Mishmash #3

And, once again - we do the mishmash thing.  Why?  Because it seems like a way to get a batch of things off my mind and out into the... what is this place anyway?

1. The first batch of chicks for our broilers come tomorrow.  Per the norm, there is always more that was left to the last moment to do in order to prepare for their arrival.  And, as seems to happen most of the time - they'll grow up and we'll figure things out.
2. Speaking of chickens - we were?  Oh, yes.  I guess we were.  We found an auracana hen that had died for no apparent reason today.  It wasn't an old bird, no visible injuries and was one of our more active and healthy seeming birds.  I suppose these things happen.  But, when these things do happen, we tend to get nervous that there is something else going on that we should be responding to.  We shall see - we're at least on alert just in case.
3. The new BCS tiller/tractor is now in our possession.  It's a good looking machine.  With a quick test, we can tell you that full throttle in high gear requires you to keep up at a run.  So, we won't be doing that speed.  I suspect high gear will get very little use on anything but low throttle.  We knew this would be the case, but we had to try it.  And for the record, Rob did not fall down or let go.  He was able to bring it to a stop under control.  So there!
4. Since February 28, we have been able to pick over 60 pounds of spinach out of the high tunnel.  For a point of comparison, we tend to sell spinach in half pound bags at market and people seem to like that amount.  Another point of comparison - a standard rubbermaid tub will hold 3-4 lbs when it is full (loosely packed). It's nice when something works.
5. From the "why didn't we think of this before?" category.  We ordered a self-inking stamp for our logo and address.  Prior to this, we would either print labels or hand write our address when doing mailings or other farm business.  Hand writing takes more time than we want to spend.  Labels take less time, but uses more resources than we would like.  Labels require backing paper, adhesives, etc  AND the ink we print.  It's a little thing - but it's a little thing that will save us time, save us money over the long run and use fewer natural resources as well.  Sometimes it's the little things...
6. Hi Dad!
7. Ah - about that weather....   Last time I posted I tried to use positive reinforcement with Mother Nature.  Unfortunately, I think she suspected that I was trying to manipulate her and she decided we could have more wet and cold.  Sorry about that.
8. The grading is done!  The grading is done!
9. Paperwork is currently dragging Rob down.  One might be surprised how much of it there is to do and how quickly things fall behind.  And, no, others aren't usually able to help.  The process of getting it all together in order to accept the help is nearly as bad as just doing the work.  Ah well.  Guess I post something here instead of doing the paperwork.
10. An interesting, but relatively easy dish to make.  Grill some bratwurst.  Boil up some pasta.  Saute some swiss chard with onions, garlic and whatever you like.  Cut up the brats and combine the whole thing.  Pretty good taste combination.
11. We've signed up our farm as an underwriter for the KUNI public radio station.  You just might hear our farm plugged by them during the second week in May.  We support public radio anyway - so we decided to take it to the next level.   If it gets us a new member or two for the CSA in the process - all the better.

Mishmash #2

Since I can't seem to come up with a single theme for a post - we'll do the mishmash thing again.

1. Easter at the farm was enjoyable.  We were pleased to be joined by Rob's parents and his brother and family.  And, there was a visit from that bright orb in the sky.  What was that thing called again?
2. Now that I have begun typing, a catten (not a kitten anymore and not quite a cat) is trying to sit on my arms.  She will either win or leave.  We shall see.
3. The giant maple tree we had taken down early last Winter is slowly, but surely getting cleaned up.  We rented a chipper for the afternoon and got as much as we could done.  My hands and arms still feel like they're shaking around a bit.
4. We've been pleased to be able to provide greens to the Waverly Child Care from our high tunnel this Spring.  It's good to know that some fresh produce is getting to the kids and staff that works so hard to care for the children.
5. Grading is now in earnest for Tammy.  She abides by her own rule that she will not grade during Easter weekend.  But, of course, it has its consequences.
6. In a continuing effort to work smarter and be more resilient in the face of potentially adverse weather - we have made another purchase for the farm.  We hope to receive delivery of a new BCS walk behind tractor for the farm.  It's more than a tiller, but not quite a full tractor.  Trust us, it's a good investment that comes highly recommended by others who do what we do.  Our hand was forced a bit with the breakdown of the JD tiller attachment last Fall.
7. Speaking of the weather.  Have you noticed something about the rain so far this year (don't say this too loud)?  Forget your worries about it not being perfectly warm and sunny.  That will come soon enough.  Consider this:  How many downpours have we had this year?  Thankfully - we count ZERO so far.  Just some liquid gold coming down at a rate that can soak into the ground and give us wonderful moisture for growing things.
8. We spent time with a service trip group stacking cages neatly on the east side of the farm a while back.  Well, strong winds have rearranged that a bit.  Ah well - when you work with the weather it can sometimes have its little jokes.
9. The farm was able to donate five dozen eggs to our church for the youth breakfast on Easter Sunday.  It's nice to be able to do that.  Often, we find that we are rich in many ways that have little to do with money.  And, if is even better when we can find ways to help others share in that richness.
10. A new high tunnel learning curve issue.  Aphids like high tunnels in the Spring.  And, the natural predators a slower to catch up to them.  It's not the end of the world, but it does require lots of extra time cleaning the lettuce.
11. And, finally....Number 11.  People wonder why I sometimes seem a little reticent to embrace the coming of Spring.  Don't get me wrong - I love Spring.  It's a wonderful time of year.  The Chirpa Chirpa bird (brown thrasher) just showed up here, as did some swallows.  I just saw my first Pasque Flower this morning as well.  Excellent stuff.  But, April and May are the months during which my body has to go through the 'toughening up' process.  I won't lie - it hurts.  And, if you think working out during the Winter can remove this - just ask some of the folks who have worked on the farm.  They can vouch for me when I say - you're still going to hurt for a while.

So, until the next post.  Ow.

Mishmash

This blog post is going to be very newsy - and hopefully to the point.

1. Our CSA still has many openings for the regular season (June-Oct).  Send us an email if you are interested.
2. We just learned that the Cedar Valley RC&D office will be closing (in New Hampton).  Yet another situation where the budget requires changes.  If there was a positive force in the area for local foods, smaller farms and rural improvement - this was one.
3. With the help of the superhero Bandsaw Man, we now have a primary tillage implement for Durnik the tractor.  The result - primary tillage for one 60'x200' used to take 2.5 hours.  With the new tool?  22 minutes.  Nice.  Gas used?  Less.  Nicer.
4. The Waverly Farmers' Market will begin the first Saturday in May (May 7).  We will split the market for that day only between two locations.  Some vendors will be a part of the Health Fair at the W and some will be at our regular market location.  We will all be at the normal location from there on out.
5. Our organic certification paperwork was in on time for early application.  Materials are approved, all that is left is to undergo the yearly inspection.
6. The Climate Prediction Center is showing a slightly cooler and wetter April/May, but likely normal weather patterns late May-July.  That's ok with me.
7. Winter term is in finals week for Tammy at the college.  The normal silliness that ensues with end of term hold true yet again this year. 
8. We're wondering whether Facebook is worth our time?  If you use facebook notice that there are two settings - "Top News" and "Most Recent."  FB assumes "Top News."  But, if our posts are not deemed to be "Top" for you, it will be hidden some way down the page.  If you want to see most recent posts from all of your 'friends' you need to choose "Most Recent."
9. The conversion to the 'new' computer is almost complete.  The hard part is getting all of the drivers and software updated and making necessary conversions.  Remember, I had the old machine for over six years.
10. We've appreciated the work done by the Printery in Waverly.  We found that their costs for printing new business cards were well worth it.  While we were at it, we had some invoice books made.  Good investment.
11.  Work in the high tunnel is still very much a learning process.  Planting trays in that building is far nicer than in the basement or garage.  The early Spring greens are nice.  But, it is another thing on the farm that makes it hard for us to go elsewhere.  If it is sunny with outdoor temps in the high 30's, you have to vent the tunnel.  Then, close it up at night.

