A Genuine Harvest

I was able to carve out some time on Wednesday to prepare beds and plant next year's garlic crop before we get a batch of wet (and then cold) weather.  I only put in a little more than 350 garlic for the 2024 season, but that's 350 more than we planted last fall.  The only garlic we harvested were the heads that we failed to pull the year before.

It might seem odd to hear me see it, but I was surprised at how easy it was to plant the garlic this time around.  The soil was warm and not too wet (or too dry).  The beds we chose to use had been potatoes this year, which has been a normal rotation order for us for some time now.  That meant the soil was already loose and the bed was clean of weeds because of the potato digging process.

And once the garlic was in, I grabbed the last of the onion crop and pulled that in.

Planting the garlic is actually a milestone that reminds us to celebrate the season's harvest.  Traditionally, at the Genuine Faux Farm, we have a hard time finding the time to plant the garlic until we've pulled in the majority of the long-season crops.  Apples, squash and potatoes are usually on that list.

So, since I planted the garlic, we can now reflect on the year's harvest.  Of course, there are a few more things to bring in, but the bulk of the harvest work is now done.

We've already written about the bounty from our special Cortland apple tree.  We've been happily munching on those apples for a month now and we were able to get the rest to various interested people.  Meanwhile, our Fireside apple tree gave us a smaller harvest (in quantity) all while producing the largest apples we've ever seen.  And - of course - they are delicious!

Apples are symbolic of some of our long-term effort and planning at our farm.  There were no fruit trees at the farm when we first moved here.  Now, we get a fair amount of apples most seasons.  I call that a good result.

This season's melon crop was smaller, and bigger, than we've had in prior years - all at the same time.  This time around, we didn't plant with the intention of having excess to sell or donate.  Yes, we planted more than we needed.  But, we also experimented with the varieties in hopes that we could feed ourselves with melons for breakfast as long as possible this year.

Believe it or not, we had one of our favorite melons (Ha'Ogen) just last week.  They last pretty well in the refrigerator and we've had delicious melons for weeks this year.

While that's great, the real success is our rediscovery of some of the melons we liked in the past.  Along with that is the healthy reminder that we should both enjoy the growing and the eating of the food we raise on our farm.

Some of the enjoyment for us comes with the discovery and rediscovery of vegetable varieties that are open-pollinated.  Often they are heritage of heirloom varieties.  Our hot peppers this year were Joe's Long Cayenne and Ausilio Thin-Skinned Italian.  Joe has been on our grow list for a very long time, while Ausilio is a new, and pleasant, surprise for us this year.

We don't need all that many hot peppers ourselves, but we do still like having some of them and we enjoy growing them.  The biggest problem we had with them in the past is that only a subset of our CSA customers wanted them (and what they wanted typically wasn't very many of them).  Meanwhile, we were rarely able to find a bulk outlet for the excess at a price that made the effort worth our while.

Tammy's favorite sweet pepper has been Golden Treasure for quite some time now.  So, I was pleased to be able to put a few of them in Valhalla (our larger high tunnel).  After a couple of years where we did not do well with the few plants we grew, we had a great year with these plants.

Why was this year better?  I can point to a whole host of reasons, but the key is still the visit we received in June from our farming friends.  If they hadn't come when they did, there were be no blog today talking about our 2023 harvest.

It makes me feel good to know that Tammy is able to take one or two of these to school for a snack or for lunch each day when she wants.  And that's probably as good a reason as any for growing some of what we grew this year.

Many of the tomatoes in Valhalla did well this year too, despite a late start.  In particular, the Black Krim tomatoes really made us proud.  We still have some green tomatoes out there.  Maybe I'd better get out there soon?  But, even if I don't, we still should be pleased, and maybe even a bit proud, with the 2023 tomato harvest.

Like every season, this one was not perfect.  We had some crop failures and we had some personal failures.  I'll certainly process the lessons our failures put before us before the 2024 growing season is upon us.  But, we also had successes - and that's what I'm focusing on right now.

