What I See…………….

Just a few photos of what I see walking around the property.

Turn here to enter the root cellar

This winter's supply of potatoes

This is the neighbor’s corn field, reduced to a mound of silage, on the left, winter feed for his cattle.

Pearl

Weird, yet beautiful nightime clouds

Dusk visitors return...........

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All is well, and a bit cloudy, at Mountain Meadows this morning.

 

Three Years on the Farm

We are three years into this farming “thing” we embarked on. With a big move 2 hours south of the urban/suburban neighborhood we raised our kids in, we picked up, moved, and  immersed  ourselves in a totally new environment, lifestyle, and way of living.

We now have a pickup, a farm use truck (our suburban pickup in retirement), a soccer mom van turned rolling tack box/livestock herder, and a $30,000 Kubota(that’s  tractor to you- the uninitiated)!

We are in the second year of our vegetable garden and potato patch, 3rd growing hay. We understand fully now, how much work it is, how totally dependent on the weather a real farmer is, and how good it feels and tastes to grow your own vegetables!

We now realize that selling at the local farmers market is harder than it looks, not the money maker it would seem to be, and that there is always alot more to learn. And, that hybrid blackberries, while no tastier than the wild ones, are thornless, way larger, and thus, sell better than their smaller wild relatives! During a dry, hot, almost drought summer, wild blackberries will also NOT produce 20 lbs a day!

We now know that groundhogs are sometimes smarter than the amount of fencing and traps you  put out. They may still be cute, but are not as cute as they once seemed while we were living in suburbia. Their view of “sharing” and mine, are somewhat different, when it comes to my garden!

We know that weeds will grow, regardless of how little rain comes thru’, and that hay will not! We understand that we are getting a bit too old to “toss that bale”, especially when there are 300 of them sitting in the field! We now understand the phrase “make hay while the sun shines”.  We see how the dust can be flying,  the ground can be as hard as a rock from lack of rain, and the paddocks  overgrazed and not growing – but white capped mushrooms and other plants that horses cannot and will not eat, will manage to push their way thru hardpacked dirt and dot the landscape.

We have learned that wells must be dug deep (and thank goodness, ours is), that hydrofracking is bad for the environment, and rain is important for everyone.

We have come to understand small town way of thinking, and have learned to love and appreciate small town friendliness and helping hands.

We have learned to support locavorism.

We have learned that to grow a garden organically, while preferable, takes alot more work than does spraying a bit to keep away the bugs. We learned that if you forget to put a little mineral oil on the corn silks, you will have gross caterpillars hiding in and eating your ears of corn!

We have learned that while black plastic between the rows of vegetables will keep the weeds down, the intense heat reflected off the plastic will make midday gardening in the height of summer unbearable, and the puddles of water that accumulate there will attract mosquitoes and cause all the cantaloupes to rot just before they ripen!

We have learned that if you don’t keep up with the rototilling, the weeds will grow to be about 5-6 feet tall in the potato field!! On the up side, those hardy weeds are shading the potato plants from the sun, during a borderline drought hot summer!

I have learned to talk to myself (and my horse) as we ride thru the woods- to let the deer know we are coming – so Bambi and his mother don’t jump out of the woods in front of us and scare the crap out of my horse!

I have learned that hunting is a generations old way of life out here in the Gap, and that said – I only walk and ride in the woods on Sunday during hunting season! Oh, and day glow orange is a good color- on man and beast!

I have learned that hounds don’t sleep in the bed with their owners- they are chained out back next to a dog house til hunting season. They also don’t ride up in the front seat of the pickup, they travel in a port holed metal container in the bed of that pickup, heads hanging out, ears blowing in the breeze, excited about going to do what they were bred to do – track and hunt.

I have learned the difference between cows bellowing at dinnertime and cows and calves bellowing because they have been separated to be weaned. It has also dawned on me, that the reason we have milk on the table, is because dairy cows are constantly being bred, and their babies taken away and sold, so that their milk is in constant supply for us humans. I drink more soy milk now…….no offense to the dairy farmers.

