A little rain goes a long way...

The little bit of rain we had last week was a much-needed blessing. I was worried some of the plants on both farms that weren't set up for drip irrigation or overhead irrigation wouldn't make it. And to top it all off, the deer... I am really not liking them. They've eaten a lot of my pea plants and some of the chard too! I'm glad Daddy and Troll Bridge (Joe Wayton) helped me out last week in putting up 3 addtional strands of barbed wire on top of the existing hog wire, or all my beans would all be devoured by now!

We have spread approximately 60 tons of chicken litter over the last two weeks. That has been an interesting, slightly stinky adventure. Although the smell is bad at first, we have discovered that you pretty much become immune to it and don't even notice much more... unless the wind catches it and blasts you away with it! Fortunately, we had a gentlemen from Orchard Hills come and spread several tons for us recently and it was an amazing sight to see.

There are several items which still came up without rain, thankfully. The beans look great, as do the potatoes. My tomatoes have been blooming and I'm thrilled! The squash and zucchini may be ready for this week at the market. The sugar snap peas (the ones not eaten by the deer) are producing little by little. And the onions look and smell beautiful. Other things ready are the Shanghai Baby Bak Choy as well as some of the wild Arugula.

Several things have been planted in the last couple of weeks. There are a couple varieties of radishes, several varieties of beans (rattlesnake and black, to name a few), carrots, watermelons, and muskmelons. Luckily, most of these are under plastic mulch, so they are set up for drip irrigation. There's also okra (Clemson Spineless), an heirloom variety of beans (HG/MF specialty!) various varieties of cucumbers (both pickling and slicing), green and yellow zucchini and more. Daddy planted 1,000 sweet corn seeds for me Saturday after the market and rain as well.  I can't wait to put my other tomatoes, eggplants and peppers in the ground. They seem to be taking their time in the beginning seed-starting stages! Apparently, patience is one of those virtures I need to re-learn...

 

I'm really looking into starting a CSA program for the fall/winter months and continuing it into the next year. What I'd really love to do is offer the option to add meats and other items to the boxes. For example, Welton Bettis, who owns Happy Hogs LLC of Double Hill Farms in Meriwether County, sells wonderful pork and would be a great addition to a CSA box. Even adding goat cheese and farm-fresh eggs would be great. Chickens are something we would love to add to the farm and are getting closer to accomplishing. I will, this week and weekend as well as in the near future, conduct a survey of what customers are interested in seeing at the markets and in their homes (realistically, of course) and also seeing who would be interested in participating in a CSA program for naturally grown produce and other items.

Well, it's beyond time to get out in the fields and get to work! Check back soon... You know there's always something going on here at the farm!