We thought we should post about what it takes to prepare a bed before we plant into it. For those of you who follow us, you know we feed our soil with nutrients that are severely lacking in many soils these days. Coincidentally, these same nutrients are also lacking in our bodies as well. By feeding the soil, the plants uptake these nutrients and when we consume these plants, we are getting all of the benefits that we put into the soil. It’s pretty neat. First up is a bucket of “black gold” our own compost. We spread this by hand with a shovel. One of us is in the tractor while the other shovels it out while the tractor slowly backs up. Next, we have a picture of the tractor (last Sunday before the rains came) and in the bucket of the tractor are several containers. Within each container is a different mineral. We have lime, gypsum, colodial phosphate, stonedust, sulfate of potash, menafee humates, boron and probooster. There is one more that looks like coal, but the name escapes me right now. All of these get sprinkled (in certain amounts) on each bed by hand (our future hope is to get some kind of mechanical spreader). After all of this is done, we rototil the top layer and if applicable we put down the plastic and irrigation tape. Throughout the summer, we will feed the soil with fish emulsion, calcium or phosphorus. As you can see it is quite the process to prepare a bed. We enjoy this work and really want to provide our customers with good, nutritious, tasty food the way it use to taste many, many years ago.
Here we go…
Got to play around with the new bed former/plastic layer today. Here we are preparing the beds before putting the plastic down. Here’s a picture where we started planting onions. 100 down only 1,100 more to go!
Here’s what’s growing on…
Bees are a flying
Chickens on new patch of grass
Greenhouse Table Coming Along Nicely
Greenhouse Table Coming Along Nicely
Leeks sizing up nicely
Garlic Coming Along
What we’ve been up to
It’s been a while since we’ve posted. Last weekend we trimmed the blueberries. Our hired help started working so that has helped us along with chores such as splitting wood for next year’s maple syrup season. More trees have been cut down along the stone wall – this wood will be for next year’s firewood for the house. The stakes for the barn have been laid out. Can’t wait! The front yard has been picked up. Asparagus bed has been rototilled and compost spread. Crabapple trees planted today. Fed the green houses with lots of goodness: fish, calcium and potassium. The garden area still a bit too wet for the tractor so we rototilled with the hand tiller. Today we readied 5 beds and planted peas, turnips, radishes, spinach, carrots and beets. Feeling like we are on tract this year, not behind.
And the winners are…
OK, CSA winners are: quart of syrup- Susannah C.; $25 credit towards future purchases – Heather T.; and Sheryl N. is the winner of a jar of jam of her choice that we make. Congratulations to all and we are looking forward to this year’s CSA.
Maple Syrup Weekend
It’s maple syrup weekend. Sugar shacks all over the state will be open during the weekend for visitors to explore the world of maple. Even though we are not on the official list, we will be boiling late morning into the afternoon if you want to stop by for some samples. Syrup will be available for purchase.
CSA participants giveaway
Exciting news. We just ordered tote bags for all of our 2013 CSA customers. Another perk for being in the CSA. We still have openings. We will have a giveaway for all of our currently signed up CSA customers and anyone who signs up now through April 15. Prizes are: Quart of maple syrup, $25.00 credit towards future purchase and a jar of jam of your choice. Application is here: CSA signup
