Glib, what a co-inky dink, I and a friend are going to build a coop at my acre next week, to house her six chickens. We plan to use the amplitude of weeds there to feed them and slowly build deep fertility for vegetables. Also going to get some missing medicinals into the mix. Regarding the issue of how a garden celebrity does this and that, and everything is so amazing, the Garden of Eden phenomenon, what is always missing from the conversation is soil type. Soil type, on its own, can explain every discrepancy. This summer, for example, just because I constantly do odd things, I stuck some flint corn seed in a mulch pile next to a cranberry bog where I happen to be working all summer. That area is sitting on some quite heavy silt (hence the bog). The mulch pile is up on a higher area so not soaking wet. That corn, with some beans twining, is growing much better than almost anything else I have going on several different gardens and soils. I attribute this to of course the fresh ground not being deplete, and of course the half-rotted wood chips keeping moisture in the ground, but also of course the silt. Repeat the experiment on sand (or clay) and the result would not be near the same. So when we get all excited about this and that celeb having such amazing results, it would be useful to know the soil type in question.

I forgot what recipes I sent in, but here's a couple for tomatoes, peppers and one for a zucchini yeast bread. Panzanella This is an Italian bread salad. The Italians make it to use up stale bread. I make it to use up cherry tomatoes (I use halved cherry tomatoes). Ingredients Salad 1 1⁄2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 3) 1 shallot, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 cup fresh basil leaves Panzanella croutons Freshly ground black pepper Panzanella Croutons ¼ cup unsalted butter 1 tablespoon minced garlic 6 cups cubed day-old bread (½-inch cubes) Salt and ground black pepper to taste 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan Core the tomatoes and, if large, cut them into chunks; if small, halve or quarter them (I slice the cherry tomatoes in half). Toss them gently with the shallot, garlic, oil, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and pepper. Set aside until the tomatoes are very juicy, about 10 minutes. Add croutons and give a give toss. Tear the basil over the salad and toss gently. (The bread salad can be served now or set aside at room temperature for a couple of hours.) For the croutons, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and preheat a cookie sheet in it. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with the cheese and toss again while warm to melt the cheese. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 8 or 9 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container. Tortellini Salad with Pine nuts This recipe is from Picnic! By Edith Stovel. This serves 8. Ingredients Salad 2 lbs fresh tortellini pasta (spinach, cheese or mushroom fillings work well) 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1 cup green onion, chopped ½ cup pine nuts ½ cup chopped fresh basil ¼ cup chopped fresh dill ¼ cup chopped grated parmesan cheese Dressing ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced ¼ teaspoon salt Ground black pepper ¾ cup olive oil Follow directions for cooking tortellini. Drain and place in a large bowl. Mix in remaining salad ingredients. For dressing, combine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in oil until well combined. Pour dressing over tortellini and chill. Zucchini Bread This is a little more work than the quick version. In the heart of zucchini season, youll enjoy this bread fro a change. This recipe is adapted from a Taste of Home flyer. Makes 1 loaf. 1 tablespoon dry active yeast ½ cup warm water ⅓ cup warm milk ⅓ cup sugar 3 tablespoons butter, softened 2 tablespoons grated orange peel ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini ⅓ cup raisins ¾ cup whole wheat flour ¾ cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or a blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and mace) 1 ⅔ to 2 ⅓ cups bread flour In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat in the milk, sugar, butter, and orange peel. Mix well. Add the zucchini, raisins whole wheat floor, all-purpose flour, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Add enough bread flour to form a soft dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface (5-10 minutes) until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 ½ hours). Punch down dough and shape into a loaf. Place into a greased 9x5x3 inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Okay, good information. I am glad to hear that we could easily build a medium-sized house on a lot this size . . . without being crowded. Obviously, I understand that every 1/2 acre doesn't have the same dimensions, but I was having trouble visualizing how big a typical 1/2 acre might be. Yes, I understand the concept of "smaller lot, bigger landscape". When you have only a small amount of space, it "needs to be" landscaped, whereas acres and acres are just kept natural. After all, you can't see all of 44 acres at once, whereas 1/2 acre can be scanned from the porch. Yes, LiveOak, one of our