Gardening On
The Brink Of War,
& Taking Leave

Dateline: 31 March 2014


Transplanting Romaine, 2013

Spring is upon us here in central New York state and there is much to be done around this little homestead. Therefore, as difficult as it is for me to put the brakes on my blogging habit, that's what I'm doing. I'll be off for a week… or two. 

If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to sign up and receive new blog posts (when I start blogging again) by e-mail. There is a place to sign up on the right side of this page.

Before I go, I'd like to retract something I wrote here earlier this year. You may recall that I said I wasn't going to have a very big garden in 2014.  I expected to be too busy with my Planet Whizbang business this year. Well, I take it back. I'm making the time to have a big and productive garden this year! Here's why...

I am particularly alarmed by the recent and ongoing events in Ukraine. There is sufficient evidence to indicate that the United States government played a key behind-the-scenes role in the destabilization of that country. Multinational banking interests, along with global energy and agribusiness corporations stand to benefit greatly. Follow the money.

The corporate news media in the US is unreliable. It has clearly become a propaganda arm of the federal government. They routinely discuss trivial matters as if they are important, and feed us misinformation about things (like the situation in Ukraine) that are critically important. 

I have become skeptical of everything our government is doing in the realm of "foreign relations." I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to have our government stirring up trouble with the Russians over an area of land that is on the Russian border, that used to be a part of Russia, and that is largely populated by people who identify themselves as Russian. In short, Ukraine is of major strategic importance to Russia and has always been. What strategic importance is that country to the people of America? None.

For our government to be over there causing trouble for Russia, then criticizing them for responding to the trouble, is something I don't understand. There is a whole lot more to this than meets the eye. And, like I said, I'm alarmed. 

There isn't much we can do about globalist elites (American politicians among them) perpetrating their self-serving corruptions in so many places around the world. But there is something that we can do to be better positioned to deal with the difficulties that will, in time, surely befall the people of this country... 

We can be more and more proactive about providing for our food needs, apart from the industrial providers. Which means, we can get more serious about growing food for ourselves and our families. And that's what I intend to do.


Squash seedlings, 2013

If you are getting more serious about your own gardening pursuits this year, I want to point out that I have numerous Planet Whizbang products that can help you be a more successful gardener…

1.  The Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners

2.  The Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe

3.  Whizbang Bucket Irrigation Kits

4.  Planet Whizbang T-Post Trellis Span Y-Holders

5.  Planet Whizbang T-Post Grape Trellis Fittings

6.  Whizbang Garden Cart Plans


For more inspiration and information, check out This Archive of My Garden Writings.


Tomatoes, 2013
(on Whizbang T-post trellis spans)

And finally, until we meet here again, I want to leave you with some pleasant, reflective music to listen to…






That song is part of David Farley's new CD, and you can listen to the whole CD At This Link

If you go to that link, play close attention to the beginning of song #5 (Stella). That was going to be the lead-in music to my Agrarian Reader podcast (which I decided not to follow through with).

I'll be back here in a week... or two.

Best wishes,

Herrick Kimball

P.S. I have finally posted another old excerpt to my Agrarian Nation blog. Check it out: Earth Ovens—1869


Me & Futureman, 2013



13 comments:

Alex said...

Good luck with your gardening. I too intend to have a productive veg garden this year.

Anonymous said...

Yes, we are expanding in the garden and livestock as well. Better too much than too little. I believe that only God has our best interests at heart, the politicians, bankers and corporations, not so much.

RonC said...

I cringed back when I read that you were going to scale back on your garden this year. I don't think this is the year to be doing that. I have a gut feeling that this is the year to kick the gardening efforts into high gear, and if not this year, then certainly next year.

Cj said...

Great year to expand the garden... this is the first year I'll have MY OWN garden and I'm having a little trouble that makes me envious of your first picture.

How do you get the romaine lettuce to grow? I have mine in with all my other seeds under the grow lights, but they came up and then fell over... any tips? Everything else is doing fine...

Herrick Kimball said...

Clinton,

If you happen to have a copy of my book, The Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners," you will find information on the last page telling how to get to the hidden online REsources web site for readers of the book. Once you are there, click on the link that corresponds to the book chapter titled, "A Primer on Gardening in Tires." Once you are there you will find a whole photo tutorial explaining how I start and transplant Romaine lettuce varieties.

Best wishes with your own garden. That's exciting.

Granny Miller said...

Here's to a good gardening year!
My Mr. will be doing ALL the vegetable gardening for us this year.
Hope you enjoy your time away from your blog. See you when you return!

Herrick Kimball said...

Granny—
Mr. doing all the gardening sounds like a good plan. That's the way it is around here. And Mrs. does all the cooking…. Teamwork!

Thanks for the well wishes.

timfromohio said...

Mr. Kimball and Granny,

We employ the same "I go you go" back forth. I do the vegetable gardening, my wife cooks, but then ... I get dishes. Hmmm ...

I don't mind. She's an awesome cook and she packs my lunch. So we're even.

TimfromOhio

Anonymous said...

Blessings on a great garden this year, brother! I know what you mean about the world situation, "our" government, etc. If you haven't seen this already, check out Dr. Mark Mitchell's article over at Front Porch Republic on some related matters:

http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2014/03/whats-localist/

Grace and blessings,
David Smith

Everett said...

Just received and am starting to assemble a Rimol 30' x 48' high tunnel. For ALL the same reasons you stated! Happy Gardening! Everett

Herrick Kimball said...

David,

That's a good article. I haven't been to Front Porch Republic in awhile. I like this quote from the article:

"If you spend much time consuming the media, it will end up consuming you. This is not an appeal to ignorance or withdrawal. It is, however, to say that to be informed is not the same as being obsessed. It is not the same as being stupefied by endless cycles of the same. It is to shun the diversions that keep us from attending to the most important things that, conveniently enough, are generally right under our noses: our families, neighbors, friends, our local communities."

Herrick Kimball said...

Everett,

That's exciting. I'm surprised the citified codes on the island let you put one of those up. Best wishes with the project!

roysfarm said...

Wonderful photos and videos. Thumbs up!