profile

Dave & Nicky Schauder

Winter Reflections & Encouragement

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Hey Reader,

"Something of God flows into us from the blue of the sky,
the taste of honey, the delicious embrace of water whether cold or hot,
and even from sleep itself."​
CS Lewis

I love how winter covers the whole of my farm and tells me to rest and reset.

This week I was deeply encouraged by a beautiful review of my book written by Christina Nifong, a seasoned journalist and food writer who lives in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
​
If you read her writing you can tell at once that Christina is a connoisseur of the things that make Virginia good and beautiful.
​
Take for instance her article covering a man who goes around restoring log cabins.
​
So I was so honored that she had chosen to turn her thoughtful eye to Permaculture Gardening for Everyone.​

I told her if there was one person the book could help, then it was worth the effort.

​
Her reflections reminded me that small winter actions really do matter:

  • Picking up a book that shifts how you see your yard
  • Choosing a few plants you want to grow this year
  • Making one simple sketch of a bed or container
  • Writing your life's reflections

None of these look dramatic, but they are the kind of quiet steps that lead to a season that feels more intentional and less overwhelming.

Like Dave said in our last webinar, for many of it's too cold to be busy, so it's the perfect time to reflect and reset.

Grow abundantly,
Nicky

PS: In February, we will be gathering online for Seed Starting 101 to turn some of those winter ideas into seedlings. I will share more details with you soon.

Dave & Nicky Schauder

of Permaculture Gardens

Nicky and Dave Schauder are passionate about helping families grow their food, and medicine and find God in the garden

Read more from Dave & Nicky Schauder
Soaking 240 trees before planting

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. Jeremiah 17:7-8 (on one who trusts and confides in the Lord) Trees dunked in mycorrhizal fungal water that will help roots grow Hello there, Reader! This week, 240 trees went into the ground at Bethany Farm. It happened because of a grant from ContourLines.org, an organization founded by Thomas Leonard, who believes deeply in something that is...

about 19 hours ago • 2 min read
Transplanting Seedlings

Dave and kids transplanted the seedlings into beds! We hope you are feeling the stirrings of spring right now, Reader. Right now for us, something small but important is happening. Seedlings are outgrowing their trays. It is one of the most exciting moments in gardening.The moment when a tiny plant says: I’m ready for more space. And this is where many gardeners pause. Do I move it now?Is it too early?Will I kill it? So here is the simple rule we follow on our farm. Transplant when the...

8 days ago • 1 min read
Seed Starting 101

Seed Starting 101: How to Know What to Grow, When to Start, and What to Do When Things Go Wrong "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how." — Mark 4:26-27 There is something quietly miraculous about seed starting. You press a small dry thing into the soil, you water it, you wait, and then one morning, something green is there that wasn't there before. For me, it never stops being...

20 days ago • 7 min read