Blog light!

Caitlin and I are chore partners in charge of the cows this week.  This morning, a couple of the girls were going head-to-head over the salt lick.

Two cows sharing the salt lick... not!

A group of us planted out some lettuce at Sentinel Elm's Flat Field.  "Instanta Farm" as Tyson chortled...

Kiyoshi drops

Justin plants as Caitlin and Emma watch

Random snapshots of the day

This was the tiniest bee I'd ever seen and it was busy gathering up the nectar and pollen of the dandelion.  We watched her for several minutes, then took this video.

Betsy, after marking the beds

This morning, we reviewed pastures and fencing with Olivier.  In the afternoon, one group went with Carlen to work in the home garden while the rest of us returned to the North Orange fields to see the damage (slight) done by the flea beetle, plant more chard, weed the wee field and cover as much as we could with remay.  We returned to the home base field, where Betsy at the chance to mark the beds with the tractor.

Refilling the gas tank

Our work day is stretching now to be able to handle the increased work load.  We began work at 8:30 AM, had our usual long lunch and then worked until 5:30PM.  Then came chores.  Caitlin and I had the honor of moving the cows.  It would have been super simple, especially because many friends came to help us.  However, the truck ran out of gas.  So I went back to get some more, then we finished the move, watered the cows, checked the fence and, upon returning to the farm, put more gas in the gas tank and refilled the water tanks.  Work was done by 8PM.  Big day!

At least the peach tree was in bloom!

Peach blossom!

Catch up? Or cut back?

I'm thinking about the next few months of work here at Maggie's Farm.  And I'm thinking about how much I will be putting into this blog.  I started writing this for a friend who is interested in farming and found that I enjoyed it so much, that I would write the blog to remember all that this year brought to me.  Now I'm looking at the increased work load in the fields and pastures AND my desire to spend more time with people and plants and animals and less time with the computer.

I'll probably continue to take photos.  Perhaps a summary of the week or a special post to document some particular skill or event.   Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Last Friday, our group spent a productive morning in the greenhouse, pricking out pepper plants and eggplant plants (plant plants???).  We had planted many of our starts earlier in the week and the greenhouse was getting empty.  Not any more!

Caitlin, Kiyoshi, Stephen, Sophia and Tyson

On Saturday, many of us went to Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine for a New Farmer's presentation on the basics of animal care.  

Egg grading demo

Goat Care demo

Pasture walk

Amazing Guard llama

On Sunday, Sophia Kate and I had a blast making Baklava with pistachios and then delivering chunks to some of our favorite Mother-type women on the Ridge.  Happy Mother's Day, all!  And Thanks, Sophia and Kate, for making my Mother's Day so special!

Wendy, wowed...

Kim, capitivated

Theresa, touched!

Barnyard work

Again too sleepy for the narrative.  Photos are worth how many words???

In the fields and in the greenhouse

Here are the photos...  details to come

Making lunch and Independent Project Day

This morning, Theo and I made lunch.  We thought about piling up salad greens on the table and teaching everyone the glories of the hand-salad.  Instead, we roasted chicken, mashed parsnips, kale and offered up Emily's beautiful casserole!

This afternoon, it was independent project time again.  Last week, I worked with children to prune some of the apple trees in the orchard.  Today, we planted the replacement trees.  A few "chicken coop" friends joined me to dig a hole up in the orchard and plant the Alexander apple tree.

Digging the hole

back filling the hole

Happy Apple tree planters

Thanks!


The Final tree found a spot in the rock wall planter in the barnyard at Sentinel Elm.  I started working on this and several volunteers showed up!

End of the rock wall

First volunteers

Brute strength comes in 

The "Golden Nugget" is planted.

Fields of Alliums and garden work

This morning, we moved the sheep and the cows to pasture.  What a relief to see these animals on green grass instead of mucky brown paddocks!

Chasing down the lambs

Happy ewe eating grass

Planning the cow move

Olivier waxing eloquent on cows in pasture

Once that was complete,  most of us went to the North Orange fields to plant alliums--the plant group of shallots, onions, scallions, leeks, etc.

Patrick drops the plugs, Justin digs them in

In the afternoon, our group worked in the garden and then went to help with the continuing allium planting.

Looking at the asparagus row

Asparagus shoot

Emma and Kiyoshi digging a potato trench

Brian, unfurling remay on the chard