I now know that the chicken one buys from the supermarket, is one of a gazillion cute,tiny, yellow chicks that has been factory or family farmed in towns like these, engineered to grow faster and bigger, to be ready for production in 6 weeks. I have also learned that pickup for these chickens can occur anytime- even at 3am !And, I will never get used to what I interpret as the sad looks on these chickens as they are traveling down the highway, crammed in crates, on the way to the factory……….and, yes, I eat less chicken now. I could never be a real and good farmer, feeling about animals the way I do. But, I am thankful that there are people out there who have made farming their life and do a good job at it!

I know, and am  less than thrilled to know, that there are seasons of the fly! Now we are in the bot scraping and large nasty horse fly season. There is NO good season of a fly, in my opinion!

I have also learned that small town folk are the best – willing to help whenever needed, no questions asked.

It helps to have a neighbor with a backhoe when you might want to bury your horse, instead of calling the rendering plant to haul it off. That neighbor might not understand, but he’ll dig that hole.

We have also learned that in small towns, everyone is related to everyone else, in one way or another- so be careful what you say!!!

Small towns are also used to doing things a certain way- it has been done the same way for generations, so why fix it, if it ain’t broke? For this little town, it seems to be working fine!

You can live in a small town for 25 years, but if you weren’t born here, and your family hasn’t been  here for generations back, you will always be an outsider of sorts. There is something to be said, for having family living, literally, a stone’s throw away……………

“Green Acres is the place to be, farm living is the life for me, land spreading out so far and wide, keep Manhattan (or DC), just give me the countryside….!”

There are many more lessons I have learned in these past 3 years, out here on the farm, but I will save that for another time, another post…………

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All is well, in the still darkness of the morning, at Mountain Meadows, at 4:47am…………

 

Farming is Hard Work!!

Early in the season garden salad...mmmmmm!!

Having a garden is a never ending, on going, learning experience.

I joined a plant exchange a number of years back, and among the plants I brought to exchange, was a pretty little one I found in my garden. I labeled it unknown – and the moderator came over to inform me, that my unknown was poison ivy in its infant stage!!! Talk about embarrassing!!!!! Fortunately, I wear gloves when gardening, so I suffered no ill effects from digging it up!!!

I have come a long way from that day!!! I am still learning – that is a never ending process!!

My vegetable gardens have done very well this year -not a bit of poison ivy anywhere! But, the bugs have discovered the gardens.  The first year I escaped buggy infestations- this year, they know we are here!!!

My bean plants have been reduced to lacy outlines of their former selves, eaten by the little yellow larvae of some kind of beetle. The plants are still producing beans in abundance, but the bugs need to be stopped.  Spraying with Safer soap seems to stop them temporarily – but kind of goes against me wanting to have an organic garden.

The local farmers poo-poo the idea of organic. On the large scale of their farms, I guess it would be kind of hard to keep the bugs at bay organically. It’s hard to do even on my scale!!!

One of my gardens  that I share with a neighboring farmer was sprayed before we planted the potatoes. That one spraying kept the potato bugs from ravaging the plants. The garden nearer to my house, was not sprayed. The leaves of the potato plants were crawling with beetles one day. The potatoes underground were unaffected and beautiful. There is nothing more satisfying than digging in the soft warm earth (with gardening gloves on-LOL), and coming up with big, round, healthy potatoes!!!! No more manicures for me!!!

The weeds grow very well in my gardens also!!! I am happy to know the soil is so healthy , and things like to grow there – but what a pain!! Next year, we will approach it a little differently – weeding and constantly roto tilling are not my thing! Plus, all that roto tilling is probably not good for the soil.

My corn is about ready to be picked and one healthy ear turned out to have bugs deep inside. I hope that is not a predictor of what the other ears will look like!!That will kind of kill any chance of me selling them at the farmers market. I don’t mind flicking off a bug or two, but a paying customer might.

