It doesn’t really feel right having a salad in the middle of winter, but it’s all thanks to the magic of the poly tunnel. The tunnel protects the plants from cold wind and freezing temperatures. I can grow spinach and rocket outside in winter, but mizuna is a little bit more delicate. I tend to use it more and more to extend the seasons and provide the family with a good mix of vegetables the whole year round. I’ve been known to have a vegetarian salad on occasion, but I don’t mind sneaking a bit of meat into a meal. Hell, I’ve usually raised it or hunted it, so I’m cool with eating it! This year has been a bit of the year of the goose and I prefer it to chicken now. It’s unique in flavour and there’s plenty of meat on a bird. But that’s not the best bit. The geese now live at my place and are the best damn lawn mowers you ever did see. They nibble the grass down and even do a fair job on the weeds. They don’t require much attention other than some supplementary grain and plenty of water. There’s a bit of an odd Western obsession with lawns but I can’t stand them. They’re a waste of resources, similar to the lavishness of a golf course. They’re a Western privilege that starving people in developing countries must be scratching their heads over. Go the geese. Edible lawn mowers.