It sounds like you had a rough year, for sure. Your family was fortunate to have you there. Unexpected demands, changes, or even opportunities are one reason I grow and preserve a lot when I garden. Some years just don't lend themselves to having a big garden, but having put a lot of food by, or having some great storage crops, I can get through until the next season (well, that and eating a lot of weeds, lol). I hope this year's garden gives you some comfort and replenishes you and your larder!
Well, I don't know how fortunate they are, but they are stuck with me, so there's that! lol! It was really nice to rely on my larder and its bounty during that time, and it's also nice to have depleted it to the point that I have to grow a ton to rebuild my supplies! This year we are also, finally, putting in the root cellar that I have wanted forever! So excited! Thanks again, HH for your ever-encouraging words, they are totally appreciated!
Ha ha, and enjoy your dandelions!
That will be exciting to get your root-cellar. Here, I have a double-walled building that houses my irrigation well and pump, "the Pumphouse". It's got cedar shavings between the two walls as insulation and shelves for canned goods. It's great. But we only get down to -10F every now and again, and not for very long. With so much rain, an underground root cellar would be a lot more complicated. Every region has their own solution to the food storage challenge. Keep that larder stocked! : )