Notes From the Farm Week 20

The hardest part of planting is definitely trying to decide which varieties to plant. At last count I had over 700 different vegetable & flower types, making the task torturous. With the recent, very rapid rate of loss for heirloom varieties it has become vital that we try to preserve our agricultural legacy. Besides...it doesn't help that once you start collecting them, you think you need to have them ALL!

A few of the more than 70 varieties of beans in our collection. 

By the end of the week we had managed to plant the majority of our crops, and it is a welcome relief. The carrots are shooting up and the lettuce is almost ready to harvest. Now we can focus on the weeds that are pressuring our earlier planting before they begin to steal vital nutrients and moisture content from the vegetables. 

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The chickens are growing nicely and should begin producing eggs in about one more month. CSA members will get the option of adding an egg share to their produce baskets. The cost will be $3.00 per dozen of chicken eggs OR a half dozen of duck eggs. 

It seems that spring has come and gone, in a short 2 weeks. The weather is decidedly summer, and the farm is showing it. The hay fields are over waist high and already setting seed. It is a simple beauty that we thoroughly enjoy this time of year. Yet, it is a reminder that in a few weeks it will need to be cut, rolled, and stored for winter use. 

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There is nothing quite like a good summer storm.

This year will be our busiest year yet, so we decided to take a few days to enjoy time with family in the beautiful Smokey Mountains. Once June arrives we pretty much disappear until the fall frosts take the harvest. It is quite nice to know that the animals and plants are well taken care of while we rest. Andrea recently joined our team, and is a very welcome addition. She is currently on the farm ensuring everything is cared for and we appreciate it so much!! A huge thank you goes out to her for all of her hard work this week!! 

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Andrea, our newest addition to the farm

We are really looking forward to getting back on the farm and seeing what crops have sprouted while we have been out of town. It was a grueling week, but seeing all of the seedlings reaching for the sun will make it all worth the effort. Until next week...

~Robert