Arthur Baer may have said that, but Ron has taken it to heart and is doubling down on that thought.

Ron and I took a week off from Tiny House Farm and headed to Winston-Salem, NC to visit my sister, Patty.  I was on my two weeks vacation from work and just decided that a family trip was needed.  As Ron and brother-in-law Doug are best buds, he was all in.   As a bonus, older sister Mary was able to join us from Springfield, MO for a few days.  Such a good time we had.  But that is another story.

We got home on Thursday, Oct 13th and were very glad to be there again.  The visit was great, but home is best.  We still had a number of things to get done on the farm before the snow flies and even more at home.

Saturday, the 15th was garlic planting day.  Ron, Jo and I were up early and got busy splitting the garlic into individual cloves.  We were planting 3 different varieties so we had to tackle each one at a time and keep them separated.

This was actually hard work and by the time we had 800 cloves of each variety ready to go, our hands were feeling it.  You have to peel most of the wrapper off and then use your thumb to break the head apart.  Over and over again.  Then we bagged them up, 100 cloves to a bag.  As Ron has expansion plans for next year, I can foresee a garlic splitting party in 2017.

Then it was time to pack everything up and head out to THF.  This was a two vehicle trip with Ron hauling not only the garlic but his fabulous planting template.  He had numerous sessions of thought and planning  and then he spent a long afternoon building it.

Brother-in-law Don was already out there and we got everything unloaded and were ready to go.  It was 10 am and a bit chilly, but the sun was shining which makes all things better.  So odd that we are not getting out to the farm by 6 or 7 am.   These later starts are throwing us out of sync.

One box for each row.  800 cloves in each box.  This is going to be a long day.

Ron and Don used his dipple to make holes in our lovingly prepared rows.  Then Jo and I got busy with the planting.  Of course it was not as easy as it sounds.  Some of the holes were just the right size and the clove dropped in and were ready to be covered.  Most of the time, we had to dig out the hole a bit.

And so it began, we dibbled and planted again and again and again.  Moving along each row until the end was reached.   I dearly wish I had remembered my knee pads.  Because we had picked up so many of the rocks, it wasn’t a matter of hitting those but the constant kneeling that was getting to Jo and me.

And then, two hours later we were done with the three rows.  But not with the garlic.  We still had a lot waiting to be planted.   So Ron got our tiller up and running and we (shudder) tackled a fourth row.  This was just going to be a down and dirty row.  Tilled up and rock picked until we had enough loosened soil to plant the remaining garlic.  Needed to be at least 3 inches deep.   At first we were tossing the rocks into the wheelbarrow so we could dump them into the pile.  But that was taking too much time.  So we just picked up the bigger rocks and tossed them a few feet away.

This was the easiest way for me to pick rocks.  Working my way up and down the row while watching for Ron and the tiller.  I did end up with lots of dirt in my boots though.  Had to stop and empty them out every time I stood up.

Four hours of seriously hard work and we were done.  Yea team.  We do good work.  Now we just have to get each row covered with straw and then with the manure.  Then we can sit back and wait for Mother Nature to do her thing.   We have from now until next summer to come with up a plan for not only our soon to be huge crop of garlic scapes, but the garlic itself.  I can only roast and freeze so much.  I really don’t want another freezer in the house.

On Sunday we were all hurting.  All that kneeling just did in my legs.  It was Wednesday before I stopped feeling the ache when I stood up.

Final steps were going to be taken on Saturday, but Mother Nature said no way.  It rained, no, it poured all day long.  No way we were going to be shoveling manure that day.  At least Jo and I weren’t.  Ron, when he has a schedule to keep, I wouldn’t put anything past him. So our plan 3 from outer space was to get the straw and wire laid down on Sunday.   It was chilly and very windy that morning and Ron wanted to wait until it hit at least 50 degrees.  That took until noon to reach. Then we loaded up and headed out.  The straw we had left under a tarp at THF were not going to do the job.  Only two of the bales survived, the rest was wet and moldy.  And there was not enough of it.

We did one row and then headed home to grab some cash and find ourselves more straw.  Ron and I headed to Wagner Farm on Rt 365 in Rome, NY.  I had to drag Ron away from the owner; another Ron.  They would have been there for hours talking farm talk if I hadn’t.  Finally we were back at THF with the 12 bales we needed.

Two bales for each row and then two more for the space in between.   We unfurled each row of the wire Ron bought and Jo and I walked the length of them to flatten them out.  Then we carefully maneuvered the 50 foot lengths up the row and laid them down.  This will keep the straw in place over the winter.  We are looking to prevent ground heave and later keep the weeds down too.

And there we are.  Four rows of garlic planted and protected.  Now all we have to do is get the manure and shovel that on top.  The benefits will eek their way down through the straw and, fingers crossed, make our 2017 crop just a lovely as 2016 was.

Far warning to all family and friends.  Next October we are having a garlic planting party.  Save the date, you will be expected to show up.