As we store away food, stack wood and prepare for winter we have plenty of time to reflect on the season. These thoughts always lead to discussions on what we did well, what could have been better and what we need to focus on next year.

Ultimately our conversations circle around food security and weather. Such an important topic for so many people. There's a lot of hunger, nutritional deficiencies and struggles out there in the world. Food and weather are intricately wound together and so that's where we head.

I thought it would be interesting to describe what we've experienced this year when it comes to growing food, and the conclusions we've arrived at. There is a good saying that is very fitting right now:

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

So, we are watching, observing and listening to nature. We won't repeat what does not work, even if that's the "way it is done".

This year was a hard one. Early frost, late frost, draught, heat, humidity, we are actually quite surprised to have come through it faring this well. It's been a struggle.

We faced late frost in the spring and lost a lot of tender plants and buds. A lot of seeds ended up going into the ground two weeks late. This might not seem like a big deal but in Canada the growing season is not particularity long to begin with.

We of course did what all farmers so and hoped for a later arrival of frost in the fall to make up for this late start. We were disappointed but not surprised when frost arrived a good ten days earlier than "normal". I don't think there is a normal anymore when it comes to seasonal weather and such. The old timers have sure not seen weather like this.

I was sorely disappointed. Beans and squash were in flower when this frost hit us hard. It is painful to go from this ...

To this ... knowing that in another week we would have been able to harvest twice as many beans. Fortunately the bush beans we planted were already dry on the vine before frost arrived. Next year we'll focus primarily on the faster growing bush beans. We've got to learn and adapt because the other option is risking going without.

We also had a very dry summer. Draught was a real concern. Some of the small creeks around here are completely dry. The river is so low that in certain areas you can stand on dry rock beds. The water table is low and watering is obviously a big issue when this happens.

Earth is going through a transformation and I am listening but I have a lot to learn. We've learned a few lessons that are starting to serve us well. We'll do better at this next year but if you are interested, here's what we've learned.

First of all, we've concluded that "Wild Thrives".

One of the most obvious observation that we have made is the fact that the wilder the garden, the healthier it is. The apple trees we planted in the ground that aren't really supported by other trees and plants, are brown and disease riddled. They look terrible. The apple trees along the forest edge on the other hand, with all kinds of things growing beside, beneath and hanging above them are thriving.

Pear tree planted in the garden.

Wild apple tree growing in the woods.

We don't just want to survive on this land, we want to thrive so we'll take lessons from the wild and try to grow things in a wilder manner. We also want to harvest (sustainably) from the wild because it makes sense.

Fiddleheads grow wild and abundant.

Everything needs water to survive and drought is no joke. We never really imagined where we live to be a place with risk of drought but we are.

Good irrigation and water catchment is essential. When the well runs dry you need a plan. Mulching is great but there is so much more that can be done. We really need to study the land, build swales and other systems that conserve water and ensure that all of the plants & trees have what they need.

We had to keep filling up our two wildlife ponds with the garden hose this year. Hauling buckets of water across the property to drip irrigate the fruit trees is incredibly time consuming and it wasn't enough. The trees were unhealthy making them susceptible to all kinds of bother.

Perennials are the carefree superheroes of the self sufficient garden!

Perennial food has been the most resilient, guaranteed source of food we've ever experienced. It just seems to thrive no matter what. Rather than investing in vulnerable fruit trees and fancy sweet corn we are going to plant more berry bushes, rhubarb, sunchokes and other things that seem to produce under all of the challenging conditions our climate throws at them.

Horseradish

Rhubarb

Raspberries

A final thing that we seem to talk about every year is adding some grow tunnels or a second green house.

This is not a quick and easy thing to do, nor is it cheap so we keep putting it off but darn, it really does solve a LOT of problems. A lot of our planted crops seem to thrive under cover, not to mention it gives us a growing extension in both spring and autumn.

This is a great time of year to reflect on the season, and evaluate everything. We also need to take a moment to appreciate all that has been achieved because even a task master needs a pat on the back once in a while.

You can also find me at: walkerland.ca |
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Earth Is a Good Teacher, We Just Have To Pay Attention: Food Security, Lessons & Solutions