We have been busy on the farm non-stop since early April. The children have been a huge help this season getting transplants in the ground, mowing garden plots, winding up irrigation lines, taking care of our new chicks, and helping harvest, wash, and package our produce for deliveries and farmer's markets.
Transplanting kale by headlamp. Lindsey, Sam, and Ray were my helpers!
Getting ready to transplant tomatoes in the greenhouse. Isaac is helping mama place marker flags for proper spacing.
Ray is my right hand man at the markets. He is very knowledgeable about all the products on our table and can answer any questions our customers might have.
Isaac was suppose to be in bed, but he really wanted to help fill our microgreen trays with potting mix. He kept saying, "me do it!" How can mom and dad say no to that?
I don't have any pictures, but this past Sunday the girls and I planted over 500 summer squash. We planted yellow squash, three varieties of zucchini, and a couple of varieties of patty pan squash. They were super diligent in their work and kept at it until the work was done. We treated the family to dinner out and ice cream. After getting home, Brad and I went back to work in the fields, using headlamps once again. Brad did a little bit of direct seeding and I transplanted around 250 peppers before calling it a night. The last hour and half we worked in the rain, but it was a nice gentle rain that was quite soothing. We received over an inch and no flooding in the fields, which is an improvement for the last rainfall. Late April we received over two inches of rain and our tomato plot didn't fair too well. Luckily, I hadn't got everything transplanted and we were able to drain most of the water away. We lost some plants, but most of them rebounded.
Besides new chicks on the farm, we also have a couple new lambs. On Earth Day, Ray's ewe Mimi had a little girl we named April. Just last Saturday, Ray's other ewe, Snowball had a little boy named Cherokee. He is just as cute as can be! He is all brown, but has a white head. He definitely stands out in the all white herd.
Mimi with her baby April
On April 1st and 2nd we celebrated two birthdays. Samuel turned 8 and Ray turned 10. Sam had a farm cake and Ray a garden cake. They sure love their farming and gardening life!!!!
Today we had 300 sweet potato plants delivered that will go in the field tomorrow. We also have several hundred eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes that need to get in the ground now that the rains have passed and before the next round arrives. We are skipping a CSA delivery this week. With the rain and cloudy weather the crops have slowed their growth. We hope to deliver next week and the feedback we have received from members so far this season has been encouraging. Here is what one of our members had to say, "Local produce is a huge benefit and worth the risk of the “local weather” patterns…We’ve enjoyed the produce so far. The chard was really nice… the kids gobble it up. The microgreens have gone great in breakfast burritos". Another member had this to say, "...we love the greens this year. They look inviting to eat. We are enjoying the variety. Your hard work and the changes to the CSA program are great..." We love hearing what our members have to say. Please send us an email or call with any feedback, questions, or concerns.
Until next time,
Tiff
Until next time,
Tiff
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