Hi, Martha! Grats on the big place! I've had really good luck with old seed, especially tomato seeds! Also; my experience with romas are that they more for adding thickness to sauces than for taste. I have tried about four different ones, and there wasn't much flavor to any!

I never have enough supports once they get going but this year I used a lot of unorthodox cast iron type things that worked very well -- standing lamps, tall plant holders, tools, gates, and fence posts. I don't think I'm going back!

Last spring, fencing supplies were scarce as hen’s teeth. My plan is to get T-posts and either cattle panels or rolls of concrete reinforcement to make relatively permanent cages/trellises. They’ll be easy to move, for crop rotation, but tall and strong.

I’m also reclaiming a deer fence that my sister installed at my mom’s property decades ago around an orchard that is now abandoned. The 6”x6”corner posts and 4”x4” posts are nearly 14’ tall. There is also a wide gate for truck access, and a narrow gate for walking through. So, hopefully I can keep deer and rabbits out. Might need some electricity to keep out the ground hogs.

Sounds like some great planning to keep critters out of your hard work! Hopefully you'll share some pics!

My brother is hauling the fence parts to my place this weekend. Construction will probably have to wait for spring. Though, I would be surprised if the ground is frozen yet. We haven’t had much freezing weather.

Don't go too fast! You have to think about canning/freezing during the hottest weather of the year.

Some things like zuchinni and eggplant don't freeze well.

I know nothing about deer, but for gophers/moles/voles there are sound emitters that I've been using successfully for 20 years(it take a couple of weeks for the critters to realize that irritating noise isn't going away)

Have fun whatever you do!