camaraderie or solidarity or some other "ity"..

Lots going on on the homestead here.. busy work hours, trying to get outside whenever possible and whenever weather permits, thinking of new ways to buy local, and of course- raising these little baby seedlings to become the strong, healthy plants they will one-day become!

I've been making more of an effort to get out to the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market in the past two months. It's only about a 12 minute drive, and although there's obviously not a lot of fresh produce this time of year yet, I've regularly been getting my bread, jam, cheese, and yogurt from the A2 market. There's a feeling of camaraderie or solidarity or some other "ity" as I briskly pass by the each vendor stalls and zip my coat up just a bit more.


We're all out here, together, freezing our butts off for local, healthy, delicious food! 

Great Lake lettuce, and a mix of onion cultivars.
Damn. Why do I never label things properly?

Granted, Farmers/vendors get a lot more of the credit than I do- they make the stuff, I just buy it and eat it. But I do still allow myself a small pat on the back. Shopping locally is not difficult for me, persay, but it definitely is something I think about a lot and do intentionally.

It's really easy to go to large-nearby-box-store, spend $50, buy whatever the hell I want; pineapple, strawberries, canned stuff that I didn't can, grow, or have a hand in, bread with 800 ingredients, milk from CAFO cows.. it's cheaper and simpler. But I would argue that it is a lot harder to choose healthy food, seasonal food, local food, or even safe food.

Bavaria lettuce, shooting up! :)

My seedlings are doing well- last week I planted some Matt's Cherry tomatoes, some Romanesco tomatoes, some more Copra and Valencia onions, and a second try at the Bavaria lettuce that has not been germinating very well. But it's finally germinating- I think it needed some more warmth.

I have 13 garlic cloves growing strong in my beds out back, which is not nearly enough for the whole year, however this is my first year growing garlic so I wanted to start small in case it was an epic fail. Looks like it was very much otherwise! I haven't planted any veggies outside because the weather has been crazy- I think I'll plant the onions here in another week, and the lettuce too. Then I'll have more baby lettuces and onions transplants ready to go a few weeks after that!

Master Loseph in the Kitten bed he shunned as a kitten.
It's pretty snug now, huh?