Gardening

This years garden adventure was nearly a complete failure except for all the learning...

First off we had a great start! I got a 1950s Case SC running. I changed the fluids, learned about oil bath air cleaners, and found out that you can power a 6 volt starter without damaging anything. This is assuming that your tractor turns over relatively quick.

I purchased a disc and began to reclaim the weed infested field. This is where things started to go downhill...

1. I did not "feed" the plants appropriately. I put miracle grow under each plant, but until I seen my parents garden I thought my plants were growing unbelievably well. Wrong! My plants were in such horrible growth stage that I actually disced my plants down due to the substantial failure, knowing they'd never be harvestable. My intentions to fix this, is do a soil sample. The MSU extension office sells soil sample kits. You take samples from the area you want tested and mix em together and mail em in. I have not obtained the samples yet. I will post the results when I get them.

2. The weeds... Despite my best attempts at weeding, I lost the battle. There were so many weeds and so little time for me to weed, I simply could not keep up! I hoed, and hoed, and hoed. I attribute this failure to the long standing success of thriving weeds for years before. Solid root structure, and seeding out in the past few years. This year should have done huge strides in this as the weeds were usually knocked down.

I plan on putting a cover crop down to help put nutrients back into soil, and suffocate the weeds out, and applying the appropriate fertilizer mix to the ground as per the recommendations of the soil sample results. 

Also planning better! What do I want to do with the harvest. Spaghetti sauce? Canning foods? Ultimate goal is to grow a self sufficient crop so that will be taken into consideration.

Walking in the rain.

My name is Lenny and I'm interested in a new lifestyle!

My personal history is significant but a quick overview is sufficient for my goals. I graduated high school in 2003. I've spent time as a plumber, a ski resort lift operator, another stint as a plumber and a security guard. At the same time I left high school I began my career in public service as a part paid volunteer fireman. In 2005 I passed a medical first responder class and was licensed. It was the first step of my long journey that led me to my position today. After working in various fields I eventually decided that I wanted to become a paramedic! I knew I wanted the responsibility. I knew I could do it! After finishing paramedic school I eventually found the position I'm in today. I work two twenty four hour shifts a week. I work for two agency's. One agency is hospital based in a medium sized city and the other is county government. Today I've been a fireman for the same department for 12 years and have been a paramedic for 6 years now.

My new journey started last year when I decided I wanted more out of life. I wanted to grow our own food, I wanted animals for the kids to take care of us and to provide meat. This past spring I started the process! 

I work every Wednesday and hope that is the day for this "blogging" stuff and give updates and talk about ideas, wants, directions and maybe my personal history, but for the most part I'd like to look forward as the past is unchangeable and only serves as a learning experience. 

I hope you enjoy this. Please give me suggestions as I am new to this. My Grammer is horrible and I'm trying to do better, so please be patient.