Harvest season is now in full swing on the homestead and I am so grateful. The other day, I dug up all my garlic, harvested fava beans, and am enjoying broccoli, zucchinis, basil and cucumbers from the garden. Meanwhile, the tomatoes are starting to ripen, the winter squash plants are sprawling, and the peppers are loving these hot days.
Yet despite getting yields out of the annual garden, I feel like this year has been a bit more of a challenge than years past. With voles, low germination rates on carrots and beets, lower pollination rates and now the crazy heat, the annual garden is just not nearly as resilient as our food forest. That’s why I keep on coming back to the beauty of perennial systems. They are ultimately more resilient, require less water, help build soil, and give you high yields.
This past Wednesday, I had a group of volunteers come help with the berry harvest. In a couple of hours, we collected so much goodness! Raspberries, gooseberries, sour cherries, and red currants are all now packed in the freezer or waiting to be incorporated into some sort of baked good (have I mentioned I have a sweet tooth?).
Mid-summer is a time of abundance in the food forest, with apples and pears still on their way. In my video today, I talk about My Top 4 Most Effective Groundcovers in my Food Forest. So click above to learn more!