This list - it goes to 11.

Feeling Handy

It is definitely Spring.

Green grass, snow, robins, workable soil, wind, more critters out and about around the farm, rain...  and the beginning of dry, rough hand season.  Dirt begins residing in the cracks that form on my hands and will not go away unless I'm outside getting soaked in a rain.  No amount of scrubbing with soap and scrub brushes will get it all out until then.  And, if you've ever done any amount of gardening without gloves - you also know the early season feeling you get when dirt is shoved up under the nails.  Not pleasant, but you toughen up eventually.

Yes, yes, I know.  Wear gloves.   If you want to see logic regarding such things - go to Road Map to Zucchini look in the left margin and scroll down.  I think you'll figure it out. 

Other interesting farm things:

- Chickens in the wind.  You know it is windy when most of a chickens feathers fan out when their back end faces the wind.  It can be interesting watching them attempt to maintain their balance.  Needless to say, on days like that, they usually stay in sheltered locations.

- The seedling tray dance is in full swing.  The high tunnel has many trays of onions and leeks on the ground.  There are also trays of lettuce, broccoli, kale and other items there.  The garage has a growing unit with peppers and eggplants and a few trays of marigolds.  One four-tier has tomatoes, basil, spices, snapdragons and cockscomb.   A cart holds recently transplanted Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes.  The downstairs seed starting shelves hold more tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and whatever else there is.  Soon, the cold frames will hold plants as well. 

A new farm report

It's been a bit since the last farm report - and since the two of us spent a fairly busy day outside on Saturday...

I think Tammy will agree that we had our first day of the year where we both were barely able to crawl into bed at the end of the day.  Even if you don't do the 'farming' thing, I think most people can relate to the special kind of tired that one gets after spending the first really full day outside in the Spring.  And, this is not necessarily a bad thing - even if it can be somewhat painful.

In our case, we spent some time doing the Spring cleaning for one of the two rooms the hens use at night - and for a large part of the Winter when they will not go out.  For the record, chickens do not like walking in snow and will come to a screeching halt in the doorway when they see it.  It is mildly interesting watching the birds in back bowl into the birds in front.  There is always one (or two) that get the bright idea of flying OVER everyone else.  Those birds that do this usually land in the snow and just sit there.  It's almost as if the shock of the snow freezes them into place.  This is one of the few times we can walk right up to a bird and pick it up with no chasing and no squawking.  But, I suppose that is neither here nor there with respect to the point of this post.... But, you probably don't care since this was more fun!

We seeded many more trays of peppers, eggplants, broccoli, marigolds and lettuce.  The process seems fairly simple, but it is amazing how much work it can be.  This season, we have been doing most of the seeding in the high tunnel because it is just more pleasant out there than it is in the garage or the basement.  It has some advantages - but the disadvantage is that there is a bit more moving of soil, trays and other materials back and forth.  But, the simple fact that the work space is more pleasant makes it easy to forgive any of the inconveniences.  And, it happens every year - we've already made our first few "oopses."  The temps got a bit colder than expected and we lost a tray of beautiful marigolds that didn't get under cover.  Ah well, we might as well knock over three or four trays of tomatoes and get that mistake over for the year too.

One of the service trip groups from Wartburg College volunteered some time at the farm Saturday and we were able to move all of the tomato cages out of last year's field and out of the way until they are placed in the new field.  With eight of us working, we had them all pulled, cleaned and moved in ninety minutes.  To put it into perspective, we had to pull about 380 cages - not a small task and always easier with a crew.  Rob has had years where he has moved most of them himself.  Usually in sessions of 50-60 per day for a week.  The process entails alot of walking since cages and stakes have to be out of the way so the fields can be prepared for planting.

Tammy and I also made sure to spread compost on this year's melon/watermelon field.  These crops are heavy feeders, so this should help them make a good go of it this year.  Once again, you must consider that we do not have a spreader for compost/manure.  So, the trips were made essentially one wheelbarrow at a time.  They are, at least, bigger wheel barrows.  Then, we spread the compost around with a garden rake.  Slowly, but surely, we are finding ways to make many tasks more efficient - this one just isn't there yet.  But, it is also a task that occurs in very late fall or very early spring -so it isn't all that bad of a thing to work oneself into shape.

The high tunnel has spinach, kale, lettuce, onions and leeks growing in it right now.  We have several plants ready to be transplanted and lots of seed ready to go in.  We're looking to put in early spinach, arugula and radish in the next week.  We'll see what happens.

It's Spring - who knows?

Short Memory

Ok, we've forgotten - or more appropriately - our bodies have forgotten.

It happens every Spring - a nice weekend comes along and we spend as much time as we can doing active things for the farm.  It's not as if we don't move around or get exercise during the Winter.  But, those who have worked on the farm with us can vouch for us on this.  A couple of full work days on the farm can make you feel as if you haven't gotten off your duff all Winter long.

We spent most of Saturday on our feet at a farm auction.  Yes, you heard that right.  But, if we're going to make Durnik (the tractor) work for us this year, we have to find implements.  In the process, we also were able to find and acquire some things for the poultry as well.  We'll try to take some pictures and show you what we're adding to the farm as a result of this auction. 

Things we were reminded of on Saturday. 

• The sun is strong enough that sun tan lotion *would* have been a good idea.
• We need to get used to walking ALOT.  The time spent walking and standing at the auction was a reminder that we add squatting, lifting, etc to days on the farm.  So, if a day of walking and standing seems like work now....
• We should never underestimate the value of good friends with good knowledge of things you are trying to learn about.

That brings us to Sunday - another beautiful day.  Once again, we spent most of the day on our feet.  The Dance of the Seedling Trays has begun for the season.  But, it might be a little less complicated with the additions of cold frames and the high tunnel.  We managed to plant 26 seedling trays today and move around another 40 or so.  Our starting tables are now nearly at capacity - so we'll probably be doing some things to increase capacity.  The high tunnel yielded somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 lbs of spinach today and enough kale and chard to make an excellent stir fry for dinner.  In short, we kept moving most of the day.

Now - brace for tomorrow.  After today's mild and warm weather, tomorrow's wind and temps in the 40's are going to feel like a slap in the face. 

But, hey!  It's Spring. 

T Shirt Design Contest

We are going to move forward with a new t-shirt design for this season.  We will be bringing back "Minding Your Peas and Cukes" and will consider bringing back "They're Real" if enough people tell us they *will* purchase them.  Don't just tell us you *might* - that doesn't help.

======================================================



T-shirt design rules:
1. Select one of the themes in the list given below the 'rules.'  You may interpret the theme as you see fit.
2. You may make as many entries as you wish on as many themes as you wish.
2. Every design needs to include our logo.  Scroll down for a usable jpg file copy
3. Designs for the front (or back) only of the t-shirt. 
4. All designs are 1 or 2 color.  Half tones are the equivalent of one color.
5. You may suggest a color for the t-shirt from SOS in Texas color scheme to best match or supplement your design
6. You may use whatever software you would like to create your design, but we ask that you provide us with a high quality JPG file for our reference.  If you are wondering if another file type can be used - contact SOS in Texas and ask them what they can use to do the screening.
7. To submit an entry - email it to us at the farm.  The subject line should be t-shirt design.  Include your name, contact information and any instructions for the design in the body of the email.  The design should be an attachment.  If your file type is acceptable to SOS, but not JPG - make a JPG copy and send that to us as well.
8. We will give appropriate credit for the designer of any and every shirt design we use.  We are not limiting ourselves to accepting only one design, we may accept several, but may not print them all immediately.
9.  Accepted designs will be given a printed copy of the shirt, some other reward to be determined and our eternal gratitude. 
10. We will be buying organic cotton shirts from SOS in Texas - feel free to see what they are about.


