• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home Garden Joy
  • Home
  • How to Garden
    • Seed Starting
    • Plant Profiles
    • Tools & Equipment
    • Raised Bed Gardening
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Herbs
  • About
    • Books & Classes
      • Herbalism Classes
      • Books for Christian Herbalists
      • Privacy Policy

Fall Farm Planning

November 14, 2018 by Jeanne

Fall farm planning means time to take stock of what we accomplished this year and what we’d like to do next year. We’ve begun thinking through our one, three, and five-year goals for Seven Oaks Farm. Lots of exciting ideas – now we have to see what we can achieve.

Fall Farm Planning: Time to Dream

Fall farm planning here means a walk through the woods. Our woods have become tangled in downed trees and thickets of thorny briars since we moved here 11 years ago. This past fall, storms Florence and Michael pulled down many trees, leaving the old work roads through the woods impassable.

John and I (accompanied by Whitey and Shy Boy, two of our seven cats) strolled through the woods. We’re dreaming of expanding the farm. Taking down some of the loblolly pine, which we knew had to be harvested eventually. Adding more heirloom apple trees with a second fruit tree orchard and maybe some nut trees.

We’re busy reading articles in the Farm Bureau magazine to learn what other Virginia farmers are growing. I’m hunting through Cooperative Extension publications research everything from growing American ginseng to, of all things, mushroom growing. Yes, mushrooms! That’s my latest obsession: can I grow edible mushrooms in the basement? In the garage?

I’m looking through kits on Amazon, reading articles online, and tentatively tasting varieties purchased from the supermarket. Which ones do I like? What might I be able to grow?

Meanwhile, the hunt goes on for a small scale timber broker who won’t blink at harvesting just two acres and thinning the remaining ten or so. We don’t want to take everything out through clear-cutting. My heart breaks at what that might do to our land and to the wildlife that lives here. The silly possum who steals pineapple cores from the compost pile has just as much right to a bit of peace and quiet as I do to a new orchard.

Fall is our time for daydreaming and planning. I’m busy mapping out the raised beds again. I’m looking into growing more heirloom vegetables and unusual herbs and fruit, perhaps with an eye towards direct sales from our farm or selling at the farmer’s market. Meanwhile, I watch the mail eagerly for my favorite catalogs: Baker Creek Heirloom Seed, Strictly Medicinal Herbs.

The wind chimes are put away, the hoses hung up in the shed, the morning glories taken off the trellis and the birdbath drained and on the workbench for repainting. Now is the time for fall farm planning, for walks through the woods and a bit of daydreaming about what our next decade will hold.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Previous Post: « Backyard Garden Design Ideas: Landscaping with Edibles
Next Post: Best Herbs for Small Gardens »

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

As Seen in Porch

 As Seen in Porch

We were featured in Porch.com and answered reader's questions about indoor plants.

Explore All Gardening Articles

Latest Articles

  • Growing Eggplant: A Guide for Gardeners
  • Volunteer Plants – Nature’s Unexpected Gifts
  • Free eBook on Herbal Safety

Herbalism Classes & Supplies

Goods Shop by Herbal Academy – botanically inspired products

Disclosure

Home Garden Joy participates in two affiliate programs: Amazon and The Herbal Academy. Home Garden Joy earns a commission from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. As an Herbal Academy Associate, HGJ also earns a commission when you sign up for classes or purchase herbs or supplies from The Herbal Academy. Herbal information and recipes on this site are provided for educational purposes only.

Footer

a tea pot, cup and saucer with mint leaves on the saucer

Free eBook on Herbal Safety

The Herbal Academy is offering a free ebook on herbal safety! I just sent an email out to our Home Garden Joy community and downloaded my copy and WOW – not only is it chock-full of information, it’s beautiful to look at, too. And free. Did I mention free? Learn More About Using Herbs –…

Read More

a closeup of watermelon

Watermelon in the Home Garden

Growing watermelon in the home garden is not for the faint of heart. I have plenty of room, and it still threatened to take over the garden. You will either need to leave a lot of room for the sprawling vines or look for varieties specifically marked for containers. Growing it on a trellis is…

Read More

a zucchini growing in a raised bed

Growing Zucchini in Raised Beds

Growing zucchini in raised beds ensures that this prolific vegetable has the best conditions to thrive. You can grow zucchini in pots or containers, but I prefer growing it in raised beds. This is a great vegetable to grow if you have a “black thumb” and kill plastic plants, because it’s hard to grow a…

Read More

a close up of onions

How to Grow Onions in Your Backyard

Wondering how to grow onions? I’ve grown onions here at Seven Oaks Farm in several ways: from “sets” or starter plants and from store-bought onions that sprouted in the bag! Onions don’t require much space, and you can grow a lot for the money you spend on starter plants. Let’s take a look at how…

Read More

  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Awards

Copyright © 2025 Home Garden Joy on the Foodie Pro Theme