What Is Growing On and Coersion
April has brought rapid growth to the Farm - both infrastructure and produce. The main garden has received a fence, tool rack, and over twelve cubic yards of organic compost to prepare 24 new beds for production. Shifting compost one hand cart load at a time to build beds and mulch to fill the aisles occupied a few days’ time throughout the month. Providence also provided a modicum of soaking rain that made setting fence posts relatively fast and easy, although it was a bit damp seated on the ground to terminate the lower wires of the fencing.
So, what’s growing on?
So far this month, I have a good mix of vegetables in the ground including:
Onions
Potatoes; red and German butterball
Spinach
Radish
Garlic
Beets
Swiss chard
Cabbage
Lettuce
Kale
Turnips
Green beans
Mixed greens
The carrots are coming along very slowly; taking quite long to germinate. Oh, and the peas? Lesson learnt. Much like Mr. Jefferson, I believe I’ve lost much of my first planting; not to an hard freeze but to the birds. I’ll cover the next sowing with a bit of mesh until they are well and truly growing on.
With the blessing of the Powerful Goodness I will have produce ready for the first Famers’ Market of the season in May.
First Harvest?
April brought the first harvest of Nature’s bounty to the Farm… if you count the dandelions growing everywhere.I found myself inspired by the abundance of brilliant yellow flowers whilst walking about with the dogs one sunny afternoon. “Harvesting” a basketful of flowers was but a moment’s work and, after a bit of porch sitting, I had a fair portion of petals ready for the pan. It took less than a day to go from the front yard to several jars full of golden, sweet dandelion jelly!
Mr. Jefferson’s Garden
Thomas Jefferson recorded quite a lot of activity in the gardens at Monticello in April of 1774. The peas of late March were up and at least three different varieties were sown throughout the month. Many varieties of greens, beets, beans, cucumbers, and peppers were all sown in the opening days of the month. Jefferson’s Garden Book also contains a detailed description of the preparation of trenches and raised beds for plantings raisins, or grapes, as we would now call them.
Much as in my garden 250 years later, Jefferson prepared raised beds with natural amendments to provide for loose, fertile soil.
Boston Harbour Closed!
The British Parliament and the King took action at the end of March 1774 to address the act to about 100 Bostonians the preceding December. On the last day of March the first for five “Coersive Acts”, the Boston Port Act, became law. Parliament intended to respond the destruction of the East India Company’s tea by restricting trade with all 17,000 residents of Boston until the value of the tea was paid to the Company.
Closing the port of Boston to all trade would have far reaching consequences that would ultimately lead to rebellion and the founding of a new republic in North America. Residents of colonies would not learn of the full text and effect of the Boston Port Act until early May. Boston’s meat, fish, and vegetable stores would be quickly depleted and the supply of many goods produced in a distant land interrupted with the complete breakdown of the transportation system; much as we experienced under the COVID-19 restrictions.
Throughout April 1774, though, life would continue much as it had in the recent past. The news of the Coercive Acts had yet to make its way across the Atlantic.