Who may submit design options:
  At present, we are targeting Wartburg College students for this project.  However, if you would like to try, I'm not sure we want to stop you!

Deadline: April 17, 2011


Themes (listed in no particular order):
1. Fear the Zucchini
2. Organically Grown - Protein Added (picture a broccoli w/ smiling worm sticking out of top)
3. Sasquash (picture a hairy squash with big feet... of course)
4. We've Got the Beet(s)
5. Where Have We Bean All Your Life?
6. American Gopick (take on American Gothic)
7. Common Tater, Dick Tater, Darth Tater, etc etc (don't forget the little ones - also known as Speck Taters). Now you can choose because only you can tell if this spud's for you.
8. She's my Melon Collie Baby.... sorry, had to - but imagine a puppy sitting on a watermelon....
9. Dysfunctional Veg Family - Ma Bell (pepper), Father Thyme, brothers Carrot Top, Cole Robby, sister Mary Gold and Baby ? in a corn crib. Then there is the extended family standing over by the well - we call them our pump kin....
10. Whenever someone makes a mistake, we just give them the rhubarb.
11. Oui, we weed

Our logo - a decent file you can use.  open in browser and save.

Current designs for reference:
1. Minding Your Peas and Cukes

2. They're Real!

3. Farm collage

Bread for the World

The Genuine Faux Farm was given an opportunity to host representatives of Bread for the World, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank and the Vinyard Church's community dinner program for a discussion about issues relating to supporting food systems that will work to feed everyone, including those who are less privileged.  Our thanks to Todd Post and Monica Mills for traveling from Washington, DC to visit with us.  Thanks also to Sheri Huber-Otting, Barb Prather (NEI Food Bank) and Nancy Magnall (Vinyard Church). 

Rather than report what we discussed at this time - we want to ask you:

What should we be doing to be sure everyone is fed?

Apply the "we" at whatever levels you wish.  governmental, social, personal, even with respect to our farm - your choice.  Reply on the blog - or send an email to us and we'll post anonymously for you.

Rob and Tammy

New Look Fields?

We have a little re arranging to do on the farm (again...or still).

Below is our old farm map.  Of particular interest is the triangular area in the center top.  We intend to change this so we can work the field more efficiently.  Really, triangles are cool - just not the best thing for what we do.

And, of course, here is our map for our intended farm layout beginning this year. 

Some things are done.  For example, HT1 and HT2 are our high tunnel with it's two growing locations.  We've split out NW1b with a fence for poultry grazing, but still need to put up fences for NW1a and NW1c.  We have to take down a fence, remove some brush and level out area to make the new T1-T3 configuration work.  And, there is a bunch of things that need to be moved before SW2 becomes a reality.

I smell opportunities for early Tom Sawyer Days!

Certified Organic - Safe Seed

One of our recent farm tasks has been to complete the paperwork for our organic certification.  It is something we have to do every Spring and it is a non-trivial task.  Don't get me wrong, I think it is a worthwhile task - it just takes some time and effort.  So....

How many of you think organic means "no spray" or "no chemicals"? 

This assumption is inaccurate in two ways.  First - there are sprays that are available for use in organic systems, but they are not synthetics.  Second - there is much more to maintaining organic certification (and hence an organic operation) than simply not spraying chemicals.  In short, organic certification forces the farmer to think about everything in their growing system and to develop that system so that it minimizes negative impact on the environment.  Included in this system are practices to provide for tracking and increased safety of the food produced.

Rather than bore everyone with a complete list of things we report on and track to maintain our certification, I thought it might be interesting to throw one thing out there and maybe revisit it again in the future - especially if people show interest in hearing more.

"Safe Seed" - Organic certification does not require that all seed be organic.  It does require that any seed treatment be on the NOIP (national standards) list or the seed cannot be used.  It also requires that we purchase organic seed of varieties we plant if it is available - within reason.  For example, we grow Jade green beans.  We ordered organic seed, but the company ran out prior to our placed order.  We made a good faith effort to purchase organic seed, but none of our seed suppliers had it for this variety.  So, the non-organic seed was purchased.  It is possible that *some* supplier *somewhere* still had organic seed for Jade green beans - but we are not forced to prove that a source does not exist.  Instead, we need to show a good faith effort.  It is actually more important that we patronize good seed companies that provide a 'safe seed' pledge that indicates responsible production of seed that is not contaminated by GMO, etc etc.  It is our responsibility, as the seed purchaser to research our suppliers and determine their reliability.  If they have organic seed for what we grow, then we buy it.  As a result, our patronage serves as a vote for these seed companies to increase their organic seed production for future years.

Talking the Talk (more vocabu....)

More Genuine Faux Farm terminology!

Just so everyone can understand us better!

Sun puddle - especially prevalent on sunny Winter days.  Cats are particularly good at commandeering the flat spaces where a sun puddle resides.  Beware - they (the sun puddles) tend to move.

UnEgg Space - when you tend to pick 3 to 4 dozen eggs a day from your laying flock, *any* space in the refrigerator that does not hold eggs is UnEgg Space.

Executive Decision -  there are numerous times during the growing season that a decision simply gets made for us.  That's just the way it is.

Ed - the six row seeder is named Ed.  Only Ed might have an idea as to why that is.

Time Wasters - aka kittens.

Field Access Indicators - the puddles in the drive area.  If they are full, you likely can't work the soil in the fields.  If they are damp, pretty close to ready.  Dry?  Go for it.

the Park  - where the meat birds go to chill.  Literally.

Traveling for the Amused

Recently, Tammy and I have done a bit of traveling.  So, consider this a notice that we have been traveling and we're trying to catch up on things.  But, since THAT is not really worth reading - we'll do something to make it more interesting by bringing you:

TRAVELING OBSERVATIONS!

Tanks for the Memories:  We drove past a sign for a military weaponry/equipment museum.  We really think they missed the boat by failing to use this tag line.

Sillicoon Valley: And, the winner of noticing a good tagline or name when you see it goes to the tech/computer service company in Coon Valley.  Fabulous.  I think I laughed about this on and off for a half hour.

Skyline or Goldstar?: Only people who have gone to Cincinnati and had Cincinnati chili can answer this question.  Without a doubt, Skyline.  But, why do they call it chili?  And, I eat it for the cheese.

We love cheese, really we do...:  For those who grew up watching Loony Toons you might recognize this line.  Tammy and I can't help but quote it when we are in Wisconsin...after purchasing FRESH (made same day) cheese curds.  Ah, the squeaking!

Signs of the Times:  We found it interesting that a high percentage of billboard signs on our route were not being used.  Unless you count the company that rents the signs out advertising that you could use their sign.

Overheard at the Organic Farming Conference (part 1): "It sure is nice to interact with other farmers and not have to argue about spraying issues."

Overheard at the Organic Farming Conference (part 2): "I don't understand why the inspector didn't approve our application (for organic certification (we presume)).  We only spray when there is a problem." (and yes, they were soon educated)

Overheard at the BPD Conference (for Social Work Educators): "I went around the block and came back here..."  (imagine that)

Shifty: All we can say is this.  If you are used to a manual transmission and you are stuck driving an automatic for an extended drive... you WILL frequently attempt to push in the imaginary clutch and you WILL reach for a stick shift.  Even if you verbally tell yourself not to do it.