Frost's Eve Reflections

This past weekend was dictated, to a large extent, by the weather forecast that was calling for our first frosts on the farm this Fall.  And, as is often the tradition at the Genuine Faux Farm, we were also realizing that our first frost would, in all likelihood, be our first freeze as well.  We do like to do things right here, don't you know!

It's always a bit stressful, when the weather turns.  We get the rude awakening that our rows of zinnias, even if they were starting to look a little rough anyway, are going to lose their luster, turning a crispy brown.  And, we also realize that we need to get many of our crops harvested and in buildings where they will not get bitten by the cold.  

Since that cold is likely to land below freezing, we also take the harvest in our high tunnels seriously.  The summer crops, like tomatoes, green beans and peppers don't typically like it when the temps get below freezing - even if it is brief.

Some of you might recall that Tammy and I struggled to get started this Spring - once again due to health issues.   But things started to turn around when our farmer friends visited mid-June and helped us to clean up and prepare Valhalla (our larger high tunnel) for planting.  Just one week later, we had the high tunnel planted and our southwest plot was also in.

Somewhere in there, we also got some winter squash into the ground, as well as some sunflowers and sweet corn.  The sweet corn wasn't ready until September, but we actually got some and we pulled in the butternut squash on Sunday.  And yes, we grew some quality onions and have been enjoying some nice melons!

The Joe's Long Cayenne plants, despite being tasted by the deer early in their life, have done themselves proud.  Each plant was completely covered in these long hot peppers.  For that matter, all of the peppers did very well for us this year.  The Black Krim tomatoes really carried the load this year.  So, we have a lot to be pleased with - despite a difficult start and our limited time to get out and do at the farm this Summer.

Sure.  Lots of things went wrong too.  But that's how it works.  We've never had a perfect year at the Genuine Faux Farm.  Except that every year is perfect, because we always get some good food from our fields - and we always get to spend some time working with the land to try and do our best for this small part of the world. 

Water Cooler Talk

A common topic of conversation towards the beginning of a work or school day a person might have with co-workers or fellow students/teachers often centers around what people did the evening or night before.  I find that I am typically evasive with my answers because I am fully aware that what I did last night is outside the experience and, often, understanding of a large portion of the population.

If you want to make a connection with the people around you at the water cooler, you need to choose something that most of them can relate to.  For example, a very high percentage can probably see themselves sitting down to watch a television show or a movie at some point during the evening.  So, comparing and discussing shows is a pretty safe way to get into a conversation that is relatable.

You can fairly quickly turn the flow of conversation on or off depending on what you decide to share regarding WHAT you watched, of course.  If you're into some of the currently popular shows, then you'll have a wider appeal for a more animated conversation.  If you pick something like an old British comedy called Good Neighbors, you're going to have to do a fair amount of explaining - and there's no telling how long people will stick around the water cooler to see if they want to learn more about it.

Another really good topic that everyone can relate to at some level is to share what you had for dinner.  Although, you might find the audience will dwindle as you get into the nitty gritty details as to HOW you went about securing or making that dinner.

Another popular subject area that you can talk about is something your kids (or grandkids) did or are doing.  Those who do not have children might check out a bit on that conversation, though I suspect they will nod politely.  But, if you REALLY want to get people to nod politely - while looking a bit dazed - you can tell them that you moved your current laying hen flock from the room in the Poultry Pavilion to the portable Summer Cottage.

Only a very select portion of the population in our world today can fully relate to the idea of moving hens from one location to another on a small (or even larger) farm.  And that's why I often find myself mumbling words like "oh, nothing much," when someone makes the polite inquiry about what I did last night.  Or, I simply make the bold statement, "We moved the hens from one location to another one."  People around the cooler can take it at face value or not.  

It's just that this approach runs the risk that one of those folks are going to ask me to explain what I mean by that.  And that is when the fun begins.

How much can I explain before it becomes obvious that it was only a polite request and the person really did NOT want to know all the details about spreading straw in the portable building we call the Summer Cottage?  They probably did not want to know how we had to wait until dusk to grab the birds from their perches - and chase several of them into corners - so we could put them into that building.  I suspect they're not interested in how we had to mow down an area for the portable electric fence or how we set that fence up.  

