I plan dried beans from my previous harvest. I tend to use them as they survive better each year. I had to go through several generations of strawberries, making them sexually reproduce, before I got a strain good at surviving grey mold.

What species are you using? Some are better at surviving than others. Maybe next time, let the plant die on it's own? So the seeds are fully grown. I sometimes left pea plants just to rot in their pots to make the soil even better. I would imagine, you would thresh them to feed your sheep.

I do live in the UK so the weather is different. My father was a war child, and a gardener for a Lord's estate, particularily the kitchen gardens. He settled down with an acre of land and I was taught to get the most out of the soil. I even managed to grow a corn field in pots on the patio. Was a sight to behold in the middle of the town!

Can I ask about your fertilisers? Do you use your sheep manure? Do you use a rot box/ compost heap? Or do you use commerical ones?