Our Annual Hay Run

The last time we made a hay run, I had just started blogging in a regular way.  One of my first posts last year was "Buying Hay," posted on November 12.

This year we bought our hay even closer to home -- from a neighbor who lives exactly one mile down the road.  Talk about buying locally!  He's a colorful character, an ex-fishing boat captain from Alaska.  He has a bumper sticker on his truck:  "Homer, Alaska -- a quaint drinking village with a fishing problem."

These 12 bales will be tilled into my garden next spring -- 4 bales per section.  They cost me $78.  This will be my biggest gardening expense for the year.  Other expenses include seeds, gasoline for my tiller, and electricity to run my irrigation pump.  Yet more expenses would be the annual amortization of my tiller and irrigation pump, and the garden's share of our property tax.  Have I forgotten anything?  Considering the quality of the food and the enjoyment factor, my garden is a bargain.