My tomato plants – all 45 or 50 of them – are over 5 feet tall-tightly fenced in, and overloaded with green tomatoes. They will undoubtedly, ripen all at once – and I hope I will be able to sell alot of them. If not, I will be locked in the kitchen, making more variations of canned tomatoes, sauces, catsup, etc than I care to think about!!!

I will have to mull it over carefully, next year, on what to plant, what will sell at the local small market – if I WANT to sell at the local small market again- or do I just want to grow what I need for us.

I definitely have a new appreciation for the women who came before me, and who fed their families, thru alot of hard work, and without the ease of modern appliances and air conditioning!!!

It’s about 95 degrees outside right now – and I know this heat has ripened an endless supply of cherry tomatoes and hopefully several large heirloom ones!! But, being a somewhat fair weather farmer – at least where heat is concerned – I will wait til just before dark, and then venture out with my buckets and baskets and see what my garden has to offer me today……….

Harvest from the morning- bird's nest and blackberries

New potatoes

Doesn't this one look like a baby hippo??

Tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn in the backround

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All is well, hot and cloudy, at Mountain Meadows today…………..

 

Wordless Wednesday

Way too much going on for words – enjoy the view!!!

Pole barn going up

Raccoon left his mark in the wet cement- love it!!

Titmouse built a nest in the black tube surrounding the electrical wires - so no electricity to the new barn, til the babies leave the nest!

Potatoes are growing!!!!

New birdhouse on the barn - one can never have too many birdhouses!

My pew, my view, my hay.........

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All is well, bright and sunny, at Mountain meadows this morning…..

 

Scenes from Around the Farm

Been busy – too much to do – too many sticks in the fire!!!

Here are some pics of what has been going on around here lately!

Vintage find - once a rabbit hutch, then a feral cat feeding station, now a planter!

The orphan Sweetpea, from across the road

The survivor of a set of twin goats, rejected by her mother...:>(

Neighbors grinding corn for the cows

Dragging chain thru the furrows to mix up the fertilizer before planting potatoes

The potatoes are in the ground & then sprayed w/something to keep the potato bugs away -so much for pesticide free!!!

Digging another row - we had lots of potatoes and it was 90 degrees!!!

Planted - with some carrots on the side!

Went back at 7pm when it was cooler to plant onions - this is after we were done!

All is well, and partially planted, at Mountain Meadows tonite………………..

 

Up Way Too Early

A combination nightmare and incessant beeping in my head woke me up before the crack of early!!!! Tracked down the beeping to a low battery in an unplugged phone! It was, unfortunately, NOT my cell phone- which is still among the missing. In the frenzy of last minute cleaning yesterday, the cell phone probably got swept off the counter in a pile of stuff– but which pile – and where is that stuff?!?!?!

The husband left at 4am to help with the Ruritan chicken barbeque. Always popular- the chicken will be totally sold out by 9:30 am!

After company left yesterday, we went back out to turn over the church pews. The weather report promised winds of up to 65 mph and I could hear that wind whistling by thru out the night- and still! It promises to be another bad hair day in the country – but a sunny and warmish one!!

On the list of things to do today is to hopefully stop by and meet yet another potential adoptee mini horse. She sounds adorable, and after we meet her, and if she is all she is supposed to be (cute , healthy and friendly!) and the owners come and check out our place, and we pass muster,  maybe we will finally have our little companion horse. Fingers crossed……………..

Other things on the to do list today are make a brick wall around my peonies, read thru the directions for making hypertufas, plant seeds inside, take a stab at making butter- and try to take a nap – sleeping 3 hours last night is not going to cut it for me today!!! If we go to see the miniature horse – some of these items (except for the nap) may carry over to tomorrow’s to-do list!!!

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, which means Friday is Good Friday – and that is when we are planting potatoes!! Woohoo!!!

While curled up in bed wide awake, the theme song of Green Acres was rolling around in my head – thanks dear brother!! Remember Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor? Sing along………..

Green acres is the place for me.

Farm livin’ is the life for me.

