"What do you mean you are going to plant without planting? Is that even a thing?"
"No-till planting does not mean I don't plant. It just eliminates days of backbreaking work." FarmerBuckaroo paused; "Remember, we are choosing our battles!"
We have started re-establishing indigenous grasses to part of our lands. So the BuckarooBabies and I packed a picnic and set up camp to watch the novel way of planting. A no-till planter saves an insurmountable amount of time and harsh implements ploughing over and through the top soil. The contraption is immense. It holds the delicate indigenous seeds - but the actual mechanism that gently plants works as carefully as the old horse drawn systems.
Goats and chickens and horses congregated - as fascinated as their pet humans. The children followed behind the tractor as Farmer Buckaroo pulled the no-till; gently planting. A week later the landscape is a carpet of vibrant green.
Back on this side of the homestead my no-till fingers have spent hours and hours pulling weeds, composting and nursing tiny seedlings. I love the feel of dirt between my fingers. I love the satisfaction of eating the fruit - and veggies - of our hard labours. We have been struggling with germination and so we bought a batch of beautiful seedlings from a farm nursery. It feels like cheating but with an overly full homesteading plate; I choose my battles!
Who else can identify? We love our country life but often feel overwhelmed by everything we have to do! There is so much! And the seasons wait for no one. However I value my sleep as well as my sanity so I bought the veggie seedlings.
The enthusiasm with which the kiddos dive into the gardens also inspires me. They rip up the weeds with gusto and sprinkle them as mulch around the new seedlings. Their voices ring joyously through the gardens creating just the right frequency for healthy growth - for both children and plants. Despite all the hard work, dirty finger nails and bizarre weather we are celebrating no-till planting in this May Garden Journal.