All of the above got planted today on two very nice raised beds out in the ground garden, made by Mike's new tractor implement. Except the beans. They went into a freshly de-weeded raised wooded beds. I did the bean planting the Square Foot Garden method (mostly) by dividing up the 4'x12' bed into 48 squares. In each square, I planted four Straight and Narrow haricot vert green beans from Pinetree Seeds. The SFG book indicated that I could plant nine seeds/plants per square foot, but I think that's a little tight so I spaced them out more.
The beets are Red Ace and Golden Specialty and the chard is Bright Lights, all from Johnny's Selected Seeds. The carrots are SugarSnax and Nelson, also from Johnny's. We planted the Nelson last year and had some seed leftover. They were ok, but I have high hopes for the Sugarsnax.
Last prayers before bed are for the rain that looks like will come tomorrow. It will be wildly applauded and much appreciated.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
This post is really just to see whether or not I can add an image to my narratives. Looks like it was successful! This is our farm logo. We had it done last year and I really like it. You can click over to our farm website to see more pics of last year's garden efforts. The link is in my sidebar. I'm working on some new content for the farm newsletter set to go out in three weeks. If you'd like to subscribe to the newsletter (3x/year) go to the website and click on subscribe.
Thanks for stopping by!
T-Minus 21 Days.....
...and counting, until April 21 and the Frost Free Day arrives here in Zone 7A. We had ten straight days last week and this of high 70's/low 80's temps and nice sunshine. (A cold front moved through on Friday, but it's warming up again today.) We moved all the seedlings outside to take advantage of ideal growing conditions and they have rewarded us with some stunning growth.
Just Monday morning, I counted 23 squash plants that had germinated; the end of that same day, the count was up to 40! I wish I'd had a video camera on them. I don't think I would have had to speed up the film much at all to see the plant pushing through the top of the starting mix. National Gerographic slow-motion action. By the end of the week, the count was closer to 60. That's a lot of squash!
Perhaps we're delusional, but we've convinced ourselves there won't be another cold snap harsh enough that we can't cover our seedlings and save them. So later today we're planting carrots, beets, lettuce and chard and we will transplant a large number of the squash if we have time. The weather report shows rain tomorrow, which we need desperately, so we're working ahead of wet soil for the next couple of days. Chop chop.
On tap for when it's too wet to work outside: start the herbs. Basil, rosemary, chives and a couple others.
Just Monday morning, I counted 23 squash plants that had germinated; the end of that same day, the count was up to 40! I wish I'd had a video camera on them. I don't think I would have had to speed up the film much at all to see the plant pushing through the top of the starting mix. National Gerographic slow-motion action. By the end of the week, the count was closer to 60. That's a lot of squash!
Perhaps we're delusional, but we've convinced ourselves there won't be another cold snap harsh enough that we can't cover our seedlings and save them. So later today we're planting carrots, beets, lettuce and chard and we will transplant a large number of the squash if we have time. The weather report shows rain tomorrow, which we need desperately, so we're working ahead of wet soil for the next couple of days. Chop chop.
On tap for when it's too wet to work outside: start the herbs. Basil, rosemary, chives and a couple others.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Potato Success
After 10 weeks of waiting, not so patiently, I discovered on Wednesday that my potato plants had finally topped the wheat straw! I seriously thought those potatoes had rotted long ago and that I was stuck with an expensive experiment. Looks like I was wrong, thankfully.
I got the seed potatoes from Wood Praire Farms in Maine. They shipped them to me in November, at my request, back when I thought we were going to have access to a garden spot at church for the homeschool co-op kids. When that idea fell through, I sat them on my clothes dryer for a couple of weeks until most all of the potatoes had a little sprouting going on, and then I spread them out in the raised beds and covered them with wheat straw.
Nothing, nothing and more nothing. They did not sprout, they did not send up shoots. They laid there and whispered failure into my ear.
And now, a week after spring officially began, I have a sweet story to tell, about my impatience and the need to back off the performance-based farming approach I have been using. ADD farming is what I call it. And it doesn't promote a wait-and -see mentality, if you know what I mean.