Land spreadin’ out so far and wide.

Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.

New York is where I’d rather stay.

I get allergic smelling hay.

I just adore a penthouse view.

Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.

…The chores.

…The stores.

…Fresh air.

…Times Square

You are my wife.

Good bye, city life.

Green Acres we are there

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All is well and still dark, at Mountain Meadows (aka Green Acres) early this morning…….

 

Spring is Springing….!!!

The last day of winter came and went – spring is upon us- altho it was 20 degrees yesterday morning!!!!!

I am getting excited about this season’s plantings!! I have visions of taking my produce to the local farmers’ market! I can’t wait til the market starts up in town – I go every Saturday to check!!! Not yet tho’. I want to find out the details of joining up!!!

Last year I canned and put up way too much stuff for us to use up. It was my first year canning and freezing – we are going on our third spring here at the farm. My jellies did get totally eaten, except for the persimmon, and a couple of jars of peaches, we are about cleaned out. The freezer is still a little crowded tho’.

I figured, I could probably offer homemade scones, aprons and tote bags,til the crops start coming in. It’s a thought – the mind is always working!!!!!

Our neighbor is using part of our lower property for a garden, that I will have use of also. Years ago, the former owners had one of their gardens in this spot. Since it is a flood plain (not that it has ever flooded there in recent times) the soil is wonderful and rock free! Perfect for growing potatoes and other root veggies. Remnants of the old fence posts from the original garden are still standing, and the neighbor has a backhoe, and has been working on clearing the land.

Potatoes are planted on Good Friday I’m told – that is 3 weeks away. Last year, I attempted potatoes and sweet potatoes in my own garden. I had success with most everything I planted. But the soil is sooo rocky (we live in Rockingham Co!), that it stunted alot of the potatoes that grew – and getting them out of the ground in one piece was difficult!!! Well, this is a learn as ya’ go process!!!

I am looking forward to having a great crop of lots of different taters this year. Judy, over at http://apronstringsandothertiesthatbind.wordpress.com

gave me a great hint for planting potatoes using old tires. Fortunately, or unfortunately, our property came complete with an assortment of old discarded tires!!!! Judy said to stack ’em, fill with good composted soil, add the seed potatoes, and fill the tires with dirt as the potatoes grow. When it comes time to harvest, all you have to do is remove the tires, and there are your potatoes – easy peasy!!! I’ll be trying that too!!!

Another cool thing about the neighbor setting up a garden plot, is the above ground root cellar he has, which I can use to store my produce. It is nothing fancy – just cinderblock, but maintains a temp suitable for storing the potatoes long term. It is 2 stories, built into a hill.

My garage is filling up with potted goodies, that we couldn’t resist buying, and now have to wait til the weather is suitable to put in the ground!!! This week I have to start indoors, planting all the seed packets I bought. I have several different types of sunflowers, 4 o’clocks, moonflowers (I found seeds for that, Lennie!) all different types of cutting flowers – one can never have too many flowers!!! I have a ton of different veggies, and have culled seeds from last year’s crop and flowers. My herb garden has reseeded itself – I hope, and will be bigger this year. I just love going out to the garden to pick my dinner and my seasonings!!! The husband just 2 planted pails of lettuce, and I hope to have more.

I just have to learn how to be a better weed picker!! LOL

There is no better way to pull yourself  out of the winter doldrums, than to dream and plan your garden!!!

Bird house gourds, anyone? I have 85 for sale!!!!Cut the top off and you have a great dried flower vase!

Temporary planters filled with great soil, horse and chicken manure!

Garden awaiting the tiller

Mr. Green Jeans and the daughter were pounding in extra support poles for the garden's electric fence.

Neighbor's above ground root cellar-the 2nd floor will be cleaned up for a wood shop

Old boiler pot in the root cellar, that I do SOOOO covet!!! Can't hurt to ask!! :>)

Vintage cool - door to root cellar

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All is well at Mountain Meadows this Sunday morn, and dreamin’ of spring………