Working Through the Stages
My friends and family can confirm that I’m an action oriented person. I don’t spend much time sitting in contemplation (though I probably should.) I certainly have my contemplative moments, most of them while cultivating the soil. So when this virus ordeal smacked our area and my employer made the call to close the business, I immediately pivoted to my next move: identifying new mowing customers, seeking out folks who wanted my consulting services and getting really creative in finding ways to cover the lost income. That response is a result of 15 years of EMS. Identify the problem. Address the problem. Remedy the problem. Feelings later (if at all.) So while I’m able to take the long view on most things, my focus has been quite direct on securing things in the near-term. Then I realized today that I’ve actually been working through a sort of delayed grief process.…
The Simplest Successes
Since I’ve started on the homesteading path, I’ve always been a student of the soil. Building soil, understanding its components, learning what it needs to support healthy plants – all of this has been at the forefront of my approach when it comes to maximizing my growing capabilities. So I never paid much attention to hydroponics. It seemed too complex with too many inputs and too frequent monitoring needed to maintain a system. I figured it required a large up front investment and considerable space. Well, I was wrong and I’m happy to report that simple hydroponics, also known as the Kratky system, has become a staple of my growing style. In its simplest form, this method relies on just a few things: lights, a growing medium like peat pellets or clay balls, a container with a lid, a nutrient mix, net pots or something similar to hold your growing…