March Madness: Snow! in my Garden!

It doesn't seem right a week after the Reynolds' wonderful pea-planting post (who doesn't love alliteration?) to see yesterday evening's snowfall -- even more aggravating when it stuck around! Still, it just serves as a reminder that we are still in Michigan (even if the presence of the Great Lakes keeps us in Zone 6). And as exuberant as the occasional high-50's to 60's days make me, I have to remember that the average last frost date for this area is mid-May (see http://www.victoryseeds.com/frost/mi.html), before I go sticking seeds in the ground.



Of course, there are a lot of things you can plant before the last frost, but that list has to wait (a quick Google search was unhelpful -- I'll have to go back to the books!) Not a vegetable, but encouraging: I did see hardy pansies available for planting at Trentwood market over the weekend.



I've added three blogs to the list on the right. One is the blog from Maplecreek farms, the local CSA (community supported agriculture) farm discussed in class. The most recent Maplecreek post gets into food policy, and some bills pending in Congress. It's very informative. As a frequent reader of blogs, I especially appreciated her including the sources of the information she related.



Incidentally, I plan to call later today to find out if shares are still available. I'll post when I know.


The second blog just looked like another kindred spirit (at least from the title), from here in Michigan.

The third addition, 101 Cookbooks, is not about local foods (although I'm sure she supports their use). Instead, it's about more creativity in our cooking, with a vegetarian emphasis. In addition to getting more and more varied vegetables in my diet, I know that I should be paying attention to grains and beans as well. This site is a good source for flavorful and interesting recipes that meet both those interests.

Happy, snowy Spring!