I'm so excited to finally have a chance to try my hand at farming on my own. I worked on 3 different farms last year, and while those experiences were amazing and I learned so much, I couldn't help but wish I had my own land to farm on. I spent the winter thinking about how to make that happen while also trying to figure out in which state I would be living. My first choice (Athens, Georgia) fell through so we ended up moving to my boyfriend's first choice (Duluth, Minnesota). I bought the seeds that caught my eye, mostly organic ones but some conventional too. Now I'm not quite sure they'll all fit on a quarter acre, but I'm going to try some intensive farming techniques to increase the productivity of the small space allotted to me. One example of this is planting radishes with carrots, since the radishes develop relatively quickly and provide shade under which fewer weeds can grow, and carrots require a much longer time to grow and their leaves are so thin and dainty they can have a hard time getting started with so much competition from weeds. I'm toying with the idea of an onion/marigold border too, since both plants are good pest repellents.

It feels way too late in the season to be admitting this, but I have nothing in the ground yet! I still haven't seen the exact plot of land that will be Magic Summer Minifarm this season. I have some plants started, crowding out the window sills of my tiny house. I am waiting for Duluth Community Farm to put up a deer fence and point out my plot to me. Memorial Day weekend is typically the last frost date this far north, so I'm hoping to get most of my stuff planted in the first week of June. Let's pray for a long summer. No, make it a magically long summer.

My Prayer For the Farm:

May we provide plenty of nutritious food to eat and beautiful flowers to decorate our spaces and events. May the land heal itself with our commitment to sustainability through low-impact organic and biodynamic practices. May we witness the miracle of beings who turn sun and rain and soil into delicious food. May our hearts open ever more as our spiritual wisdom deepens. May our souls be nourished with the knowledge that we are doing a good thing for ourselves and the world.