End of the 2011 Organic Farming Experiment & the Last Harvest of the Year!





2011 brought a lot outdoor fun for Damian and I. We decided to take on a project of organically farming a quarter-acre of land in Defiance, MO. We were so thankful for the opportunity to lease farm land from a man named Dr. Granger and start experimenting with growing vegetables and fruits.

We had our successes and our "learning experiences" in 2011. We grew hundreds of cucumbers and numerous watermelon, cantaloupes, and pumpkins.  We learned about squash bugs and cucumber beetles - the hard way.We shared our edamame and sugar snap peas with the deer, but still got enough for several meals. As for the Fall, we were able to grow enough romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, and pac choi to sell to a restaurant and make a profit. We learned that broccoli, cabbage, and pac choi are amazingly winter hardy plants. We also learned that some Fall plants need to be planted earlier than October so that we can harvest them before the first frost kills them. Weeding... ahhh, yes, we learned that weeding a quarter-acre of land is a time consuming and never ending process; however, we decided that it is a good back and upper arm muscle workout and can be more fun when music is playing. :)


A few snapshots of what our farm produced

We are amazed by what we accomplished in 2011. For two people who got inspired to start organically farming in February 2011, we were able to pull together the resources and the physical determination that it took to start a small farm. We shared "couple time" by weeding and marveling at the growth of the seeds we planted in the earth. We used fun new farm machinery and shared in the giddy excitement and the frustrations that came along with the 2011 growing season. We bought less vegetables from the store and learned how to can our own pickles, relish, jelly, and more. We became creative, resourceful, and productive in a way we hadn't been before. It is beautiful to watch seeds grow and marvel at the full extent to which vegetables and fruits can feed us and sustain us for months to come. Also, we were grateful for the opportunity to share our bounty with our family and friends as well.

Sharing bounty with family

This last day of 2011, we decided to go clean up the farm and get it ready for the new year. We harvested our last vegetables. YES, we harvested 30+ broccoli, 15+ cabbages, 5+ pac choi, and 3 lettuces on December 31st! UNBELIEVABLE! I would have never thought that be possible for vegetables to continue growing into the cold months without a greenhouse. When we got home, we made a delicious pot of broccoli cheddar soup to celebrate our last harvest of the year.

December 31st at the farm

We definitely are motivated to keep growing in the next year. As I type this, there are still garlic, carrots, and brussel sprouts growing through the winter under a blanket of straw at the farm. We thank you for following our blog and invite you continue to follow our farming journey in the new year!