We have been blessed, this past month or so, with a decent amount of rain, for a change. When we first looked at our property online, the photos were stunningly green and lush. By the time we settled the purchase, and spent some time out there, the drought was well and truly settled in, and our previously picturesque farm was a dust bowl. The black dirt part of the property was sprting large cracks, the front paddocks were dry dust bowls. But with the recent falls, followed by a few warm days, the greenery is starting to spring up again, the crack have closed up (though where the ground was protected from the rain by the caravan, and remained dry and cracked, makes for a stark demonstration in just how temperamental black dirt can be), and our garden is brimming with yummy, nutritious, permaculture veggies.
We have been harvesting asparagus for a few weeks now, and the beds are amazingly prodigious – we are able to keep both our family & my folks in asparagus, and still have plenty to give away. On Wednesday, before I went away for a weekend with my girlfriends, I went out for a quick asparagus harvest, and as I was collecting spears, the hollers of the children had me racing over to the main garden, to discover our snow peas were starting to produce. We ended up harvesting a handful, and I managed to sample just the one before the ravenous beasts inhaled the rest! They are so delicious, and we are very much looking forward to future harvests to add to our snack rotations or serve as a side dish for dinners.
By the time I got home, the various vines and trees were also starting to gear up towards fruit season. The pears, apples and stone fruit are all coming along nicely, and the children were very excited to show me the mulberry tree that they had discovered. I’m doubtful we will get a full harvest, as they seem inclined to eat direct from the tree, regardless of if the berry is actually ripe or not. Our table grapes are also coming along nicely
It is super exciting to see everything starting to produce – one of the main appeals of the property was the chance to, if not be fully self sufficient, at least contribute significantly to our food needs. It will be fun over the next few weeks to see how our harvests grow and change with the season.