In planning our garden, Aaron’s stepmom Debbie recommended the Three Sisters. Being on a big companion planting kick, I thought the bright idea sounded pretty solid. Naturally, I dove headfirst into some research to figure out how to make the most of our South garden. What I found was the Three Sisters plus a pair of flower sisters that really …
Day 20: Coronavirus Quarantine
Yesterday, I stole a few minutes to write in Isai’s baby book. The difference, this month, is that we’re under Coronavirus quarantine on the farm. “Safe in place” orders are keeping people in their homes while the world scrambles to react to the Coronavirus pandemic. I can’t describe how strange it feels to try to document this time in our …
Whoa, We Have a Garden Map
We may have tilled a way-too-large garden. Aaron paused for a plow break while working on the chicken coop and enjoying the sunshine last weekend. He fired up the tractor, hooked up the old plow behind the pole barn and took the first stabs into the dirt where the farm’s garden has traditionally been planted. The grass and weeds that …
This Week on the Farm: March 23-29, 2020
Seven days ago, we had no cattle. Holy cow – what a difference a week makes. Our chicks are huge Our tiny chicks have nearly doubled in size. They’ve only been on the farm for about 2 weeks, but we’ve already seen them grow a ton. Their feeder is getting refilled daily. Their water can runs low often. They’re getting tons …
Now We Have 3 Chucks
In the famous words of Farmer Crossley: “just like that, we have three cows.” Mind you, I only knew we were getting two. Nice attempt to sneak that one by me, sir. He made the proclamation to the dogs and I early this afternoon. Ogilvy has since spent his day starring out of the living room windows and barking uncontrollably …
Day 13: Quarantined on the Farm
What an odd time in our lives. We’re creeping in on the 2-month mark since the US first started taking the Coronavirus pandemic somewhat seriously. For nearly two weeks, I’ve been working from home. My laptop, desktop monitor, design gear and whiteboard have all been reconfigured across the desk in our basement. Each day, I call into a handful of …
A Big Week for Little Chicks
We might be going a little stir crazy. Last weekend, while gathering supplies from the farm store, Aaron picked up some chickens. We’d already been eyeing them for a couple of weeks, but apparently the single week we’ve spent in quarantine was enough to finalize the decision. So far, the flock is awesome: Bantams (2)According to the display tag in …
Meet Chuck – Our First Moomaker
In the midst of Coronavirus quarantine, we’ve earned our “real farm” status. Yesterday, Chuck arrived. We’ve been steering clear of most human life lately. It’s really not hard to do on this beautiful acreage that is creeping its way into Spring. We’ve started quite the collection of baby chicks. Most days, the pond is loaded with geese. Flowers are sprouting …
Seeds in the Greenhouse + New Bulb Sprouts
Spring is SO close and the yard is here to prove it. Over the last week, we’ve been taking inventory of the earliest sprouts pushing out of the ground. The farm’s previous owners really did some work on bulbs and blooms from the look of things so far. While we’ve been busy trying to wrap up the never-ending greenhouse remodel …
Late Winter Garden Prep in Progress
February came and went in a flash. With a barrage of Winter weather sprinkled with random Spring-like days – we’ve been busy hurrying up then waiting on just about every farm project imaginable. The compost pile is a work in progress. While the previous owners left us with decomposing garden goodies at the end of the Fall, we’ve had a bit …