Why I Am Gardening Now

Or how to create some sense a stability in this wild world

No matter where you may be on the political spectrum, nearly everyone is feeling a certain amount of anxiousness regarding the near term future and the economy. In the press, they keep calling the current condition “uncertainty” but for many people other words are more accurately descriptive—instability, unpredictability, and capriciousness in decision making are all terms I have heard. Even the CEOs are anxious. That’s why those from Walmart, Home Depot, and Target met with the president this week. No one seems to know what is going to happen. (I wrote about how this is affecting retirement decisions here.)

Although the term of this anxiety is shorter, it is otherwise not qualitatively different from the anxiety so many feel about climate change. Climate change has been unfolding for a few decades now, and in areas like the one where I live, what we see out the window and feel in the air is undeniably different than it has ever been. Two winters with almost no snow preceded by a winter with more snow than we had ever seen. Drought conditions relieved by torrential rains. Species that normally live here are disappearing. Although these are common weather abnormalities to identify, the anxiety for most people doesn’t come from that. It comes from the decimated local economy. Businesses the last two winters have seen revenues fall by 70-80%. We rely on tourism here, especially winter tourism from activities like ice fishing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, and the like. But when there is no snow and the lakes don’t freeze solid, people don’t come to enjoy those activities. Many of these business owners simply don’t know what to do. They can’t plan investments. They don’t know how long these conditions will last. They wonder if their business will survive and what they will do instead.

Sound familiar? It should. It‘s the same thing business people are feeling all through the economy under the current tariff regime. Can’t plan investments. Don’t know how long these conditions will last. Wonder if their business will survive.

This anxiety filters down to many of us individually outside the business world. We are wondering about jobs and recessions, what we should buy now or not buy now, how to protect our livelihoods in an economic downturn or even a possible disaster. Our wealth appears to be shrinking, if we have it. Our concerns have the same two sources—the economic impact of the new government and climate change.

What Can We Do?

Among all the hand wringing, I find in myself an desire for stability despite the situations in which we find ourselves. I guess that means finding some place where I can have control. It means a refuge from the anxiety, or at least from some of it.

This is a new spirit infused into my gardening and homestead project this year. It started without thinking about it in late February with maple sugar season (which I will write about separately). And now, it continues into the garden year. I am fortunate to have a ten acre woodlot and a 60 x 80 garden where I can grow food and beauty, both of which give me a sense of stability. While the anxiety we experience is expressed economically, it is experienced deep in the soul. That’s why beauty is just as important as the garden’s food production.

What I am saying is this: One thing we can do to regain a sense of stability is to grow our own gardens or partner with people who are doing so. We can create mini-farms that are alive on the landscape creating fertility, abundance, and generosity in the face of anxiety. Mini-farms and home production processes function like living organisms and can create an oasis of natural productivity, even in the face of a changing climate and uncertain economy. At least, that is my general belief, and it is also my personal experience.

Introducing Walden Woods

I’ve named my place Walden Woods because, as a friend of mine said when I moved here, “Tony, you are doing a Thoreau project!” He was partially right. I am writing constantly here, and I am also building a relationship with this land in the forest and the garden, including the wildlife and potentially domesticated animals. There is a lot that remains to be seen. I have wanted to do this since I was a teenager, and finally at 63, I have the chance to undertake this project!

My plan is to experiment with various growing methods and share them as part of the Climate Abundant Life section of this newsletter. Some experiments will work and others will fail. I hope to get photos, though as a word guy, I often forget this in the process. But I will do my best to share these experiments so readers can follow along and see what is happening in the garden and on this homestead.

Ultimately, the reason for doing this is two fold. First, it is to create my own stability in this uncertain world. Second, it is to inspire others. I would also love to hear from you if you are undertaking similar projects for independent living. What are you doing? Write to me and let’s compare notes.

Today at Walden Woods

I put the cover on the greenhouse two days ago and here’s a shot of it in the garden. This is a 10’ x 20’ easy-to-set-up greenhouse. I bought it on Amazon for only $179 last year. Here’s the link (full disclosure: yes, it is an affiliate link as that helps support my projects). It really warms things up during the day, but at night without the sun, it only provides a few degrees of protection at ground level. I’m planning to use row cover to add some ground level insulation in case of frosty nights.

The fence shown is my deer fence—seven foot, high tensile electric fence.

After setting it up, I turned some of the soil to get ready for planting inside. On the left, I will be putting in spinach later today. I’m still deciding how to handle the right hand side.

The plan is that once those cultivated beds around the outside are planted, I will add a bed down the middle. That’s usually the best place for tomatoes or cucumbers because I can trellis them up to the seven foot height of the greenhouse.

Oh, and here is my garlic from last fall—averaging about 1 ½” tall.

Spring is here! Always a fun time to see things happening again!

Anthony Signorelli