The FIRST Post!

Welcome to Toad in the Garlic!

Toad in the Garlic is our "house-stead," our non-British "croft" -- our little plot of land, a half-acre in all, is in a residential neighbourhood in Western Massachusetts; not exactly of a homesteading or farming setup.  Nevertheless, our goal is to make our little patch of earth more productive, more sustainable, and more efficient with plantings, improvements, composting, gardening -- so it produces more food, uses less energy, creates less waste, and becomes a healthy, joyful habitat -- all with the help of our chickens and the happy little toads that can be found in our yard.

We have lived at Toad in the Garlic for nearly 6 years (though it hasn't always been called that).  In that time, we have already made many such improvements (some of which I'm sure I will make mention of in future posts), but now it's time to get serious; it's time to work on making our space a little heaven on earth -- for us, our animals, and any other little creatures that come to visit (or stay).

Join us in our trials, our errors, our successes, and find out what you can do to make your own space a little more friendly to the earth and its creatures.  Feel free to leave tips, comments, questions, and suggestions after the posts!