Walked the farm today (45 acres). Chuck and I did it to re-evaluate, at least on a temporary basis, where to put the gardens. The area we have used for the past 3 years has way too much standing water on it. The conditions are markedly different from past springs. We really doubt it is going to dry up enough in the next week or so to make is viable to start planting.
The really nice thing about having a larger farm that is basically unused is that we aren’t cornered or obligated to keep it where it is. So we trekked up the hill a bit to check out what was an old corn field that has not been planted in some time. We mow it during the season to keep it ‘meadow like’, but that is about all we do to it. It looks like there is where it is going.
While on the walk about we did plan out where the new briar patch is going. We have 63 raspberry bushes that need almost immediate planting (at least have to be done this week). We wanted an area that is easily accessible and wont interfere with any other future plans. This was not a tough decision. We pretty much knew where it was going, but needed to confirm we were both on the same page.
Agreeing that we need to get fruit trees it only makes sense to put them where my grandparents had their orchard. Worked a hundred years ago, looks like a good choice now too.
The toughest decision of the day and one we still aren’t quite set on is where the new chicken coop will go. We have 61 chicks at the Easton house under heat lamps, but that is only for a few weeks. The coops have to be in place and ready by Memorial Day. We have it narrowed to about 2 locations.
Where we have the pair of Polish buffs is not long term. It was created only to house them temporarily. It is actually the old garden we used for the past two years that is now too wet to plant. We put them there because it was fenced in and could be ready to go in hours rather than days. They too need to be moved to a more permanent home. Problem there is that the rooster has left the caged area and now resides in the old nursery stock just outside the caged area keeping an eye on his hen and protecting her, but staying far enough away from us that he lets us know who is in charge.
We mapped out the new apiary (new? we don’t have an old one, but it is new to us) and making sure there is still enough space to expand the retail produce area. Produce that is locally grown, in season and pesticide free is still our ‘bread and butter’ income source on the farm and we don’t want to underplay that.
We are today pricing fencing so the goats can be added. We would like to have them in the next weeks to months, so we need to get the fencing we want. We are looking for portable fencing about 200 feet. I like the type you see around construction sites. 6’ high in 6-10’ sections. That would allow us to put the goats in a movable 50 square foot area and move it as we need it.
Tomorrow will clean out the cold cellar and white wash it for the upcoming season.
No comments:
Post a Comment