Tell us a bit about Tangled Basket Farms: What do you specialize in?
My husband and I bought our little 13 acre farm in 2009. We were living in Ann Arbor, MI at the time and one of the commitments he made to me when we got married is that we would move out into the country. We were specifically looking for a plot of land between 5-10 acres where I would have enough room for gardens, orchards and a large willow plot and some animals, but 
at the same time would not be be overwhelmed with a large amount of land to take care of.
I grew up way out in the country in upstate NY, and feel much more at home with country life. Both my husband and I work full time (I am a registered nurse who keeps very busy doing homecare nursing), but we are slowly building our dream bringing in an income from our land as well. We currently have a flock of beloved hens that lay eggs for us and a set of miniature goat triplets (Sherlock, Watson, and Emily) who do weed control and provide lots of entertainment.
Each year since we have been here I have doubled my basket willow patch, and this fall, I finally will have enough willow from my own property to make a few dozen baskets. (It takes four years from planting a willow shoot to having a mature willow bush). We also grow heirloom garlic. We use only organic practices on our farm.
How did you learn to weave baskets?
I believe I was 8 or 9. A family friend came and showed my entire family how to weave a simple basket using store bought reed as part of a homeschool project. From that time on, one of my favorite things to do was to go into the woods with a pair of pruners and weave baskets from vines, grasses, and wild willow. It became something that I did to relax. When I was in my teens I often wove 2 or 3 each week. I have only ever used wild materials or materials that I grew myself in my basket making.
I would love to learn, but have no one to teach me: Can you recommend any books or videos?
I must admit, I am not good at learning hands on skills out of a book. I really need someone to show me how to do things. I have several basket books, but I use them more for inspiration, and the only new techniques I have learned, have been through someone showing me how to do them. My suggestion would be to see if any one teaches classes in your area. The other possibility might be look for tutorials on You Tube.
Love your garlic! How much garlic do you plant each fall?
It is a work in progress! I've grown garlic for years, and have always hoped to have enough land to be able to plant enough to sell. I spent the first few years after moving to Tangled Basket Farm building up my seed stock so that we would have enough to sell. This is the first year that we were able to sell some and still have enough to plant. This fall I put over 2500 cloves in the ground. The plan is to sell about two thirds of the harvest next year and replant the other third. I currently have 9 varieties in the ground for harvest next summer.
What tips do you have for new garlic planters?
Garlic loves soft loamy soil, the lighter the soil, the bigger bulbs you will get. It is very important to plant in the fall. Garlic will spend the winter putting down a strong root system and in the spring it will be one of the first things to pop up once the weather warms up. In late spring the garlic plants will send up a flower bud. This is called a garlic scape. The scape needs to be cut off, other wise all the energy from the bulb will go into the flower head and you will end up with a small bulb. As an added bonus, the scape is edible and should be considered a vegetable in it's own right. It has a mild garlic flavor and can be used in any dish that uses garlic, but can be used in larger qualities because it is so mild.
Here is a link to a post where I go into more detail about planting garlic.
Thank you so much for not only talking with me, but also sharing your beautiful handwork for the giveaway!
Be sure you enter in the giveaway: It ends tonight!
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