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Last year Kati and her family returned to Upstate NY after several years living in Kentucky. They have been busy cleaning, organizing and getting ready for the 2017 season. So, that makes us excited for what's happening this year.  Our farm has been family run for almost 100 years and that makes me excited to have another generation joining us. Tyler, our 8 year grandson, is beginning to see just how the homestead runs.
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The first good snow fall of the season is always a nice one. First we shovel and then we plow and THEN we snow blow in a big way.
 With the nice spring we had and the no winter so to speak, the fish doctor was saying --- "gonna be a dry and hot summer". I guess he was right. In fact, it is so dry around here that we are being invaded with frogs. Green frogs, Leopard frogs, Pickerel frogs, Bull frogs and some little frogs I have ID'd yet. They have even laid eggs this week. So as you can see our tanks are full of lettuce, hyacinths and frogs. You should stop by and have a look. Some are even quite friendly and will let you pet them if you are gentle.        The Chicklets have grown and have finally become - pullets. AND they have moved on out to a deluxe coop in the orchard. Now they have a place to rome and hunt little buggies on the floor(ants). Alphie our ever present first born still rules the coop and she takes her place each night on the waterer. I figure once she figures out the roosting grid she'll be top hen.
 One of my favorite authors and farmers is Eliot Coleman of Four Season Farm. In fact I have dreamed of turning our smallest greenhouse into a Three Season One. One of our goals on the farm this year is to show people how to grow vegetables when they don't have a lot of room or good soil. In years past I have grown lettuce and other greens in rain gutters, peppers in plastic crates, onions, herbs, peas and beans in old water troughs and wash bins. I am all for making use of what I have so I invite you to stop by this summer and see what's growing and maybe get some ideas for your yard.
 I love watching the antics of chickens - from their peeping as chicklets to the chortles, murmurs, and sniggles as they grow to hen hood. If you have never had the priviledge of being in a hen house as they are settling in for the night you have truly missed a memorable symphony.
When I come home at night from my "real" job, and after being greeted and almost knocked down but two rambunctious labs, I get the daily updates. Today was ..."we got a lot planted today" "we were soooo busy". Those are good words to hear after what seemed to be a too long winter. James started the water falls a few days ago and it is a refreshing and comforting sound as I walk the dogs at midnight. The crocus are starting to push through the soil as are the daffodils so I know spring REALLY is just around the corner.   There you have it ... what comes first the root or the leaves. The roots win out every time and tomorrow we are starting out seeds as well.
Peppers - lots of them, a few annuals and many perennials. Some seeds are fun to plant - peppers and tomatoes aren't to bad because of their size but petunias are another story - tiny tiny tiny.  Douglas and James are almost through setting up benches in the greenhouses and pulling all those miscellaneous weeds they just seem to pop up. We've received our first shipment of plugs. Geraniums, petunias, lavender and other herbs, spikes and vincas, begonias and impatiens to name a few. Now the fun begins -- planting them all. This was one snowstorm that was predicted right and despite the fact that we really don't want anymore snow, it was a beautiful sight to wake up to this morning.  |
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