Pictures a bit fuzzy, path abundantly clear

The Michigan Farm & Permaculture
Dan has a some land in Michigan that he’s developing into an extended season garden using hoop houses and he’s also using some permaculture practices on the acreage beyond the hoop house.
 
As we are learning about permaculture: Permanent, Agriculture, and Culture, we are each implementing the parts we can to get started on this path. Dan’s many acres gives him a large pallet to work with. 
 
Having a woods with some felled trees, Dan decided to put those trees to good use by ploughing a furrow about 2 feet deep and 125 feet long. He placed 9 trees end to end and buried the whole dead tree. Fortunately, he has a friend who has a tractor that he could borrow to get the job done much more easily than hand digging the whole thing. It’s a lot of work and he did a great job. One more step on the permaculture path… burying cellulose in the trees to retain water. This will allow the seeds to have a water reservoir of for their roots, which is especially important to offset the drought conditions that have spread across the country. And… look at those fluffy Michigan clouds! They have a special place in my heart… : )
 

 
Additionally, he’s been busy harvesting and preserving from the hoop house garden this summer. (The hoop house is currently under construction since he doesn’t need to rely on it yet throughout the summer.) However, with the cooler weather about to set in, he’s got a timeline by which he needs to complete the construction of the hoop house. He’s purchased materials enough to extend the hoop house to 20′ x95′. This should give him enough area to use to grow vegetables in the winter for local use and sales.
 
Even Dan’s mom has gotten into the action. She’s been canning. Here’s a sample of the harvest and her canning efforts.
 

 
One day last week Dan harvested 21 pounds of tomatoes in one picking. Not bad for five tomato plants. 
 

 
Some of these tomatoes are just downright… HUGE.  Here’s a tomato that is the size of his fist and he’s big boned.
 

 
Here’s a 9-inch plate and the tomato covers about 6 inches of it. I bet that was a wonderful tomato sandwich in the making.
 

 
Keep in mind that all these vegetables have been grown with organic heirloom seeds, so saving their seeds for next year is very important. Dan has been saving these wonderful seeds so there’ll be an abundance to use and look forward to next year. The great thing about heirlooms is not only are their seeds fertile, but they’ve been collected from year to year because they do produce consistent results, unlike hybrid seeds that do not give the same kind of yield from year to year. If a person learns to work with nature, rather than manipulating nature like much of what science and multinationals have been doing over the past 50 years, it really does allow for an abundant life.
 
Enjoy the sweetness of the summer fruit juices… Bon appetit!