sound;

My best services are filthy rags....

...I appeal from the throne of perfect justice

   to thy throne of boundless grace,

Grant me to hear thy voice assuring me;

   that by thy stripes I am healed,

   that by thy stripes I am healed,

   that thou wast bruised for my iniquities,

   that thou hast been made sin for me

      that I might be righteous in thee,

   that my grievous sins, my manifold sins,

      are all forgiven,

      buried in the ocean of thy concealing blood....

...Open to me the springs of divine knowledge,

   sparkling like crystal,

   flowing clear and unsullied

   through my wilderness of life.

--an excerpt from The Broken Heart, from The Valley of Vision