You have been a busy girl. ;o) Possibilities: The bark dust and Turface fines are excellent additions to raised beds. You could also scatter the bark on the lawn or gardens, add it to the compost pile, or use it in the 5:1:1 mix in place of the peat fraction. If you're into hypertufa (with all that energy and enthusiasm, it seems like you SHOULD be! Lol), the bark fines can be substituted for peat and the Turface fines are a superb substitute for the sand in hypertufa. Al

I have two bins worth to worry about. I will either add them to my beds, store it for use for later or simply add it to my compost bins. Expensive compost but it's already paid for. As for your small potatoes, I haven't harvested yet so I can't say, but if bushiness is any indication, I've got a lot growing. Try straw if you want a lighter fill material. /shrug Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure

Lou, you crack me up! I had an old neighbor once in the country who shot a red-tailed hawk who came after his chickens. Wildlife had just released them a year earlier in a repopulation project. I told the wildlife guy at the time he was releasing them in the wrong area, that they would all be dead soon. He said that a lot of people would be in jail if they were. Nobody ever went to jail. The hawks caught on and moved elsewhere. I heard they were seen in Aiken, about 30 miles down the road, where they raise horses, not chickens, and love hawks because they eat the barn mice. Birds are smarter than we think they are. It's sad that we can't protect our crops from migratory marauders, but rich people can breed doves and foxes by the hundreds and shoot them on a yearly basis for "sport". FWIW, I've done some borderline illegal stuff to protect my garden when I lived in the country, and I purposely put net on my chicken coops to kill the snakes. I like snakes...in their place...but chickens are not as cheap to raise as some people think.

I wrote this recipe for a contest I'm in; once you get past the paleness of the pork meatloaf compared to a beef, you'll be surprised at how tasty it is. I always bake a ham with 2 cups of leftovers in mind for this! ps: you can use all potatoes in the topping if you prefer Butternut Gold-Crowned Pork Meatloaf Meatloaf: 1/3 cup finely minced shallots or onions 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 ( 8 oz.) can crushed pineapple (do not drain) 2 cups fine soft bread crumbs (about 4 to 5 slices white bread in food processor) 2 cups leftover baked ham, minced in food processor 1 pound ground pork Butternut Gold topping: 1 pound Butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" chunks (about 3 cups) 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks (about 3 cups) 4 Tablespoons softened butter 1/4 to 1/2 cup warmed Half & Half (approximately) Preheat oven to 375º. Spray an 8" or 9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine meatloaf ingredients, along with pepper to taste and mix to blend thoroughly. Press into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until thermometer inserted in center of loaf reaches 165º. While meatloaf is baking, prepare topping. Place squash and potato chunks in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain into a colander, then use a ricer to rice chunks back into cooking pot. Add butter, enough warm Half & Half for desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste; mash until smooth. Cover and keep warm. When meatloaf is done, remove from oven and set broiler to heat. Blot meatloaf top lightly with paper towel to absorb any liquid, and cover with squash/potato topping. Place crowned meatloaf close to broiler and broil until very lightly browned. Makes 6 servings.