Faith Lessons From the Farm
Volume 1 The Garden and Orchard
this is the first in a series
Many years ago while sitting in a church service the pastor was talking about the
Old Testament and how they desired big families because they lived off of the
land and needed their children to be workers with them. Well, Jim and I smiled at
each other knowing we were raising a big family to be workers in God’s harvest
fields. We already lived on a farm at that time but hadn’t fully realized what God
could teach us by that lifestyle……
Since many of you don’t live on a farm so I will share my lessons with you. This
is not a teaching but rather a testimony. I hope it sparks some teachable
moments for you and that the Lord gives you fresh revelations from your
surroundings. He is everywhere and His lessons are everywhere. It is up to us to
see them.
15 pages
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instant garden
This was from last year… always learn from year to year, we go back to last year to evaluate and plan.
start with a good fenced garden spot
remove horse
find a good guy with a Ford tractor (aka hubby)
go to co-op and buy plants because you have been too busy planning a wedding to start seeds
point nice tractor guy towards the garden spot and say “pretty please”
go later and tell him “well done and thank you”
put those nice plants in the ground with the help of several children you have birthed for just that reason
pray for rain—-
planting
The best day to plant your garden, is a warm sunny day with rain forcasted for the next day. Be sure to pre-soak your seeds, or wet your sprouted seeds or your transplanted seedling. They should go into a nice warm damp home. And they should be mist watered soon. And you should have all of your children helping and there should be lemonade 
sprouting part 2
After our seeds have soaked for awhile, drain the water. Our homemade draining lid should make things real easy. Pour out the water, and refill and pour out again. This is rinsing. After your seeds are well rinsed, pour out as much water as you can get out, then place your jar in a dark place or cover with a towel. Seeds must be in the dark to germinate. The seeds need to be rinsed 2 or three times a day. After the 3rd day the leaves will start to appear, then you can take the jar out of the dark. If your seeds are for planting, you can now put them in a bowl and one by one plant them in cups or the garden row. If your sprouts are for eating, leave them in the light for another two days still rinsing.
sprouting part 1
Learning to sprout seeds is worth while even if you don’t garden. With sprouting you can have fresh green goodness anytime. The easiest way I have found is this. Get a quart canning jar. A ring for the top. A plastic needlepoint round form you will find in your craft section of a superstore or fabric store. I am sorry I don’t remember what it is really called but it is plastic and white and has holes in it. Cut the plastic thing down so it fits snugly into the canning jar top ring. Add a small spoon of seeds, and lukewarm water to cover. Let sit for 6 hours. Seeds specifically for sprouting are necessary if you are going to eat your sprouts. Be sure to read part 2 tomorrow.
when to plant
The old timers around here say to never plant before Mother’s Day. Yet by a week after Mother’s Day they have tomato plants 14 inches tall. Starting your seeds early gives you that head start. We use that well aged compost as a planting medium. Sound fancy huh? What that means is you take some of your piled, cooked, manure and put it in a Styrofoam cup that has a hole punched in the bottom and add a couple pre-soaked seeds and watch! Pre-soaking your seeds makes a very big difference and works with anything bigger than a tomato seed. Some of them I will actually soak and then pour out and then sprout. When you pre-sprout things really get moving fast.
what to plant?
When choosing the best things to plant it does you well to talk to local folks. If they sell it at your local co-op it is because it grows in your area. Now that doesn’t mean nothing else will, but I wouldn’t invest in a pound of seeds for something exotic. In these days though it never does hurt to have a separate garden a ways off just to grow some heirloom varieties. Most seeds these days are hybrids and you can get the seeds from the produce but it won’t germinate. Is there a plan there? Yes probably. So plant some heirloom basics every year and harvest the seeds and keep in the freezer.
everybody loves strawberries
One thing we have not found a solution for is, opossums and rabbits and skunks. My goodness we have a lot of skunks around here. All three of those love my garden goodies, especially the strawberries. Actually everyone loves the strawberries. I cannot tell you how many times the dairy cow has jumped INTO the garden fence to get at the strawberry patch. And how many times the horses have leaned over the fence to eat the strawberries. It is a wonder we get any. It is like first come first served with the strawberries around here. Now I have talked myself right into a strawberry craving. Why does fresh fruit sound so good when you can’t get it?
the fencing question
We have field fencing around our garden with a decorative western looking wood fence also. The purpose around here is to keep an animal in or out, or both. Since the garden is close enough to the house, and we have dogs, the deer don’t get in there, I also have another trick for that, human urine or cut hair. I know more disgustingness, but hey it works. Country guys often use the great outdoors so just have them use it around the garden perimeter. Or cut everyone’s hair and place it around the perimeter. For more modest folks they could go in a bucket and it can be poured around the garden. Or you could just let the deer eat up all of your hard work in the wee hours of the morning, before you have smelled the coffee.
