Compost

Compost is a vital part of getting our soil ready for the growing season.  It adds some much-needed  

organic matter to our sandy soils. 

  

The CSA field and the rest of the farm are getting a good helping of compost this spring. Since the CSA field is organic, we rely heavily on the compost for nutrients. Here, we use a rate of 5 tons/Acre. On other areas of the farm the rate is around 3 tons/Acre.

 My farm guy looks pretty good up on that tractor doesn't he?

  Compost is wonderful soil amendment along with a not-so-wonderful smell.  It only lasts a few days.  I can deal with it.

The Top 5 Reasons I Love Being a Farm Wife.

I absolutely love being a farmer's wife.  When Farmer E and I were dating and getting close to marriage, I made my opinion clearly known that I wanted him to be a farmer--and well we are. ;)  And while isn't always sweet and easy, there are long hours and lots of hard work. . . I love my life as a farmer's wife!


1.  Working with my family.

 At the farm we are surrounded by family, grandparents, parents, brothers, uncles, and my kids.  We all truly enjoy each others company.  We all know ALL of Farmer's A's jokes and silly songs.  I am anticipating the time when my own children are older and can help their dad more.  There is a bond that is built through working together toward a common goal that is irreplaceable.

2.  My backyard is my husband's workplace. 

Ya know sometimes you just need to see the man you love, and I can do that anytime I want. Nope, he can't get away from me, and we like it like that.  If I take the time to GO and SEE what in the world is making him late for dinner. . . like a riser that is spraying water 30 feet in the air, it is a little easier for me to show compassion and do my best to keep is supper warm.

3.  Scenic vista!


The view out the front window of our house is fields as far as the eye can see. Our fields to be precise. From the window over my kitchen sink I look out over our CSA field with a background of woods where my kids play. There is also a pond with a rope swing that we use to fling ourselves into the water on the hottest days of summer.

4.  Shopping REALLY local.

So it's 5: 30 and what's for supper?  Go grab some corn, tomato and eggplant. And you have yourself a meal in no time. . .all from right here.

5.  Gettin' the First and the Freshest!

 I get the first strawberry, first tomato, first eggplant, first corn, first cantaloupe.  And all the excitement that comes with it.  The corn on my dinner table was picked 15 minutes ago.


What a privilege it is to be here. I am truly blessed.

Spring is Here! {{Happy Dance}}

On Tuesday spring officially arrived which is marked by the vernal equinox.  From here on out the days are longer than the nights. . . which means "It's time to get to WORK!"  Yay! We have lots of daylight hours to be in the field and get things going.  Farmer E says he is like a snake, he moves a lot faster after he warms up a little bit.  And boy oh boy are we warm!

 

Farm Queen giving the eggplants a good drink.

We have a happy little greenhouse full of happy little eggplants--the standard globe eggplant, Sicilian, and NEW THIS YEAR. . . Spanish striped eggplant.

First corn field

The first corn seed is in the soil, germinating as we speak!  We plant the seed in a ditch then cover the ditch with plastic, creating a tiny little greenhouse.  This helps get the soil warm enough so the seed will germinate well.  The plastic almost seems unnecessary this year.

Romaine

Swiss Chard

The CSA field is off and running.
Sugar snap peas
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Broccoli Rabe
Romaine
Swiss Chard
The ground is dry, I have already been through with the water tank to give them a much needed drink.  Carrots and beets were planted along with the turnips today too!  Enjoy!

See Dawn spot. Spot Dawn spot.

Hi ya!  It has been a busy week here at the farm.  We started the week off "spotting" the tomatoes.  Spotting is basically transplanting the tomatoes from small cells to larger ones.  We start the tomato seeds in 200 cell trays because they take up much less room in the greenhouse during the coldest part of the season.  After 3 weeks they are ready to go into the 18 cell trays where they stay until transplanted to the field. 

Dawn is the CTS (chief tomato spotter).  She has the fastest hands in all the land!

 It is tedious work, but exciting too.  Just think of all the potential these tomato's hold.

 Little Guy is in training, he shows great potential too!

A day's work.

For now they get all the water they want. However, we will soon be telling you a tale of tomato hardship. 

Happy Planting!
Martie

Greenhouse, Greenhouse, Greenhouse!!!

Howdy ya'll!
It has been such a mild winter.  While the kids missed the snow tubing, snowmen, and extra reasons to consume hot chocolate.  We have been using the favorable weather to get some field work accomplished.  

 Today the peppers are being seeded and already you can see tomatoes, swiss chard, eggplant, broccoli, broccoli rabe, and romaine sprouting in the greenhouse.

Eggplants, swiss chard, broccoli, tomatoes

  Eric and Dallas use the handy dandy vacuum seeder for seeding the peppers.

 Each tray heads back through the flat filler to cover the seed and a lite sprinkle of water.

  Then down the greenhouse and on the germination bed. For germination our seeds like to be extra warm, so we have a special part of the house with a little extra heat and a big insulated blanket. 

We are so thankful for every sunny day we get right now.