Longleaf Breeze: Recent Episodes
Lee and Amanda Borden
After six years, it's time to shift our focus from what we're experiencing to what we can share. You'll see a bold new responsive design. Expect fewer podcasts, but there will be more information you can find and use. And we'll keep changing
Farmers have to keep one eye on next season. Even though it’s cold outside, we’re planning spring and summer vegetables. So when should we terminate our cover crops? They always hit a growth spurt when we most need to make room for other plantings
We love longleaf pines. They will live hundreds of years and are our forest's best tool for survival in an uncertain climate. Each January we plant a box of 330 longleaf seedlings. This year we're planting around the driveway, lodge, and Veg Hill
We love heating with wood, but it has its disadvantages. The temperature in your home will vary more widely, it's messy, you must be present to start heating, and you have to think WAY ahead to have enough seasoned wood
We’ve known about this for a week and had time to prepare. We were safe and comfortable. The issues were utility systems, plants, and animals. And most of that was managing water, keeping it off the animals but thawed and flowing when needed
Today we look back on 2014 and some "firsts" it brought with it, like the chickens and a cover crop test. We also talk about what we think lies ahead in 2015, like maybe meat rabbits, a greenhouse, and perhaps citrus.
Merry Christmas! We are back from a week in California visiting with Joe and his family. The visit was delightful, but we both are struggling with illness and weak voices, so we have kept today's program short
We use vinegar in our food the same way others do, but we also use it for weed control, for cleaning and stair removal, and for pickling. Most recently, we used it to disinfect the chicken coop and the brooder bin.
Yesterday we ushered two aged laying hens from coop to table. We learned: Start early in the day, make sure your knife is sharp, expect them to complain loudly, don't spend money on a cone or a plucker, learn chicken anatomy, and secure the dog
We're thankful for food put by, for food growing through the winter, for hens ready to grace our stewpot, for laying hens coming on this Spring, for firewood in winter and shade in summer, but especially for relationships with friends and family
November for us is usually quiet, cool, and pleasant. This year it just slammed us with winter, and our poor plants were unprepared. The figs probably died back to the ground yet again. But frost blanket protected our tender broccoli
Soon it will be time to plant fruit trees in Alabama. Today’s podcast includes a listing of fruits in descending order of the ease of growing them in central Alabama
In the shop, well protected from Oddie, our four tiny chicks are eating, drinking, peeing, and pooping. Mostly sleeping. This program is about their breeds, their temporary home, and our plans for their transition to the coop on the orchard floor
Master Gardener and Garlic Guru RJ Arceneaux describes what kind of soil garlic prefers, when and how to plant it, how to care for it over the winter, and how to know when it's ready to harvest. In the South, this is the time to plant it
It was good for spring peas, tomatoes, beans, squash, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, sweet potatoes, edamame, summer peas, apples, muscadines, persimmons, and blueberries. Lousy for melons, corn, peaches, plums, pears, figs, and blackberries
I failed to care for Amanda's garden while she was gone for a week. The beans and peas may be usable as seed but aren't fit to eat. The okra plants have collapsed with giant pods. We do have some gorgeous red peppers, though
Our home is 1/4 the size of the suburban house we left behind, so we thought it was small, but it's palatial compared to tiny houses, which force us to contemplate how much living space one needs to be happy. Think 200 sq ft, sometimes less
The persimmons we love are Asian persimmons, a far cry from the ones that turned our mouths inside out when we were kids. Mild, sweet, slightly tangy, and seedless, they have become our favorite. They are the last of our fruits to ripen each year
Gas prices are low, at least in relation to recent history, but we will soon see a petroleum shortage. Most of us will be forced to live with less gasoline and diesel fuel. Yes, we grow our own food, but how can we cut our petroleum use?
Today's program is an honest, rueful reflection on the mistakes we think we made and what we are learning from them. Our first chickens were an economic waste, producing surprisingly few eggs for all the care and feeding they received
Late summer usually means fired up tomatoes, squash consumed by insects, and a push to plant for fall. This year, we're getting a surprising spurt of production. Plentiful rain helped, but so did Amanda's mid-summer planting
We're still figuring out what tasks we should hire professionals to help us do and which ones we should do ourselves. This program lays out the factors we consider when we're thinking about hiring someone to help us with a project
We're transitioning to the fall, which we love. It's more pleasant to be outside, the weeds and bugs slow down, and we get to grow vegetables like collards and kohlrabi that just don't work in central Alabama in the summer
It's hot in August, but winter arrives soon, and we'll need warmth. We've neglected to build a supply of seasoned firewood, so we're playing catch-up. We'll use the sun for drying, and we'll use wood sparingly until we're sure we'll have enough
Growing fruit is an exercise in delayed gratification. After four years, the fruit trees are maturing and we are beginning to see real abundance of apples, pears, figs, muscadines, blueberries, and persimmons. Still waiting on the peaches and plums
In central Alabama pears usually outperform apples, So plant only pears, right? If we had followed that advice, we would have missed out on a delicious, abundant apple harvest this year. Our best crop ever, yielding 4 1/2 gallons of apple jam
We love squash, but it sure keeps us humble. This week we offer some perspective on squash formed over our five years of planting it, nurturing it, watching it die, and every now and then, enjoying its delicious bounty.
It's the middle of the summer in Central Alabama, and that means it's the peak of pest season. Stink bugs, squash bugs, vine borers, grasshoppers, not to mention poison ivy and plain old weeds, all make our farming work more interesting
We're back now from a one-week stay at the lake. It was beautiful, and we had fun, but we're not rested. We returned to the farm daily to check on the vegetables, the fruit, the chickens, and the dog. What should we have done differently?
We look beyond the national Independence Day to explore what we're doing to make ourselves more independent. How are we doing on planting, harvesting, preserving, limiting waste, living frugally, and building community food systems?
Our daily power consumption is way up as we use the AC in the lodge, the dehumidifiers in our closets, and even on occasion the electric clothes dryer. The grass loves this kind of weather, so mowing is a frequent chore. But then solarizing is fast
If you call yourself a reasonably proficient grower of your own food, you ought to be able to grow potatoes. On our fourth attempt at growing spuds, we finally enjoy modest success. What we did wrong before and what we did right this time
Each day we're getting smarter about chickens. This week we caught up with Dr Joseph B Hess and his colleague Dr Ken Macklin of the Auburn University Poultry Science Department and buttonholed Joe for a quick visit.
