Cucumbers, Cantelope and Zucchini coming along! It’s always a pleasure to get my hands in the dirt! If all goes well, this will be the earliest harvest ever!

I made the decision to buy this greenhouse two years ago when I knew that I was going to be living in Manitoba for the foreseeable future; at least until my kids are through school. It has not only been good for my soul to be able to see life growing much earlier, but with the way this past winter has been this greenhouse has been a gift to my mental health. I remember when I was younger I’d always hear older people complaining about the weather and I never understood the problem… until these past years. Manitoba is an extreme place to live. If it isn’t dry as a bone, it is flooding. And if it isn’t -40 it is probably 40C. Rarely it seems, is there just average days.

Anyway, I’ve come to learn that greenhouses have huge temperature fluctuations! Especially when you live in MB and the weather is perpetually wonky! 

Mice have been another challenge, but I’d like to highlight my amazing dog, Lucy, that proudly caught 5 juicy rodents today! I left the dead bodies on a tree stump and watched as birds came and took them away. Being still these days feels really good. Just observing and not reacting.

Nothing goes to waste in the circle of life. Energy is exchanged. Death feeds life. Chicken shit feeds the soil. Last years compost pile looks like black gold now. 

Transformation is incredible.

There’s a lot of things challenging this dream of mine to be growing my own food for 8 months of the year, and on a deeper note, reeling in my dependence on others to provide food for my family. There is no denying we are in for a challenging decade ahead. All the signs are pointing towards food supply break downs and shortages. And as a result, we will all have to find our way.

It has been a lot of trial and error, but you can’t grow if you’re not willing to make mistakes… and I’ve made a lot of them, but also learned so much. The important thing is not to quit! Figure out what went wrong, fix it, and move on to the next thing. 

More rain in the forecast, so I brought out the rain barrels and a spare pair of rubber boots. 

Keep moving forward with an open heart, and being humble enough to know that there is something to learn at every turn.