A Sweet Gift from Heaven

A Sweet Gift from Heaven

“The heavenly gift of honey…” Virgil, The Georgics Thus Virgil opens his final book of The Georgics. Perhaps these words rolled of his pen with hardly a thought; or maybe they were very deliberate. Either way they express a sentiment, an insight that can hardly...
Knowing the Place We Call Home

Knowing the Place We Call Home

“He who intends to practice economy aright ought to be fully acquainted with the places in which his labor lies…” — Aristotle, Economics Aristotle often provides us with simple, practical insights. In words redolent of the works of Wendell Berry he directs our...
Living Pleasantly from the Land

Living Pleasantly from the Land

“In the first place, thanks to those who work it, the land bears not only the means for people to live, but also bears the means for them to live pleasantly.” Xenophon, The Estate Manager This past week I planted my spring greens. There is something about placing...
Slaughtering Pigs Today

Slaughtering Pigs Today

Today begins the annual pig slaughter at my home. It is always a momentous occasion. Of its many unforgettable moments I think my favorite is when the pig’s carcass has been split in half lengthwise, and laid out on our antique oak butcher board. A side of a pig is...
Last Chance to Plant

Last Chance to Plant

“Do remember that each kind of work has its season…” Hesiod, Works and Days A simple, mundane truth about the end of August. The mid-Atlantic growing season is moving toward its completion, so now is the last opportunity in the garden to plant...

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