We stand on the shoulders of the giants who have preceded us. They help us see the truth. Today we merely scratch the surface of the ways our elders have supported us, strengthened us, inspired us, and taught us.
We should have planted the pecans back in January or February. All we can do at this point is to get them in the ground now. They will be vulnerable to drought, so we need to keep them well watered, especially during the late summer and fall
Questions and Amanda's answers from our talk at the Wetumpka Public Library. You’ll hear a couple of questions about composting; then we talk about upside down tomatoes, and then growing strawberries.
Podcast version of our Wetumpka presentation. We cover the essentials for growing food, the best vegetables to plant now, organic weed control, organic pest control, and the advantages and disadvantages of using raised beds
Our joy at bringing home chickens turned to fear when Oddie attacked them. Rather than simply get rid of the chickens or the dog, we tried an e-collar. Now Oddie is again off his leash and frolicking around the farm, and the chickens are safe
While we focus on food, we want a pleasant, welcoming environment. We need low maintenance and low cost, and each plant needs to perform several functions. We work from a plan, but that plan evolves as our goals change and new plants show up
After trying free range on Veg Hill, we knew they needed to scratch but stay confined. We built a run where they can scratch, peck, pee, and poop during the day before they retreat to the coop at night. The bad news is still with Oddie the dog
Now we finally have a start with chickens. Four pullets - part Plymouth Rock and part Ameraucana - in a storebought coop. But hey! We're underway. The birds are fine; the. problem is our dog Oddie and his powerful predatory instinct toward them
We spell out what we think most people would need to construct a happy life in subsistence farming. How much land do you need? Does it need to be paid for? Do you need to have grown food before? Do you need a partner? Do you need people skills?
We're constantly experimenting, looking for ways we can reduce the time we spend controlling weeds. Sometimes we welcome them to hold our sandy soil, but more often we're looking for ways to eliminate them. And we've tried so many!
Tuesday night the temperature hovered below freezing for nine hours and reached a low of 26. The strawberries, plums, apples, muscadines, and all the vegetables came through fine. The pears, figs, and blueberries took it on the chin
It's surrounded on all sides by earth and reinforced concrete and seems thoroughly safe in a storm. We've used it to store wheat berries, wine, jam, pepper sauce, pickles, and sweet potatoes. The temperature does change slightly with the seasons
When we designed and built our 16 raised beds last year, we omitted what we now know was a crucial step. We should have installed hardware cloth to exclude voles. Now we're retrofitting the beds. Big job, but we had no choice
Economic growth is pretty much done in the US. The mainstream media keeps saying the economy is bouncing back, but most of us know better. The more we can produce for ourselves, the happier we can be while making little or no money
Our focus is on growing food, but in February we prune ornamentals too. This program covers the importance of plant hygiene in pruning and basic principles about ornamental pruning. We even talk a little about how to recover from "crepe murder"
February is our big pruning month. I love it, working quietly using no noisy equipment. And pruning is a time to think about the future, trying to guess where the tree wants to grow and deciding whether I want to let that happen
We welcome my brother Dave Borden. He's the smartest person we know about longleaf pines. He describes why he loves longleaf pines, how he prepares to plant them, and why and how he works so hard to keep their competition in check
Every year we plant about 300 longleaf pines. It’s relatively inexpensive, it’s fun, and it helps prepare the farm for the coming climate chaos. Longleafs are native to our region, they're fire-resistant, and their huge taproot holds the soil
We in the South are still reeling from a winter storm of historic proportions. We had lots of notice and time to prepare, but our friends in Birmingham got a surprise wallop. We describe today what the difference meant to the two communities
We continue to be blown away at the sheer size of this annual event, attracting 1,000 or so organic and sustainable farmers from across the southeast to mingle, exchange ideas, and recharge their batteries. So many young farmers! So much knowledge!
Last week the temperature stayed below 15 degrees – our killing zone – for more than seven hours. Our first significant damage to brassicas from cold temperatures. Frost blanket made a huge difference where we had deployed it
This week we learn about the People’s Food Plan for Australia; we visit with Nick Rose, the National Coordinator of the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance. We're inspired to think about applying their principles here in the Southern US.
We reflect on 2013. We had our best harvest ever of muscadines, peaches, pears, apples, and sweet potatoes, and our first harvest ever of persimmons and plums. But we had our fiercest outbreak ever of insect damage too
The hard red wheat that makes the best bread doesn't grow here in the South. So we consider buckwheat, rye, rice, barley, and oats. And then we throw out some more exotic options like einkorn, emmer, and spelt
Start and stay organic, learn from research, start small, grow close to where you live, full sun, drip irrigation, good soil, keep something growing year round, keep soil covered, grow what you like to eat and what grows well in your area
It's time to buy seeds for the spring. They're freely available online, but Amanda still prefers those paper catalogs. She studies and dreams, carefully calculating the many options available together with the shipping costs of each
We play detective. Taking each factor known to affect the cold-hardiness of brassicas, we try to determine what made the difference between the damage to kale, broccoli, and cabbage growing 20 miles away at Wetumpka and the same crops here.
We are grateful for food, for health, for our family and friends, for our church, and for our life on the farm. We also take time to be thankful for the suburban life we left behind, because it prepared us for our lives as farmers
We talk a lot about what we can do to become more resilient, and the most resilient form of radio communication by far is Morse Code – the hams call it CW. After putting it off for two years, I am now learning the code, painfully slowly
The summer growing season is over. Time for freezing nights. Amanda pulled her copious pepper harvest. We're wrapping up the warm season and battening down for the cold ahead. We also discuss closing down the orchard for the winter
Here in the South we can grow food year round with no greenhouse, no hoop house or high tunnel, and no artificial heat. For us, keeping the garden growing year round is not only key to food resilience, it’s the way we keep our soil fertile
On this holiday that's all about scary things, we talk about what frightens two subsistence farmers. Climate change, for one, and the widespread willful ignorance that might allow a demagogue to take power, and a breakdown of law and order
We've learned you'll save a LOT of money. Build it as close as possible, you can dry fewer loads in the winter, be flexible and watch for "good drying days," and store your pins indoors. Splurge on a washer that wrings clothes really dry
The fall harvest of sweet potatoes, muscadines, and persimmons, apples, and pears; Second Chance tomatoes, beans, peas, edamame, and squash. Brassica plantings and using our fire pit for the foyer group. Adrian helps with pecan clearing
We’re proud to raise food and give it away, and the more the better. But Russ Hopfenberg says we can't raise enough food to solve the world hunger problem. His argument is perhaps one of the most difficult we’ve confronted on Longleaf Breeze
The summer of 2013 was wet here in Alabama, but so far it's plenty dry this fall, and climate change probably means hotter and drier weather generally. Hayes Jackson of ACES knows how to choose plants that grow just fine with little or no extra water
We talk about what it’s like to leave the city behind and the sense of isolation we sometimes feel in the country. Erik shares the frustration he sometimes feels that he’s stuck in the city and missing all the fun farmers are having
Gabe, a rancher and farmer in North Dakota, has managed with careful use of some basic techniques to more than triple the organic content and fertility of his soil. How he did it step by step and why he doesn’t care for the term “sustainable.”
