The whole secret of the growth of these products before the regular season is in the cropping and the soil. Every inch of soil bears at least three crops a year, each of them anticipating the season and therefore producing fancy prices. The soil is regarded by the gardeners as of so much value that, as explained, there is a special clause in the lease that they are at liberty to cart it away to a depth of eighteen inches if they give up the farm at the termination of the agreement. The ground is so precious that no space is allowed for a wheelbarrow path. The loads are all carried in baskets and not a square inch is allowed to go to waste in this rich garden.

In the future, I wish to have a completely sustainable farm, located at a lower elevation. Being 15, there is only so much I can do to begin this. I have been taking steps in this direction though, in the past year, with learning as much as possible from books, as well as beginning to work with draft horses at a farm nearby. The inspiration to have a completely sustainable, self-sufficient small farm, allowing exploration in other fields of knowledge has come for me, in a large part, from Helen and Scott Nearing. Their book, “Living the Good Life,” has inspired many to make the move back to the land.