More Progress

Working on getting a flat space

Getting closer

Green paint marks where I still need to pick

You know I need to work right there Posie 

Posie makes me laugh 

A new set of paint lines

Still working on this bulge. The ground in this spot is almost as hard and dry as a rock. There are layers of calcium gluing rocks and gravel together 

Caramel is still being ridiculous and is trying to dry up. I don’t think she’s cut out to be a long term milker in which case she may be looking for a new home. 

After some days of zero eggs due to the fowl pox epidemic here things are starting to pick up a tiny bit. 

I cleared all the vegetation in this bed and raked up as much of the nematode infested roots as I could. Those go straight to the trash. 

Added gypsum for calcium

Made furrows and filled with worm castings 

Planted salad mix, spinach and cabbage 

The pink cosmos have started blooming. And the mums should start this week. I can’t believe how fast this year has gone by. 

#appreciation

I so appreciate that the weather has been beautiful so I can work outside a lot. 

Farmer Friday

I skipped market last Saturday because of the weather. I really didn’t want to drive over the mountains in this mess.  

It’s been a fun and exciting week with the twins. 

Poor Giotto wants to go in with the babies so bad. He lies by the pen a lot, but I’ll afraid Posie might hurt him so we are taking things very slowly. 

Egg production is better than ever. 

It’s hard to focus on work with this much cuteness around. 

I discovered some Romanesco broccoli was ready in the garden so we had broccoli cheddar soup for dinner. 

What a face. This baby girl needs a name. 

Goat kids aren’t the only babies around tho. 

I do think they are the cutest things on the planet. 

Today has been a super busy day. Salad mix. 

Abundance 

Arugula 

Flowers 

More broccoli 

I also picked some spinach and baby kale. I started working on the milk stand 

I delivered eggs and veg to Globe then stopped by AutoZone. The check engine light was on and they have a gadget you can use to read the codes. They’ll even give you a print out, all for free. Love these guys, they are always really nice and helpful. The codes seem to have to do with some minor stuff. I’ll run it by my mechanical guy and see what he thinks. 

Got home just in time to water some seedlings, collect eggs, milk Posie, (the kids have been mostly nursing one side so the other side is too full), take out trash, wash dishes....

Give the twins their first vaccines, cook dinner, medicate the sick cat (I think he’s has a gut blockage), feed the dog, bag the broccoli....

What the second fridge looks like on Friday night. 

#appreciation

Today I’m appreciating the abundance in my life. 

A little Catch Up

Plum Purple Radish from Baker's Creek

I  see I haven't posted in months. No sense trying to catch up, will just go forward. Several beds of large radishes have come and gone. Very popular with many of my customers.

spinach

Spinach is always a big hit. Too bad I can't grow it in the summer time. Spinach is a very cool weather crop. Once we hit 80 degrees it just wants to make flowers and seed. Also the seed won't even sprout at that temperature, it's too hot.

new potatoes

This years potato crop was very poor. We had almot no rain and the ground is dry as dust.

Buff Orpington and Black Copper Marans chicks

I've hatched lots of chicks, some hatching today and one more hatch due July 3.

cactus flowered dahlia

To my surprise some of the dahlias I grew from seed last year survived the winter in the ground and in pots and are blooming now. I see buds on some others.

tomato almost ready

There have been a couple of ripe tomatoes, but not enough to take to market.

elephant garlic

The garlic harvet was also dissapointing. It is probably only half the weight it could have been. Again, lack of winter rain is to blame.

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Farmer Friday

cucumber starts

Boy oh boy is there a lot of stuff going on around here! Cucumber and squash starts, herbs, flowers, eggs in three! incubators. I love spring, the promise of the harvest season ahead, the new life and regeneration of nature. The bees are buzzing, the earthworms are working, the chicks are hatching. Daily there are new sights, sounds and scents. Nature is amazing and abundant!

about 1/3 of the eggs waiting to hatch

Red locust tree blooming

squash starts

Tansy herb

Lemon Basil

Lime basil

Sage

Madame Cecile' Brunner rose

gosh that is not half of what is growing and blooming right now! And harvesting cool weather crops, with some coming out so that warmth lovers like tomatoes and  squash can go in!

loose leaf lettuce

Red Russian Kale

Spinach

Rainbow Chard

6 truck loads of manure

Pictures can be deceiving. That does not look like  a huge amount, but that is 6 pick up truck loads of manure. It's still a bit warm, running about 100 degrees F. (yes I do take it's temperature!) but that will be just perfect to keep the cantaloupe and watermelon plants toasty! I just need to get a rabbit proof fence put up around it.

Giotto thinks this hen house is for him!

In other news I bought another kit hen house and put it in mom's back  yard. I need to move some birds out of the big barn to make way for all the new chicks hatching!