Homecoming Farm has been expanded from one acre to 5. All the new lots have been turned, disked, and planted. One whole lot has been planted in garlic. This 200 x 200 foot lot was coated with organic compost at a cost of $700. A cover crop was planted, disked, and furrowed. Thirteen four foot wide beds were furrowed so that four rows of garlic seed per bed (cloves), were planted 6 “ apart. Doing the math, this comes out to 20,000 potential garlic plants.

Each clove has to be separated from the bulb. Once the seed is separated, planters carry their small pails of cloves to the bed to start planting. Don has about 35 varieties of garlic to be planted. To keep track of each, he’s laid out a 100 foot measuring tape. When a variety has been planted, a yellow flag is stuck in the ground. Don records the distance from the start so he can keep track of each kind.

The cloves have a pointy end and a flat end. The flat end in pushed into the ground about three inches. This insures that the clove is deep enough to not become frozen over the winter as long as mulch is placed on top. The garlic shed is where the garlic bulbs for seed are stored. I have broken bulbs into seed for many years and find it an excellent source of hand exercise. Garlic prevents arthritis because it takes some serious finger strength to break down a bulb. Every once in a while, I come across an extremely small clove. I pop this into my mouth, chew it, to not only taste the garlic, but to have a “garlic burn.” It doesn’t take long for the sting, the kick ass, the fire to explode in my mouth. My eyes water, my tongue burns, and my sinuses drip. This in self torture for sure, but, the pain doesn’t last long. I know that when I do this, I am “taking my medicine” Garlic contains 13 of the 16 required amino acids our bodies need. So, in a sense, I’m not only volunteering to help with the garlic planting, I’m visiting my doctor, my exercise club, and my personal health.

The soil is soft as we kneel or crouch, and plunk in seed in, one after the other. The next step is to water with a fish emulsion and finally back fill and tamp. The labor doesn’t get boring. There are ravens in the neighborhood so we are constantly aware of possible sightings. The two rows Norway Maple trees are magnificent. The trees were planted far enough apart so that the structure of the trees is unimpaired by being too close to one another. In mid-November, some of the leaves have fallen, but just enough so be able to see the dark limbs beneath. Off in the distance, a charming chapel, a place where Burial ceremonies take place for Dominican Nuns that have died. The sky is open so we have broad views of cloud formations. And, best of all, we have companions to share all this with.

It takes several days to plant 20,000 garlic seeds. I have come four days for a few hours. Finally, we have reached the last of the 13 beds. Time is running out because the weather is turning cold. With no planting in rainy weather, and schedules, it has taken three weeks to near the finish line. Garlic has an internal clock. It will sprout a small, green stalk and some roots before it stops growing over the winter. We will cover all the beds with mulch which in itself will take more than a day to complete.

I can’t imagine life without garlic. If chewing a clove can create a heat in my mouth, I just know it’s got to have good nutritive value.  The old saying GARLIC IS AS GOOD AS TEN MOTHERS is true. Eat a clove of garlic daily and you’ll avoid colds, be stronger, and have good muscle tone.