The veggie field in the picture is on a little slope down to the left. As we plow this field each year, it seems like we work the soil ever so slightly to the downhill side. So I was thinking. If we add compost to the top of the field each year, that would enrich the high side. Over the years that quality dirt would work down the hill a little each year. Who knows if that's right, but that was my thought process. So then I thought I really need to grow more sweet potatoes. They don't grow well in this soil, but they do really well in grow bags. Next thought: If I lined the top of the field with grow bags full of compost, I could grow sweet potatoes in the grow bags. We will need to dump the bags anyway to harvest the potatoes. We will dump them onto the top of the field, where we will pick out the potatoes and leave the compost to enrich the top of the field.
I'd love to say that was a very concise thought process and that I designed that plan in just a few minutes. The reality is that life on the farm is very fragmented. We think about one thing until something else needs our attention or the weather/season dictates we do something else. Anyway, this is where we found ourselves Sunday afternoon. Grow bags are line along the top of the field. Compost is loaded in the tractor and ready to go in the bags. Sweet Potatoes will be ready to plant soon. Its a picture of the first steps of a plan coming together. Oh, and I had some of the best help in the world. Atticus and Wren working hard in the picture. Jersey put her work in earlier and is not pictured. I'll update you all later, as this project matures.
