Crops in. Weeds growing. Eagerly awaiting harvest.

The garden* part of the farm is planted! It feels really good to have all of our transplants in the ground finally, after watching them outgrow their homes in the greenhouse week after week and having to entertain the possibility that we wouldn't get the land tilled in time to save them all. April came and we got our tractor (a stubborn, rusty '85 Ford whose only redeeming qualities seem to be a front end loader and the fact that it occasionally runs), and we broke ground at the end of that month. It took a couple more weeks before a fence could be built around the perimeter to keep out the multitude of deer with whom we share the property. Allan & Alex turned out an impressive 3-tier boundary, and by May 16 we were officially transplanting.

That first transplanting day was the hardest. The rows of onions and peppers seemed to take an eternity to get in the ground. But by the next day we had most of the field planted except for a few rows of root crops that needed to be direct seeded. Since then we've been tending to the details. Joaquin's been experimenting using hay to mulch some of the rows. We're still working out irrigation, trying to keep the weeds under control, replacing a plant here and there, picking rocks out of the field, and LOTS of tomato trellising. My mom is a tomato trellising junkie (and perhaps the most enthusiastic wheel-hoer I've ever met).

Trellising the tomatoes with my mom

I think we have a good variety of crops for our first year. We're certainly missing some notables, either because we didn't have the room to plant them or weren't able to obtain the seeds. Still we're off to a nice start. We've got lots of tomato varieties, including some favorites from my time at Cure Organic Farm: Pineapple yellow tomatoes, Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, German Johnson, Mr. Stripey, and Hillbilly. Walla Walla, Vadailia, and Red Flat Onions, plus Scallions. Peppers include Anaheim, Poblano, Orange Bell, Cayenne, Jalepeno, and Banana. Sweet Green Basil, Tulsi Basil, and Purple. Rainbow Chard, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Purple Peacock Broccoli-Kale, Fennel, Okra, Kohlrabi, Head Lettuce, Artichokes, Carrots, Parsnips, and a small patch of Sweet Corn. Sadly, our Eggplant and Sugar Snap Peas might not succeed this year (the former was riddled by flea beetles and the latter was planted too late in the season). But I have high hopes for our Oasis Turnips and our 4 different Beet varieties. And last but not least we've planted a huge assortment of summer & winter squash, as well as melons. Anyone who knows me knows how impatiently I'm awaiting my pie pumpkins.

In the near future we'll be putting in an herb garden, an on-farm Farm Stand, and hopefully selling at a market by July. In the years to come I'd like to add essentials such as beans, potatoes, garlic, asparagus, rhubarb & strawberries, to name a few. Plus a U-Pick blueberry and muscadine patch - we have just the spot for it. Oh, and a small orchard too, of course. The possibilities for the farm feels endless right now, and I haven't even mentioned the pastured livestock or goats' milk!

The end of the week should bring our first cutting of hay this year. We've made a trade with the neighbor to do the labor and he'll leave us 200 square bales of the hay. I'm not entirely comfortable with this deal because our hay feels priceless to me. Where else could we buy unfertilized, herbicide-free hay to feed our (future) livestock? I assure you the people who are growing it don't sell it. But, we need the hay and we don't have the equipment or the know-how to bale it ourselves. Hopefully the future will bring better connections and better negotiations.

In other exciting news, we should be walking the land in a couple weeks with an NRCS agent who is reviewing our application for funding from monies that the USDA has set aside for its 2009 "Organic Initiative." Depending on what we may receive from them, it also means that we'll most likely have to certify the farm as Organic, which feels a bit to me like selling out. I've never wanted to certify organic just on principle - I would of course hold myself to the USDA "Organic Standards" (Above and Beyond to be exact), but I'd prefer it to be on my own merit and not necessarily for government certification. That said, with the economy the way it is right now, I don't see how the farm can survive for long - let alone excel - without some sort of financial assistance.

Our young Turkeys and Guinea Fowl seem thrilled to have finally moved out of the confines of their heat-lamp-warmed "water trough" (conveniently stationed in my parents' guest bathroom) and onto the land. We'll have 50 chickens to add to the mix at the end of this month. We're still brainstorming options for more permanent (or temporary and mobile, as the case may be, depending on the flock) housing options, but for right now they're enjoying their accommodations.


More farm updates to come as the summer gets hotter and the crops mature. For now, it's time for much deserved R & R. I'll leave you with a few more of Joaquin's photos from the farm.

Happy Eating!
Jessica

*I can't help but cringe at my use of the word "garden" because that usually implies a smallish backyard venture, possibly out of hobby or perhaps intended to feed a single family. We're currently growing on just under one of our 23-acre farm, but with over 500 tomato plants in the ground, well...it just feels a little bigger than a garden to me.

Watering the greenhouse

Basil and Squash transplants

The Greenhouse and Hardening Off Area

Breaking ground

Transplanting the Onions

Alex and me with the Russian Bees

Onions

Head Lettuce in the A-Frame

The teeny corn patch

Field View