Garden to Bed for Winter

I put my garden to bed for the winter last week, just ahead of the first frost. Took me two days, starting with taking down the fence that kept out the deer and turkeys (well), and the groundhogs and rabbits (not so well).

Then I dug the potatoes (average crop), lifted out the onions (good crop), dug the carrots (best crop in years), picked the last of the tomatoes (average crop), cut down the sweet corn stalks (average crop), picked the pumpkins and squash (terrible crop), dug the beets (lost most of them to critters), cut the cabbage (excellent crop), and pulled out the cucumber and zucchini vines (August dry spell did them in).

When the harvesting was done, I hitched my John Deere tractor to the disk and worked up the patch. Finally, I sowed winter wheat, which grows well in the late fall, stays green all winter and takes off in the spring. A treat for the deer and turkeys I have kept at bay all summer. I will plow down the wheat in the spring and start all over.

The Old Timer says: Remember, in this business of farming, next year will be better.

Upcoming events:

OCTOBER 7, 7:00PM BARNES & NOBLE, West Towne Madison LAUNCH OF OLD FARM

October 9, 6:30PM Barron Public Library, Barron. Presentation and signing.

October 11, 11-2:00PM, Apple Blossom books, Oshkosh. Featuring OLD FARM.

October 12, 2:00-4:00PM, Old World Wisconsin, Eagle. Book signing. “Autumn on the
Farm Celebration.” Featuring OLD FARM.

October 14, 6:00PM, Kewaskum Public Library, Presentation and signing.

October 15, 11:45-12:30PM Larry Meiller show, Wisconsin Public Radio

October 16, 7-8:30PM Wisconsin Book Festival, Overture Center, Madison. Panel
Discussion: A half-century of change in rural Wisconsin.

October 19, 12:00-1:30. Wisconsin Book Festival, Overture Center, Madison.
Presentation, “For the Love of a Farm.”

October 21, 6:30 PM Prairie du Sac Public Library. Presentation and signing.Featuring OLD FARM.

October 23, 6-8PM. Conkey’s Bookstore, Appleton. Book Signing. Featuring OLD FARM.

OCTOBER 25, 1:00 PM. PATTERSON MEMORIAL LIBRARY, WILD ROSE.
CENTRAL WISCONSIN LAUNCH OF OLD FARM. PRESENTATION AND SIGNING.

October 27, 7:00PM. Schwartz Bookstore, Mequon. Presentation and signing. Featuring OLD FARM.

October 28, 1:30PM Brillion Public Library. Presentation and signing. Featuring OLD FARM.

October 30, 2:45-4:00PM WEAC Teacher’s Convention, Madison. Presentation and signing.