The weather finally turns. The sun rides higher and suddenly it's spring. You put seeds into the ground. No matter how many times you've done it before, no matter how long humans have practiced this particular act of faith, it feels more like an act of madness.

The first sprouts push up, so slight and pale they're almost invisible. Then it's summer and that fine green haze is tall and strong and bearing fruit. And flowers. Here's my first bunch of sunflowers from the garden up at the barn. Below that - globe artichokes, cherry tomatoes and sweet corn. We're just counting the days to the harvest.