It's getting busy these days - still trying to work on non-farm projects and start farm work for real.
I'm over half-way through cutting all my mushroom logs. I found out I don't have to use just oak logs, so we've started cutting some poplar as well, as there are plenty in our woods. The work isn't too hard, but I will be glad when I'm done felling trees. It was fun for the first couple of trees, but it's not my favorite part of the project.
Bought a lot of seed potatoes and onion sets yesterday! I'll be cutting the potatoes and trying to get them and the onions in the ground next week.
The other big item these days is still sowing seeds. I have located some greenhouse space, so I've got something a little warmer than my workable, but makeshift, coldframe. I'm working to get enough going so that I can have plenty by the time the Thursday Flat Rock Market opens on April 17th. Won't be long!
Have a great rest of the week.
-Mollie
Thursday, February 28
Tuesday, February 19
February 18
Happy February!
I heard the groundhog saw his shadow, but it's time to get the cool-weather spring crops going! I've started some seeds, mostly salad mixes and lettuce, some brocoli and cauliflower. I'm excited to be trying more of the colored cauliflower this year--last year we just tried a few of the yellow 'cheddar' color and were impressed with it's buttery flavor.
I'm growing my seeds partly in some borrowed greenhouse space, and partly in a makeshift coldframe here at the house. Having started the farm from complete scratch last year, it is exciting to see how farm we've come -- last year we didn't even have the field plowed until March 31st!
Our two varieties of garlic have been up for a couple weeks now. They sprouted pretty uniformly, are about 3-4 inches tall, and on their way for July harvest. We have some scallions and leeks that overwintered well without any protection, and that look like they're starting to fill out just a little.
I'm in a rush to get my mushroom logs cut before the sap starts really flowing. I've been cutting and hauling oak logs out of our woods--we're trying to collect all the wood from our land, but 200 4-foot-long logs is a lot! I thought I had a good estimate of which trees I would need, but I've come up a bit short, so we're moving on to some slightly larger trees (they can't be much bigger than 8 inches across though). I'm really hoping to get finished or nearly finished this weekend.
A humorous note about all the things that must be done...and their distractions: I was ready to head into the woods today when, behold, I found myself stopping to fold the clothes out of the dryer in my full chainsaw safety gear (chaps, earplugs, the whole thing). I had to laugh at myself, and wondered how many other people run into the same sort of chore list! Probably more than I realize!
I'm headed to a conference all day on Saturday, hosted at Warren Wilson College by ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Program). I enjoyed it last year and am looking foward to another good day.
Have a great week!
Cheers,
Mollie
I heard the groundhog saw his shadow, but it's time to get the cool-weather spring crops going! I've started some seeds, mostly salad mixes and lettuce, some brocoli and cauliflower. I'm excited to be trying more of the colored cauliflower this year--last year we just tried a few of the yellow 'cheddar' color and were impressed with it's buttery flavor.
I'm growing my seeds partly in some borrowed greenhouse space, and partly in a makeshift coldframe here at the house. Having started the farm from complete scratch last year, it is exciting to see how farm we've come -- last year we didn't even have the field plowed until March 31st!
Our two varieties of garlic have been up for a couple weeks now. They sprouted pretty uniformly, are about 3-4 inches tall, and on their way for July harvest. We have some scallions and leeks that overwintered well without any protection, and that look like they're starting to fill out just a little.
I'm in a rush to get my mushroom logs cut before the sap starts really flowing. I've been cutting and hauling oak logs out of our woods--we're trying to collect all the wood from our land, but 200 4-foot-long logs is a lot! I thought I had a good estimate of which trees I would need, but I've come up a bit short, so we're moving on to some slightly larger trees (they can't be much bigger than 8 inches across though). I'm really hoping to get finished or nearly finished this weekend.
A humorous note about all the things that must be done...and their distractions: I was ready to head into the woods today when, behold, I found myself stopping to fold the clothes out of the dryer in my full chainsaw safety gear (chaps, earplugs, the whole thing). I had to laugh at myself, and wondered how many other people run into the same sort of chore list! Probably more than I realize!
I'm headed to a conference all day on Saturday, hosted at Warren Wilson College by ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Program). I enjoyed it last year and am looking foward to another good day.
Have a great week!
Cheers,
Mollie
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