The Next Generation

This place has been dormant; I have felt like Sleeping Beauty – the vines were growing up around the castle! Last summer Loyal returned for a visit after many years, and we decided to work something out so he can take over here. I have no children. Loyal knew Ken and worked with him and understands the magic of the place. Loyal got some pullets and has them in the mobile coop. He has also …

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Putting Snow inside the Greenhouse

Last fall we had unusual weather – eighties on October 20th!  And less than three weeks later on November 5th, the temperature dropped to single digits, and the ground froze.  We wanted to plant garlic, but how?  Ken planted garlic in the mobile high tunnel where the soil was NOT frozen.     This spring has been cool and we got late snow.  I realized it would be warm in the greenhouse so I dug …

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Opening the Greenhouse

Spring planting in the greenhouse all depends on the weather.  The air and soil temperature inside the greenhouse is much more important than the date. Some years Ken had planted in February, but this year we had early cold with no snow cover, so the frost went deep into the soil.  We have also had more cloudy than sunny weather, so there has not been much solar gain once the sun has some real heat …

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Irrigating Greenhouse

The mobile high tunnel is now over the heat loving summer crops.  And even though we have gotten lots of rain recently, very little of it goes into the greenhouse – even when Ken opens it up all the way.  So, Ken irrigates the plants.  He moves hoses and uses an irrigation pump to get water from the irrigation pond to the plants   Then the water moves from his trenches between the plants to …

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Ken Transplants in the Mobile High Tunnel

After we moved the mobile high tunnel off the greens, Ken shut it up so the air and soil could warm up for the heat loving crops.  Then he trans planted tomato and pepper seedlings       It has hot and Ken shed his shirt – not often does one see him without a shirt with collar         And of course he got a lot of help from his supervisor – …

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Moving the Mobile High Tunnel to Summer Location

Now that the weather has warmed the greens no longer need the protection of a greenhouse, Ken wanted to get the mobile high tunnel moved to this year’s summer location, close it up and warm that soil for the heat loving crops.     The actual move is a short part of the job.  First he clears the track, removes anchors, ties up doors, and takes up end bracing.   When we are moving it down …

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Moving Poultry and Garden Work

Last fall Ken moved the chickens, geese and turkeys into the garden.  They clean up weed seeds and insects.  Chores are easier in winter if the birds are nearer the house.  And manure for the compost is already in the garden.  It means they get moved in spring to other, more remote locations     Ken had planned using the mobile high tunnel for the spring greens.  Good thing as geese wanted to sit on …

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Winter Came on a Friday This Year

After a beautiful unseasonably warm autumn, cold weather and icy precipitation arrived Friday.          Ken had been watching the weather and we went to the garden and covered some plants with fiber.         Ken set up a long hoopette over the fall carrot and beet crops.         Then as it neared dusk we changed hats and gloves and went to the mobile high tunnel.  We covered …

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Harvest Newsletter

Greetings from the Garden!  This week’s CSA box has salad and braising greens, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, tomatoes, peppers, red onions and leeks, and herbs. Field Notes.  We had frost, so Ken has brought in the winter squash and set it on the racks – temporary storage until it is so cold we move it inside for the winter Yesterday Ken moved both portable coops.  I helped him catch some turkeys to clip wings – …

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Harvest Newsletter

Greetings from the Garden!  This week’s CSA box has tomatoes, potatoes, beets, peppers, onions or leeks, greens, daikon radish, sweet potatoes and herbs Field Notes.  Ken has started in on fall tasks – he tilled the area where garlic will planted.       He has started the preparation for moving the mobile high tunnel over the fall greens.       and expanded the pig area. He is crossing items off that to do …

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