We've been away from the farm for a week. We got basically no rain, so Amanda's potted plants went down hard. The grass kept growing, and the okra - which needs to be well-picked at all times - frolicked out of control
Biochar can dramatically improve the tilth and fertility of soil. Dr David Domermuth and his team at Appalachian State University are researching ways to convert wood chips into biochar economically
We think it’s pretty cool that this is our 200th podcast. Our program covers why we love growing in the fall, how we prolong the growing season, choosing what to plant, preparing your garden for fall, planting, timing, and harvesting
The weather seems to get weirder every year, not necessarily hotter and drier; just weirder. It’s not good, because it means we gardeners know less of what to expect each year. How can we adapt to that?
We welcome Jim Davis, a natural beekeeper. Jim shares what he does, how he learned about bees, and what it takes in money and time to have bees of your own
We will plant 12 pecan trees of four varieties (all rated well for scab resistance) on 50 foot spacing. We will use drip irrigation and use geotextile fabric to control weeds. It will be 10 years before we see any appreciable pecan crop
We thought it helpful to talk through a “typical” day for us. I’m up early, but not to work outside. We start our day slowly, and Amanda tends to pour on the energy later. And of course it is a most atypical day when I miss my midday nap!
It's surprising that we have so many cucumbers after the voles got more than half of them. We have them at every meal, and yesterday Amanda cut up a big batch of them for pickles. Today's program is shorter so we can baby Amanda's voice
Do plants have spirits? Why is Lee finding himself listening to them more and more? Are we just becoming foolish in our old age? Or are we opening ourselves to a reality that has been there all along and that we are just now beginning to experience?
We’ve had rain at Longleaf Breeze for 13 of the last 15 days; we never dry out. We're using a dehumidifier to combat mildew, showers for sweating, mowing for weeds, and insect repellent for mosquitoes. Is the new normal going to be no normal?
On this July 4th, we celebrate what is wonderful about the nation we call home and why we as farmers need good government: protection of safety and property, weather forecasting, the extension system, public education, and fire protection
We’re still learning what we can expect from our diverse orchard, and every year is different, but we have enough experience to at least begin to see how our strategy for fresh fruit is shaping up, month-by-month, during April through November
We love living and growing in Dixie. The four distinct seasons (okay, maybe three - spring's pretty much a mirage), we're hooked on growing fall veg through the winter, and you just can't beat October. But the price we pay is summer humidity
Every now and then we need to do a show where we just summarize what's going on at Longleaf Breeze. And it's time. So today we talk about peas, cabbage, chard, strawberries, sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, cucumbers, eggplant, and much more
It’s high time we planted some pecans, because it’ll take about ten years to get any nuts from them, and we’re not getting any younger! We're nearly certain we can't defend the economics, but pecans are key to our subsistence plan
We've had a good run with strawberries this year, our best crop ever. The season is waning now. We share with you what caused our crop to be better, how we planted and tended it, and what we'll change next year
We’ve been busy this week harvesting onion, and especially garlic. This week’s program is all about when, where, and how we planted it, how we’re curing it, and how we plan to store it after it’s cured
The lows in the low 40s on Monday and Tuesday made us grateful again for the wood stove, but the cool mornings are already a distant memory. Summer’s here! Days are longer, we’ll be able to dry more clothes, and we’ll need to stay hydrated!
Starting out mild and delivering anemic chilling hours, the winter nevertheless demanded lots of heating, particularly in its waning months. March was colder than January. Today’s program includes a review of the fall veg season
Longleaf Breeze came with a one-acre pond. We've known all along that we wanted to make it a reliable food source. Today's program is all about our plan, how it came to be, and how we're implementing it one step at a time
We finished the raised beds this week. Think we're excited? Here's what we’ve learned, how we built the beds, what it took to place them, what we’re learning about growing in them, and even the lessons we’ve learned about irrigating them
Transition talk about garlic, cover crops, strawberries, new raised beds, spring peas, asparagus, seedlings, trellises, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, golden kiwi, blueberries, plums, peaches, and pears
This week’s podcast covers the advantages and disadvantages of using raised beds, how to build them, where to put them, what to put in them, and how to make them work better
We've done okay with pests in the garden like deer, rabbits, and even aphids. Moles and voles are driving us crazy. We don't know we're getting attacked until the damage is already done. Here's what has NOT worked and what we're trying now
It's good we didn't plant heat-loving veg early the way we planned. Hard freeze on March 27. We got about the expected level of damage on the blueberries, more than expected on the figs, and less than expected on the peaches and pears
Every year about this time we find ourselves racing the clock to get fruit trees planted. Muscadines, kiwifruit, loquat, blueberry, and blackberry all are going into the ground, and most of them later than they should be
This week we got our first chance to use the lodge for a large workshop. Today Amanda and I describe the coverage of the workshop, how our guests seemed to react to the facilities, and what we've learned after hosting such a large event
We apologize for our failure to keep good records even while acknowledging the importance of doing so. The location of underground utility lines, plantings on Veg Hill, fruit trees in the orchard, and soon now, the money we’re spending off the farm
We depend on a heat mat and a grow light to give our seedlings the heat and light they need in their early development. The program this week includes lots of tips we’ve learned along the way, mostly from doing it the wrong way first!
Amanda's pulling fall veg and planting new, the orchard is full of firewood pallets and four new golden kiwis, and we're in the middle of major work on driveways and landscaping. And today we debut our new music!
Lots of information on the essentials for growing food, good choices for the new gardener (hint: tomatoes are not on the list), organic weed control and organic pest control. We finish with some advantages and disadvantages of using raised beds.
