Happy Snowflake Day!

What is snowflake day you might be thinking? We have Daniel Tiger to thank for teaching us about this awesome day, and now we celebrate it in our family on the first snowfall of the year. Well that day was today and it was time to retire our broadfork for this gardening season, <smooch smooch> you were a good one 2017!

This year brought us a bountiful harvest of tomatoes, I ended up canning 36 quarts and sharing countless pounds of fresh fruit with friends and neighbors. We also had our best melon year yet, the honeydew were melt in your mouth delicious, a seriously decadent treat on a hot August day. And my favorite new addition of this season was our very first harvest of Shiitake mushrooms! Yes, it has been a couple years coming but we finally enjoyed the most delicious mushroom. If you haven't ever tried one, you have to get out and find a local producer for a fresh shiitake - seriously it is so so yummy, they trigger a taste bud sensation that isn't like anything else. Even Brooke who doesn't like regular store bought mushrooms gave these beauties a try and although she didn't love them quite as much as Mom and Dad she thought they were super cool. :)

All-in-all it was a great year for gardening on our homestead and we feel so fortunate that we are able to spend another season engaging with our children and the earth in such a pure and simple way. Thank you mother nature! And for now, time to enjoy the hustle and bustle of family, friends, and the holidays for it won't be long before we know our gardening itch will return and we are anxious for our next chance to get in the garden.