I'll join you, as I too struggled with the "as soon as ground can be worked, on Friday the very middle of the one of the raised beds had a small frozen patch but by Sunday gone :-) I put in radish, lettuce, carrots, beets, turnip, onions, kale, cabbage and spinach, peas will be in a couple of days... as I have a cunning plan, (I hope!) it's just last year, I soaked a few peas approx 10, and germinated inside, in a bag, just to show my children what happens, anyway the day I planted my peas all soaked for a hour or so, I realised that I still had some space after planting, so I thought, why not! what have I got to lose, I'll throw them in as well, well they where the only ones not eaten and emerged! I can only guess it changed the smell? who knows? but I am trying again this year, with a few just soaked as a control. I can't believe how much happier I am this week to last, it's just a few seeds, what did I do before last year when I started gardening? really pleased for everyone in 5 and 6, 4 you soon :-)

I just came off our back hill after pulling out thistles before they bloom and DH was using a sprayer in some very dense patches on the sunny side of the hill (Ortho weed killer- we NEVER use ANYTHING made by EVIL Monsanto!) He tried hard to miss spraying any of the wildflowers. Down below in the garden I am working on permanently reinforcing the sides of the stream that goes into my pond- the raccoons keep breaking them down. I don't mind if they ENJOY the stream, I am just really tired of building it back again. My lilacs are about done blooming and daphne is all over for this year, but the veronicas and montbretias are beautiful, also the tecomaria is beginning and will bloom for months.(Hummers love it!) The same goes for the passionflowers. The heucheras are about to bloom and both the fragrant white lady banks vine and the yellow one are putting on a real show. But I am about to leave all this to enjoy a second early spring garden in Virginia where my sister lives! Then in a few weeks I will go up to Oregon to admire my daughter's early spring gardens. These "Chasing Spring" trips are fun but I know that when I return, there will be a whole lot of work waiting for me here. Min

To answer the first question. yes. You just have to stop thinking like a home gardner and think like a FARMER. What I prove to my customers that they can not get at a supermarket is 1) fresh produce, picked yesterday! 2) since they are buying fresh picked produce, it will last longer in their fridge than a similar item purchased at the store. Why? b/c produce in the store was probly picked out of the field a week or more earlier. 3)a feeling of community. 4)produce in the store used more fossil fuel to get from the field in CA to anywhere USA. 6)etc etc etc. A home garnder gets the satisfaction of produceing his/her own food. Sharing extra with friends and nieghboors, developing relationships. Also preserving thier food through canning and freezing; thus reducing the winter grocery bill. etc. This past Jan. I took the U.W. - Madison Beginner farmers market course, that was put on by the center for intigrated ag systems. $250 for 3 very intensive days. Taught by 3 market farmers. It covered crops, IPM, tillage, weed and pest management, tips for working with less strain on your body, CSA, selling to resteraunts, and farmers markets; also, help with taxes, and a discussion on quality of life. We also looked at several studies. Most were about farmers keeping track of labor hours. The study that stuck in my head the most was a study on dollers per acre. WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT THE STUDY WAS THAT A CERTIFIED ORGANIC VEGTABLE FARMER CAN PRODUCE $8,000 - $12,000 PER ACRE. The CIAS is a very valuable to me as a farmer I would highly recommend that everyone take this course if your are serous about market farming. I did not bother going to the link at the CIAS web site. I think that it's just an example of what you need to get started market farming. (we had simiar info in our class material at the class) I have also found that the monthly newsletter "growing for market" very helpful. thanks for reading kristi ps this is my 2nd year as a market producer.

Alison, that was a VERY creative and clever theme! My favorite is also 'Why? Because you wanted one and 2 are okay." I personally have (ahem) 5 wood and 2 plastic. And yes, the first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem. Just make sure you're not cutting alone too often or people will start talking. I too love The Tassajara Bread Book! What a great box!! Enjoy, Marcia p.s. I have yet to get around to writing you a Thank You note. I can't seem to find the time when I'm home. I still have a White Elephant gift I have to send someone too. Shame on me. Please don't hate me. p.p.s. All four cats are CRAZY about those catnip treats. I sure wish I could find them here! Yum-MEE! You are a Godess to my kitties.