We are dangerously late preparing firewood for next winter. How we got behind, how we’ve addressed it, what we’ve learned about different kinds of wood, and what we’re doing to deal with the too-short seasoning period.
Last week we explained how and why we’re storing less food than we thought we would. This week we share what we’ve learned about how to store food effectively and economically. We talk about canning, freezing, drying, and using the root cellar.
Food storage is a constant issue for subsistence farmers. For us, the best way to “store” vegetables during the winter is on Veg Hill where Mother Nature keeps them fresh and crisp at using no energy but photosynthesis from the sun
It’s winter here, and both Amanda and I are feeling less energetic, sleeping more, working less. Is this Seasonal Affective Disorder, or is it just a normal, healthy response to the change in the amount and duration of sunlight reaching us?
We've been using the lodge at Longleaf Breeze for several months now and offer today a first report on how it's performing for large gatherings, for overnight guests, and for energy conversation. Most all the news is good
PV power is expensive, so we must use it in tiny amounts if we can. We don’t need the air conditioning, of course, and we do need a ceiling fan and basic lighting. But what about the deep freeze? The microwave? Amanda’s coffeepot? It’s tender
It's that time when we turn our attention each year to the goals we set for the past year. As promised, we turn an unflinching eye toward the goals we set for 2012 (hint: we get 50%) and articulate our goals for 2013
It's our first Christmas in the lodge, and the Farmer-in-Chief is eager to show it off. This time of year the forest is beautiful for walking, because most of the hardwoods have dropped their leaves, and the woods are more open for viewing
Amanda and I ponder this week the steps we’re taking to make ourselves more resilient and less subject to the money economy. We look at the basic human needs of air, water, food, shelter, clothing, and what we loosely call entertainment
It’s December in Elmore County, and the weather is way too delightful. Some fruit trees are budding, and one of our poor LSU Blacks has produced a futile December fig. We may need to approach the seasons differently in response to climate change
Our primary goal this fall has been to convert Veg Hill to raised beds. This week we cover what we've already planted and where, what we plan to do next, and how the raised beds fit in with our philosophy of 12-month production
It's that time again, when we pause to express our thanks for all our many blessings. By now you know the drill, so there's not much more we need to say
This week we shift our focus to indirect solar. We talk about the best way to lay the groundwork for PV, the cost of a PV installation, where to put the panels, and what to expect from them. We also share some good news about how long panels last
Everybody asks us if we have solar panels. No, but we hope to install them soon. This podcast and its sequel next week talk about the challenges and opportunities of using PV. First we need to do everything we can to shrink our energy use
We love using our Regency F1100 wood stove, but our friends don’t get it. Today we describe each objection or reservation we’ve heard about using a wood stove and respond to each one
Our faith fits in with and drives our farming. Our God is defined more by love than judgement, more mother than king. Yet conservative Christians often resonate with what we’re doing at Longleaf Breeze as much as anyone, sometimes more
Air trips to CA, seedless red grapes flown in from overseas, picking up Chinese for supper, driving 45 minutes each way to play the dulcimer, running that fuel-hungry bush hog, they’re all ways we continue to enjoy the wonders of fossil fuels
During these 5 years at Longleaf Breeze we have almost ignored how the farm looks. Now it is time to think about it. But we know it must be low cost and low maintenance to make any sense. Amanda is beginning a training regimen in landscape design
Our first driveway just followed an old logging road. It traveled up a too-steep incline, took a hard left, then down a gentle slope to the lodge. We now have a shorter, nearly flat entrance that should be far easier to maintain without fossil fuels
In the South we normally have a really low percentage of organic matter, because the soil is active all year. We’ve learned to keep our organic matter rich by keeping something growing on it all year too. Cover crops and lots of compost are the key
We’re converting Veg Hill to almost all raised beds. This should help us control weeds better, land should look spiffier too. The main disadvantages are the cost of the beds and their tendency to dry out, especially in the first year
When the muscadines are done in a few days, our fruit season will be over. We’re pleased with the blueberries, muscadines, and figs. Our blackberries aren’t sweet enough. Still waiting for persimmons, apples, pears, and pomegranates
Our big agenda this fall will be the "Veg Hill Reboot," a sort of "do-over” for the vegetable garden. This is the brainchild of the Farmer-in-Chief, who' hoping it will bring the weeds back to a level at which she can control them
We hope all the distractions that have pulled us from the farm this summer are behind us now. On Veg Hill, it’s about weeds and keeping up with the okra. In the orchard, we have big, succulent muscadines. And Lee’s been busy bush hogging the trails
Installing a stout, generous clothesline was the right decision for us. Ours is quiet, it saves energy, and it never breaks down. Whether it’s the right call for you will depend on the space available, your tastes, and your daytime schedule
After two years of planning and a year of construction, we’re ready to call the lodge more or less complete. Today we talk about how we’re already using it, what we’re already learning about it, and what work still remains
We use simple strategies at Longleaf Breeze to keep our electric bills down. Changing light bulbs and turning off lights helps, but the big savings come from using as little air conditioning as possible and avoiding the dryer
Three years after we planted our first fruit trees, we’re finally seeing fruit we can enjoy eating. This is our first production year for blueberries and muscadines. The figs, apples, and pears are isolated. Still no persimmon, olive, or pomegranate
We spoke about resilience Tuesday to the Central Alabama Master Gardeners Association. Today’s podcast is a summary of that presentation. We cover our work to grow more of our own food, to use as little energy as possible, and to increase redundancy
Our lives changed instantly when Lee’s accident left his left arm hanging limply by his side. We’re hoping for full recovery, but meanwhile we keep the farm producing by lowering our standards, handing tasks to Amanda, and calling on friends for help
This is our "second summer" when nearly everything but the okra slows down on Veg Hill. Today we cover what has already shut down, what's still producing well, and what's still on deck for later. We end with strategies for getting through this.
We talk about why you should want to help organic subsistence farmers like us, and then on how you can do so. You could become one! And even if you can’t see yourself as a farmer, support your agricultural extension system
Could we adapt to the crushing changes coming if we still lived in the suburbs? We would build raised beds for food, keep laying hens for eggs and maybe meat rabbits too. We would need to make our house tolerable without the heat pump.
Most Americans preparing food start with a recipe, and then we go buy the ingredients we need. At Longleaf Breeze we start with whatever’s lovely and in season. Then we try to figure out the best way to make it tasty and nutritious
We talk blueberries, blackberries, persimmons, figs, muscadines, apples, pears, and even olives. Then we go to Veg Hill and reflect on tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, beans, peas, and cucumbers. So much to talk about, and so much to look forward to!