And I know they don't want details about sweat dripping down the tip of my nose.

So, go ahead.  Ask me what I did last night and I'll tell you.

Oh, nothing much.

Farm Report for June and July

 

Our farm has egg (and other farm product) email orders approximately every other week.  When we send out our email notice, we try to include some farm news for those who receive it.  A kind individual suggested that some people might also like to see these updates in the blog - so here are our farm updates from the past two egg emails!  

Note: if you live in the Waverly or Waterloo/Cedar Falls areas, you can certainly request to be on our email lists by using the contact form on the the right of this blog.

Anyway, this certainly seems like a good idea for a Friday blog post!

June 26, 2023 Farm News

Life on the farm is like it always has been.  There are moments of triumph and moments of grief.  Times when we celebrate and others filled with annoyance.  In other words, it's just like life for everyone in this world, but maybe on steroids.

We sometimes joke with ourselves that if we don't like how we're feeling about the farm now, we can just wait five minutes and it will change with the current circumstance.  While we might be doing less in recent years with the farm than we used to, we're no less invested in it and the day to day events that color our lives.

For example, we are coming off of the triumph of getting several things into the ground that have been waiting for us to recover and combine available time with energy so we could get it done.  It is likely that some of these crops will fail because they are in too late, but they most certainly would have failed if we never did plant them.  We're pleased because we have a chance with them now - something we didn't have the last time we sent an egg email to all of you.

On the other hand, we're dealing with raccoons attacking our chickens in the middle of the day, something we haven't dealt with for several years.  So, of course, dealing with this problem has multiple stages and it suddenly becomes a top priority, despite plans to accomplish other things.  Needless to say, we are applying ourselves to this problem to defend "the ladies" and the eggs we know you all enjoy.  We have lost some chickens and we don't know what the long-term effect will be just yet.

But, swinging the pendulum back, our flock of hen chicks now have feathers and they are doing very well.  In fact, they are doing far better than last year's flock (which are now our laying flock).  It does make a difference when both farmers can be involved in the work of raising the birds.  If you will recall, Rob was on his own last year after Tammy's Achilles surgery.  We expect the new ladies to start producing eggs in mid to late September at the earliest - so any dip in production that might come after losses in the current flock will be short-term.

Through it all, we remain grateful to all of you for your kindness and support.  Thank you for all that each of you does in this world.

Rob & Tammy

July 11, 2023 Farm News

In our last email, I mentioned how life at the farm is a pendulum, swinging back and forth between things that feel like success and others that feel like failure.  It's a normal thing, but it can be alarming when that darned pendulum swings all the way in both directions multiple times a day!

I am pleased to report that both of us are physically feeling so much more like ourselves, with the past two weeks being pretty good.  Tammy seems to be past the headaches and regular PT appointments are helping with the hip/leg stuff.  And I don't find myself out of breath and tired after what seems like very little activity.  We appreciate all of the kind words and thoughts sent our way as we fought to get through all of that.

We are fighting a battle with varmints (deer, rabbits, woodchuck and raccoons) which has required a number of adjustments and extra tasks.  But we are doing a decent job (so far) of addressing the problems without resorting to drastic measures.  The laying hen flock has been reduced a bit by the raccoon issue, but we can still get about 3 dozen (as opposed to four or five dozen) a day.  So, we do have eggs, but we might occasionally have to say "no" now.  However, we know from our history that vacation time usually sees a dip in orders as well, so things will probably take care of themselves.

The new hen flock is looking REALLY good right now.  With two of us able to give them attention, I think the temperament of this group will be much better than the last one.  The current batch has given us more trouble than other flocks in our remembered history.  Perhaps I have just conveniently forgotten a flock that was really bad?   I don't know - that's why it's called "forgetting."  The young hens will probably begin laying eggs in September and I suspect we'll have more eggs than we know what to do with about that time.