Oh, potato varieties: Yukon Gold, Caribe, and Onaway. All three are up. The Yukons are the slowest but I am not complaining any more. Really.
I got the seed potatoes from Wood Praire Farms in Maine. They shipped them to me in November, at my request, back when I thought we were going to have access to a garden spot at church for the homeschool co-op kids. When that idea fell through, I sat them on my clothes dryer for a couple of weeks until most all of the potatoes had a little sprouting going on, and then I spread them out in the raised beds and covered them with wheat straw.
Nothing, nothing and more nothing. They did not sprout, they did not send up shoots. They laid there and whispered failure into my ear.
And now, a week after spring officially began, I have a sweet story to tell, about my impatience and the need to back off the performance-based farming approach I have been using. ADD farming is what I call it. And it doesn't promote a wait-and -see mentality, if you know what I mean.
Oh, potato varieties: Yukon Gold, Caribe, and Onaway. All three are up. The Yukons are the slowest but I am not complaining any more. Really.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Chicks
Got the phone call from the post office at 5:56am. The baby chicks are here, can you please come get them. Yes, sure, will be right over. On a Monday.
The first order, two weeks ago, arrived on a Tuesday morning, making me think that maybe the first flock spent an extra day in transit. Which might explain the high mortality rate we experienced (at least I thought it was high.....the CS rep at McMurrray didn't seem fazed by it.) There were two other shipments of day-old chicks today, too, and both of the other families were there to pick up their boxes. We had a nice little chat session in the lobby of the post office, comparing notes on what we'd ordered and what we already had at home.
These little babies look great and hopped right out of the box to drink and eat. So far, everyone's still alive and scratching. It's very interesting to see how much the chickens from two weeks ago have grown. I knew they were a good bit bigger, but they seem grown-up now by comparison to the fuzz balls that arrived this morning. So cute.
On a botanical note, the tomato plants are coming right along and the spinach in the raised bed has germinated. I love global warming.
The first order, two weeks ago, arrived on a Tuesday morning, making me think that maybe the first flock spent an extra day in transit. Which might explain the high mortality rate we experienced (at least I thought it was high.....the CS rep at McMurrray didn't seem fazed by it.) There were two other shipments of day-old chicks today, too, and both of the other families were there to pick up their boxes. We had a nice little chat session in the lobby of the post office, comparing notes on what we'd ordered and what we already had at home.
These little babies look great and hopped right out of the box to drink and eat. So far, everyone's still alive and scratching. It's very interesting to see how much the chickens from two weeks ago have grown. I knew they were a good bit bigger, but they seem grown-up now by comparison to the fuzz balls that arrived this morning. So cute.
On a botanical note, the tomato plants are coming right along and the spinach in the raised bed has germinated. I love global warming.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Chicken Feathering
We have chickens in our basement. I've lost count on exactly how many. I think it's 59 total. They came in the mail as day old chicks and we've had them now for ten days.
I cannot adequately express in words how much I love watching these little chickens. They are completely instinctual at this point in their young lives and if the urge hits them to scratch or peck or stretch or fly, they follow the urge. Immediately. Sometimes they try to do two or more of these urges simultaneously, and that makes me laugh out loud. Which sets off another round of silliness in the brooder box.
When they came in the mail and I lifted off the box top, they were so cute and downy and small. Ten days later, they've lost the down on their wings and tails and their feathers have replaced the cute fuzz. When they stretch, they will move their wings to the side and back of their bodies and you can get an idea of how big the wings already are, even though their bodies are still small by comparison. The chicks have doubled in size, at the very least. But their wings look like they are four times as big.
And the feathers! Marvelous, beautiful colors and markings. The breeds are easy to spot but the markings on same-breed birds are ever so slightly different from chick to chick. Darker, lighter, more blond here or more brown there. It's just so amazing to watch their bodies grow and change day to day.
I think that's what I'm liking about farm life right off the bat. Being able to take the time each day to observe exactly what's happening at the moment, and pointing those things out to the kids so they can stop and appreciate the moment, too.
Did I mention I love those chickens?
