What Lies Beneath

Well, a lot has been going on, so catching up may be tricky. How about I make the 4-hour epic into a miniseries.

Let's start with worms. There were a lot of them.

As invasive grasses like Johnson and Bermuda tend to stretch deep, much digging was in order to prepare the garden for winter (and hopefully for a more weed-resistant future). The deeper we dug... the bigger the bug.

This is a grub. Apparently, they live most of their life in this form and then become this:

A green june bug.

We love to hate em.

Chickens love them, too - but once they have wings, you gotta catch em!


This guy must have been in there a while. Gross? Maybe. But actually pretty fun. Deep weed roots and huge grubs may not be as familiar a sight for those who till mechanically. But, as you can see lots is going on about a foot under the surface. By hand-digging the soil, we not only can deal with those problem-causers but also can protect the beneficial creatures. Like earthworms! And spiders. And all the microorganisms that make "soil" much more than dirt.

Another fun one to catch? My friend the hornworm...



Doppelganger of Heimlich, the lovable caterpillar of "A Bug's Life," he is not so lovable. Loves tomatoes. But what a defeat for a farmer to eye a prized heirloom tomato for days up to its perfection - only to turn it over and find sauce-covered napkins and dirty dishes left by a hornworm.

See that whole missing leaf there by his head? Yeah.

Other than worm-huntin', it's been a lot of digging. And weed-pulling. Preparing beds and babying newly planted fall and winter crops.

Even with a volunteer in house, the farm could use some help. Which brings us to.........