Mountain Brook Homestead Foundation Plant Sale

Today is our 3rd Annual Mountain Brook Homestead Foundation plant sale. This was Elysian’s brainchild and it has been a consistent fundraiser for us every year. She and I raise the bulk of the plants in my greenhouse:

Susan provides a goodly number of plants, as well, and we get donations from community members who have extras to share. The local elementary school has a plant sale on the two days before our sale and gives whatever plants are left—usually flowers—to us. When our sale is over, we donate whatever plants are left to the local food bank.

Yesterday afternoon, a crew of half a dozen people ferried plants from the greenhouse up to the Community Center, then went to the school and picked up their unsold stock. This morning, we’ll set everything out and wait for customers. The weather is supposed to be fabulous today—about 80 degrees and sunny—which is a far cry from last year’s cold and overcast day. We’ve done a lot of advertising on local social media sites, so I am hoping for good crowds. The first year, we raised $1500. Last year, we raised a little over $2000. We’re getting better at this every year.

The greenhouse looked very empty after we moved the plant sale stock out. The only plants left are the ones going into my garden and Ali’s garden. I’ll be starting more corn and beans for myself and Anna this week. They won’t take long to germinate and should be ready to plant in a week or two. I’ll also start some lettuce to put out in the garden. The indoor lettuce system is still producing well and we’ve been eating those greens this week.

Planting happens this week. It’s supposed to rain Monday, and I’ll be at the Bernina Meet and Greet that day, but Tuesday and Wednesday are forecast to be partly cloudy before more rain moves in. This is perfect planting weather.

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I’m still not sure when my sewing machine will arrive. The freight company—XPO—has a spectacularly awful tracking system. Sometimes I can’t access the tracking information at all because the system tells me it doesn’t recognize the number. Sometimes the tracking information still says the machine will be delivered on May 17. I do know that the machine is in Missoula, but it could sit there for another five days. Once it arrives, it will take the husband and me a few hours to get it set up for sewing. I’m trying to get all the planting done this week so I have time to play with it next weekend.