Question from J.T.and S.D.:

With all this snow, where should people, with the ability to move snow from the walks and driveways, be putting the excess piles? Do you guys move snow onto vegetable plots or areas with the best root systems?

Answer from Coastalfields:

We just shovel snow wherever it goes. The little bit of extra moisture won't matter much. There's really only two ways that the little snow that is on your driveway or sidewalk will matter much:

1) If you stockpile your water in barrels for the dry summer. This, however, is illegal. You are not allowed to hinder the flow of water from your rooftop or any of your property to the river.

2) If you put deicer or other salts on your walk or driveway. This is poison to your plants and soil and you certainly don't want it anywhere near your garden. In fact, deicer and salt is just a bad idea alltogether--even if you don't have a garden. The poisons travel to the river as the water melts and, from the river, goes on to make not only the river toxic but the ocean as well. Those salts you might put down will kill all sorts of lifeforms, including fish, crustaceans, birds, trees, marsh plants, etc. Putting salt on the ice and then putting the ice in the garden does the same thing that sowing salt into your garden would do.

And, while you're avoiding putting deicing salt on your garden, keep a mind to not put any other dangerous salts into the ground or water: chemical fertilizer is simply salt, and manure is mostly salt. These are dangerous to plants, soil and the entire ecology.

For a little more cost than the deicer, you can hire your own child or someone else's child to come and clean your driveway of the ice. This will teach the child good work ethic, keep them in shape and allow you freedom to go to the store when the snow comes down by the foot. You could work along side them, and spend good quality time together!