The cost of food has risen and the overall quality has dropped.
Much of the fruit and vegetables being sold in the supermarkets may look good, but the taste is somewhat lacking. Considering these issues, it is fair to say that there could not be a better time to grow your own food, as well as make, cook and bake your own food!
Today I have been harvesting potatoes and clearing the beds for the next planting or simply for mulching down with cardboard and straw.
The compost heap is growing by the day as the beds are cleared and tidied.
Elsewhere in the gardens, the burgeoning beds await their turn to be harvested.
This Golden Oregano will dry nicely and ensure tasty tomato sauces all winter!
This is a sheltered part of the fruit gardens to leave the potatoes in the ground for a while to come.
Those at the back of the picture will stay where they are.
You may remember how I mulched this ground last Autumn, using cardboard, straw and shreddings…now you can see the value of this exercise.
The earth is in good condition and any weeds that did grow were very easy to pull.
This gives you some idea of how permaculture works…a forest garden with lots of shelter, biodiversity and ultimately, resilience!
Lots of leaf drop feeds the soil, building a much needed fertility.
Meanwhile, indoors, one of the few electrical items I own is ready to do a lot of sewing.
I also have a hand sewing machine for less labour intensive tasks.
And in the kitchen I’ve been baking bread and making Houmous Dip.
There really is no comparison to home made and home grown food!