Have you noticed the fresh bursts of growth on trees that have already leafed out? It generally happens between June and July, and these sweet little suckers would be excellent candidates for air layering, if you’re into that sort of thing.

On a similar note, in some way, I’ve refocused my attention to working on this website after establishing my root systems elsewhere. I’ll have a fresh batch of new products available soon, and I’d like to keep my ramblings tucked away (here) from my Etsy store for those who may be interested. While I appreciate the support garnered through purchasing what I have for sale (starting up a farm from scratch is not cheap), I also hope to provide another perspective on the issues of self-maintenance and preventative healthcare through herbs and animal products, for those interested. Active engagement with the land around us is also fundamental for whole health, so I’ll be bringing up some ways of improving soil health.

If this isn’t yet apparent, my skincare and wellness products seek to combine the aspects of both flora and fauna for the best possible outcome. This is why I use lard in my soaps and lotions, and I adore sheep milk as a primary ingredient in both. I’m a fan of supporting the micro biome vs. blasting it to smithereens and watching the fallout. I’ll be experimenting a bit with schmaltz as well. I like to give things a good test run before offering them for sale. Of course, all of these ingredients are horrible options when sourced from a commercial farm, but that is not what I’m offering. I’d suggest the same is the case for commercial “vegetarian” ingredients, which is why I try to limit my use of tropical plants, and try to source my “exotic” ingredients from legitimate fair-trade cooperations. I do this with the utmost appreciation.

Before bringing animals into our gardening and farming exploits, my husband and I struggled to find adequate sources of fertilizer for plants. I pretty much boycott white phosphorus in the form of non-organic (and organic?) fertilizers, as I believe the rumor that it’s running out. Funny enough, Tennessee used to be one of the bigger exporters of phosphorus, but those resources have run dry or something. Regardless, it’s a vital resource for desert farming, and that is where it is generally found. In my opinion, they should keep it there, and keep the people of arid lands fed and happy. Elsewhere, phosphorus is an abundant resource, easily found in manure and finely ground bones.

Now of course, it’s much prettier to sprinkle granulated fertilizer over perfect rows of flowers and vegetables, and this is likely why it’s been preferred. In my opinion, it smells much worse than well-composted manure and home ground bones. Purchased bonemeal smells a bit too doggy to me, so I like to make my own. Even just allowing bones to scatter out with the compost does the trick, but grinding them is ideal. Another decent source of phosphorus is via comfrey or nettle “tea”. That is, you chop up some fresh comfrey and/or nettle, cover it with water, and let it rot until it reeks, stirring with a long stick every other day or so. This needs to be further diluted, or applied while it’s raining heavily. Synthetic fertilizer might smell a little nicer than this stuff, but it does the trick. Comfrey even has a knack for encouraging plants to heal themselves from insect and bacterial damage. Some years I’ve neglected this resource, opting only for manure and mulch, and I’ve regretted it. Comfrey and nettle are whole topics on their own, but really this is just to give an idea of the sorts of things I’ll be introducing here in the coming days and months.

This shoot has just about grown to its tip, so before it goes so long as to be a problem, I’ll bid you adieu, fair reader, and please check back in soon!

Toodles for now,

-Meaghan Harper-Thrift