The Rhubarb Dilemma

So, I bought two bags of rhubarb crowns at ACE, which sells them way cheaper than Johnny's or FEDCO. Each bag contains three plants. Doesn't sound like much of a dilemma does it. The plants sit in saw dust in my closet for a month or so and then I stick them in the ground and if we can keep them relatively weed free we get rhubarb, and, as a special bonus, if we keep it healthy a few years, we can start splitting the crowns and expanding the rhubarb row (six plants is really only enough for me and the occasional gift (I like rhubarb alot, just make an easy jam with it all summer long))) for free! yeah! but also the dilemma, and this is the Open Heart Farm Dilemma with all perennials (ie plants that come back season after season) like asparagus, or fruit trees for that matter. Let me put a disclaimer up front, if it is not fully a dilemma of our own making, it is one we walked into pretty much with full knowledge and without further ado let me elucidate: it is this: we may, let me stress: MAY, only be able to stay down on Intervale land for five years. So why do I bother even buying this stuff (last year I started asparagus from seed, so that is going to take about five years just to become reasonably productive (though some people (the French) like to talk about there 125 year old asparagus beds), and this year, besides the rhubarb I bought two pear trees which I wrote a little bit about a few weeks ago)? Um, the answer's probably not anything special, I think most farm people like to try new things, and besides eating them ourselves, think it would be neat to bring to market, or CSA pick-up. None of my members have specifically asked for any of these foods, but I'm sure, out of the sixty, there are a few that would bite at each, which, if I were to think of it economically, would add nice value both for them and me.

All that said, I haven't gotten into by-laws, nor political miasmas, and I probably shouldn't. I think I hear Ciaran stirring, and for now I'm solving the problem by buying all the stuff and acting as if there is a long-term future for us down there. before stirring turns to crying I'll leave you with a recent pic of mister Ciaran held by his uncle, meeting his first cousin, who is held by the grandma of both*:
* uncle is also uncle of both, other boys name: Tom Patrick