Saturday, May 12, 2012

Sorting Hat and More

Sorting Hat
The annual sorting hat activity on the farm took place on Friday.  Well, the first iteration of the sorting hat.  We transplanted somewhere in the range of 1800 tomato plants for about 32 heirloom varieties.  We have a fairly complex plan for what we intend to plant on the farm, but that still leaves about 1000 plants that go up for sale.  The net result is that we have to select plants to stay on the farm to fill out the plan.  Then, we have to decide what plants are ready to go to market (and hopefully new homes).  And, of course, we have to decide which plants need a little more hardening off/TLC.  Finally, a few plants have the "mercy rule" applied.  It always takes more time than we think it should.  But, it's part of what we do.  We have tomato plants for sale.  Want any?

Waverly Farmers' Market
In case you all forgot, Waverly Farmers' Market is *every* Saturday from May through the beginning of October.  Judging by the "crowds," there were several people out of town and many others who didn't remember.  Don't get us wrong.  We were pleased to see everyone who DID come out to the market.  And, we'll be equally pleased when we see others there next week and the week after that.  We just need to remind ourselves that just because we think about market every week, that doesn't mean it has as much of a hold on the lives other people live.  So - it is our job to remind you!  Hey!  Waverly Farmers' Market.  Saturday 8:30-11:30 AM.  Street near the post office in Waverly.  Come see us!

Two for One in the Bargain Bin
 Speaking of farmers' market.   (We were?)  Saturday market days...and the afternoon to night prior... can be pretty hectic.  Typically, most of Friday afternoon and evening is spent preparing for market.  Potentially longer, depending on what we need to have ready.  We get up early Saturday to handle all of the chores, load the truck, pack additional items that were kept in refrigerators (eggs for example) in hopes of getting set up prior to the 8:30 AM start.  We often forget about the 30 minutes we should allow for travel time (assuming you don't remember something you forgot and turn around).  By the time we are packed up (usually by 12:30pm) we need to find a little food and sit and debrief for a while.  Average return time is 2pm to the farm.  After the truck is unloaded, we often give ourselves permission to read, nap, take it easy for an hour or so.  After that, we do our best to motivate ourselves to do farm work.  It doesn't always work out.  But, when we do, it is like getting two days out of one.  Or at least it feels like that's the case.  We both thought market was 'yesterday' a couple of times this evening....

Birds Evicted
 The broilers have been officially evicted from our garage.  We are, to say the least, relieved.  If you've never raised birds before, they can kick up alot of dust -and it coats everything in the building now.  The birds have been out in the Chick Inn for a couple of nights now, but we just got to removing the boxes, bedding, etc from the garage in the "second day" today.  Maybe relief isn't a strong enough word for this.  Now to get the hen chicks out of there.

Till 'Til the Cows Come Home
We managed to get a few more beds tilled and put in several trays of lettuce in our second day of Saturday as well.  The soil is finally looking great.  We're going to probably work ourselves silly next week.

What Friends Are For
GFF will be going to Blue Gate Farm for an 'emergency' work day.  While this does not mean anything to most who read the blog initially, we thought we'd mention it because it should mean something.  This is a reminder that there are many things more important than all of those niggling, irritating things that we let get under our skin so often.  One of those important things is that friends are more important than most anything else.  When you can make a difference for a friend, you go make that difference.  'Nuff said. 

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