California has been in dire need for more rain and snowfall to help avert a crisis drought situation, so you can imagine how happy we’ve been to receive rain in the course of this past week.   With a 90 percent chance of more rain this weekend, we and our garden have been rejoicing.  I still intend to chant and shake my rain stick until the first of March.

Dry farming is used among a growing number of Californian farmers and vintners, and I’m inclined to put the practice into action. The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UC Santa Cruz teaches dry farming techniques to students and dry farms tomatoes, winter squash, dry beans, apples, and apricots.    Allowing generous spacing and moderate irrigation after transplantation is recommended to encourage the roots of the plant to drive its roots down into the soil and is key to the success of the technique.

Still, the sound of a light and steady rain falling is music to my ears.  And the garden rejoices.

~T.