A Seedy Super Sunday
This past weekend was Super Sunday at our house. Yours, too? I guess what I'm asking: Was your Sunday super because it's the day you order seeds for the upcoming growing season?
At least that's how we look at Super Sunday – the start of another growing season.
Some of you might know that among other things, my wife and I have a small urban farm in Boise. It's about 1-acre, which is small, but plenty. It's all-organic and has been farmed regeneratively for 20 years now; 12 by the former owner (who moved next door to her sister's place when she sold the farm to us) and 8 by us. After nearly two decades of being farmed regeneratively, the soil tilth is really something to behold. (Regenerative farming for us means it's all organic, we don't till the soil, and we continually rebuild soil health by applying compost we make in seven stations across the property. We haven't done much with cover crops - yet.)
On Super Sunday, my wife and I sit down and begin buying seeds for the upcoming season. Sarah takes care of the flowers - the hard stuff to grow. Come July or so, this place is kaleidoscopic in color as she grows much of what she sells through her floral business, Dream Farm Flowers. I'm in charge of the fruits and veggies: tomatoes, peppers, melons, sweet corn, pole beans, cucumbers, squash and a few flights of fancy. We purchase our fruit and veggie seeds from Johnny's Selected Seeds in Maine. They have a great selection of proven seeds and – this likely won't be a shocker to anyone who knows me – are a 100% employee-owned company. Like many of you, I'm always on the lookout to multiply my impact by spending money to boost another company with a beneficial business model.
This next week, the real work begins. I'll start pruning the fruit trees: cherries, apples, plums, peaches, and pears. Then I'll thin and fertilize the blackberries and raspberries and turn the compost piles. Before you know it, the weeds will voice their growing chorus, and I'll begin the 2024 "Hands and Knees" Tour of getting down, dirty, and familiar with my faithful hori hori knife once again.
So continues the cycle.
Gardening, whether containers on your patio or in a plot out back – is there any better and more elemental way to make an impact?
Godspeed, friends.
Russ
💬 Quote of the Week
“To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” Mahatma Gandhi
🤔 Trivia Time
Organic retail sales represent what percentage of all retail food sales in the U.S.?
• 2.3%
• 5.5%
• 10.8%
• 15.0%
Today's trivia answer can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Trivia Answer
According to the U.S.D.A., organic sales represented 5.5% of all retail food sales (2021 data).
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