We are also entering the time of year where we might be offering some excess produce.  Yes, everything at the farm is late for all of the reasons we've mentioned in prior newsletters.  But, we've managed to do some good things despite the struggles.  I wouldn't be surprised if we offer summer squash and zucchini or maybe white onions in the not too distant future.  Perhaps even a Boothby's Blonde cucumber or two?  

Have a good day everyone and we hope to see you tomorrow!

Rob & Tammy

Varmints!

 

Day lily season had begun and I happily took the camera out yesterday to record some of the first blooms.  I think it would be safe to say that I was looking forward to even more today.  It turned out that there were fewer and there will be fewer for the foreseeable future.

Deer apparently like day lily flowers.  So, now we have a bunch of flower stalks with no buds and no blooms.  It's very annoying, of course - especially given the space around us and myriad of other food opportunities.  But, they, along with some other varmints, have decided the things that we grow are tastier than anything else out there.

 

The young melon plants were starting to look good and we were preparing ourselves to trellis them this weekend.  Well, I guess there is no need to do that now because the deer made sure to shorten them so that a trellis is no longer necessary.  

Gee thanks.  How thoughtful.

 

I was also considering pruning some of the peppers and tomatoes this weekend.  The deer decided they could also help in that department.  The problem is that I typically prune some of the low stems on both the peppers and the tomatoes, while these varmints like to start at the top of the plant and work their way down.

Now, it would be one thing if these plants were out in the field because this sort of thing happens sometimes.  But, the melons and peppers that were "pruned" were inside Valhalla, one of our high tunnels.  That's why the door is closed on Valhalla in the picture below.  The deer tracks told the story of these varmints just walking in through the door.  

 

Typically, we like to have that door open to allow for more air circulation, but if deer are just going to walk in, we can close it.  Unfortunately, they have now shown that they can navigate their way into Valhalla via the side walls - as new damage (and footprints) can attest.

Deer are not the only varmints that have been much more aggressive towards us this year.  The raccoons have been causing problems with the hen flock this year too.

One of our coping strategies is to not let the hens out for a while to break the pattern (and protect the birds while we try to address access issues).   That's why you see a picture of the hen yard with no hens in it during the daytime.  

Some of the measures we have taken for the raccoons have worked recently, but we know we need to keep addressing the problems because they will be back.  Once they figure out they like chicken and where they can get it, they'll keep after it until we can make the cost too high for them to pay.  

The same holds true for other varmints.  Who knew that varmints could respond to economic pressure?

It seems to us that the drought put pressure on the wildlife and they found our farm to be a location where they might find water and food.  Once they figure that out, we have a problem because these varmints don't know anything about budgeting and saving things for later, even if they do seem to understand opportunity cost.

Here's hoping we can figure out strategies that work with our current group of annoying varmints.  It's not like we don't have some options in mind, but every year is different and the irritation is always real.  We always prefer to find ways to get along with the wildlife, but sometimes it's hard to want to.

Hurdles

It's a symptom and it's a normal occurrence.  The belt on the mower deck was ready to give out.

The normal occurrence part is easy to explain.  Every year, especially in the Spring, we go through a series of problems with the various tools we use to work at the Genuine Faux Farm.  After a few months of storage during the coldest months, we start taking all of the hand tools, motorized equipment and implements out for use.

Sometimes we are able to give each tool a thorough once over and we can perform basic maintenance.  Usually, when we do that, we discover several things that need attention.  More often than I like to admit, we get pushed into using equipment before we can do the full inspection, so we uncover the things that need attention with a bit more drama.

This time around, the issue was actually the result of some chicken wire not being where it was supposed to be.  The mower deck found it for us (of course) and that probably resulted in the belt problem.  This sort of thing happens and you have to address it.

The issue?  I made it into a bigger problem in my head than it deserved to be.  It's a symptom of our state of mind.  When you're feeling overwhelmed, little things become big things.  Or maybe there are so many little things they become a big thing when they are considered as a group.

