Further abundance

I am happy to report that our garden provided fresh produce for eight households this past week and there is still plenty available for picking. This morning my youngest daughter picked some wild blackberries. They are very sweet this year. They reminded me of my grandparents raspberries on Whidbey Island, WA where we would visit when I was growing up. This is proving to be the best gardening year I have ever experienced. There are so many fruits and vegetables thriving this year and so many to look forward to in subsequent years with the plantings of asparagus, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, apples, peaches, pears, currants and cherries. If you have been thinking of gaining some independence by growing your own food and do not have a lot of experience, I urge you to start now. It has taken me three years to begin to feel confident in my ability to grow enough food to provide for my family. There is much to learn that can only be learned through trial and error. One can begin in the kitchen by growing micro-greens or by starting a single raised bed outside. I heard the buzz of the first cicada on the 4th. It won't be long before their sound dominates the background and heralds the end of summer.