As new farmers, we focused almost exclusively on annuals. As we do this more, we’re paying more attention to perennials that require less seeding and planting each year, like fruits, nuts, asparagus, and our favorite, self-seeding green beans
We love the roles and relationships we’ve formed with our church and community, but lately we’ve neglected work on the farm to attend to all our commitments. We must stay engaged, but we also must be judicious about volunteering our time
Our annual review ends with allness statements and the ease with which we avoid them. We consider and reject a handful we could be making. We finish with our quasi-principle of always learning, always teaching
We say our work needs to be fun while we’re doing it. At least for us: that means we can see the results of the work, and we care about those results. Lee’s work on the driveway qualifies, as does Amanda’s seed starting. Not so the weeding
Mother's Day is always time for our annual review, this year in three parts. Today it's all about approaching but never reaching subsistence. We look at fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, clothing, transportation, medicine, electricity, and tools
Sunn hemp is a great summer cover crop, but what to plant in the winter? Today we share what we know about sweet lupin, which has worked well for us. We share what we did wrong in our planting, and we finish with whether you can eat the lupin beans
Amanda and I are getting more excited now as we watch the lodge we’ve dreamed of, argued about, and planned for take shape. We are far enough along now to share with you why we’re building it, what is informing its design, and how we hope to use it
Amanda describes her work on Veg Hill pulling the bolting collards and rescuing that lone kohlrabi left over from the fall. Lee talks about bush-hogging and taking down the magnificent cover crop of lupin and black oats on the orchard floor
Chickens make so much sense for subsistence farming. The manure, the soil fertility, and of course, the EGGS! As soon as we finish the lodge, we’ll build one chicken tractor and begin finding out whether we have what it takes
We’ve dropped the description of ourselves here as “BEGINNERS Learning Subsistence Farming.” We reflect on what we didn’t know when we started, on our chicken wire veg “cage,” and on the startling growth of our asparagus ferns
If the planet is getting hotter - and we think it is - we will have fewer fruit chilling hours in the future. The muscadines, figs, and blueberries will be fine, as will most of the blackberries. The apples? The pears? Not so much
Our friends make us jealous when they talk about their asparagus, so we planted our crowns this week! Asparagus tastes great, and it’s a perennial that needs remarkably little care once it’s established. It’s just a tad intimidating.
Something turns up missing around here nearly every day. Tools, the Spring veg Amanda planted, and those trees on our neighbor’s property sacrificed for the timber money. Good news, though: the missing daikon radish seeds turned up!
Enough of the winter lull. Spring is arriving, and we need to get busy. We need to update the orchard database, start seeds, mulch young trees, and dispatch those varmints on Veg Hill
We’ve just spent some time with conscientious Alabama fruit and vegetable growers. It’s striking and depressing how much poison they use in growing our food. Today’s podcast finishes with the approach we take here at Longleaf Breeze
Dealing with critters has been a challenge from the initial deer devastation of the summer of 2009 straight through to today. We understand we can't protect against all damage from wild animals; we're just trying to protect as much as possible
We talked in December about how we’re changing the way we grow fruits and vegetables in response to climate change. Today we deal with how we’re preparing the forest that covers most of our farm and how to reduce our need for petroleum
Brassicas are the heart of our fall veg. Collards, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kohlrabi, and that scrumptious cauliflower. They’re cold hardy and grow straight through the winter in central Alabama
It’s winter, but our focus is on seed. We’ve saved seed for the first time this year, we’re buying lots of seed too. We’ll start seed in flats, but we hope we’ll do a better job this year tracking them through production
It will be time soon enough to prune our fruit trees. Right now we’re focused on planting. The big fruit initiative for 2012 is blueberries. Also, our plans for strawberries, olives, pomegranates, figs, peaches, a muscadine, and a persimmon
For 2011 we wanted to expand the orchard, get to know our neighbors, and sell our city house. How did we do? For 2012, we want to finish the lodge, begin tracking off-farm expenses, reach out to the neighbors, start raising chickens, and save more seed
We’re moving toward subsistence with our food supply. Each year we find ourselves buying less from off the farm. This year, it’s veg, a mix of canned, fresh, and mostly frozen, with a regular assist from the root cellar. Maybe meat next year?
We’re three days from Christmas, a special day indeed for us Christians. We’re also aware of others for whom other days are the special ones. Here’s to embracing, not just tolerating, our differences.
We're all addicted to information 24/7 from the Internet; today we explore why that's about to change (hint: peak oil, climate change, overpopulation), and how we're preparing to deal with it at Longleaf Breeze by building up our library
We farmers can see global warming in hotter summers, fewer gentle soaking rains, changing crop dates, and unprecedented weather events. To cope, we’re trellising the orchard, using drip irrigation, saving seed, and growing all year
Amanda and I made our first presentation as Master Gardeners this week, to the Emerald Mountain Garden Club near Wetumpka; we talked about organic growing and simple living. Go to Longleaf Breeze to follow along with the PowerPoint slides.
It's an annual ritual for us to use this week’s podcast to reflect on the many ways in which we are blessed. We are thankful for our health, for our farm, for our family, for our church, and for the many other blessings that make life so fun
Cover crops are critical to the health of our soil. So why is it so hard for us to make them a priority? Also: completion of the fire pit, dismantling the trellis on Veg Hill, and scoping out a new trail on the west side
We're looking at Adrian’s wedding in the rear view mirror and couldn't be prouder. The bride and groom were beautiful, the wedding was relaxed and fun, and we've got great leftovers to enjoy. Now it's time for us to return our attention to the farm
We’re in high gear now for our daughter’s wedding two days away. Today’s podcast includes our preparations, the efficiency with which we’re making them, the insights we’re gaining as we work, and the impact of all this on the farm
We had a great visit this weekend with students from the New College at the University of Alabama talking about farming. This extended length podcast is our conversation with them, in which Amanda and I answered their questions. What fun!
