We Really CAN'T Fool Mother Nature

Happy Mothers day Mom, and Sheryl and all those other special Moms out there who are enjoying this day of rest and peace.

Happy Mothers Day Mother Earth. As we celebrate all the Human Moms, we figure Earth Day is over so lets move on. Not so here on the farm. Being a man, I have finally figured out that since Mother Earth is female, she can multi-task well and I can’t out-smart her.

Too bad all those scientists out there haven’t figured that out yet. They spend countless hours developing new pesticides, herbicides, other cides, GMO’s and all kinds of things to make the plant grow, all the while neglecting the very thing that can take care of it all: Mother Earth.

More is not always better. Take milk as an example. The farmer wants more so he feeds the cow grain. Cows ain’t supposed to eat grain…duh. Go back to grass, spend nothing on grain and you will make more money even while having less milk…but that is for another article.

We have been successful in adding to the dung beetle population here on Quoketaug Hill, those little critters spend their lives taking manure deep into Mother Earth, which open her up so she can accept the rains to provide water deep into the root system of all plants.

Yes even the Russian Olive and the Bittersweet.

I have said for years that God made the earth in six days and on the seventh he threw stones at Stonington. I can remember haying fields years ago that now seem to have more stone than ever. Could it be that I just have not done enough to add to Mother Earth to help her grow? Has so much topsoil washed off because I have not been a good steward and added more fiber?

So today I made another trip to the shore and gathered up a huge truck load of Mother Nature’s BEST natural soil additive: Seaweed.

I spread load after load on my pastures, but today it was all destined for the new berry bed. A relaxing trip to Holdridge Farm Nursery in Ledyard and a small expenditure of money sent me home with some raspberry, blackberry and strawberry plants.

Their new bed was once an asparagus bed and now with the addition of seaweed it will be the “Red Bed.” Our “Blue Bed” of many blueberry bushes has been doing well for years now.

Back to the seaweed. Here is but one link, you can Google a lot more: http://www.plantea.com/seaweed-kelp.htm

So far this year I have hauled about 20 truck loads for my pastures and my garden. Yup, I could go to the dump and get mulch there but I really don’t need the plastic and my pigs really like eating the seaweed and helping me spread it on the earth.

So what are you doing to help Mother Earth? Are you spraying that blue green stuff on your plants? Are you using commercial fertilizer from our local garden stores? I ask you, what exactly does that junk do for the Earth??

Next time get a bucket and a shovel and take a trip to the beach, the sunbathers will like the cleaner beach and your plants will thrive on all the nutrients and minerals, while the Earth will thank you for adding to her ability to heal and grow.

Cheers,

Craig