Stop that TEXTING I really MEAN IT!: This one isn't meant to be funny.  Because it isn't.  We encountered many drivers that had inconsistent speeds and didn't always stay in their lane.  Our tendency is to take the opportunity to pass and get away from those autos at our earliest opportunity to safely do so.  What was the common denominator for each of those occurrences?  The driver was alone in the car and staring down at a phone or other device to read or send text messages. 

Least used part of a hotel/motel room?: It has to be the closet.  You're staying for one, maybe two nights.  You're living out of a suitcase.  And, no other place smells more like a hotel/motel than the closet.

How to get attention in a crowded room?: Walk into the room with a heavy duty chopping hoe in your hands.  Works every time.

How to get attention in a less than crowded room?:  Juggle the muffin in your hands in an attempt to NOT drop it.  Everyone knows what I mean here...you start to drop it, but make a quick motion to catch it, but it pops up into the air and you....reach to catch it, but it bounces out of your hand again (etc etc).  There was a smattering of applause when I did manage to get the muffin under control.  I was tempted to bow, but remembered the glass of liquid in my other hand in time.

Alas, No More....

Varieties we will not be planting in 2011.

Arikara Yellow Dry Bean - Seed supply issue.  Guess we'll have to grab a bunch next time they are available and raise our own seed.

Ireland Creek Annie's Dry Bean - Seed supply issue.

Brussels - Long Island Improved - we haven't seen the improvement we wanted.  Still searching to replace Bubbles, the last Brussels sprout that was exceptional on our farm.

Cool Breeze Cucumber - this one makes Tammy very sad.  It was her favorite cucumber - and after last year's production - it makes Rob very sad too.  But, when the industry decides to stop offering a hybrid, you are stuck.  So - you were wondering why we prefer open pollinated seed when we can get it - here's one reason.  But, it is also an argument for F1 hybrids....

Dusky Eggplant - also terminated by industry.

Lacinato Kale - Perhaps this is a mistake - and if we determine that it is - we will bring it back.  But, we have two kales that produce higher volumes of salable leaves.  This one attracts more insect depredation, the others handle wider ranges of weather.  If we don't like what happens we can order some seed for fall.  This is a good reminder to everyone that terminating a variety at the farm doesn't mean we heartily dislike it.  There are just realities that can cause it to be cut from the list.  In this case, Dwarf Blue Scotch and Red Russian tend to make us happier and there isn't room for three in the current plans.

Eder Kohlrabi - expensive seed, didn't perform any better than other cheaper seed and didn't have outstanding taste.  Good bye.

Cyklon Pepper - loses the battle to Hot Portugal and Maule's Red Hot.

Thai Hot - nice container plant.  A pain for us to pick and not that many people wanting it.  We'll use up our seeds to sell plants to those who want them.  You can keep one alive in a pot well into December or later.

All Blue Potato - hard to pick as they tend to spread the tubers out all over the place.  Skin color is similar to our soil cover -which makes it hard to see them.  Production tends towards a large number of smaller potatoes.  This isn't all bad, but again is an efficiency issue for us at the farm.

Kennebec Potato - sometimes you give up on a variety because it would require having to make an order with yet another seed company.  If we had a decent potato year last year, we would have our own seed potato.  Alas, we did not.

Boston Marrow Winter Squash - flashy, colorful and rewarding to grow.  They tended to be more watery and stringy than the descriptions led us to believe they would be.  Maybe it was the year(s).  Maybe it was our soil.  Other growers like these, but we can grow other things better on our farm.

John Baer Tomato - 6 oz round red tomatoes.  They tend to produce earlier on smaller plants.  Nothing at all bad to say about them, but they didn't do anything to make us want to keep them as opposed to other intermediate red tomatoes we have.

Power's Heirloom Tomato - when the seed supply disappears, you stop growing the plants.  It is that simple.  And, we weren't so sold on these that we will work hard to track them down.

Blondkopfchen Yellow Cherry Tomato - lots of little yellow tomatoes.  They tasted fine.  The plants did fine.  But we just won't (or can't) spend the time required to keep them picked.  If we were going to fight that battle, we'd use Lemon Drop anyway.

Velvet Red Tomato - a cherry tomato with silvery hairs on the leaves.  A nice curiosity.  But, the plants tended to be brittle, the tomatoes were not exception in taste and production was average.  We like curious and different tomatoes, but not enough to stay on the list with the likes of Tommy Toe. 

Long Tom Tomato - can't find the seed and other roma's do as well or better for us.

An Order to Seed...

Or was that a seed to order?
The seed orders are being placed today!  Always a major accomplishment.

This season, there are over 300 seeds on the seed list.  Happily not all of them are in our order since we do have carryover from the prior year.  We thought people might like to see what new varieties we are going to try this year.

Green Beans: Black Valentine, Painted Pony - both of these are dual purpose as they can be used as dry beans as well.  So, if we can't keep up with picking the green beans, we let them dry and...there you go.

Dry Beans: Kenearly Yellow Eye.  This one says it shells easy.  We can hope.  The problem is - we like Arikara Yellow and Ireland Creek Annie - but we can get seed for either this year.

Pole Bean: Fortex and Gold of Bacau.  We've stayed away from pole beans because of the fencing issues.  However, we're thinking that the increased production and ease of picking might be enough reason to overcome the trellising problems.  Here's hoping the winds don't make a mockery of this trial.

Beet: Golden Detriot.  We tried Burpee's Golden and had issues with germination.  Touchstone Gold was consistent - Touchstone has connections int he seed industry we don't like.  so, we'll do a side by side with Golden Detroit.

Broccoli - Limba - any time the description highlights taste, we are interested.

Cabbage - Early Jersey Wakefield - We had luck in the fall with Copenhagen Market.  Wondering if we just need a different variety for the spring?

Eggplant - Galine.  The industry has taken Dusky out of production.  Dusky was our standard purple hybrid.  So, an opportunity to move away from a hybrid.  Galine comes with taste highlighted as well.  The other eggplant we grow are well known to us, so we can afford to take the risk.

Kohlrabi - Early White Vienna.  Last year we tried Eder for the extra early white kohlrabi.  They didn't go any faster than the purple Kolibri, didn't hold as well and didn't compare for taste.  That, and the seed was extremely expensive.  So, let's try an open pollinated early.

Onion - Redwing and Whitewing.  Always trying to find the onions that like us best on our farm.  We can't get seed for Sierra Blanco (white onion) but will get plants.  If Whitewing does well enough, we'll move to it - much less expensive for the farm to grow.  Redwing will compare with Ruby Ring.

Bunching Onions - Yellow Borretana and Guardsman - let's try them and see what they do for us.  The key on our farm might be in shorter season onions to provide us flexibility if weather is difficult on one end or the other.

Peas - Blizzard, Golden Sweet, Alderman -  Blizzard is supposed to be easier to pick than Oregon Sugar Pod II -but it had better taste good.  so, we'll run a trial against OSPII.  Alderman is a shell pea that gets very tall and is highly productive.  See our arguments about pole beans.  If we conquer the trellising, we may appreciate the relative ease of picking.  Golden Sweet?  We just liked how it sounded.

Potato - Purple Majesty, Rio Grande - The first replaces All Blue.  All Blue was nice and reliable.  But, a horrible pain to dig - and didn't always give us very big potatoes.  Purple Majesty is a shorter season and bulks up faster.  Rio Grande is a russet and replaces Kennebec.  We have always grown Kennebec but our supplier does not carry it.  If we'd had a decent year we would have kept our own seed.  But, when a crop fails, it fails.

