Harvest, Hunger, and the Art of Preservation

Harvest, Hunger, and the Art of Preservation

Russet Potatoes and White Onions (and a few stray red onions) harvested.

Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and duck eggs collected from the garden and livestock gardens at Mezzacello.

Harvest from a typical summer day

This is just a morning of potager garden harvest at Mezzacello. This is Harvest, hunger, and the art of preservation. I am encouraged that the first phase of lasagna gardening produces a very rich soil and in turn, a lot of food.

I can push this system even harder. Spinach and beans will go in the rows where onions and potatoes grew. This is the goal of any good garden, succession and companion planting.

Now I know what optimal yields can support. These rows were conservatively planted. I am documenting their inputs and outputs.

Preservation is Time Consuming and Time Extending

The irony is that I have collected all this food, I have to use it or lose it. Preservation and understanding preservation are important skills to have. I have work to do.

It's important to see harvest and preservation from two facets. These are time consuming actions and time extending actions. I have been doing a ton of research.

Now I have to dry them, process the onion greens, put them in storage, and start canning. But now I am really hungry and don’t Have the energy to keep going. Lunch break!

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