While Ken was learning about bees Judith took a Sectional Warp class at the Weavers Guild. The loom on the main floor, has a sectional warp; it enables the weaver to easily wind on miles of the same warp and weave many rugs before she needs to re- warp her loom. The instructor was excellent, the students had diverse backgrounds. It was worth the time away from the farm to hone this skill.
Last Weekend Ken took a couple days to attend a natural beekeeping workshop in nearby Amery. He learned some , was glad to see how many other people want to have bees without chemistry. He now has more tools for his bee “toolbox.”
Greetings from the Garden! This week’s CSA box has lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic, parsley, and a new crop of winter kohlrabi Field Notes. Ken is clearing space. He is clearing out crops and plants as they finish and making space for fall plantings of spring greens. He is in planning mode as we get ready to move the mobile high tunnel off the tomatoes and onto fall greens. …
Late last week I had a couple nice, sunny days and I cut tops and roots off the garlic and sorted it for planting and storage. When we pull it from the field it goes on to racks to cure. I drag a table over and pull off a bunch at a time. Then I cut off tops and roots, brush off dirt and sort. The largest, most …
Although we are still busy, once in a while I take the camera with me so I can catch a few elusive fall photos. Here is the field And here is the mobile high tunnel And our drive It is a beautiful time of year, isn’t it?
Greetings from the Garden! This week’s CSA box has tomatoes, potatoes, celery, cucumber, zucchini, onions, garlic, carrots, melon, basil and parsley Filed Notes. Ken is always thinking ahead! Monday he started moving chicks and chickens. He has several batches of chicks at varying ages. He is making room for the newer hens in one of the portable coops. The young roosters – cockerels – will go in the north coop. He has moved the larger …
Both Ken and I like pesto. Depending on what green herb we have in good supply Ken may make basil – parsley, or dill or cilantro or a blend. Yesterday he started with basil and parsley – this is an Italian flat leaf variety He cleaned garlic and ran the green herbs and garlic through the food processor with olive oil. He packs jars, tops with some olive …
For a few years now Ken has been working with a heritage breed of turkeys. It has been a real challenge. They really are closer to wild and would prefer to roost high in trees and hatch out a clutch in tall grass and get outside the fence and roam. Even with Oscar on duty there have been losses. This year we seem to have a good mom; she is keeping the bunch together …
Ken has been perfecting his broody hen management this season. The result has been several hatches of chicks. At first he put them together, but it seemed the older ones were picking on the younger ones. So now he has several small outside enclosures with chicken wire and fiberglass fence posts. There are the tiny chicks There are the chicks that a renegade hen hatched out …
Greetings from the Garden! This week’s CSA box has tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, kohlrabi, onions, garlic, peppers, sweet corn, parsley, and basil. Field Notes. The tsunami of tomatoes has crested; early varieties are about done. Later varieties are still going strong. It has been an interesting season – cooler nights meant later hot weather crops and heavy dew meant more work to prevent molds, fungus and blights. Ken has moved up those seedlings pictured last …
