Aquilla farmer has forty-two years of gardening wisdom

After a long, hard winter and a wet spring, area farmers are taking to the fields, and local gardeners are finally digging into the dirt of their gardens.

Nowhere in Southeast Missouri will one find a person who knows more about local growing conditions than "Boots" Abner, who lives between Advance and Aquilla, Missouri. Abner has been planting a garden on this plot of land for 43 years.

Thursday, April 10, 2014 found Boots shoveling cow manure onto his garden plot.

MADELINEDEJOURNETTadvancensc@sbcglobal.net Abner shovels manure from a neighbor's barn onto the ground beside his garden. The natural fertilizer, plus the constant attention to detail may well be the secret of Abner's success.

"I mix the manure into the soil before I plant the crop," Abner says.

A long row of spinach has been covered up with plastic to protect it from heavy rains. Beside the spinach, potatoes are just coming up, and his 50 "Honeoye" strawberry plants are looking good. "Honeoyes" are a perennial plant, which comes up every year.

"My wife blanches the spinach and freezes it, so we have spinach to eat all winter!" Abner says, proudly.

Of course, Abner's lettuce is up, as is his long row of asparagus, also a perennial plant.

A cleared area next to his second row of potatoes is waiting for Abner to plant beans and okra.

Down in the bottom land behind his house, Abner will probably plant the huge, sweet turnips that this reporter's friend J.D. so loves!

Spring has finally come to Missouri!