The TitchyFarms Begin
The soil beneath the Eldergardens was alive once more. After Santo’s sabotage had nearly destroyed them, Michael and the city children worked tirelessly to restore balance. They rebuilt the soil’s microbial community, nourished it with compost and care, and slowly regained the trust of the plants. The vegetables were thriving again, full of flavour and vitality, and the city residents once more flocked to the Eldergardens to buy their food.
But Michael wasn’t content with just fixing the damage. He wanted to do more. The Eldergardens were producing a surplus of food now—more than the city children could sell to their neighbours. Michael began thinking about all the elderly people in other towns who couldn’t manage their gardens anymore. He’d heard stories about their struggles and how they relied on poor-quality supermarket food. “We have more than we need,” Michael said to the city Huns one day. “Why don’t we share our surplus with them?”
The idea spread quickly. The children loved the thought of helping others, and soon, boxes of fresh vegetables from the Eldergardens were being delivered to elderly residents in towns far beyond the city. The Eldergarden Project was no longer just a local initiative—it was becoming a movement. People from faraway places began writing to Michael, asking how they could get involved or buy the food grown by the city children. The demand for their healthy produce was growing faster than the gardens themselves.
Michael realized he needed more land. The Eldergardens were thriving, but they were limited by space. He needed a way to grow more food without stretching the children too thin. He decided to visit Jenna to ask for advice.
Jenna’s Idea
Jenna greeted Michael warmly when he arrived at her little cottage, the scent of freshly baked bread wafting through the air. “Michael, it’s good to see you,” she said, motioning for him to sit by the kitchen table. “What brings you here today?”
Michael explained the situation—the growing demand for food, the need for more land, and his desire to find a way to expand without losing the essence of what made the Eldergardens special. Jenna listened carefully, her brow furrowed in thought.
“You know,” she said after a moment, “most of the land around here belongs to the farmers who work for Santo. Their fields are huge, but they’re not all being used effectively. What if you asked them to sell you small strips of land along the edges of their fields? Narrow strips next to the roads, where the children could easily access them.”
Michael’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea, Jenna! If the strips are small enough, Santo might not even notice.”
“Exactly,” Jenna said with a smile. “You could call them TitchyFarms—small sections of big farms, easy to work on and perfect for restoring the soil. It’s the same concept as the Eldergardens, but on a slightly larger scale.”
Michael grinned. “I love it. Thank you, Jenna. I’ll need to talk to the farmers and see who’s willing to sell.”
The Full Moon Party
Excited about the idea, Michael decided to call a full moon bonfire party to share his plan with the Hundred Huns of the Eldergardens. The children arrived in droves, their faces glowing with anticipation as they gathered around the fire.
Michael stood at the centre, his voice ringing out over the crackle of the flames. “We’ve done something amazing with the Eldergardens,” he began. “We’ve brought life back to the soil, grown incredible food, and helped people in need. But now, it’s time to think bigger. There are more people out there who need our help, and we can’t do it with just the gardens we have now.”
He paused, letting his words sink in. “That’s why I’m starting a new project: TitchyFarms. These will be small strips of land taken from the edges of big farms. We’ll buy these strips and turn them into thriving gardens, just like the Eldergardens. And together, we’ll grow enough food to make a real difference.”
The children cheered, their excitement filling the night air. Michael raised his hands for quiet. “But we’ll need everyone’s help to make this happen. If each of us donates a little bit of our pocket money, we can raise enough to buy the first strip of land. Are you with me?”
The children didn’t hesitate. One by one, they stepped forward, dropping coins into a collection box Michael had placed by the fire. “For the TitchyFarms!” they shouted, their voices ringing with determination.
Talking to the Farmers
With the money raised, Michael set off to talk to the farmers. He walked from one farm to the next, explaining his idea and asking if they’d be willing to sell him a small strip of land along the edge of their fields. Many of the farmers listened politely but shook their heads.
“I can’t risk it,” one farmer said. “If Santo finds out, I’ll lose my entire contract.”
But not all the farmers said no. Some of them, clever and kind-hearted, saw the value in Michael’s idea. “If the strip of land is narrow enough,” one farmer said with a wink, “Santo won’t even notice. And if it’s for the children, I’m willing to help.”
Slowly but surely, Michael began to make progress. By the time the next full moon party rolled around, he had done it—he had bought the first strip of farmland for the TitchyFarms project.
A New Beginning
That night, as the children gathered around the bonfire once more, Michael stood before them with a big smile on his face. “We did it,” he announced. “We’ve bought our first strip of land for the TitchyFarms. Tomorrow morning, we’ll meet there to start planting.”
The children erupted in cheers, their excitement lighting up the night as brightly as the flames. They couldn’t wait to get started.
The next morning, the Hundred Huns of the Eldergardens gathered at the new TitchyFarm. The strip of land stretched out before them, narrow and overgrown, but full of potential. With their tools in hand and Michael’s Magic Seed Mix ready to go, they got to work, clearing the weeds and preparing the soil.
As they worked, Michael felt a surge of pride and hope. The TitchyFarms project was just beginning, but he could already see its potential to change everything. With every garden, with every seed, they were bringing life back to the soil and hope back to the people.
Deep underground, Zome watched as the roots of the first TitchyFarm began to spread. “This is how it begins,” he said to the other microbes. “A little at a time, we’re bringing the land back to life.”
And above the soil, under the warm sunlight, the children of the Hundred Huns worked together, their laughter ringing out across the fields as the first TitchyFarm came to life.
