Pounds donated: 86 Volunteer hours counted: 15
2019 was Birchyville’s second year. Birch, Lys, and I prepped, and planted.
And between the shade and the deer, despite much enthusiasm and effort, very little happened.
But Birch was determined and patient. We planted again.
And the Olympic athletes – the deer – defeated us. For the time.
They jumped the fence twice and took out the sprouting broccoli starts.
Beyond the fava beans and volunteer tomatoes, little grew in the shady plot. Not even the radishes, beets and phaecilia/carrots. The kale and chard did not mature and then developed powdery mildew. Even the parsley did not grow. The onions and leeks were spindly.
But Birch offered to let us harvest from his sunny personal garden by the chickens.
It was glorious!
And we harvested 86 pounds for the Port Townsend Foodbank, with about 15 hours volunteer time prepping, planting [see transplanter below], and harvesting. Birch handled [uncounted] the lions share, including bed prep, and watering.