Pigs, Seeds, Soil and Autumn

So, it's March. I have welcomed this first month of Autumn with open arms. The temperature doesn't really cool off until April or May here, but I love March all the same.

My potting table is alive and running again, with baby tomatoes, chards and tomatillos sprouting to life. I'm hoping the lettuce, capsicum and zucchini shoots in the next few days too. I've got to put in some more seeds this afternoon, too, after discovering squash lurking in the seed box.

The weather in March here is usually still unpredictable, but by the time these seedlings are ready to plant out the weather should be a little milder and the heavy rain should have subsided - here's hoping we do receive some rain in March!

(I do realise I've been prattling about rain for the last few posts, but it is something that occupies my mind at this time of year; I am surrounded by green paddocks that are growing but the grass is still short in most of them, and these beautiful warm days of sunshine are doing them a world of good, so long as the rain continues to rotate with them).

My veggie patch plans for the entire year start to come alive in March. I've just placed a seed order to top up on some things we're low on, carrots for one, and in it I popped a new to me variety of pumpkin and some broad beans. I've never grown broad beans but after seeing several people over on Instagram and in the blogging world enjoying them, I've decided to give them a try this year too.
For anyone wondering, the majority of our seeds come from Green Harvest, I've found them fantastic.

I'm toying with the idea of raising a pair of piglets over winter this year. With so much already going on around here, I'm not sure it'll happen but we'll see. At the moment we are lucky enough to have access to beautiful, top quality free range pork that is grown only half an hour away from here, so it's not really a lack of pork that makes me want to raise pigs.
 It's after seeing and hearing about all the wonderful things pigs can do for your soil, when pasture raised and rotated correctly. There are several areas of this property that my mind now sees as potential stop overs for a pair of rotating piglets. To me, at the moment, the pork is a bonus, a by-product. What I want is their snouts and their desire to root around and that lovely manure they deposit on their way. I was already thinking of pigs, and had seen and heard wonderful pig-raising stories, but after attending a Joel Salatin workshop/talk late last week, and seeing more photos of wonderful, well-managed pig implemented property restoration, I'm even more keen.


But with plans on bringing home a Ram in Autumn, once I locate one; calves to wean and break in, grand vegetable growing plans, chicken hatching schemes under way and whispers of a puppy arriving in a few months, I'm not sure I have time for a pair of piglets.
As I said, we'll see.

It's exciting to plot and plan, dream and scheme, don't you think?

Hope you have an inspiring and fulfilling week,

Sarah x