I harrowed one of my large green manure fields this weekend,
the one that was leveled earlier this summer.
A beautiful green manure that I buried under the teeth of my disc harrow. I could not help but note the following paradox: while through these repeated passes, I knew I was nourishing my soils and thus ensuring next year’s production, the swarm of insects surrounding my tractor (and me!) clearly indicated their discontent, or perhaps frustration, even, with my sacrilegious act.
I understand them well, poor creatures.
In nourishing my soils, I was taking away the smorgasbord they had been feasting on for several weeks, from pea flowers to oat grains, not to mention the lovely variety of weeds that manage to sneak in between the rows of our mechanized sowings. I won’t lose sleep over it, though, because for every plot destroyed by our machines, another plot is in the process of being sown or has already been sown. They will just have to wait for the next feast…
It’s a summery basket in these last days of July:
blueberries, summer squash, cucumbers, eggplant or tomatoes (we’re almost, but not quite, in full cornucopia mode), carrots or beans, a leafy vegetable plus one or two other vegetables not yet chosen, and last but certainly not least, corn.
We look forward to seeing you all again.