When I was a kid, our farm garden was the primary source of vegetables for our family of five. As I look back at those days, although it was never said aloud, “If if it doesn’t grow in our garden, we don’t eat it,” was what my mother and dad believed. I don’t remember that they ever bought vegetables.
My mother was in charge of the garden, which was about a quarter acre just to the north of the farmhouse. She decided what should be planted and when what was ready for harvest and what was not. She made the decisions, but she was not bashful in employing my Dad, two brothers and me to help with the garden tasks, from pulling weeds, hoeing, to helping her with harvesting.
In April we planted potatoes, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, and cabbage. In May we planted sweet corn, green beans, pumpkins, squash and navy beans. In late May she set out the tomato plants that she had started from seed back in March, on St. Patrick’s Day to be exact.She had saved coffee cans, from which she had removed both the tops and bottoms. She placed a can around each little tomato plant, to protect it from cutworms and from the weather.
Now, many years later, my mother’s voice is still in my head as we garden at Roshara—telling me what to do and when. Today, my kids now do most of the work in our garden, which we have now had for more than 50 years. For my birthday a couple years ago, the kids gave me a folding rocking chair, with a sign on the back that read, “Senior Supervisor.”
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Growing your own vegetables is an old idea—but still a good one.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: My writing class at The Clearing in Door County is scheduled: Friday, July 27, 9-4. Call 920-854-4088 to register.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, May 2, 10:00 a.m. Book Launch at Oakwood West, Madison. New book: Once a Professor. Open to the public.
Tuesday, May 15, 11:30 a.m. Black Hawk Country Club, SAIL Group. Once a Professor.
Saturday, May 19, 10:00-2:00 Dregne’s Westby, Book signing.
Thursday, May 31, 7:00 Middleton Public Library. Book Launch for Cold As Thunder (New novel)
Purchase Jerry’s signed DVDs and books from the Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
Phone: 920-622-3835
DVDs: His latest Public TV show, One-Room Country School is now available. It’s based on his book, One-Room Country Schools (also available).
Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)
Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm books.)
The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows,)
Never Curse the Rain, (based on his book with the same title)
The library has several of Jerry’s signed books for sale including Jerry’s newest nonfiction books, Once a Professor, Every Farm Tells a Story, Living a County Year (reprints), One-Room Country Schools, Never Curse the Rain and Old Farm Country Cookbook, and his novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. Also Wisconsin Agriculture: A History, Roshara Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guidebook for those who want to write their own stories.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.
