· Fertilize using only natural organic materials. 

     My animals are my compost machine.  They take in hay, wood-shavings and any leftover foodstuff I can gather.  They eat it up, poop it out, and mix it into the hay/wood shaving.  Add a 4—6 months and WALA,  Black Gold!   I still have to move it from their enclosures to the garden,  but next year I plan on incorporating a rotating field plan, where half of my garden lies fallow with the piggies in it and I switch them around the next year.  

· Companion Planting / Wampanaque Gardening.

     My garden does not consist of clean, geometric lines of plants, uniform and neatly weeded.  My garden is a JUNGLE!  My corn mounds have bean stalks rising up them while squash vines smothers the ground beneath them.  Marigold flowers are planted where no one can enjoy the beauty of their flowers, hidden amongst my tomato plants where they help ward away nasty buggies.  I can honestly say that the harvest itself is one of the hardest things to accomplish since it’s difficult to move around in there. 

· Pesticide/Herbicide free

     Nothing artificial is ever used.  No miracle grow, 5-10-5, or other nasty chemicals.  If the buggies attack, I do my best to combat them using alternative methods.  (They don’t always work,  but that’s something I have to deal with)  Regarding weeds,  I have an unlimited free supply of newspapers printed with soy based inks. I lay down the newspapers, and cover them up with dirty/old hay or grass clippings.  This works wonders, until the underlying newspapers begin to rot away.  But by this time, my plants are almost fully grown. 

· End of Season Plowing

     In the fall, I use a dual moldboard bottom plow to dig up and bury all the lovely organic materials I’ve been placing on the soil to retard weed growth.  

 

     I grow a large variety of crops which we preserve and use throughout the year.  Any surpluses we produce are sold at the Farmer’s Market on the Westford Green.  Because of my previously mentioned skinflint method of gardening, these crops can be sold at a very reasonable price compared to other naturally grown vegetables.  However, availability and quantity cannot be guaranteed.  I sell only my surpluses, which accounts for perhaps 25% of my total harvest.  I also do not grow any special hybrid varieties unless a packet of the seeds happens to fall on my lap for free.  The few seeds I do purchase are always heirloom varieties. 

     To find out what’s in season, and what crops I’ve got for sale, you can call or email me, subscribe to the Westford Front Porch Forum, or go to the Westford Farmer’s Market Website for weekly updates. 

Fresh Garden Vegetables

     Someone once asked me, what method of gardening due you use.  I replied honestly,  the cheap and lazy method!  It’s CHEAP because I purchase nothing except some seeds, and they’re usually the year old ones on sale at Minors.  And it’s LAZY because I try to get the plants and animals to do most of my work for me!   So how does it work?