Radish - Misato Rose, Hailstone - Misato Rose may also be known as Red Meat - a fall radish that will be as big as a turnip.  Our friends at Scattergood sold us on trying it.  Hailstone will attempt to replace Philadelphia White Box (unavailable seed two years running).

Winter Squash - Uncle David's Dakota Dessert - fabulous name - almost enough to entice a trial.  But, the fact that it is a buttercup style squash *and* it has other grower testimonials was enough to earn it a try on the farm.  It runs in tandem with Burgess Buttercup this season.

Tomato - Hartman's Yellow Gooseberry, Topaz, Violet Jasper - we continue to look for the yellow heirloom cherry tomato that doesn't readily split and is easy to pick *and* that meets our taste requirements.  Several meet the latter condition including Lemon Drop.  Topaz and Violet Jasper are akin to Red Zebra and Green Zebra.  These were popular with our CSA last season, so we are adding more colors of the rainbow to these salad sized tomatoes.  No, we will not drop the Zebra's - we like them.

Summer Squash - Superpik - our prior straightneck yellow was Multipik -which is no longer available.  This is reported to be its replacement.

Fun with Music

We had the opportunity to see String Fever in concert last night and enjoyed it very much. 

Since both of us have played cello, it may have had more initial interest to us than others.  But, the music selection was widely accessible - with arrangements of orchestral works, movie themes and popular music.  Making it all the more interesting were the electric string instruments.  The five string cello looks like alot of fun.

If you are curious, take the link above to go to their page.  Then, go to their videos link and at least watch their rendition of Bolero. 

Vocubu....?

It's time for more GFF terminology!  YAY!

For our first blog batch of terms, go here.

Mentor crop - often we plant successions of a crop (to spread out the harvest).  The planting that was put in earlier is often our 'mentor crop' if it is doing well.  When the new succession pokes their little heads up out of the ground, we point to the earlier crop and say, "See - that's what YOU'RE supposed to do."

Breezy - Do you wear a hat?  Well, now you don't.

Scout - the early tomatoes that often precede the main crop by 2-4 weeks.  Most tomato varieties in our fields will set a couple of tomatoes early and ripen then well before the main crop.  We figure they are checking out our farm before encouraging the rest to grow and ripen.

Door Warden - one to three of our turkeys tend to stand (or sit) in the door area of their shelter as a guard until we come to close the door at night.

Windy - That's when you close building doors so things don't blow OUT of the buildings.

Honeydew list - the list of melons we intend to grow in the coming year.

High Wind Warning - Look out!  Wasn't that the neighbor's cow blowing by?

Dumb Truck - ok, it's a new term - and we learned it from an advertisement in a free farm magazine that lists such things for sale.  There is evidently a unique Dumb Truck (only 1) for sale.  Funny that it looks like what most people would call a Dump Truck.  From now on, it is a Dumb Truck!

Nibster - Both of the little feline type creatures that live in our house are nibsters.  Nibster is what you get if you shift your right hand to the left one spot (as a touch typest).  See if you can figure it out.

Misplaced - Things that were not properly anchored or put away prior to a period of wind.

High Speed Internet - Oh, wait.  That one belongs in our myth list on the farm.  Put it between "weed-free" and "on-schedule".

There's Snow Business Like...

We've had a few nice and snowy Winters the last couple of years.  But, this year, I was commenting to Tammy that the snow piles by the side of the drive are looking a bit more like some of the piles we saw when we lived in Minnesota than they have in prior years.  That, of course, got me to thinking about various snow related events that amused me (for some reason).

• We lived in Duluth for one Winter.  Sometimes, the lake effect snow can result in very light flakes that accumulate rapidly.  One such snow was coming down earlier in the season.  We thought we'd go out and shovel as it came down.  We shoveled towards the road and stopped for a second, looking back to admire our work.  The problem?  We could see very little evidence that we had done *any* shoveling.  hmmmm.
• That same snow - as we stood for a couple of minutes contemplating hard work that had accomplished little - Tammy noticed that 2 inches of fresh snow piled up on the bill on my cap as we talked.
• Of course, not people to let an opportunity like this go by - we jumped into the snow.  Unfortunately, we had a hard time getting out.  The snow was so light and fluffy - we couldn't easily find any purchase to get back out! I believe our solution was to roll back towards the driveway where it was not as deep.  See - our shoveling DID do something. 
• There were record snows in SW Minnesota while we lived there.  As a result the piles on the side of the drive were sizable.  Unfortunately, Rob had surgery on a wrist during the peak of that Winter.  Upon coming home from surgery, we found that the drive was now only wide enough to get out of one side of the car.  Rob got to squirm on his back from one side of the car to the other side - and then out onto the snowy driveway.  This is how you learn how turtles feel when you tip them over onto their shell.

Happy February

We have traveled faaaaaaar.....

(note: the title might be an oblique reference to a bad Star Trek movie...unless it is not)

The Winter months encourage dreaming about the future and looking back to see how far we have come.  So, today's blog post focuses on that AND on poking a bit of fun at ourselves.  Things that loom large in our lives, decisions that seem so difficult and tasks that seem insurmountable at the time don't look nearly so bad when we look back...

Lesson 1 - Invest in proper tools
In 2005, we had a riding lawn mower, a walk behind tiller and some hand garden tools.  We saw buying a shovel as a major purchase of tools for the farm.  I tilled nearly 1.5 acres with the walk behind tiller that Spring until it died an untimely death (for us).  It was our first lesson in properly scaled equipment.  It IS NOT a waste of money to acquire tools that are intended for the work load required.  In this case, we put a new engine on the walk-behind AND we purchased a tiller attachment for the lawn tractor.  Ok ok....so we didn't shoot very high on this one - but it was the beginning of a good lesson learned.


Lesson 2 - Adjust growing techniques to a new scale
The following year (2006) taught us that we were no longer home gardeners.  There are things that work if you are growing for yourself that do not when you have the responsibility of growing larger amounts for yourself and others.  For example - straight rows are actually important.  And, certain companion crops are not efficient enough for the grower to pull them off.  Case in point  - we knew onions and tomatoes were good companions, so we put our onions in between tomato rows.  This had worked when we grew a couple of rows of tomatoes and one row of onions, so it should have worked again, right?  Unfortunately, the companions were too close - so hand weeding was required.  There was much to more to weed than there had been in the past so the onions were soon buried in weeds.  We knew they were there, so we refused to till it under or mow it.  The result?  We lost most of the onion crop and reduced our tomato harvest.  What do we do now?  We interplant basil and carrots - with proper spacing to allow for access AND..... we apply the next lesson.

Lesson 3 - Know when to give up
It wasn't until 2007 that we fully realized that we were not just a couple of people with a very large garden.  Yes, yes - the hints were there already.  But, we can be slow to learn some things in our lives.  Gardeners can relate to the stress and worry that comes with knowing a patch of vegetable needs weeding (or some other task) combined with the knowledge that you don't have the time now and you are already behind on the task.  As a gardener, you rarely give up and eventually make the time to 'save' the plants with a grand weeding party.  And, as a gardener - you celebrate harvesting each and every thing you manage to get from the 'saved' crop, even if it is a bit on the sparse side.  As a grower at our scale - you HAVE to give up.  You till it in and plant something else in its place.  The crop is already lost, it simply won't produce enough to be worth the effort to 'save it.'  We learned that admitting the loss can lead to a better overall result.  And, after the initial grieving process, we found ourselves to be a little less overwhelmed (but only a little).

