During this time of year, most of the planet is shifting from either warm weather to cold weather, currently fall here in the northern hemisphere, or spring in the southern. The last few years, we've noticed the high temperatures are coming much earlier in the season, but also much later. The same seems to be true of colder weather. Earlier and later freezes are challenging what crops can be grown and how crops may need to be grown. 

Because of this, proactive preparation is more important than ever. This means you will want to have plenty of supplies on hand at least a couple of months before you may need them. With weather changes occur more rapidly severely and supply chain challenges still creating shortages, you don't want to be caught on your heels. There are always plenty of things to do, but here a few top things that you may want to check:

• Roofs: Check all your buildings' roofs for leaks. Be sure to repair any leaks and all consequential damage immediately to avoid future labor and costs. ​
• Gutters: All gutters should be regularly checked for debris. A lack of rain for a period causes buildup of debris, that can eventually pull down a gutter and sometimes damage a roof in the process. Also, this keeps the rain from dumping down on you when you walk underneath the gutter area. If you are collecting rain water, check your entire system a minimum of once per month.
• Storage and feed rooms: Dust from hay can make breathing uncomfortable and floors slippery. It's important to always keep floors neat and clean, but a good occasional scrub down is often helpful. Obviously the best time to do this is when the hay supply is naturally depleted and it's time to restock, so right before bringing in the season's hay is perfect. 
• Hand tools:  Inspect tools for condition and cleanliness. Shovels, forks, buckets, fans, filters, and so forth should be kept on hand. Repair what needs attention and replace what is needed. 
• Sun and Lighting: As days shorten or lighten, make sure you adjust your lighting accordingly. Shoulder seasons also frequently bring storms, so be sure to also check your fuel supply for generators and batteries for items such as flashlights. 
• Water Management: Water and corresponding precipitation are some of the most important issues we now face. Either too much, not enough or contaminated water supplies. The best way to address this is through conservation, regardless of the season. The idea of water conservation is the concept that the water that falls from the sky should remain as long as possible on the place to which it fell. Previously nature did this for us via elements such as trees, other vegetation and beavers. In their absence, consider practices such as rain collection barrels and retention ponds, This prevents the water from rushing destructively, further eroding the ground and its nutrients, and rather slowly seeping into the groundwater where it remains beneficial. 
• Air Quality: Fires are increasingly degrading air quality. Box filters attached is fan fronts can help, but this will often also reduce air flow. Therefore, carefully calculate which of the two problems you think is the bigger concern is that needs to be addressed. 
• Irrigation: Warmer temperatures require more irrigation as soils dry more quickly. Diligently check lines for functionality and monitor soil moisture levels. In rain seasons, make sure irrigation systems are shut down. Lines should be drained and left open prior to potential freezes. Exposed pipes need to be insulated in some fashion. 
• Power equipment: Don't wait until it's bitterly cold and wet or blistering hot before checking on power equipment. Not only is repair uncomfortable in extreme weather, heat and cold put extra strain on engines. That same extreme weather may just trigger the event that causes you to need that very equipment. Be sure to carefully follow the owner's instructions. Also be sure to check items like the condition of grow lights and heat lamps for plants and chickens and buckets to make sure they are still reliable.
• First Aid supplies and drugs: Extreme weather causes stress in all animals, so it's important to have first aid supplies on hand, including any beneficial supplements. At the same time, first aid supplies and drugs need to be protected from weather, so check storage temperatures . Check your first aid supplies and have drugs on hand that you may need.  
• Animal housing and fields: Remove manure, walk fields to check for debris that needs to be removed and  barren areas that need attention, such as perhaps a fall seeding. Also, any weeds that have moved in with the change of the season need to be checked and trees that may need attention due to damage. Check fencing, barns and run ins for any broken or dangerous places that could injure animals and make repairs.
• Soil: Maintaining and preparing soils is an ongoing job, regardless of which shoulder season it is. Shoulder seasons are important times for feeding plants and amending soils. If needed, fall if an excellent time to add lime to soils by offering specific advantages. It takes approximately four months for lime to fully react with the soil. With a fall application, the pH level should be ideal by the spring growing season. 
• Leaves and grasses: Watch for both fresh leaves and fallen leaves and grasses that can be toxic if accessed by livestock. Also, certain grasses, such as Johnson grass, can be tolerated prior to a frost, can be fatal if ingested post frost. Check your grazing areas and clean and remove large piles of debris. Add decomposing material to your compost but be careful to not include weed seeds!

