I've been thinking over the past year and why my food totals were down. Some of it was down to growing failures; no pumpkins survived transplantation at the allotment (slugs) which meant we lost out on a good 20-40 lb on that score. Squashes and zucchinis were sparse and did not make up the weight either. Quite a lot of things I put down at the allotment just didn't come up or disappeared soon after: a large batch of peas, various roots including onions, some brassicas, and more.
The husband also suggested it was because we didn't grow potatoes, which have been a good contributor to totals in the past. Maybe, but we didn't really grow potatoes in 2020--though we did harvest some volunteers--so I don't know if the lack of potatoes made that much of a difference. I think I want to steer away from potatoes for the most part in the future as we are a low carb family.
There is also the issue of egg totals; our hens and ducks are getting older and we haven't had any new birds (female birds, that is) for several years now. Those old ladies just aren't laying like they used to. I will address the future of the flock in a later post, but I'm not sure if egg production is going to be a priority this year.
Alongside these, I have just been spending a lot less time in the garden and allotment. I went back to work in March of 2021, and have been working longer hours, plus extra commute time getting the daughter to and from her childcare. I don't really talk about my non-gardening life much here, but reflecting over the past year has made me realize just how much my job has taken over my life; I really would rather have more time for the things I love than the extra money. The husband and I have been able to overpay on our mortgage to the point where we should be paying it off in a few months, so perhaps I will be able to spend a lot more time in the garden later this year.
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