June Newsletter

Black and Blue Division

Spring is the time of year when both Tammy and I rediscover all kinds of muscles as they report to our brains that they are sore at the end of the day (and the middle and beginning of the day as well).  This post from 2011 still applies and would give the curious a bit more of an idea of what we go through this time of year.  The first thistle stabbing a finger or the hand is always the one that hurts the most EXCEPT for the first time you put your hand on a dried up thistle.  That's a new definition of the word "ouch."

This year, much of the 'bruising' and fatigue is mental.  We are trying to catch up after the weather enforced a late start on the farm and then it jumped to mid-Summer mode.  This has resulted in some interesting early season crop challenges that will require some adjustments.  Add to the mix an early (and more difficult than usual) blackfly/buffalo gnat explosion during some of the hottest days and you have a recipe for a little bit of farmer disgruntling.  We've always wondered about the word 'disgruntled.'  Disgruntled usually indicates grumpiness, dissatisfaction, etc etc.   But, gruntling SOUNDS more like you shouldn't be happy, but the dictionary tells me it means "pleased or satisfied." Well, whatever.  We have NOT been pleased with the blackflies since both of us have had bites all over our arms and some on our necks, ears, etc.

On the other hand, the apple, pear and plum trees put on a wonderful show this year and we were able to enjoy the pleasant fragrance of lilacs a bit more than we often do.  We have already noticed our first Tiger Swallowtail and our first Black Swallowtail on the farm (usually we don't see them for a while yet).  A couple of monarchs have made themselves known.  The small flock of Cedar Waxwings and the group of Indigo Buntings that usually visit our farm on their way to somewhere else showed up in the same week.  The dandelion bloom was spectacular (and yes, we actually mean that) and the asparagus has tasted quite good this year.  And, if you want more of the positives, go down to the news shorts in this newsletter!

Weather Wythards

This year has been pretty wild, even when compared to some of the prior years we've experience on the farm that have not been what one would call 'normal.'   This year's claim to weather fame is exactly how diverse the weather has been each and every month.  May had some of what Tammy and I call, "Oregon weather" with temperatures around 47 and light rain.  It has also had some 'high plains' type weather with heat in the 90's with humidity that is comparatively low to some of the 90+ days we often experience in July.

May's Report
High Temp: 97
Low Temp: 42
Heat Index: 106  
Highest wind gust: 34 mph
Rain: 5.36" (mostly the first 10 days of the month - so now we're getting dry)

Year Through May
High Temp: 97
Low Temp: -20
Lowest Windchill: -34
Highest Heat Index: 106
Highest Wind gust: 46 mph
Rainfall: 9.86"
Barometer Range: 29.39 to 30.89

Field Report

Soil conditions have actually been pretty good this season.  We attribute this partially to some of last year's choices, some to our timing of working fields in relation to weather and field conditions and some to the addition of Vince.  Vince is a power harrow that runs on the back of the tractor.  The 'mixing' motion that a power harrow uses is less destructive of the soil structure than rototilling would be and it tends to help maintain a more consistent soil moisture level.

Vincent the Pricey - but worth it.

Why the name Vince?  Think "harrowing experience" and consider anyone named Vincent you might have heard of who was known to do horror/suspense type shows.  Yes, Vincent was "pricey" but he's been worth it so far.

At present, we have 2/3 of the onions in the ground.  All of the potatoes are in.  Germination of the potatoes has been spotty with some varieties and just fine for others.  Those that have germinated look great.  We have reseeded the peas since the first batch did not germinate all that well.  We are reseeding some of the green beans, while others did fine.  The field peppers and eggplant are all in the ground and 400 feet of basil plants are in.  Half of the melons are in the ground and the other half is due to go in on Sunday or Monday.  The first cucumber batch is in and there are some carrots that desperately need weeding.

We are trying to get much more lettuce and other greens going since some of the early batches have disappointed somewhat.  We have had some very tasty tatsoi, komatsuna and lettuce thus far, but the volume has not been there for us.  June may be a bit sparse, but once we get into July and August (and beyond) things should be just fine.

Picture of the Month

Flowering bushes and trees have had a good year thus far.  We attribute this to the enforced later start without temperatures dipping close to freezing in May.  Essentially, it was colder than usual, but it felt it had abused us enough that it didn't want to hit us with a frost or two in May.  I guess we can handle that.

Song of the Month

There isn't exactly a song of the month this time.  Instead, we are recommending that people consider giving a listen to and purchasing a new album by the Choir called Bloodshot that was just released on June 1 of this year.  But since we are supposed to do a song of the month, we'll select Summer Rain form this album.

CSA Report

We will continue to add people at pro-rated amounts if anyone wants to join us this season.  Thus far, our numbers are down from last year, so there is plenty of room to join us.  Our Traditional 20 season will start in mid-June and end at the end of October.  The Whole Enchilada share has been going for three deliveries and runs to just prior to Christmas.  We also have alternating delivery shares for those who feel that a delivery every week is too much.

News Shorts

We're never quite sure what to put in this section for the June newsletter.  Why?  Well, we do so much every day that our sense of time is often a bit off.  But, we also are so absorbed by the farm that we're not entirely sure what qualifies as 'news-worthy' to everyone else.  So, I'll just select a few things and put them out there and hope you are all amused for at least a second or two...

• We moved the henlets into the horse trailer that we have used for broilers in the past.  This seems to be working because the little hens like to use the cross-bars in the trailer for roosting.  The broilers never could get up there and often started just staying UNDER the trailer rather than going in about this stage in development.  Score one for the farmers.
• The broilers are in a building that allows the birds to sleep on the ground.  The biggest issue is the hit the pasture takes in those spots.  But, if we can move it often enough, it should be fine.  Score two for the farmers.
• We're still trying to find the time to finish a couple of modifications on the new portable hen building so we can move the main laying flock into it.  But, with the event of all of the blackflies, it was probably better that the laying hens could go inside a building that was not on a pasture.  So, score three (by accident or lack of time) for the farmers.
• We've done an even better job than usual adjusting equipment and handling small breakdowns with minimal delays.  The result?  Well, we'll see how it turns out.  But, while we feel swamped, we do feel like our toolbox is fuller than it has ever been.  Score four for the farmers.
• There have been healthier populations of pollinators on the farm this Spring.  We could attribute some of it to the weather, I suppose.  But, we are also thinking that some of our work over the years has been paying off.  That's a whole fistfull of scores for the farmers.  We'll take it.
• Both of us have taken to wearing long-sleeved shirts (thanks to the blackflies) even in the heat.  Rob's long-sleeved shirts are a weight that is more appropriate to early Spring, Fall and Winter, so it's been a bit difficult.  But, Tammy found a lighter weight long sleeved shirt that just may work for this situation.  We'll see if it is tough enough to handle life on the farm.  We'll take a half-point for this one in advance and we'll add the second half once we complete judgement.
• The Sodastream that came as a gift for Christmas (thank you Brenda) has been absolutely wonderful, encouraging both of us to drink even more water than we usually do.  There is something about the carbonation and a little bit of lemon juice that helps us recover more quickly in the warm weather.  We'll actually take a point and half for this one.