We love growing vegetables in the fall in Alabama. It’s more pleasant to be outside in the fall, there are fewer problems with bugs and weeds, you can’t beat fresh vegetables in the wintertime, and we have less canning and freezing to do
That blistering heat we talked about all summer seems gone now. Production is slowing down on Veg Hill, and we’re gearing up for the first frost. We’re enjoying more walks around the property these days, and the fall veg is coming on strong
So many green beans. We describe our “second crop” of beans. There are still new beans coming on now, including rattlesnake and Kentucky Wonder, and the new blossoms offer the promise of even more to come if they can beat the frost
Today we focus on fruits and nuts in the orchard. The progress so far, the electric deer fence, orchard floor maintenance, the advantages and disadvantages of trellising fruit trees, and our plans for winter planting
We know how helpful the Longleaf Breeze Planting Database is to us, and we hope to others. We've neglected it, but we pledge to do better. This extra-length episode has a comprehensive report about the performance of Veg Hill over the summer
Hard to believe we’ve been at this every week for just shy of two years. We remember where we are when we started, what has changed, and what we’ve learned. It’s remarkable how much of what we set out to do we’re actually doing or preparing to do
Holidays have a different feel to them now that we live on the farm. There’s no such thing as a holiday, or maybe every day is a holiday. We address holidays as “holy days,” and we talk about the way we use the Sabbath day here on the farm
We bought our Sun Oven before we moved to Longleaf Breeze, thinking when we did that it would be a fun novelty. After we’ve settled into life as subsistence farmers, though, it’s become our main cooking tool
We should move Thanksgiving to August, because our production is peaking. We're choked with peas, beans, tomatoes, okra, eggplant, and winter squash. We’re planning two big batches of soup, but that will only put a small dent in the supply
We’ve just returned from a week in California visiting our children and our grandchild. So much sunshine! There just aren’t anything like the bugs and fungi there that we have in central Alabama. But remember they're living and growing in a desert
We've now graduated as Master Gardeners. We're so proud! How has all we've learned changed the way we grow? Our plans for the future? Also: progress on the lodge, arguing about the refrigerator, and an orchard update
We have far more food than we can use these days. Our philosophy is we eat what we want, store what we can, and give away the rest. Giving food away is our way of priming the gift economy, and we're already planning what we can give away in the future
We devote this week’s podcast to Amanda’s and Lee's slightly different motivations for being organic subsistence farmers and about how they converge on a shared philosophy of both farming and life
We're in the middle of a series of articles on long-term food strategy, Amanda's bringing in baskets of food each day, and we're giving food away to somebody every day. Great time to talk about food and how it all fits in with our three principles
After four days away from the farm, the peas are everywhere! Also rattlesnake beans. Also: our 2nd June Gold peach is looking like a July gold. The muscadine race to the trellis line is basically done. Work on the pad for the lodge, and Oddie's setback
What a fun conversation with our daughter and announcer Adrian Lee Borden and her fiance Elion Olson! We talked about the use of the root cellar for wine storage, the shape of the orchard and the orchard expansion, and how many listeners we have
It's the beginning of Summer; time to talk about endings. We talk about the end of blueberries and strawberries, we dream about the end of weeds, we talk about the end of 3/4" PVC pipe, and maybe the end of our buying artisan bread
Our normal rhythm of cool, wet Spring and dry, hot Summer is breaking down. Is this global weirding - climate change - or just an unusual year? If this is the new normal, how will we cope? Also, Lee's baking and Amanda's weed control
The deadly April storms made it seem more urgent that we prepare to be safe in a tornado. Our storm shelter and root cellar will be below the lodge and will be comparatively large, 12' x 16'. Also: our first peach, and the daily struggle with bugs
It's still Spring but feels like the middle of summer. Thanks to drip irrigation, our crops aren't dying, but they're not growing much either. And this is the time when we really need them to be putting on growth to prepare for the summer heat
This edition is nothing but good news. We start with our daughter/announcer's engagement and move to drip irrigation, blackberry production, blueberry production, peaches, figs, firewood, muscadines, tomatoes, peppers, beans, ham radios, and dog training
In Alabama, cover crops are crucial, because we always need more organic matter in our soil. We haven’t been paying attention to cover crops, but we’re resolved to do better. Also: Amanda’s aches and pains and how we’re dealing with them
Amanda has planted squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and melons. Along with the tomatoes she’s also planted eggplant and peppers. We have about 200 feet of okra in the ground. We need to trellis sweet potatoes, cucumbers, and 280 feet of beans
How are we doing on our twin goals of resiliency and a lighter footprint? We've used 30% of our allotted time; are we 30% finished? We look at shelter, food, water, and community
Twisters last week killed 236 people and caused untold property damage. Today we remember those who died. Also: delayed planting, orchard update, Lee’s fix on the Tractor, a dog joins our family, and Lee’s preparation for taking the ham radio exam
We love living in our tiny apartment in the barn, but Amanda has a spiritual gift of hospitality and needs to entertain. We talk about the floor plan, the view, and the energy efficiency of the lodge, what excites Amanda about it, and what scares Lee
And we have 20 more in pots! How did we lose control? We're reacting to last year's terrible harvest, and we still see this as a learning experience. This year we're preparing soil differently, planting differently, and watering differently
We’re delighted to sell our house, but we've neglected the farm to do it. Weeds, late planting, unmulched fruit trees, incomplete soil prep. Gotta get that deer fence in now! We also describe the new construction we call "Phase II."
This is unnatural for us, but we devote this podcast to regret. What did we do wrong? Did we buy the right property? The right tractor? Hire the right contractors? Buy building materials from the right store? Should we have waited longer to do this?
We’ve just moved the last of our belongings from our suburban home. AFTER donating tons to the Salvation Army, we managed to fill up a 10 x 20 foot storage unit. So we’re thinking a lot these days about the stuff we own and can’t seem to let go
We're preparing our suburban home to sell it next week. We grieve about the city life we've left behind (friends, convenience, robust Internet service) and the things we'll miss the least (constant driving, too much shade for growing, heat pumps)
We’ve enjoyed the fun things we're doing with our dear family and friends, but how do we manage all those farm tasks we know need doing when we’re spending so much time away from the farm? Also: worrying less about precision, hardening off seedlings
The trees are budding, the broccoli is having another go of it, and the sleepy brussels sprouts are now pouring it on. The cabbage is looking great too, but what's that critter that's eating on it before we can? Also: the dumbest bluebird in history
We know oil will cost more. Will it be available at all? Will the electric grid be reliable? Will economic activity collapse? Law and order? How will we attend to basic human needs like water, food, shelter, and relationships? Can we say anything good?
