One of my goals for the new property has been a big veggie garden.  BIG.  There are several motivations behind it.  The first is that we have the space…and all the free compost you could ever want.  (Llama dung compost is literally some of the best fertilizer on the planet.  It’s awesome!)

Second, I love the taste of fresh veggies and fruits.  Nothing beats it.  I especially love the taste of homegrown food in the middle of winter.  My frozen tomatoes are far superior to the canned stuff from the grocery store.  Completely changes the taste of soups and chilis when things get cold.

Third, and perhaps most important, I’m passionate about locally sourced food, knowing where my food comes from, and sustainable eating.  I am NOT perfect about this.  But I try.  Not only does locally sourced food taste better (because it can be picked ripe), it’s better for the planet.  That isn’t to say that I will start raising my own meat (nope…nope, nope, nope), but I will be happy to enjoy my own produce!  Besides, locally sourced, sustainably raised meat?  That’s what farmer’s markets are for.

Anyway, Katie and I started planting on Sunday.  We basically planted until we were exhausted, which was about halfway done.

The garden is fenced on all sides.   It’s as big as it looks.

 

The soil is passable right now.  In a few years, with the help of plenty of compost, it should be fantastic.

The garden is surrounded by pastures, so we were surrounded by curious llamas as we planted.  Even Cinco (one of my horses) stood at the corner of his field to watch us for a while.

 

This boy, especially, hung around.  As soon as we started watering, he came over to request that this legs be sprayed (if you look really close you can see the water from the hose in the above photo).  He then played in the water for several minutes.  Llamas love water!

By the end of the day, Katie and I had planted pumpkins (two varieties), lots of squash, cantaloupe, watermelon, rhubarb, four varieties of tomatoes, tomatillos, and peppers.

We still have a bunch of planting to go…but it’s a start.
Unrelated note?

This gate/fenceline was started over the weekend as well.  I asked my husband for a dog fence with a pretty gate.  He is giving me the gate to the Mongolian Empire.  I will update you as that project progresses.