The Secret Garden.

What happens when Jesus and Barbara Kingsolver sit down over an omelet and cappuccino?  Oh, how I would love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation...They haven't invited me yet (Barbara is much harder to reach than Jesus), but I am at the ready, notebook in hand!

Of late, I've been trying to turn all of my prayer sessions into "Can we talk about farming now?" conversations.  I've scoured the libraries for gardening (on the sun) books.  I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  I've researched CSA boxes, took an Urban Farm class on fruit trees, called farms, visited the local farmer's market, tested my soil, raked rocks to start a plot, set out experimental seeds, and pestered (in the nicest way possible) our local AJs produce workers about where the food comes from.  I've even named my garden-to-be and made it a sign, the only thing currently growing in that particular (west-facing...sigh) plot.  But nothing, not any of these efforts, beats visually seeing the extraordinary little place I found with Madison the other day...(scroll down, if you will):

People, this is exciting!  LIFE, green things and beautiful things- but mainly for our purposes, delicious things- right here in the desert!  This secret space of wonder is actually the University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension garden (open to the public) off of Broadway.  Madison and I had the place to ourselves, so no need to act dignified or tree-savvy.  We scampered around from species to species taking ridiculous pictures, posing with purple eggplants and oohing and aahing loudly.  Hope springs eternal!

While I certainly didn't envision a new, overtaking interest in backyard farming at the onset of this blog, it has come upon us with force...and we are hooked.  Grow our own healthy food?  Not such a radical idea in the Bay area.  And not such a radical idea in the desert, if you're on the grapefruit and rattlesnake diet.  But variety, Lord?  Can you really do that here?  Don't we have to import our food from, I don't know, somewhere with a natural water source like rain?

Oh please, child.

Thanks to farmer boy Keefe's diligent watering, we have been growing citrus for the last three years.  We just added pomegranate to the mix, and hope to add apples, berries, peaches, plums, and a veggie garden in the months ahead.  Our growing seasons are quite short, and totally different from the directions on most every seed packet in America, but we are optimistic!  The Creator has graced even the badlands with some serious potential!

And as we continue along our path to sustainable family health, we have to think creatively with the less adventurous eaters in the clan.  Last week, the oldest kids were given five dollars each to spend at Sprouts however they wanted (no sweets allowed):

Keefe smelled his way to fresh bread, then rounded out his bounty with Sprouts' brand Cheese Puffs and six lemons.  

Our fruit girl didn't disappoint with watermelon, a pear, and an apple the size of her head.  

Three-year-olds may not be given the same $5 budget, but they're certainly not to be left out.   We turned these whole wheat muffins into pumpkin muffins w/ flax meal, almond milk, and Enjoy Life chocolate chips.  

Any of you locals who have gardened veggies successfully, I'd love to hear from you!  Be well!