We’ve planted 84 trees. Next up: erosion control and orchard floor, trellis lines, deer fence, drip irrigation, mulch, and pruning. Also: start of spring planting on Veg Hill, another new trail, Japanese Maple grafting party, and all about soil blocks
We're in full scale planting mode, 19 trees yesterday, hoping for even more today. High-density organic orcharding, using a flared auger, hitting a water line, designing drip irrigation for an orchard, planting strawberries, deer fence, and pumpkin soup
The rain cut deep rivers in our new orchard expansion. But we won't panic. We have a plan. Also: progress on a grow light for starting seed and a visit with Mallory Kelley, our extension agent, plotting future trails, and developing a new work platform
My brother Dave Gray and his bulldozer were active for only about seven hours this weekend, but that's all it took for him to push out all the stumps, clean out an area below the orchard, and contour the orchard to cut down on erosion
We love our visit each year to SSAWG. Each year, though, it's less dramatic, more subtle. These are mostly commercial farmers, not into subsistence as we are, so we have to be careful to choose our programs carefully. But so many young people!
We love heating with a wood stove, because it’s efficient. comfortable, and economical. But there are disadvantages, and we talk about them too. We finish with our guesses about who should not depend on a wood stove for heating their home
We look at the question two ways: (1) how much do we want to have? and (2) how much land do we really need? We do like wandering around in the forest. But what we really need is a lot less. Also: the joys of staying simple and resilient
Our decision to remove stumps turned out to be more difficult than you might think. All about cutting down all those lovely trees, what to do with the firewood and mulch, and whether we'll be able to plant any trees this year. Also, compost in waiting
We look back on our first full year living on the farm and what has surprised us about our new life. Then we look forward to 2011, the projects, the challenges, and the dreams. We want to do a better job reaching out to our neighbors.
We have contrasting reactions to our decision not to decorate for Christmas this year. All about drip irrigation: cost to install and run, improvement in growing performance, plans for the future, and what we did right and wrong with drip irrigation
Fall veg grows slowly, but muscles through a 15 degree freeze. Also: Do we need row cover after all? Cleaning up the microclimate bed, farewell to Master Gardener classes, good to be walking again, and Lee's preparation for deer hunting.
We talk frankly about the advantages and disadvantages of downsizing our residence, about what works in its design and what we would do differently today. We also describe the ways we keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer
Why we’ve changed from our suburban squeamishness, deer hunting as harvest rather than sport, and how we hope to use the meat. Also: “Amanda Oakley” ready to go with her gun, our all-day cookfest, and the problems of shopping for seed
We say thanks for our blessings: the farm, the deer fence, health, family, friends, technology, and the chance to keep learning. Also: grieving over the end of Master Gardener, dismantling the garden, mulch, cute brussels sprouts, and armadillo trouble
We’ve been watching through the row cover, but now the bugs are down, so we pulled the row cover Sunday. Also: spreading pelletized lime is simple, breaking in a new smoker, and celebrating our one year anniversary living at Longleaf Breeze.
All it took was one night of freezing temperatures to lay waste to most of our summer veg. Some of the survivors surprised us: the okra is still hangin’ in there, as is the sunn hemp. Also: sweet potato harvest and liming the soil.
Our original strategy for surviving without air conditioning, and why it failed. What we did instead. What we would do differently. More Planting even now. Reprieve from the frost for veg and unfortunately for grasshoppers. Our first hailstorm.
No, Amanda wasn't stuck in London needing money wired to her, but it was a long day. How we're recovering, and what we've learned. Also: baby shower on the farm, 10,000 hours, thirsty compost, and the critter inside the deer fence
We celebrate our first anniversary reflecting on what has changed and what has not. We kept our three principles and commitment to organic subsistence farming. But the barn became home, the orchard got bigger, and Amanda became the Farmer-in-Chief
Our soil is highly acidic, so what can we do? Also: winter squash, sunn hemp, planning the orchard expansion, and planning for resilient energy/water flow without a reliable electrical grid.
Who eats persimmons? On purpose? But after tasting a well-grown Oriental persimmon, we have a whole new outlook. Also, compost update, learning why our southern soils are less fertile, growing something year-round, and soil testing
Woo-hoo! Our 50th podcast! We're grateful for advice from a young farmer and an old one. Also: dumpster diving for cardboard, finishing the compost, whacking at kudzu, first taste of fall, good food going to the landfill, and updating the database.
The row cover is saving our fall veg from the grasshoppers. None of the fall veg need pollination, so we can set up a barrier keeping out all insects. Also: our sunn hemp scare, where to expand the orchard and what to plant
It's simpler than most people think, EVERYBODY should be composting, how we do it, keeping the pile moist, row covers on Row 6, workshops and workdays, "South Orchard" expansion?
