Dusti, Dusti quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

Keelin with our peat pots!

with 3 dozen types of organic seeds and 216 peat pots all in a row! :)

My brother came over yesterday to till a garden for in our backyard and we estimate that once we're completely finished, it will be about a quarter of an acre and hold enough organic veggies to eat fresh and can to my heart's content!
My brother tilling

I want to make jellies, pickles, and just overall become more self-sustaining. Since I am pregnant and due at the end of the summer, I'm definitely going to need some help from Keelin (almost 5), our designated garden gnome!

Some of our lettuces (planted on Wednesday) started to sprout on Friday morning! Goodness!

I can honestly say that I'm most excited about the cucumbers and tomatoes. I can't wait to jar pasta sauce that I started from tomato seeds and herb seeds! I can't wait to make homemade pickles with one of my late grandmother's 15 pickle recipes and pickling peppers in vinegar so that hubby can eat them and I can use the spicy vinegar to cook with! I'm so looking forward to creating a space for my family filled with food that we grew ourselves, evidence of our commitment to sustainability and self-reliance.

The basil, chives, sunflowers, and tomato seeds I started a week ago are already looking like beautiful sprouts, too. The sunflowers are getting huge! Our chickens are going to love them!
Jackson being a critter

Yes, I said chickens! :) We're getting some of those, too. My brother, Daniel, and husband, Tim, are going to be building a chicken coop in the next few weeks and we'll be incubating our own eggs. More on that in another post!

I'm off to play with my family on this beautiful Saturday. I think we're going to go try our luck at a roadside farmer's market.