Lesson 4 - Growers should be humble and persistent
After last season's weather issues, memories of 2008 may have faded for many of us (except those who were flooded out of their homes or businesses).  But, now that I've mentioned it, I'm sure you'll remember it now.  The prior year was a fairly good growing year for us at the farm.  The wet late summer and fall was difficult, but we still had good harvests overall.  Lots of variety, lots of volume.  We actually struggled finding a way to move all of what we harvested.  We planned for a year that was going to be even better - and we got - well - 2008.  As farmers, we work with nature.  Sometimes, nature has a nasty sense of humor and we have to work with it.  It may sound like a broken record, but we commiserated with other growers and took solace in the fact that we were not the only ones struggling.  Then, we re applied ourselves to those things that could be worked with.  The persistence of these farmers led to record tomato crops that were harvested starting in September deep into October.  Go figure.

Lesson 5 - Full service can lead to no service
A phone call in August of 2008 led us to consider making a major business plan move in 2009.  Prior to this season, we had about 60 CSA members and attended four farmers' markets per week.  The CSA customers picked up at three of the four markets.  In a nutshell, we were rapidly wearing down under the work load.  We streamlined our business by doubling to 120 CSA members and removing farmers' markets (with plant sales and tomato sales being exceptions).  The result?  We made our first profit that could pay Rob something reasonable for his work and the reduction in required labor was the equivalent of adding a half-time, fully trained person on the farm.  Yes, that's how much time we spent OFF the farm that really was needed to do work ON the farm.  A farm can only be sustainable if you don't use up your 'personal capital' by trying to do everything for everybody.  This is true even if you like to be wanted or needed and even if you are nice people who want to be gracious, helpful and kind.  Since Tammy is nice and wants to be gracious, helpful and kind, this applies to us.  We're not sure what it has to do with Rob.

Lesson 6 - Just keep planting
In a way, Lesson 6 is a corollary to Lesson 3.  You have to know when to give up on one thing so you can move your energy to something else.  Weather patterns in May, June and July this past year made it impossible to plant some crops and resulted in crop failures for many things we did get planted.  To put it succinctly, our long season crops failed - with only a few exceptions.  The season had some success because we accepted the failures in a timely fashion and then insisted on trying to grow more short season crops for the second part of the season.  We're not sure if people in the CSA were aware of just how close we were to giving the whole thing up as a bad job in July.  But, we take our responsibility to our members seriously and worked hard to get things in the ground that had a chance of maturing before the season's end.  The result?  There are a lot of crops that can survive a few frosts and produce some excellent food in the fall.  We already knew this - but in a regular season, we are extremely busy pulling in the full season crops.  But now, we have the experience to put in the late season crops AND find ways (and helpers) to pull in the full season crops. 

Lesson 7 - Keep educating, informing, sharing
It's a little early to identify a lesson for this year - but we're going to anyway.  In general, we've had good success on the farm - even with some difficult growing years.  But, our energy and focus on keeping people informed on what is going on has declined.  Part of this is due to the difficult years themselves.  It isn't easy to find the energy when problems on the farm drain it out of you.  And, then there's the worry that people will think you are whining or playing for sympathy.  What we really want is understanding for the realities of growing good (and local) food.  Looking back on last year, we realize that perhaps we did NOT do a very good job of initiating new CSA members.  It is possible that we did a poor job of making it clear to everyone what was going on in the growing season.  It is likely that we need to be clearer with what we intend for the season and with the reality of the season as it progresses.  And, so, there will be some changes made on that front for the new year.  Stay tuned and we'll clue you in on them.

Winter Werk - part 3

(continued)


The following is a continuation of the prior posts addressing what this veg farmer does during the "off-season."

So - what DO you do in the Winter months?

 Ok - so I've avoided the original question for two entire posts on this topic.  Guess I'd better actually answer it.  Take a deep breath......

• Finish recording and analyzing the prior year's growing and harvest data.  Compare it to other years and use it to project capacities and make decisions about growing options.
• Complete organic certification packet and submit it.
• Complete financial analysis for the prior, complete taxes for the farm and create a budget for the coming year.
• Inventory remaining seed.
• Review prior year's field plans and create field plans for the coming year.
• Use the above to create seed orders and place them.
• Finish any paperwork for the prior year's CSA, develop new promotional materials, begin to promote the new season CSA and work on billing.
• Winter and early Spring is "presentation season"
• Review existing tools.  Determine what is broken and whether it can be fixed.  Determine what is needed.
• Fix tools and equipment.
• Research new equipment for the farm and determine what will be bought from whom (and when). 
• Produce a plan for workers in the coming year and begin the process of locating workers for the coming year.
• Set up research tasks for the coming season.
• Refine record keeping methods
• Refine task planning methods.
• Apply for grants or report on tasks undertaken for grants.
• Update the farm website (currently working on it)
• Do all the household stuff that doesn't get done during the growing season.
• Got house projects to do?  Better do them now.  What? It has to be done in nicer weather?  Never mind.
• Spend some quality time with people you like.
• Read books on horticulture, pollinators, cover crops, farming techniques and dragons (hey! I'm allowed to read fiction once in a while!)
•  Begin planting in late January.  (yes, you read that right)
• Harvest and sell what you can that is in the high tunnel.
• Assess winter storage crops and determine if you need to sell more of it since you won't eat it all.
• Reestablish alliances/agreements/contacts with other growers or related individuals or groups prior to the start of the season.
• Figure out the growing season event schedule (festivals, Tom Sawyer Days, markets, etc etc)
• Determine and place orders for poultry chicks to be raised in the coming year.
• Research more sources for local and sustainably raised meats and foods.
• Respond to requests for information or services.
• Figure out how to sell/deliver eggs (go ladies go!) 
• Do what I can to support Tammy in her real job (teaching at the college)
• Inventory and then place orders for supplies (trays, soil for starting seeds, feed, etc)
• Prune trees.
• Do whatever outdoor tasks you can manage to do so they aren't stacked up in one of the busiest months (May).

Winter Werk - part 2

(continued)


The following is a continuation of the prior post addressing what this veg farmer does during the "off-season."

Is Winter a break from physical labor?
Once again, we can answer with both a yes and a no.  Doesn't that figure?  I'm either wishy-washy or a teacher (I'd consider the second a compliment).
We certainly do less physical activity in the Winter - which explains the additional pounds on my frame that require Spring to burn off.  But, there are still physical activities to do in the Winter for the farm.  And, when you do them, you can be surprised by how much more difficult they can be.  After all, you have to struggle with the multiple layers of clothing.  Things like balance and flexibility feel like attributes that you will never again have as you stumble around in the snow and ice.  And, everything just takes longer.  Hauling water out to the chickens seems like a small task - but it can become an adventure on uneven, frozen ground with patches of ice and snow.  It's even more exciting when you have drifts *on top* of the uneven frozen ground with patches of ice.  'Nuff said.

January - Month of Dreams
Is this heaven?  No, it's Iowa.
In January.

There are reasons for an uptick in blog posts or newsletter articles over the Winter.  Obviously, I have more time for such things.  And, it is certainly a method to promote the farm - I cannot deny that.  But, it is more accurate to say that it is one of several outlets for creativity as it pertains to the farm.  Without that creativity, the farm becomes a dead place with no opportunities for improvement.  And, if we do not dream, the farm and its work could become dull and lifeless - not the job description that would entice me to stay on for more.

And, so, we dream about how we will do things differently in the next year.  We review and report on what has happened in the prior year and learn from it.  We read and discuss with others so we can collect new perspectives and ideas.  And, most importantly we plan for how we will make the coming year something to view with anticipation, rather than with trepidation.

