So, the 2009 growing season worked out. I thought it probably would. We avoided large hail storms although they were within sight several times. The rain was good although it almost got dry a couple of times-- just enough to put us to thinking, especially when the water commissioner put an end to irrigating. We did see a few aphids on some lettuce, but it was always just a few and the ladybugs were always around enough to put us at rest. The fence held up and the deer and elk stayed out. We did have a real freeze on August 8 which hurt the Buckwheat, but the full-on killing frosts held off till the end and allowed us to harvest all we could-- albeit a little hurriedly that last day or two. Yes, it all worked out well. So now, it's time to start worrying about 2010.

We're pretty comfortable saying that we can grow as much stuff as we can deal with. We have about 3 acres behind the crucial 7' fence and could actually probably grow 4 times more stuff if we were so inclined. Of course that would mean there would be little room for cover crops and Lin and I would be working about 140 hours/week. So, thinking it through, we could realistically grow about twice what we have in the past while maintaining our rotation scheme and not having to work more than "a lot"..............if we had more hands in the dirt and on the plants.

So, why would we want to grow more? Two reasons come to mind. First, we'd like to get produce to people in our area who don't otherwise get to experience or consume good, nutrient dense, tasty vegetables. If we can grow it, it seems to be the right thing to do to do so and get it to people who want and need it. And secondly-- economy of scale. This economic term often associated with big industrial ag in our case has nothing to do with controlling the market place but everything to do with our own financial sustainability. Part of our mission is to learn about growing things the right way at high altitude and then passing along what we learn to others who can duplicate it. We think we're on the right track on growing and we've been sharing a lot of information the past few years and we've even reached the point where the whole operation can sustain itself financially. That is, if everyone works basically for free. Fun and rewarding as it is to watch things grow, the missing piece of our puzzle is the market and financial side of things.

The "growing" part is interesting, but amazingly-- it's all been done before. The reality is that people were growing potatoes at high altitude in South America back during the days when "the developed world" was debating whether or not the world was flat. But growing it, getting it to market and reaping some return for our time has some true challenges that just aren't seen very often. Short growing season, remote location, specific crop selection, and lack of local labor all combine to make this last part tricky. It is forcing us to think and work outside the box. So for now, that's where our thoughts are. We know there is an answer and we're now pursuing it head-on even as we take the occasional break to ponder our seed list, soil tests and long range weather forecasts as planting time heads our way.