I cannot adequately express in words how much I love watching these little chickens. They are completely instinctual at this point in their young lives and if the urge hits them to scratch or peck or stretch or fly, they follow the urge. Immediately. Sometimes they try to do two or more of these urges simultaneously, and that makes me laugh out loud. Which sets off another round of silliness in the brooder box.
When they came in the mail and I lifted off the box top, they were so cute and downy and small. Ten days later, they've lost the down on their wings and tails and their feathers have replaced the cute fuzz. When they stretch, they will move their wings to the side and back of their bodies and you can get an idea of how big the wings already are, even though their bodies are still small by comparison. The chicks have doubled in size, at the very least. But their wings look like they are four times as big.
And the feathers! Marvelous, beautiful colors and markings. The breeds are easy to spot but the markings on same-breed birds are ever so slightly different from chick to chick. Darker, lighter, more blond here or more brown there. It's just so amazing to watch their bodies grow and change day to day.
I think that's what I'm liking about farm life right off the bat. Being able to take the time each day to observe exactly what's happening at the moment, and pointing those things out to the kids so they can stop and appreciate the moment, too.
Did I mention I love those chickens?
Names
I originally named this blog "Long Distance Farming" because at the time, we were living in the suburbs of Atlanta during the week and driving to the farm on the weekends. Not even every weekend, at least during the colder months. But most weekends of the year, we made a 90 mile trip here and then a 90 mile trip back to the city.
Now that we have made the move to the farm permanent, I think I'll keep the blog named as it is, even though there is no geographical distance separating us from the land that we love. There remains a "long distance" between what I know right now to farm successfully and what I need to know to make a successful farm a reality. That distance shrinks a little bit each month that goes by, but it's still a sizeable gulf to bridge.
Thankfully, we're here to see it all every day and learn to watch and listen. For me, that's where the learning begins, observing. Then reading. Lots and lots of reading. And then, the doing helps, too.
Now that we have made the move to the farm permanent, I think I'll keep the blog named as it is, even though there is no geographical distance separating us from the land that we love. There remains a "long distance" between what I know right now to farm successfully and what I need to know to make a successful farm a reality. That distance shrinks a little bit each month that goes by, but it's still a sizeable gulf to bridge.
Thankfully, we're here to see it all every day and learn to watch and listen. For me, that's where the learning begins, observing. Then reading. Lots and lots of reading. And then, the doing helps, too.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Serious Blogging Up Ahead
I just celebrated my one year anniversary of blogging at Homestead Blogger. I've met some very nice people there and learned quite a bit about raising chickens, baking bread, and preserving fresh garden bounty.
I think, though, that Blogger might offer me the opportunity to expand a bit on what it is that I'm learning now. We've just moved onto our property in the last four weeks and spring is here in a big way, with warm, dry weather. There is much to do to get this little piece of earth ready to farm, to grow fruit and vegetables, to have livestock and begin to move not just to self-sufficiency, but to provide for others who don't have access to land but are willing to pay for home-grown food.
Sometimes I want to just pontificate on agriculture issues. I want to write about how raising sons in a more rural setting affects our family. How God is working on my contentment, the attitude of my heart, the direction our family is headed. I need to put it down in a place that appreciates it all, and I think that's going to be here.
So, I guess this is a second start for this diary and I'll post both places for a while to see how it works. Time will be short since we have so much to do outside. But I hope to see you here on a regular basis, to share what I'm learning. Thanks for stopping by.
I think, though, that Blogger might offer me the opportunity to expand a bit on what it is that I'm learning now. We've just moved onto our property in the last four weeks and spring is here in a big way, with warm, dry weather. There is much to do to get this little piece of earth ready to farm, to grow fruit and vegetables, to have livestock and begin to move not just to self-sufficiency, but to provide for others who don't have access to land but are willing to pay for home-grown food.
Sometimes I want to just pontificate on agriculture issues. I want to write about how raising sons in a more rural setting affects our family. How God is working on my contentment, the attitude of my heart, the direction our family is headed. I need to put it down in a place that appreciates it all, and I think that's going to be here.
So, I guess this is a second start for this diary and I'll post both places for a while to see how it works. Time will be short since we have so much to do outside. But I hope to see you here on a regular basis, to share what I'm learning. Thanks for stopping by.
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