(to be continued - part 3)

Winter Werk - part 1

Every January I feel compelled to report on what I do - being a veg farmer.
Why?
Because I am asked by many people about my work load.  And, sometimes, answering the question motivates me to prioritize and accomplish things I do not wish to do.

Usually the question is merely a way to start conversation or make a simple greeting a little more personal.  Often, the question is meant kindly and is taken kindly.  Rarely, the question feels like an accusation - a feeling many teachers get during the summer months.

Oddly enough, I find that I'm never satisfied with my answer.  It's often simplistic, incomplete and somewhat inaccurate in the feeling it conveys.  So, without writing an immense essay, let me give it another try.

Is the Winter an easier load?
Of course, the answer is both yes and no.  The pace of the Winter months is definitely more laid back - and thank goodness for that!  The order and pace of things are not dictated by a crop of (fill in the blank) that needs (fill in the blank) done *right now*.  There isn't the big rush to get things picked, cleaned, packed and delivered.  We can consider going to conferences, visiting people, etc.

On the other hand, there is plenty to do.  Much of it is office or paper work.  All of it is important and needs to be done before the growing season prevents me from spending quality time on it.  So, I am plenty busy.  I am not unhappy about this, but I can be overwhelmed by it all.

The most difficult part of all is the desire to relax and not get too worked up about my...um... work.  As a result, I often have more of a fight to get going.  I am fully aware that once things get going for the growing season, they will not stop for a long time.  So, I think I can be forgiven if I'm a little reluctant to get too fired up on things in January.  Yet, it all needs doing - so I find ways to complete tasks and still try to stay low key about it.  This balance is....a work in progress.

(stay tuned for part 2)

Survey Says (ding)

Results of the survey given by MBA students at UNI are in and we thought we'd share some of the results and ask for thoughts.

Favorite Produce:

• Tomatoes
• Green Beans
• Kale
• Eggplant/Summer Squash/Lettuce (tie)

Trouble Figuring out How to Use:

• Swiss Chard
• Kohlrabi
• Kale
• Pok Choi
• Arugula

What does this tell us?  Well, for one, kale is a love/hate relationship with CSA members!  But, it encourages us to have more recipes on site to hand to everyone.  We're working on having these ready before the season starts this year.  Most years, we just can't seem to find the time.  This year, we'll make the time.

Satisfied with the CSA?

• 66% indicated that they were satisfied (overall) with the CSA
• 47% were satisfied with portion sizes and 28% were not

 Frankly, we don't like these numbers.  But then, *we* weren't satisfied with the portion sizes ourselves.  So, it's what we have to expect for a year like last year.  And, failure to give portion sizes that people desire results in lower overall satisfaction numbers.  No quarrels with that.  ON THE OTHER HAND, many indicated that they understood fully that the CSA is an investment in the farm and that a bad year is...well...a bad year.  None of us were happy that it was a bad year.  Of course Tammy and I would like to blow you away with so much good stuff you can't stand it.  That's the goal for 2011.

Getting what you paid for?

• 55% said they got less than they paid for in 2011

And again, it's the way the season went.  On the other hand, we did do a market analysis again this year.  The value of crop offered (using farmers' market pricing) to standard shares was $294.  A standard share cost $325.  So, why did it seem so low?  It's because in other years we give a value that would be more equivalent to approximately $450 (or more) in veg for the $325 price tag.  That's actually the number we aim for when we plan - to give 1/3 to 1/2 again the value paid to our CSA members.

Would you rather get a smaller amount of veg X every week - or more of veg X every other week?

• 55% said the smaller amount every week is to their liking.  31% opted for the roller coaster.

Communications:

• The weekly emails were appreciated (80%)
• We have 9 responders who read the blog (9%)
• 1 asked for a paper newsletter - but this is a bit unfair to participants who might have favored a paper copy since the questionnaire was online - with only a few mailed to those with no internet access.

Events:

• Most indicated knowledge of our events (Tom Sawyer Days and Festivals) 76 of 85 respondents
• But, 58 of 85 indicated that they have not attended an event.
• 12 indicated no interest in festivals and 10 no interest in TSDs
• 14 indicated that distance was an issue for them.

We respect that some folks don't want to participate.  We understand busy lives and respect decisions involving priorities of what to do with ourselves and our time.  But, the survey seems to indicate people WANT to be involved in these.  So, we need to find out what we can do to make it possible for those who might like to be there to actually be there.  Ideas?

Looking Ahead

And, in an effort to complete the end of year/beginning of year list making - we bring you a list of things we hope to accomplish on the farm in 2011.  Some things go without saying - as they are things we try to accomplish every season.  So, we will try to stick with major changes, additions or events.  It could be interesting to see how close we get to this list at the end of the year.

New Roof on the Granary
We've said it before, we'll say it again.  One of the hazards of buying an older farm is the need to repair all of the buildings.  The granary will fall apart if we don't get a roof on it soon.  So, if you're wondering what some of our larger outlays will be in 2011 - here's one.  And, no, I don't intend on doing that thing myself.  It's taller than it looks - there is a reason the paint stops where it does!

Reconfiguring the Triangle Field
Triangles are fun - we like them.  But, triangles are a pain when they are the shape of one of your fields you have to work with.  They're hard to plan for, difficult to till and they don't lend themselves to efficient operations on the farm.  So, we're going to try to get rid of them (we'll use triangles in other things, thank you).  But, this requires removal of fences, stumps, irrigation lines and sod.  We can always fall back on the old configuration - but we'd really rather not.

Adding Durnik (the tractor) to the Work Force
Just because we have the tractor, it doesn't mean it has been integrated into the farm fully.  We still need to acquire appropriate implements.  But, that's not all - the planting plan needs to be modified to handle new spacing requirements.  Like all things that are worthwhile, it isn't as simple as it seems to just add the tool to toolbox.  We've got to learn how best to use it.

Spring Growing in the High Tunnel
This enters into the 'we've never done that before' category.  We don't know the timing.  We're not sure about any number of things regarding using the high tunnel.  We've read plenty, we've thought about it plenty and we've asked plenty of questions of those who seem to know.  None of that is a substitute for actually doing it.  So...awaaaaay we go!

Finishing Adaptation of the Poultry Palace/Pavilion
This task is far bigger than we give it credit for.  In fact, an entire blog post would be required to explain what we hope to do there.  Suffice it to say that we only have on secure room in that building for poultry right now.  We are looking to build three more.  This includes access doors to the outside, ramps, fencing and whatever else.  The former hog pit needs filling and the lean to structure needs to come down.  This doesn't even mention the desire to add solar collectors (among other things) to this building.  We'll just be happy to get the poultry moved over there.

Adding a Walk In Cooler
This was on last year's list and the prior year's list.  It simply has to get done.  If our capital is not devoured by a new boiler for the house (as it was last year) we should be able to get this done.

Putting the Fence(s) Up
It seems like this task never ends.  Maybe if we can get motivated, we can actually become somewhat skillful in doing this?  Here's hoping.

Acquiring a Sustainable Energy Grant/Loan
It's time for us to work on this one seriously.  We have a great roof for mounting solar panels (poultry pavilion/palace) and we'd like to find ways to use sustainable energy for the farm needs.  The problem with things like this is the need for significant chunks of time to research and complete the applications.  Then, the real work begins once you do get the money.

Complete the "Truck Barn Repurposing" Project
It was named the "Truck Barn" because we could put our truck in it.  No, not very creative.  Sorry.  However, this is the season we feel we need to complete the work that has been ongoing for the past few years.  It has a new roof, it has shelves.  We now need to reframe both the east and west walls, replacing one large door with a standard sized door and window.  We need to put a working large door up and rearrange the west door a bit.  I think we were reminded why this is important when we found that the snow blows all the way to the west side of the building (inside) through the gaping hole in the east that is supposed to have a door in it.  The walk in cooler goes here as well.  So, I guess we had better get electricity to the building.  hm.

