Bouncing Back

I’m feeling more like my real self, the person who loves farming, teaching and being close to the soil. For months I’ve felt like farming was sucking the life blood from my veins. It certainly drained my heart.  On top of the third consecutive shitty growing year (I grow and harvest year round so it’s [...]

What a summer

I didn’t realize I hadn’t written in a month.
Seriously.  What a summer.   August was nice so what’s left of the garden is producing well. The tomatoes that haven’t been wiped out by late blight are doing well and ripening.  The potatoes didn’t fare as well. It killed all of them but I think they had [...]

Sunny Sunday

Taylor’s home! She came home from UB at Bowdoin College early Friday evening. She lazed around yesterday, said it was weird to not be on a tight schedule. She did manage a few loads of laundry and a shower but that was it for the day.  Earlier in the week she called to ask for [...]

In the news…

In the news… Me!
It started with an interview about turkeys.  Do they really drown in the rain?  If you didn’t read the previous blog on that you’ll have to either look it up or wait for National Geographic Kids to hit the stand.
Then it started raining (you’ve heard me mention, moan and whine about this, [...]

The ducks are leaving

The ducks are leaving.  Not all, but most.  C took three ducklings yesterday and will pick up another tomorrow.  R is taking four ducklings and possibly adults Wednesday.  Jj took six adults today.  That was the hard one.  We separated the mother from her ducklings.  We took three two nights ago when they went to [...]

I’m becoming hard hearted

I’m becoming a bit more hard hearted each year that I farm.  There was a time when I was going to be a veterinarian and save all the animals from dying. When I learned how horrendous those adorable raccoons are on poultry I agreed to hold the flashlight while Steve shot them.  I got working [...]

Quik Shade

We bought a Quik Shade canopy for farmers’ market.  I made the mistake of not ordering an E-Z Up.  I was sure I could pick one up at a big box in Bangor.  I was mistaken. We decided the Quik Shade would be ok because it was a commercial grade canopy.  We were mistaken.  I’d [...]

Rain

I’m not going to market tomorrow.  There’s enough ready to harvest for my local customers but not enough for market too.  I’m surprised at how well plants are growing.  The potatoes are beautiful and putting on blossoms, broccoli is heading up nicely, lettuces are doing well.  Unfortunately the pigweed and hairy galinsoga are growing faster.  [...]

A New Hoophouse!

I bought a 1600 sq ft hoophouse this afternoon.  When I called about it a few days ago I missed it by a couple of hours.  The seller kept my name and number just in case and fortunately for me, just in case happened.  It will be delivered in a few hours! This brings our [...]

Fresh From GH1

Broccoli.  The heads we picked this evening are 8″ across.  The broc and cucumbers shown here were grown in the unheated greenhouse.  They were planted in April.

Still a baby at 4″.

To Do

I’m back to being the sole farmer so I’m trying to get organized.  There are things I want this year – a packing shed, refrigeration, another unheated greenhouse.  If I stay organized and focused I’ll have them all by the end of the year.
Red has not yet been finished.
Water Greenhouses
Move stuff to seedling house for [...]

The phone is ringing off the hook…

….with people asking, “Is it true?”
Yes, it’s true.  Domtar is reopening the Woodland mill on June 22.  Steve is going back to work tomorrow.  Some are already back.  He’s in the middle of a project at his interim job and doesn’t want to leave it unfinished.  Let the chaos begin – the man thrives on [...]

Summer Planting

Summer planting starts today.  This is where I start asking myself what I was thinking.  I’ve never had the greenhouse open for seedling sales and summer planting fall at the same time.  One ends when the weather warms up and the other begins.  The last of the late spring crops go in today. When that’s [...]

Free Range Onions

They didn’t really “range” any where but I’m going with the term anyway.  Late last summer I neglected to clean up onions that went to see in the cold house (high tunnel/unheated greenhouse/hoop house) and they started to grow last fall.  They were dormant for a while before starting up slow growth.  One plant started [...]

Early May

I feel like we’re a little bit ahead in spite of the long winter.  The peas are up.  I haven’t checked the rest of the seeds outdoor but will this morning.  It’s warm enough at night to not have heat on in the seedling house.  I’ve used a third of last year’s propane by waiting [...]

Moving Right Along

I’m being lazy today. I had errands to run earlier but I’ve been home an hour and a half and accomplished none of my physical work.  Emails have been answered, a little research done but not one seedling has been potted up.  Not one plant in a greenhouse watered, picked or one inch of ground [...]

Soil Blocks

I haven’t had a great desire to use soil blocks. Steve saw the makers, the soil and the clincher – got a lesson from Eliot Coleman. Using them will cut back on the amount of plastic I use, always a good thing, and supposedly save me time. I need to drop in at Lucy’s blog [...]

Dispelling the Myth – Do Turkeys REALLY Drown in the Rain?

Move over Myth Busters – I’m dispelling a myth today! What a blast! I spent some time talking with a writer for National Geographic Kids.  She’s dispelling urban myths. The myth she called me about happens to be my favorite – turkeys look up into the rain and drown.  Reflexes will take care of [...]

Turkey Riddle

Before we start the riddle, I have cool news.  I’m going to be interviewed by a writer for National Geographic Kids on Thursday. We’re going to debunk a popular myth. It happens to be my favorite myth so I’m sure this is going to be fun.  I’m not sure that I can tell you what [...]

New Plans

I’m settling in to Steve’s pending unemployment. It hit me hard even though I knew it was likely to happen.  Rather than let it sink in and catch my breath I jumped into action.  Then I sat back and wondered what I’ve done and a whole list of “holy crap!” worries.  It’s ok now. [...]