The most important practice of diligence

Carefully monitor weather for first and last frosts to determine when produce will need to be harvested or it may be time for indoor germinated seeds to begin their move to the outdoors. Quickly changing conditions are particularly tough on young, tender plants or those plants that have set buds. Additionally excessive heat discourages pollinators. Use moisture such as dampening the soil and shade cloths to help reduce damagingly high temperatures that cause plants and animals to go outside their tolerable temperature zones. Sometimes the extremes only last for short periods of time and simple precautions will be sufficient. For multi- hour and -day extremes, more comprehensive measures will need to be taken.   ​​​

When thinking about how to use outdoor spaces, sometimes the choices are limited by the physical space including the size, the amount of sun, the amount of accessible water for ourselves and animals and most importantly, how we need to use that space.
Many enjoy growing some of their own food as well as a flower garden, but often space is also needed for kids and/or animals to play. An excellent alternative to a turfgrass lawn is clover, but in recent decades it has been perceived as a weed, along with dandelions, another hugely beneficial plant.

Before the 1950’s, grass seed mixes always included over. Clover is a legume, rather than a grass. It is rather drought tolerant, green year-round, except in exceptionally dry periods, is resistant to trampling, and isn’t picky about soil quality or sun exposure. Clover flower nectar is a delight for pollinators and beneficial insects such as butterflies, bees and bumble bees. Plant it near vegetable garden or orchard to attract pollinators.  Clover flower tea is a nice drink and the leaves may be eaten in salads or co cooked. Clover tea is recommended during a cough and cold. 

Legumes benefit soil quality by increasing soil organic matter, improving soil porosity, recycling nutrients, improving soil structure, decreasing soil pH, diversifying the microscopic life in the soil, and breaking disease build-up and weed problems of grass-type crops.

Legumes possess the ability to convert the pure form of nitrogen to its ammonia form which is extremely helpful in fixing the nitrogen in the soil. Legumes are used as nitrogen fixers in agriculture and clover is one of the best nitrogen fixing plants available. Clovers have the ability to obtain nitrogen from the atmosphere and “fix” it in nodules on its roots; this is called nitrogen fixation. The amount of nitrogen fixed varies depending on species, stand density, fertility, weather, and the extent to which the clover has been defoliated.

As a part of the bigger picture, legumes play a supporting role in converting the nitrogen to its ammonia form. For the conversion of nitrogen, a particular type of soil bacteria known as Rhizobium plays the major role. Rhizobium enters to the roots of legumes and then start to multiply at a rapid rate and starts converting nitrogen to its ammonia form in this process.
In any healthy soil, you will find immense amounts of Rhizobium bacteria. This is because without fixed nitrogen plants are unable to grow.

For unhealthy soils or those who are in the middle range, it is often recommended to add a good amount of Rhizobium in the soil. This soil bacteria is easily available in the market in packets.
Rhizobium is a must for maintaining the fertility of the soil and ensure a healthy sprout. They add a lot of benefits to the soil and do not hurt the plants even a bit while performing the conversion of nitrogen into its ammonia form, which plants require for their growth.

White clover is generally the most used clover, is the easiest seed to find and is better for grazing animals than red clover. Clover is a herbaceous perennial plant. Its leaves are long-stalked, composed of three leaflets. Flowering occurs in April-May to September. Its flowers attract bees and bumblebees. The flowers are grouped in spherical flower heads, white in color, sometimes slightly pinkish white.

So, growing a clover lawn may be just the environmentally friendly solution for your green space as well as easier on you and your pocketbook. It’s low growing, so you never need to mow it. You can also use it as “living mulch” to fill in the spaces between your perennials and garden to keep the weeds out. If you aren’t ready to make a full change, try out a small clover patch and all its potential habitat.
 