Create New Washing/Packing Area
We'd like to have our cleaning and packing area a bit closer to a water source so we don't have to drag hoses around so much.  But, if we want it, we first have to finish cleaning up the old downed building (mostly done).  We might be happy enough to finally get it all cleaned up.  Anything more will be gravy.  I like gravy.

Top Blog Posts of 2010

Before we go to far with this - we thought we should point out that our most popular posts are now linked at the left.  You may want to scroll down and check them out if you would like to get a flavor for what happens here without having to slog through the entire blog.

• The Safety Plantz by a Man with a Hat
• Stuck On You
• You Know You've Worked on the Farm Too Long When...
• Wait A Minute
• Mr Wren's Day
• Spring Flowers
• What Did You Do Today?
• A Good Reason to Live Here
• Summer Squash and Zucchini
• Boxes
• High Tunnel Field Day

And, per the norm - this list goes to 11.

2010 in Review

What were the top 10 "events" on the farm in 2010?  I'm glad you asked!

We realize that you've seen some of this already - if you've been reading the blog.  If you have not, maybe you can get an idea about our year by reading just ONE post.  Ok, that's too much pressure.  How about if I just list 10 things that were fairly big occurrences for us at the Genuine Faux Farm starting with......

10. Challenging Growing Season

Ok, this could, once again, be our number one event for the year.  We don't want to dwell on it - yet we cannot ignore it.   Entrenched weather systems made life very difficult for us.  Excessive rains saw many of our crops die as they sat in/under water for periods of time that were simply too long for them.  It's a terrible thing to watch crops you've worked hard to get going turn into nothing.  It's even worse if you feel the weight of responsibility of growing for your CSA members.

While we don't wish for this sort of growing season ever again,  we have to admit that some very important things happened that might not have if it were a "normal" year.  For example, a normal year would not have encouraged us to work so hard on short season crops for the fall.  As a result, we learned how to successfully time and grow a number of fall greens, legumes and root crops that we might otherwise have thought about, but not tried.  As has been said - it's an ill wind that blows no one any good.  It was an ill wind, but we still see positives coming from it.

9. Durnik the tractor

This may rank first. as the 'surprise' of the year.  This purchase was not in our year plan and was only barely on our radar as a potential future purchase.  But, the opportunity came and we took it.  While we're still locating implements for it and we are only just getting used to it, we see this tractor as one of our moves to become a more resilient farming operation.  And, we still think of our neighbor, Kent, as we use it on the farm. 

8. the Poultry Pavilion/Palace

We initially called this thing the Poultry Palace, but we are wondering if Pavilion might be a better label?  The reality that the barn will likely not be repaired made it important that we begin working on new shelter for our poultry.  Step one occurred this year with the cleaning of the old hog confinement building.  One room was built inside for the turkeys with a door to the back pasture area.  Fences were put up for one of the three paddocks.  There is still much to do with the pasture and the building.  But, a successful start on converting the building is sufficient to make the list.  Where will we find the time and resources to complete this project?  We'll figure it out, it is worth it.


7. Cold Frames

 

The seed starting operation in the Spring includes time consuming tasks that desperately needed addressing.    Our first move was facilitated with the construction of some fine cold frames (thanks Dad).  There is certainly much more that could be done in this area.  But, the first step is often the most difficult. 

6. Supportive CSA Members

One of the ideas behind Community Supported Agriculture farms such as ours is the idea that farmshare holders invest in the farm and accept that they will deal with the success OR failure of the farm during that given season.  It is one way we can get around the fact that farms such as ours cannot get reasonable crop insurance.  But, having that insurance does not mean you wish to use it.  In fact, we do our best to do everything we are able to do in order to avoid using it in any way, shape or form.  That is our responsibility - to work hard, make intelligent choices and to continue to learn so we can provide produce in nearly any growing season.

On the other hand, if we had not had difficulties this year, we might not have fully realized exactly how much our CSA members mean to us.  Rob was actually somewhat embarrassed to have farmshare holders remind HIM that their membership in the farm included an explicit agreement to be supportive through the good and the bad.  Suffice it to say, the support we received from our members this season kept our heads above water (literally and figuratively).  If it were not for them, we would not have had the energy to put into our late summer and fall activities.  As a result, we had excellent fall crops and energy to work hard to find ways to reduce the impact extreme weather might have on our crops in the future.

5. Changing of the Guard

We have various non-human 'farm managers' at GFF.  2010 saw some of them leave us.  Doughboy had long been one of our farm cats who could be counted on to accept a good skritch behind the ear and share opinions about our cooking.  For an outdoor cat, ten (or so) years is pretty good.  But, we were still sad when he left for warm car hood in the sky.  Bob, the barnyard manager, ran into a problem he couldn't handle and he is now succeeded by Harold - who looks very similar to Bob - but with less of a penchant for posing.  And, the most painful loss occurred when our female indoor cat, Eowyn, left us after nineteen years.  While we still miss her and her brother, Strider, we are honored with the presence of sister cats Bree and Hobnob.

And, perhaps on a less dramatic level, we finally retired our computer of 7 years and purchased a new one.  New computers are nice, but they don't necessarily equate to more productivity.

4. GFF Takes a Break

The hardest thing for us to do is to GET OFF THE FARM.  But, if there is one thing we are learning, it is that we need to take care of ourselves so that our work continues to be productive and positive - even if the year is a tough one.  During the summer months, Rob plays baseball in Newton - which forces time away.  The good news on that front is that he managed to get his first and second wins as a pitcher for the Newton Cardinals.

During the height of the season - while most growers were slogging through mud - we had the opportunity to participate in the filming of a discussion of Iowa growers for an HBO special that will air regarding the 2012 farm bill.  It was interesting to be involved, but it was so much more helpful to commiserate with others about the season and its difficulties.  Even better yet, we had some friends from Scattergood Friends School farm come up and work on our farm for half a day.  We can't explain how much better our attitudes became after that.  And, another oddity for us - we went to a concert in the middle of the growing season.  We must be getting lazy.

The year culminated in a trip to Florida to visit family.  The simple fact that we were not doing chores every single day was a blessing. 

3. Our first Extended Season CSA

With the addition of a high tunnel, we have produce later in the season.  And so... we created an extended season CSA that ran for seven weeks (Nov-Dec).  Participants received excellent variety of greens and other short season crops.  We're pleased with our first attempt at extended season growing in the high tunnel.  We feel the share value given to our members was excellent.

2. New Feed Bin

Our method for securing feed for the poultry has been to load the truck up with 11 trash cans (used exclusively for feed - in case you worried about this).  We would then drive up to Frantzen farms and load each can separately, pushing it to the front of the truck as they fill.  Upon returning to the farm, we had to unload each container and move it into the barn or Poultry Palace/Pavilion.  Each can probably weighs around 200 lbs.

Well, say hello to efficiency!  Thanks to Jeff (the superhero Band Saw Man), we now have a trailer with a bulk bin on it.  The filling goes much faster and the trailer merely needs to be placed under shelter when we return.  I guess we need to improve our backing up the trailer skills. 

1. Construction of the new high tunnel

We held a field day for the construction of the new building and we were able to grow for an extended season CSA all because of this structure.  It's the most visible change on the farm and it is the one that has changed what we do the most.  We've blogged about it before and we'll blog about it again.  So, we'll just leave you with a picture.