Why with hoe and spade? New Jersey is the Garden State, that’s why!

New Jersey, like so many states, has some beautiful countryside. Why not see it from the saddle of a bicycle?

A variety of tours are available; among them Farm to Table tours. I think it would be interesting to visit a small-scale farm, and see how they do things; sort of how-does-your-garden-grow. How is the soil prepared for planting in the first place? How do they decide what crops to plant; and when? Do they practice crop rotation? What do they do to minimize use of toxic pest control agents? I might even get some good ideas in case I can one day have a garden of my own.

For would-be gardeners out there, wouldn’t it be neat if you could hook up your bike to a rototiller? You could prepare the soil for planting without burning fossil fuel; and get some good exercise into the bargain! The catch is, how does one keep the rows straight? I bet I, for one, would have some difficulty riding in a straight line. I couldn’t do much with hoe and spade to correct those crooked rows. I guess the tomatoes and kale wouldn’t care, but it wouldn’t satisfy aesthetics.

Anyway, let’s get ready to roll through New Jersey; and when we’re ready for a break, we can enjoy taking our ease in some country gardens.