Farming Is Hard...Unless You're Not Trying

We did get one little pumpkin this summer and the tomatoes have been slowly rolling in—along with a mystery gourd we think was an unripe spaghetti squash.

Way back when Mr. W and I were starting to dream about moving to Santa Ynez, we thought we'd come up here and start a mini farm, maybe raise some goats and grow grapes so we could make cheese and wine and be happy homesteaders. It all seemed SO easy. And now, I laugh at that memory.

The gigantic garden we planted back in April has mostly become a weed conservatory, with only a few veggies holding their ground. Our kale was infested with aphids in the spring and now has white flies. The corn got some sort of fungus, so out of about twenty stalks, we got two edible cobs. All of our melon plants died and we think the local deer munched down most of the squash. Our tomatoes are just starting to ramp up production and summer is nearly over.

We thought we were going to have fruits and veggies coming out our ears, but it turns out this whole farming thing is harder than expected. Which is funny because in Hollywood, it always seemed so easy.

But of course, like our rogue tomato that took over the backyard down south, we have some volunteers that have popped up and are doing great. Why is it always the stuff you don't plant that seems to thrive? It feels like a dating analogy: As soon as you stop trying, everything falls into place...

We didn't plant these, but they're growing like weeds! They must be ten feet tall now.

The spaghetti squash that ate the side yard.

We've talked about taking a different approach to large lower yard garden next year—putting up deer fence and laying down weed block fabric before we plant. But maybe we should just haphazardly throw seeds around the yard and let whatever wants to grow, grow. Or we can always just visit the farmstand up the street....

These girls are growing like crazy, too. We're hoping in the next month or two they'll start to lay for us!