Marketbound!

It's official! Homegrown Girl LLC (fancy huh?) is officially selling produce tomorrow at the Peachtree City Farmers Market. It's located behind the Bank of America on Hwy 54 near Partner's Pizza and is going on from 9AM till 1PM. Come by and check it out. I'll be set up at the Minter's Farm tent since I only have a couple of things ready now. Mom and I cut all the spinach that was ready (over 2 bushels) and one heavy bushel of wild arugula. I'm pumped to be heading to the market for the first time with my own stuff!

Now about the farm... Things have been a little crazy at the farm these last few weeks. We've been planting for both farms and getting a deer fence up (the hubby is extremely upset about that one). I now have, in addition to all the other things, over 100 tomatoes planted, 6 rows of okra, 2 rows of beans, about 40 cucumber plants, 15 squash plants and 30 zucchini plants (15 green and 15 yellow). Everything but the tomatoes are what I started in the greenhouse last month. I had a little bit of problems with the tomatoes but they're on the mend and there are several more started again.

Thank you to all of you who have supported me and given me moral support along the way. It's a little scary and a ton of fun at the same time. I hope to succeed and make Homegrown Girl be something truly amazing.

Peas, potatoes, and leeks... Oh my!

This week was a little different than most... Dad was in Daytona (working/goofing off. Haha! I'm still jealous he got to talk to Travis Pastrana...) so that left me to my own defenses for both farms. Next time he's gone, I really hope it's not when rain is quickly closing in and we need to plant potatoes and several thousand leeks. That's a little scary since we've never planted them before and I'm not familiar with planting them.

Luckily we got in 15 bundles for Dad on Thursday afternoon, thanks to Ducky since Mama had her Spanish class serving dinner to their parents. It was rough (I was attacked by ants) and an interesting learning experience.

Now, HG has planted in the ground some organic sugar snap peas and, what will be naturally-grown Yukon Gold potatoes. Dad is planting about 1,000 leeks for me today since I'm at Day 2 of the Georgia Organics Convention in Columbus. This convention has been very informative and another wonderful learning experience. My only dilemma is that it's 10:00 AM, my stomach is growling and I only have a tangerine in my bag i saved for Abigail. They're not my favorite. Oh well... My stomach has quieted a little now and I'm not as embarrassed.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and check back soon for next week's adventures.

Steph

Note: oranges don't make your stomach stop growling.

Operation: Going Organic ... Week 2

Almost 11 years ago, to the month, my grandparents deeded over a small tract of land to me. Nothing, I mean nothing, but hunting has taken place on this property and I figured it was the perfect opportunity for me to do something different and hopefully make a living out of it.

I made my decision to start up a small organic farm the other day while plowing one of the new Christmas tree field. For those of you who don't know, you will solve the world's problems and your own (several times over) while driving a tractor. I couldn't shake the idea from my head and I mentioned it to my father. He loved the idea (and was probably secretly glad to see that I am interested in doing this on my own) and I went about doing some research.

I've already ordered some of the seeds for this year's crop and am anxiously awaiting the many trials and tribulations I will encounter with this new venture. I will sell my "naturally grown" produce at local farmers' markets (depending on how much is harvested). I say "naturally grown" because I am not certified organic yet (a timely and costly process).

For those of you who are near the Fayette County area, look for me this spring, summer and fall (and possibly some winter markets too). I'd like to get some product in some of the local restaurants as well... Who knows?! But I am really excited about this new adventure.

Last week, we brought to the family farm an antique John Deere manure spreader my cousin Uncle Bill gave me. It's a wonderful find and will be another fun project for my father and me! It was covered in briars and there were a couple trees about 6" wide growing through parts... but it's a necessity and a great find too!

Keep checking back to see how Homegrown Girl is doing and the farming adventures I will encounter. I'm sure there will be many!

Take care,
Stephanie

On a side note, my father and I were closing in a part of one of the barns on his property for my office (I also work on their farm too) and we saw sandhill cranes already flying north! How CRAZY is that??? My prediction is that winter will happen sometime in March, so we farmers need to be prepared!