Pleasant Valley Plant Farm

  Visitors at our farm often ask, “ How do you grow so many plants ? “.  My answer is, “ I plant a lot of seeds “ .   Well, the whole story would take a lot of explaining, so in this article , I will give only the steps  involved that I use on our farm.  The key to success is as usual,   Planning and Scheduling .  Start with a garden plan and a list of plants that you want.

  Step 1 :  What, Where, and When ;  WHAT kind and variety of plants are you going to grow, keeping in mind your Climate Zone , choosing ones that are compatible with your area.  Also noting how many plants of each kind you want to end up with, always adding a few extra just in case seed germination is low or you change your garden plan later.  WHERE are you going to plant the seedlings once produced, considering things like height and spread of each variety, light preference ( sun, shade or partial sun ) and again how many plants are needed to complete your garden plan.  WHEN to plant your seeds so they will be ready to plant at the proper time for your area’s climate.  Some plants grow best during cooler weather ; like pansies,  violas, cabbages, lettuce and many others, but some plants require warm temperatures free from frost ; like tomatoes, peppers, marigolds and others.  Most seed catalogs have this information included with plant descriptions or have a free seed planting schedule chart available which tells you dates to plant your seed for your area’s climate.  Of course , you must make some minor adjustments for your particular climate and requirements.  With these things considered,  you can now order or buy your seeds in a timely manner or all at once as I usually do, so I can sort, organize and get excited about planting them. 

  We use this recipe for all our family holiday dinners. We start making them 1 hour before mealtime so we can enjoy them fresh and warm from the oven.

   Ingredients :

3/4 cup warm water ( @ 110 degrees )

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 egg ( beaten )

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 – 2 cups additional flour

    Directions :  ( preheat oven to 350 degrees )

Mix first seven ingredients until smooth. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.

Add remaining flour until dough forms a ball and sides of the bowl start to become clean. With buttered hands, pinch off walnut sized pieces and form into balls.  Place balls in greased cake pans about an inch apart.  Cover and let rise 15 –20 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 –25 minutes until golden brown. Brush or rub tops with butter.