This is a problem that will be foreign to most gardeners. It's spring here; it's time to get a garden going. AND, I have no soil. I live in the high desert, so the "soil" is hard pan. The constant winds blow all the top soil away as fast as it is created, unless something is planted to hold it in place.

My dream is to turn all this (almost an acre) hard pan into great garden soil with a heavy-duty rototiller. My dream is the top-of-the-line Troybilt tiller, Big Red. I could recycle much of our home "trash," not just food and typical compostable materials, but also things like shredded newspapers. I have a neighbor across the street who would gladly give me all the compostable horse manure I can cart home. This is difficult because I am physically unable to do a lot of things that are involved, from pulling the cart, to loading and unloading it, but it's not impossible.

My only other choice is to purchase soil, whether by the ton (more shoveling and hauling) or the bag. It also means finding border material to contain the raised beds that would be created, plus finding ways to make sure that the soil stays in place when our winds kick up. (60mph sustained gusts are not uncommon around here.)

I have used the rototiller I'm speaking of; I used to own one. It truly was as simple as walking alongside the tiller and holding the controls to keep the clutch and motor engaged. We grew eight kinds of tomatoes and a dozen different lettuces, plus beets, potatoes, corn, green beans...you get the picture.

At this point, it would feed us to a large extent, but it would also furnish a way to generate extra income, because we could produce far more food than we could eat and preserve. And, what couldn't be eaten, preserved or sold could be donated to food banks or shelters. Plus, with a small trailer or a basic small pickup truck, e could till other people's property for income.

I guess what I'm doing here is putting it out to the universe. I want a Troybilt Big Red (with the hiller/furrower attachment). My credit won't handle it and I certainly don't have the spare $3000 lying around. It looks impossible, but that doesn't make it so. I'm declaring for this and the universe shall provide. And so it is.