concerns is that we also plan lots of traveling, volunteering, and other projects. We do not want to be tied down to maintenance, nor do we want to pay other people to keep up large areas. Nostalgic Farm, I grew up on 60+ acres and another 200-odd a bit down the road. Thing is, there's always something that needs doing, and sometimes that's welcome . . . but not always. Also, at not-quite 50, I'm perfectly capable of doing a good day's work like I could in my younger days, but it does take more out of me. Looking at my older relatives, I can foresee the day when I can't do it all myself. An orchard is the one project I'd want to keep, if we do downsize. But I don't really want to embark upon a large orchard. One dwarf apple tree gives enough apples for all the canned apple goods my family can eat in a year (and that's with heavy consumption), and we have no interest in selling fruit. I think I could still have enough fruit trees to keep my canner busy. No, I'm not scared of wild animals. I shoot well. Autumn, I understand about keeping part of the land wild and part of it mowed, but the wild part isn't completely maintenance-free. Thanks for your advice, all! I am not sure which direction we'll go, but you've answered my biggest question: It is a choice. This can be done on 1/2 acre. That's the smallest we'd buy, so now we're free to look around and see whether -- when we're looking at real land, not just thinking hypothetically -- it actually feels right or not.

Gardengirl12 - I am 48 and expanding my garden so don't hesitate to move forward. We all have our good days and better days. The only bad days are those days on which we allow ourselves to second guess our dreams, our plans and our ability to carry those out! I come from many generations of market gardeners (different styles, different relatives) so it is definitely in my blood lol. My parents are currently aged 72 and 74 and they continue to successfully operate a CSA and market garden, subsidized with specialty jams, jellies and baked goods. Figuring out what specifically are good sellers in your area is very vital, however; this takes time and so just plan for that. Keep your expectations low enough that you won't be discouraged and can maintain a positive view as your business grows. Write down achievable goals for each of the next 3 seasons. Keep DETAILED notes on both successes and failures so that you can build from them each year. Every gardener is unique in their technique, needs, abilities and market area so having a bunch of folks looking over a business plan which is developed specifically for you is not worth bothering with. Only you truly know what you are capable of doing physically, mentally and emotionally to bring your dreams to reality. Most populated areas have some sort of farmers market already established. If you have not already done so, take the time to visit EVERY TIME it is open to study what others are successfully selling. Make notes on what types sell the best, what seems to just sit there and get tossed out at the end of the day. Also take note if the majority of the sellers seem to carry "value added" products such as soaps, jams, wool, eggs etc to make up a portion of their sales. If there is a well established specialty vendor such as "Tomato Lady", I would plan to grow and sell something different as my main source of income. You can always introduce a specialty item similar down the road but focus on developing your own following and avoid disappointment from trying to directly compete with someone who is already well established. As you are developing your sales plan, keep in mind that the majority of your first customers are going to be those whom you already know. Just putting yourself and your product out there is not enough to sell the amount you will need to earn a profit. I am not a big believer in local chambers etc and I refuse to pay dues to be a "part of the community business network" in which I live. Consider ways to effectively advertise for yourself at either no cost or low cost. Keep in mind that ANY cost is going to effect your bottom line even if it is only a penny for the ink that printed you those 50 copies on your home computer. Stay detail oriented so that in the future you can truly see where things can be changed to be better financially as you grow the business. Don't try to be everything to everyone! EVER! You will ALWAYS have someone asking for something that you don't have. Don't fall into the trap of trying to provide it all because the time and product it takes you to grow "just 2" of something special, is time and product which is taken away from what you have developed well already. If you continuously receive requests by more than a dozen customers for a new item, then consider it a possibility for a "limited time only" product. EG - I don't grow zucchini because every Grandma and her neighbor does. However; IF I kept getting requests from more than a dozen of my REGULAR customers, I would consider growing enough just to serve them. I don't see that happening anytime soon though as my market really supports the "unusual" versus the "ordinary". I could go on and on lol yet I have winter sowing to get done. I hope you do well with your adventure and I truly mean that... it IS an adventure!