A record percentage of the US is facing a drought this summer, including Florida and Georgia. My area typically only gets 16" of precipitation for the whole year. Most of that is snow between Thanksgiving and March. Prior to this area, I have lived in two deserts since 1997. It is a given that we HAVE to have watering solutions for gardening. Here are the basics of what you can do now to make it easier to keep things green all summer. 1. Add organic matter to your soil. For every 1% increase in organic matter, you increase the soils ability to hold water by 10%. This is things like straw, manure, wood shavings, dried leaves. I put it on top every fall so it has time to decompose, but you can also mix it in before you plant. (No dig methods for the win!) 2. Mulch on top. I use old straw or used pine wood shavings because it is easy to transport and use. Mulch protects the soil from big temperature fluctuations, keeps water from evaporating, creates habitat for earthworms and good bugs, and eventually becomes more organic matter. 3. Use drip irrigation whenever possible. Targeted watering means fewer weeds. Drip also reduces the total amount of water used. Make sure the drip line is under the mulch, so it stays cool and the water goes right to the plants. I prefer the drip line that has holes every 6" or 1 ft. We have a high mineral content in our water and it plugs up the drip tape style in a single season. Don't be intimidated by drip irrigation. Just think of it as grown up Legos or those popbead necklaces from the late 80s (IYKYK). Lay it out before you connect the lines, and always go from bigger to smaller lines. What water saving techniques are you considering this year?

Prepping this week looks like: No planting this week at our place. This is the moon sign for any "fruits" you haven't started yet. Squash, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, etc. I am cheating this year and buying whole plants in June. We can't put them in the ground until the end of June, so for me it makes more sense at this site to just buy them. The rabbit nest boxes are in, and I am checking them twice a day, waiting for babies. This week I will breed the rabbits that didn't get bred last time. All of the breedings this year are targeted for the 4H fairs at the end of the summer. We have 3 fairs nearby, with specific guidelines for maximum ages and types. Anything that doesn't sell will go in our freezer in August. April has been a lot colder than usual, and I am really glad I waited to breed this year, so the weather will be warmer for babies. I have been doing a hard look at the economics of food lately, and what will be getting the first price jumps. I have already started getting a little extra at each trip to the store. Last week it was honey and sardines, and this week it will be batteries for the solar fence chargers for the livestock. Our tax refund just hit, so getting tires will also be on the "sooner than later" list. In the next few weeks I need to switch the small animal housing set-ups to summer mode. The rabbit barn is a new addition, so this will be a learning curve for what summer mode will look like. My original idea was a really simple swap, but the prevalence of stray dogs in our neighborhood and the coyote pack that moved in next door mean I need to change my plan. Since the birds are new, their setup will have to be built from scratch, because the greenhouse they are in will be too hot by the end of May. This summer I am doing growing trials for several medicinal herbs that I have not grown before. These trials, are how I test what will actually work for my specific site. I just try 2 or 3 plants in a spot I think they will do well. Then I take lots of notes on watering, sun damage, soil needs, and if they are ready to harvest before our first frost. There are about 20 more plants I want to test this year, but space and time are always limited.

The longest living people around the world don't live near big cities or fancy hospitals or go to gyms. They don't use fitness trackers, or take expensive supplements. They eat food they grow in their backyard or was grown by a neighbor. They cook simple meals from scratch (with lots of repeat meals). They walk a lot. They have friends they hang out with. They feel like they have a role in their family and community. They have a spiritual practice that is meaningful to them. As the world gets more and more crazy, remember the little old folks in mountain villages around the world. What would they care about right now? How would they respond? We need to focus less on billionaires and more on Italian (or Greek, Japanese or Hunza) grannies. Not buying into the race will be the biggest flex. I am here if you need guidance on what to focus on to prep your family for the wild ride ahead. This is not going to be just another round like the COVID-19 restrictions. 1. In general, when you go to the store, buy twice as much as you would normally get. I'm going to go into more detail next week, but the price jumps are not going to hit all at once. The first jumps will be things that are imported. Medicine, grains, tea /coffee, olive and coconut oil, processed food, canned fish, pasta and some beans. 2. Start practicing cooking at home and using things that are in season. The way out is actually a much healthier path. If you need help shifting to cooking from scratch or seasonal eating that accomodates special dietary needs, I am ready for you! Image: Rabbit nest boxes are in place.