My project consists of three stages.
Stage 1: Start seedlings. In late February, we(my wife and I) start seedlings from seeds we preserved the previous year. They include tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, beans, snow peas, chayotes, fuzzy melons, and peppers. As you can see from my photos, they(more than 200) cover the whole area in front of my walk-in window. By late March, they are already a few inches tall. We start giving them away for free to our neighbours and friends.
Stage 2: Growing. We turn our backyard into a farm and start growing in patches and in pots. We water them in the morning and fertilize(we use organic) at the same time. This period lasts until August.
Stage 3: Harvesting and sharing. By August, the harvest season starts. Once they start, they keep coming abundantly, so much so that we keep giving them away, again to our neighbours and friends.
Farming is a long-term process; you learn and improve as you go. It is hard work and laborious. Yet it is also rewarding. The pleasure of harvesting will make you forget the time and effort you invested. There are challenges along the way. Pests, diseases, intruders and others. But you cope with them and overcome them; the satisfaction that comes after will make you feel completely worth it. So I tell myself, I will do it again next year. Thank you very much, NSG.