Now that you’re familiar with the benefits, here are some planting and growing guidelines:
 
Propagation and Planting Clover
It is mainly propagated by seeds. Clover seeds are sown directly on the ground but can also be broadcast over the top of existing grasses and weeds. Prepare the soil well before planting seeds and be prepared to broadcast a couple of times. Clover seeds are a favorite of birds – good and bad news. Keep some seed in reserve and broadcast more than once to help successful establishment. 

Regions where Clover Grows
Clovers live in temperate and subtropical parts of North and South America and the Old World. Three geographic regions have the most clover diversity: the Mediterranean basin, western North America and the highlands of eastern Africa. 

When to Plant Clover Seeds
Spring is the best time though late-summer sowing is a practical alternative provided there are adequate soil moisture and sufficient time for the clover seedlings to develop well before winter.
The standard seeding rate is two pounds per acre. The optimum sowing depth is 10-12 mm with a light but firm soil cover. An easy way of planting is to broadcast it and then walk over the area.

Requirements for Growing Clover

• It requires full sun or slightly shaded position. Its shallow root system makes it intolerant to harsh drought conditions.
• Clover is a hardy plant that grows in the variety of soil types and can be grown both on the ground or in a container with relative ease. It prefers well-drained, fertile soil with neutral to slightly acidic pH 5 to 6.5.
• Clover prefers slightly moist soil. However, it can tolerate a short drought period but it is not drought tolerant.
• It grows easily and doesn’t require any fertilization.
• White clover is resistant to diseases and pests. However, the risk of slug attack is possible at the beginning of its growth. Once established, this is not a problem.

 
 
 
 

Approaching the second half of September, the northern hemisphere is preparing for fall and winter, while the southern hemisphere has spring fever setting in. If you are in the northern hemisphere and practicing, of thinking of practicing, some sustainable urban farming practices, here are a few things to consider for preparation:

1. Mulching or over-wintering your plants. Tender plants can be cut-back,lifted and stored in a dark place over the winter months or covered well and deeply in an quality organic mulch. The decision whether to lift and store or mulch will depend upon the plant and your local climate. 
2. As the temperatures drop, your warm weather garden crops will begin to fade out. Basil does not care for temperatures much below 50 degrees F, so once your area starts approaching these temperatures it is best to harvest whatever seeds you want for the next season's crops and harvest the leaves to make pestos. Harvest your beans and allow them to die in the garden before  removing the plants. As the beans die out, they will put nitrogen back into the soil. In many areas there is still time to get your cooler weather garden crops such as kale, kohlrabi and spinach going. 
3. Know the plants in the pasture areas where your animals are grazing and browsing. As frosts begin to approach, be aware that a frost can change the chemical composition  of many forage plants including Johnson grass, sorghum, sudan, and alfalfa, making them toxic. 
4. Is your chicken coop prepared for inclement weather? Do you have heat lamps and coop safe heaters at the ready for cold evenings. Do you need tarps or some other cover with fasteners to help secure the coop from cold winds and drafts. If you have windows, are they in good work order so they can be closed sufficiently to eliminate drafts. The more pleasant temperatures make this a good time of year to give the coop a good cleaning. 
5. If you have goats you are now entering breeding season. Be sure to mark the date of the expected birth date of the kids (150 days later) on the calendar. A feed higher in fiber and lower in protein than the milking ration is in order for the first 3 months of gestation. Check your feed supply and estimate your needs for the winter to ensure  you have enough grain and hay as well as bedding on hand. If storage space is a problem, do you have a reliable supply source.
6. Seed and reseed pastures.
7.  If you are entering a wet season and are planning to collect rainwater, check your gutters for debris and leaks. Check down spouts for leaks that can cause erosion and cause you to lose valuable water. Eliminator levels should be checked to determine if draining is required and roof washer.
8. If you are using solar in some or all areas of your place, do you have sufficient battery storage or an alternative means of energy. Shorter days and more inclement weather often results in smaller solar systems not having sufficient storage capacity for the increased periods of time.