The field plot is surrounded by acres of woodland and is a beautiful place for our students to get out in nature and get some exercise (including the 1/4 mile walk to the garden). The downside of all this natural splendor is wildlife, and their appetite for fresh veggies. The first thing done to the field plot after tilling was to add deer fencing. It’s an ingenuious system, strung like a shower curtain on wires between poles. Last weekend, gates were installed to provide easier access for people.
In the photo above you can see the trailing vines of the “moon and stars watermelon” we are hoping will fruit by the end of the month, as well as the bolted lettuce from which the students are gathering seeds with the expert help of the Southern Heritage Seed Collective of Forage Farm. Also growing is a host of spring plants – tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans, peppers, roselle, okra, sweet potatoes… and even some cotton. The deer are out of the running, but the race is on between the students and the insects.
