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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Late March

I know it snows in late March in Maine sometimes but that doesn’t make looking at it better.  Ugh. Enough already.  I do feel a little tropical this morning though. I’m writing to you from the tomato plant jungle.  Note to self: late January might be a little early to start seedlings. They resemble redwoods.  [...]

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 [...]

Visiting Eliot

Eliot explained the new six-move rotation he’s worked out for his new movable green houses.  One 1,000 sq ft greenhouse covers 6,000 sq ft of ground a year. We paid close attention.

Going to Four Season Farm

Sarah, Keith and Alison are here from Kentucky.  Why someone leaves 71* and sunshine to come snowy Maine (and fall through the ice, but that’s another story) is easily explained.  We’re going to visit Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch today.  Keith would like to start four season farming with vegetables on his farm, Black Bridge [...]

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. [...]

In the Greenhouse

In one of the greenhouses today:
Tatsoi.  The seedling on the right had been nibbled on this morning.  When I went back in this afternoon to put the row cover back on the plant on the left had ben eaten and more of the other eaten.  I put traps out.  Meadow voles will go into [...]

A Snow Day

We went to bed with flurries and woke up to 14″.  A drift blocks the window where I sit to write. Yesterday I watched birds eating 2′ below the window.  Today it’s a 6′ drift and I won’t be seeing out for a while. When the snow falls off the roof it will make the [...]

I read that Jan’s ducks are laying.  Mine are not.  “Ok ladies, I know you’re not spring chickens…err…young ducks…but let’s go.  I’m feeding you.  You should be feeding me.” We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
I started seeds for sage, endive and lettuces today.  The tomatoes, sage and eggplant have been potted up into six packs.  They’ll [...]

Another Week

I love a fresh start.  This week is a bit busy but should off the farm be productive. The Downeast  Athletic Conference championship bball games for boys and girls are today.  Tomorrow and Wednesday have me out.  I think I’ll read a book I’m going to review Thursday during the bad weather and prune Friday.
I [...]

Fedco Order

There are approx. 20 vegetables ordered from Johnny’s that aren’t on this list.  If you see something “missing” it either came from Johnny’s, I already have it and maybe don’t grow that veggie.  Some of the greens will be seeded into the soil in a four season unheated greenhouse, others will be transplanted and the [...]

Floating Row Cover

Another pre-published article.
Floating Row Covers

New Math

One Hose + One Dandruff Shampoo bottle + Three dogs = One wet woman.  I didn’t wake up planning to scrub the mutts but they’re sort of clean now.  I took mercy on them and did a half-assed job.  The water from the well is 54* right now so I didn’t wash between toes and [...]

Rain, Harvest, Chefs and Rain

It’s raining again.  1.5″ so far this afternoon.  Most of it fell in less than an hour.  I picked a bushel of beans and Steve did some rototilling when the thunder started to roll in.  Twenty minutes later the sky opened.  I struggled with irrigation for a month but for most of the growing season [...]

July 18, 2008

Friday 18 July 2008 Eastern Daylight Time
(longitude W67.7, latitude N45.3) I love the long days on the 45th parallel.

SUN
Begin civil twilight [...]

Hoop House

This is what happens when you forget to take the poly off a conduit hoop house before a heavy snow storm.

I hope to tackle this over the weekend.  Every time I see it I want to kick myself.

April 17, 08

It’s hard to believe the month is half over already.
I screwed up and didn’t turn the heat on in the greenhouse two nights ago. Most of the cauliflower seedlings are dead. I’ll reseed today. The only good thing about this is that cauliflower isn’t one of my biggest sellers. Tammaro’s will [...]

A tractor, some water and a greenhouse

On the way to Bangor I gave in and agreed to buy a tractor. He’s wanted one for a long time. “WHY do we NEED a tractor?”

Steve said, “It’s a man thing.”