The Life Of Garlic

These pictures begin last November, when garlic must be set into the ground. I want you to know that any CSA members you see working in these pictures were here to help long after the 09 season was over, and long before this season began. We just put out the call, and they showed up...amazing bunch of people, I tell you.

Here is the ground prepared for planting:

Then, we have the buckets of garlic 'toes', bought from the Glasers in New Roads (who sell at the BR Farmer's Market), and our csa friends setting out each one on these three 75-ft rows:

last, (but certainly not least- because it's a tough job) is the laying of hay over all of it, so the garlic can sprout and stay bedded down and weed-free until late spring

The garlic blooms about the time the strawberries play out (late May or so), and is beautiful, if a little strange looking to some:

And, as a grand finale, one of the dads from our csa families stayed and worked with Will to pull all of it, stack it in the barn for drying, and weed the rows, getting them ready for another planting (field peas).

I think this is beautiful, don't you?

And there you have it - start to finish. It takes many months, but such is the life of some things that must be over-wintered. And it's the only way to get fresh garlic (!)