What's Next at GFF?

I was trying to find some August pictures to share in today's Genuine Faux Farm blog post and I realized something.  August is a month where we have traditionally done poorly with our photo taking.  In fact, most the years where we have some decent August pictures are the ones when we hosted some sort of event or field day and someone other than us took them.  The photo above is one of the few exceptions to that rule (from 2016).

This year's growing season at our farm has been the most inconsequential of any year we've been at the farm.  I can't even say that we've done a very good job of growing much of anything.  Yes, we've had some wonderful green beans and we're pulling in some great potatoes.  So, I suppose I shouldn't be quite so down on what we've been doing - especially when we've started to pull in some ripe tomatoes too.

But, when I see pictures like this one, I can't help having to fight all sorts of conflicting feelings.

In 2016, we had, if I recall correctly, about five or six hundred tomato plants and three or four 200-foot rows of different kinds of basil in this field.  Everything was nicely mulched, tomatoes were caged and irrigation lines were run.

Now, I remember clearly that there were plenty of issues during the 2016 growing season, so this is not one of those moments where time has erased all of the bad stuff.  What IS happening is that I am dealing with a mix of feelings that run the gamut from regret and loss to relief and gratitude.  I can't help but feel disappointed in myself that we have grown the small fraction of the produce as compared to most years on the farm. On the other hand, I am relieved that we aren't because we've had more than enough to be getting on with this year.

Neither of us could have predicted exactly how disruptive something like Achilles tendon surgery was going to be.  I think we both knew earlier in the year that there was going to be a disruption of some sort because of it.  And, I am certain we made the right choices for timing.  After all, it would have been miserable for Tammy to have to continue her work teaching while having to scoot around on one leg.  This way, we could deal with the early post-surgery recovery at home.

But, it did mean the farm took a backseat.

So, I need to get over my disappointment and/or guilt about a farm year that kind of... wasn't.  We made the right choice.  And we still had some broiler chickens, laying hens and turkeys this year (in fact we still have layers and turkeys).  There is produce - it's just not at the level we're used to.

So, we are working on accepting this year for what it was and we're starting to look forward to what's next for the farm.

What's next at that farm?

We do have some unfinished business for 2022 to deal with first.  We do have the aforementioned chickens and turkeys to continue to care for.  We will have a harvest of winter squash and we need to finish the potatoes.  The garlic needs to be cleaned (and the seed garlic planted) yet this fall.  There are a few melons and watermelons to harvest and some pumpkins.  And there will be more tomatoes, beans and peppers.

We are hopeful to plant some fall crops, like lettuce and spinach - and there is always excess beyond what we can eat there.

But, what about 2023?  What's the plan?

The answer right now is - we don't know.

We are establishing a younger hen flock this fall, so we should have eggs for the foreseeable future.  We intend on continuing to maintain and grow in and around our two high tunnel buildings (Eden and Valhalla).  But, will we back off of growing anything in larger amounts? 

Can we back off of growing anything in larger amounts?  (that may be the better question)

Would we like to take another crack at growing a couple of crops for seed production and Seed Savers?

The reality is this.  As long as we live at this location, we are going to want to do something with either food crops or poultry.  We're just having a hard time deciding two things.

1. How much is doable without getting overwhelmed with what we do here and our two jobs ... and life, in general?  How much energy can we give to this?

2. Knowing we will need to continue to step back from some of what we have done, what will be the things we will allow ourselves to focus on in 2023?   Will we decide that we might enjoy setting up to raise starter veggie plants and selling those in the spring, but back off of food crop sales?  Will we want to focus on seed production and leave food crop production to our own use (plus the normal extra that is going to happen with us)?  How much poultry are we going to raise?  Or will we back off to a small, personal laying flock and skip a year of meat bird production all together?

Regardless of what we do decide, I can tell you that there will be plenty to do.  There always is.