The existence of the greenhouse inspired some intense compulsive seed buying in the doldrums of winter. As a result, I’ve been swimming in seed packets littering every surface of the greenhouse, garage and garden shed. With seeds and transplants making their way into the ground, it feels important that I should finally document exactly what we’re planting here. Vegetables Eden …
The North Garden is Planted – Mostly
We’ve spent a lot of time covered in dirt lately. Over the weekend, Aaron’s mom Anna and Aunt Brenda popped by the house to help plant the North garden. The undertaking was a bit more than any of us fully anticipated. Removing starts from their Winstrip trays and transferring them into the ground was certainly messier than we expected. Then, …
This Week on the Farm: April 20-26, 2020
This week’s cold snap was for the birds. We spent the weekdays cooped up in the house and snuggling under warm blankets. I continued to work from home while keeping my fingers crossed that all of the plants in the ground could survive the chill. So far, so good. The weekend, though, has brought us a bit more sun and …
The Front Shrubs are Gone
No doubt about it – the farm’s previous family took exceptional care of the property. The house, the out-buildings, the lawn, the pastures – every literal thing is in amazing shape. That being said, part of why we decided to buy the farm was the appeal of this “diamond in the rough.” While this place is stunning – there are a …
Home to Roost – Our Cozy Chicken Coop
Exactly a month ago, I bought the build plans for a chicken coop. Since then, Aaron has been building like a madman to create the most epic chicken cottage of all time. This week, we’re over the moon (and a bit relieved) to finally welcome the flock into their cozy new home. From start to finish, this coop has been …
The New Mower and the Pond
Last week, we added a much-needed Ferris zero-turn mower to the farm’s equipment line up. It was really a stunner. Shiny. Red. Keyword here: was. I mowed for about an hour with it on Sunday. Trimmed up the backyard with a swift jaunt across the lawn. So when Aaron jumped on to mow the orchard today, the mower had a …
Sitting Pretty in the Garden
One of my favorite things about moving to a new place is uncovering bits and pieces left behind by previous owners. Inside the barn, there are multiple signs with the family names of the farm’s owners before us. It’s pretty awesome to imagine the stories of how this place came to be and the people that once loved it like …
This Week on the Farm: April 13-19, 2020
What seemed like an uneventful week really got us there at the end. The projects have continued. And continued. And continued. I was lucky, on Tuesday, to finally finish the greenhouse floor. I’ve been slowly progressing one square foot tile at a time to stencil a pattern onto the concrete. With an infant to watch out for – this has meant …
Isai’s Calf Goes to the Vet
We’ve had a wild 24 hours at Crossley Farms. While I grew up on family farms in rural Kansas – I still have a lot to learn about being a farmer. Especially, when cattle are involved. Yesterday, Aaron went to visit a friend and help to get his garden up and running. That left me flying solo to keep the …
Day 34: Coronavirus Quarantine
The sunny warmth of last week has given way to cold, dreary gloom. Today, specifically, the window from our basement has nothing much to show beyond the bright green grass dulled by the dark gray skies. Hard winds pound at the doors all around the house. The rain falls heavy to the puddles outside the door. Generally – the entirely scene …