My current mantra is "When the going gets tough, the tough get growing."
I've gotten increasingly nervous over the past few weeks as coronavirus has decimated various countries around the world following the initial outbreak in China, and made progressive inroads here in NZ, basically via people returning from overseas.
Most people who know me know I'm a contingency planner. I'm a bit of a worrier in the best of times. Global pandemics shift me into overdrive. I haven't been hoarding, toilet paper or anything else, but I have bought more food than normal for the freezer and pantry. Anticipating, as someone with a compromised immunity, that at some point I might not be able to go out.
That point arrived on Saturday, when the Prime Minister asked people like me to stay home, not to go out unless absolutely necessary.
So here's the good news. As part of my contingency planning I'd ordered vegetable seeds and purchased seedling plants last week. I've planted silverbeet, spinach, rocket/arugula, beetroot, lettuce, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spring onions and parsley. In Veggie World and in the glasshouse here at Struan Farm. (Note: the net curtains are to deter white cabbage butterflies from laying caterpillar eggs on the brassicas.)
Our Monty's Surprise apples are ripe, so we have heaps of apples, some peaches still, quince, ripening pears, fig, walnuts and feijoas. We won't starve. I've got books to read, one last needlepoint stocking to make, and knitting yarn and patterns. We can go out and walk around the farm, it's not the same as being stuck in an apartment or small house in town, we're very lucky.
And we'll share surplus fruit and veggies with the Piopio Community Fruit & Veg Stand, somehow, some way, of course!
Kia kaha, we're all in this together.
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