Homestead rhythms quickened and eased, always interwoven with the seasons. As the days lengthened and spring approached, the flocks grew restless in the mornings, bolting outside as soon as possible in spite of lingering cold. Tree buds began to swell, sap rose, bird song spread in ripples - joyous melodies to welcome the day.

I am sorting through my root cellar storage this coming week, checking condition of storage crops and setting aside my seed potatoes for the coming season.

Note - if you have potatoes in storage that you don't want to plant, it's good to break off sprouts. The potatoes know spring coming and they want to grow, but bigger sprouts means smaller, more wrinkled potatoes. For planting, go ahead and leave the sprouts intact if you can. They'll root out and the plant will take off faster.

Before we do the bulk of seed starting for this year's garden, I'll go through the rest of my food storage, too. That way I have a better idea of how much to plant this year.

It's good to take inventory and do some pantry cleaning now and again, even if you don't have a garden. If you're anything like me, sometimes food items come into the house for a specific recipe, plans change, and they end up stuffed to the back of the pantry.

It's generally safe to use food past the expiration date as long as the package in intact, but flavor and nutrients fade with age. Eventually commercially canned goods start tasting more like can than food. Home canned goods hold flavor longer (in my experience) because they are packed in glass, but they get softer over time and flavor and color can fade.

This Week’s Resilience & Abundance Boost

• Take stock before you plant. Check root cellar, freezer, and pantry levels so this year’s garden (or CSA plan) matches what you truly use and enjoy.
• Out with the old, in with the new. Move older foods forward and plan meals around them. Replace stale spices or dry goods as needed.
• Prepare seed and soil in tandem. As you sort seed potatoes or starts, note what soil amendments or bed prep will support them best.
• Let the season set the pace. Bud swell and sprouting storage crops are nature’s cues — gentle reminders that planning time is here.
• Align effort with need. Grow, store, and cook in proportions that fit your household now, not how it was years ago.

Resilience deepens when what we grow, store, and use stay in balance with each other.

All our best to you and yours,

Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)

This week's featured articles...

If you've been thinking about adding a root cellar, or have cold storage that doesn't work very well, this article is for you - Root Cellars 101 – How to Build & Use One Successfully.

We also have Above Ground Root Cellars & Other No-Dig Food Storage, which includes tips for Southern growers - because not every climate or location is well-suited to a root cellar.

I've seen friends complaining about a "stomach flu" bug making the rounds, so I figure it's a good time to share tips for Natural Stomach Flu Treatment again.

If you like caramelized onions, you'll love this unique side dish. Called "onion pudding" in the old recipe book where I discovered it, this dish starts with a mess of caramelized onions and bakes up like a casserole. You can bake it in a pie plate, 9x9 pan, or other baking dish.

The Spring Gardening Summit has wrapped up, but due to a bout of stomach flu, Audrey as extended access to the Gardener's Success Kit through March 2nd.