An Update on Our "Food Forest" at Stonehurst
Vermonters are serious about growing food! If you've ever visited our showroom in Vernon, VT, you may have walked through the wooded trails, gardens, and fruit and berry orchard--what's been collectively called our "food forest" here at Stonehurst. This time of year, we are busy at work collecting the last of the harvest and processing seeds for next year's crops.
Did you know that some crops, like garlic, benefit from overwintering in the ground? This week we turned over the garden beds and added an insulating layer of leaves for garlic and shallots. Individual cloves of seed garlic will turn into full heads of garlic by mid-summer, with no maintenance or watering.
Spacing out garlic and shallots to overwinter in-groundWhen prepared correctly, what's normally thought of as "decorative" corn is 100% edible, and delicious! Most of the corn we grew at Stonehurst this past summer will be saved for seed and sown next year, and some will be eaten. This seed is called White Eagle because the kernels sometimes have a marking on the side in the shape of a bird. White Eagle is a dent corn intended to be ground into flour.
Dent corn drying for next year's seed
Shagbark Hickory nuts collected earlier in the season
Here at Stonehurst we manage about 100 acres of forested land. Shagbark Hickory trees can be found along the trails and by the roadside. Some of these trees may be 50-100 years old, or older, and still produce edible nuts.
Eating locally and in-season is a huge part of overall good health. Come visit our Stonehurst showroom! We would be happy to share the harvest, share seeds, or hear about your gardening techniques.