Up late last night, but it's done! 50 pears, roughly 2 1/2 gallons. Also, what makes our preserves different, is a water bath needed for canning?, fall veg review, cutting down sunn hemp, refreshing the orchard, settling an argument about Lee's tea
We can already begin to sense how near fall is on brisk mornings, the effect of fall on Veg Hill, firewood prep and passive solar changes, additions to Row 6, our first Master Gardener class, picking pears, compost tea
For our ignorance about growing things, the Master Gardener program is just the thing. Classes, service requirement, the Master Gardener hotline, role of organic. Harvesting sweet potatoes, muscadine trellis redo, easy way to freeze tomatoes
Trellising the easy (and cheap) way, when to do it, trellising tomatoes that won't grow, retrofitting the muscadine trellis. Also, using air conditioning, reorganizing our storage, enjoying books again, drip extension, using plastic to kill weeds
Living more simply, avoiding accumulating things we don't need, using rolling shelves. Also, waiting too long to down trees, regular routine with the clothesline, hardening off veg for the fall, first sign of fall purple hull peas
When the south's brutal heat punishes our other veg, the okra just keeps coming. Better keep it well picked! Also, squash bugs, the height of melon season, superstar sunn hemp, coping with the heat, and the extension of the drip irrigation system
Counting on fewer bug problems, seed starting in the heat, cutting sunn hemp on Row 6, clear plastic to kill weeds, carving out a season to rest, great report on our wood stove inspection
Maybe rejection was a good thing; now we'll be able to put the info in context. Also, time away from the farm, seed starting, variation in soil fertility on Veg Hill, first use of the clothesline, soaker hoses failing, replacing drip irrigation filter
Arguing about the dehumidifier, design of the pole barn, "closing up the envelope," staying hydrated, getting used to it, poorly peach tree, Lee is a bush hogging fool, variation in soil quality on Veg Hill, maggots in the compost
The sunn hemp is doing well; now what to plant on the west side? Cowpeas? Daikon radishes? Rye? Also: no wheat for bread flour in Alabama, blackeye peas, corn, tomatoes, melons, eggplant, edamame, and erosion control; problem with drip irrigation
shouldn't we be growing all the veg we need during the summer? Also: Veg Hill update, nasty storm on Sunday, a new tomato trellis, coping with humidity, drip irrigation lines moving around, ready to call the Horse Pal a success
Should we leave them alone? Pull them by hand? Use the weeding hoe? Also: firewood report, first use of the Wallenstein BX42 chipper, Hortense the solar owl scarecrow, sunn hemp update
System is in, installing drip irrigation, effect of drip irrigation on sunn hemp, clogged drip irrigation filter, or very own Horse Pal, one last gasp at corn
Never expected blueberries the first year, progress on drip irrigation system, next up: installing drip tape, chipper and firewood waiting, poor man's tomato trellis, using junk fence for bean trellis, progress with corn, farewell to the romaine lettuce
Eating and giving away food from Veg Hill, waiting for the ryegrass to die, Petals from the Past, update on the irrigation system, flooding then drought then flooding, fun with the Horse Pal
Focusing on water with our drip irrigation system, trenching, installing PVC pipes, planting sunflowers on Veg Hill, coping with a plague of horse flies
Mulch interferes with weeding, pruning muscadines, pruning fruit trees, finishing the clothesline, planting centipede grass, compost plan F, compost volunteers, gearing up for irrigation, and Amanda's work watering everything in sight
The grass that wouldn't die, muscadine trellis, two sisters instead of three, we want sun!, firewood is beckoning, new ornamentals, bush hog mishap, our romantic anniversary
Race to the plant sales, then let them sit, what's in the ground, the database, from flood to drought, planning irrigation system, critters in the compost, firewood shuffle
What appliances we have given up, tankless water heater, the future for Longleaf Breeze, plans for solar panels, household cleaning and personal hygiene products, when to compost and when to recycle
Why we changed our lifestyle so dramatically, what chemicals and fertilizers we use, the efficiency of humanure, wood heating and the carbon cycle, how we use compost, growing herbs, cutting grass
Lee focuses on legal practice, Amanda on the farm, how long?, transplanting tenacious strawberries, our first rainfall measurement, and the wind!, we need rain, humanure compost pile
Welcoming Joe, Michelle, Smith, and Grandma, changes in the deer fence and orchard, slow progress on the greenhouse, starting seed without a greenhouse, Good Friday planting, Lee’s dual career stress, Smith’s time on the farm, plans for the lodge
Growth in three days, fruit trees, forest trees including the persimmon, birds, and bugs, deer fence is finished!, laying out rows and aisles on Veg Hill, Good Friday planting, planting in waves, weather station, composting toilet update
Succession of people we love seeing what we're doing, what surprises them, deer fence progress, sun oven update, Adrian's perceptions of the changes
Making real progress, heavy fence fabric, enclosure feeling, our seed purchases, starting seed, working with the composting toilet, planning the greenhouse, budding fruit trees
Searching for seed companies Monsanto doesn't own yet, monofilament line for deer fence, straight rows vs. meandering plantings, our first composting toilet
Clearing the fence line, measuring, setting posts, leveling, using the transit, first monofilament line, remaining tasks, preparing to be apart, shitake mushroom workshop
Our goal is 20 blueberry bushes, varieties for spreading the season, pruning, gapping vines to kill them, cell phones and steel building, our solar oven routine, wood stove dampering
17 trees in the ground, more peaches?, best soil for fruit trees, hog wire cages, blueberries in the sunshine, cleaning off Veg Hill, cover crop for Veg Hill, the joy of finishing tasks
Can we ever get past this? Planting pear trees and longleafs, gearing up for snow, we need community, dishwasher energy savings, shelter from the north wind
Update on Ole’ Cuz and his brother, rows and aisles on Veg Hill, cover crops, planting the first fruit trees in the orchard, planting longleafs, living in one place and managing property elsewhere
Plastic mulch and hoophouses, collecting other’s leaves for compost, cover crop, Alabama organic farmers, getting on with Veg Hill, scratchin’ at Ole’ Cuz, design for Veg Hill
Heading to Chattanooga for Southern SAWG, clearing for the deer fence, we hate vines, orchard planning, housecleaning, walking around the farm for fun, compost rhythm
Keeping the apartment warm, hot water problem, septic tank problem, back to clearing and burning, plans for Southern SAWG
Stress, stress, and more stress, focusing on the present, firewood consumption, keeping warm to wash clothes, where to store things
In this extended holiday edition, our daughter Adrian and her boyfriend Kenny quiz us about the decisions we’re making and how this new way of living is going to work
Regrets and second thoughts, rediscovering part of the farm, fun with the Kill-o-Watt, dual flush toilet, preparing for the holidays, learning what we can't store in the pole barn
A world too wet, suburban power down, leaf management, first cold snap, garden transition, money struggles, packing and moving, Lee’ depression
Tankless water heater, too many tasks and too little time, new ethic about energy, Lee's returning to the farm, lightning protection and leaky roof, wire screens instead of fiberglass
Giving thanks for our blessings, first report on the wood stove, moving in, separation, sweet potato harvest, the compost fairy, soggy farm
The big move, "home," goodbye to Roly Poly, living out of boxes and bins, “air in the cabinets,” deer fence line, clothesline planning, first fall lettuce, first frost warning, lightning protection, Eclectic Trading Days
Fighting with each other, progress on the deer fence, joys of a shower on the farm, resting on Sunday, wasps chewing holes in our screen, struggles with Internet on the farm, preparing for the big move
3rd Principle: no allness statements, pest and termite control, emptying Amanda’s office and the truck breakdown, the joys of the full moon, enjoying an outdoor shower, our energy philosophy, and our off-farm jobs
Second principle: It’s gotta be fun while we’re doing it, leaving a legacy, progress on the pole barn apartment, rescuing the last watermelon of the season
First principle: approaching but never reaching subsistence, deer damage and deer fence, bed matters, progress on the barn
Deer Fence, Fall Garden, healthy herbs, African blue basil, banana peppers, okra, tomatoes, watermelons, green beans
Welcome, about Lee and Amanda, about Longleaf Breeze, the Three Principles, and the Longleaf Breeze podcast