Sustainable Gardeners and Farmers

Ah, about me. That is a subject that I usually avoid but in this setting it is considered rude not to share so share I will. I am a 62 year old Grandmother of 18 grands and 3 great grands. I love nature and along with that comes camping, fishing and mushroom hunting. I have seven children, 5 boys and 2 girls, that I took fishing and camping when they were younguns. What a great way to connect them with their spirit and teach them how precious life really is. Wonderful to teach conservation at the same time. I love to collect rocks and driftwood and enjoy sharing that with my grandkids. I save turtles and collect the shells from dead ones. I feel such a connection with turtles. Why? Heck if I know. Maybe it is my Indian blood that makes me feel connected to them. My Great-Grandma Bennett was full-blooded Cherokee and lived in Parke County, Indiana or Vermillion County, Indiana. I found that Indian connection totally by accident. One of my Aunt's names was Oama or Owama and I believed it was Indian so I asked my mother if there was any Indian blood in the family. At first she said no but through the years she finally broke down and let us kids know we were part Cherokee. On my Aunt's headstone over her grave her name reads Oama. I called her Aunt Oh-way-ma. I feel that my love of animals and the great outdoors is in my dna. It could be. I know it is in my heart.

I am also experimenting with a no-dig garden and at my age it is a great way to plant. I live on an acre with my hubby Rick and our soild is hard red clay and lots of rocks. This land would tear a till to shreds so a no-dig garden is a God send. So far it is doing very good. I have planted red peppers, green peppers, 11 tomato plants, lots of summer squash and watermelons. I also have cantelope voluteers coming out of my compost. Haven't seen any bees this year so far so may have a big problem with my plants fruiting. I am manually pollinating the squash but I haven't touched the tomatoes and there are alot of them showing up on my plants. I do have lady bugs though and that is a good thing.

Look forward to meeting alot of good people and learning new things.