Suddenly, the whole FARM is a problem.  NOTHING works.  EVERYTHING is broken.  NONE of the crops are going to get planted.  We'll NEVER get caught up.

Of course, none of that is entirely true, but there was a grain of truth in each that we could build on if we were so inclined.

It didn't matter if it was entirely true.  Taking the deck off and replacing the belt FELT like a big deal.  And sometimes that's why there is a battle to make progress in the first place.  It's not entirely about reality.  It's about perception.

One of my favorite improvements over the years is this tool wall in the Truck Barn at our farm (thanks Dad!).  Seeders, shovels, wheel hoes, loppers and all kinds of things can be found here.  And, the tool wall works best if you follow through with putting the tools away once you are done with them.

We have found that it is difficult to put tools on the tool wall if you put a table and other hard to move stuff in FRONT of that wall.

This has been one of the symptoms that comes along with our move to more off-farm work.  You have less time, so you set a few things in bad places "temporarily."  Then, you reach over that stuff to get a few tools so you can do a little work in a spare moment.  After that, you realize you have to run to do something for your non-farm job and you can't easily get to the tool wall.

You all know what happens next.  

You set those tools down somewhere convenient with the words, "I'll put that away later."

The mismanaged tool wall and the mower deck are two symptoms of how we've been feeling this Spring.  It is really not that difficult a task to take some time and rearrange things so the tool wall is accessible again.  Changing the belt on the deck is something I've done before, so it's not the biggest mystery either.  Yet, we've let them grow into these giant hurdles in our minds that prevent us from getting much of anything done.

The good news?  We've continued to use the momentum our farm friends helped us find and the deck is repaired and the tool wall is, once again, accessible.  We still have a long list of things we want and/or need to do.  But, we are making some progress - as opposed to no progress.

We've managed to change our perception of how the farm is doing, which means we're doing much better - thank you very much.  And we expect there will now be some successes amidst the inevitable failures.  That's normal.  And we can live well with that.

Appreciation for Motivational Help

We haven't kept it a secret.  We have had some trouble getting the season started at the Genuine Faux Farm largely because we had very bad timing for falling ill.  Failure to even just get high tunnels and fields cleaned up so we could plant was a source of stress and disappointment.  Neither of us wanted to give up (especially Farmer Rob) but we just couldn't come up with enough energy and motivation to push to make it happen.

Then "the Gang" visited our farm and helped us succeed in some "Visual Improvement," and then joined us for conversation and good food.  Just like that, things didn't seem quite so hopeless anymore.  

What has followed is continued success in our recoveries as we are finding we can do more each day.  Valhalla, our larger high tunnel, has all but one bed planted now - and that bed is being reserved for a later planting, so this was actually on purpose!

The cages are up on all but a few tomatoes.  The green beans are germinating.  The tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and melons all look good.  A few more cages, some trellis for the melons and cukes and a little cleanup on some edges and we're in good shape here!  

The peppers are looking great.  Unlike the tomatoes, they were actually at their peak as far as health when we put them in.  A little longer and they would have started to decline because they can only stay in the 4 1/2 inch pots so long.  

The tomatoes are already looking greener.  We know they won't do much for new growth that we can see for a few more days because they are busy shooting out new roots so they can bring in the nutrients.  But, once they catch the roots up, watch out!  I'll have to be out there training them to stay INSIDE of those cages soon.
 

 Our progress did not stop in Valhalla either.  The Southwest plot already had onions, but now the brassica we normally pair up with onions have been planted as well.  We even got a row of flowers to attract pollinators for the melons that are on the other side of them.

The electric fence is up to prevent various critters from doing damage and the irrigation is in place and working.

The fence and irrigation both have something to do with the Severe Drought area (dark orange in northeast Iowa) we find ourselves in this season.  The combination of heat, dry air and a little wind can dry out young plants quickly.  As a result, we have to be ready with the water.

Unfortunately, every other creature in our area is ALSO looking for water.  This includes the raccoons that took to chewing on the irrigation header line.  They also took the effort to pull out all of the spigots from that line.  

I'm sure they can get through the fence if they really want it, but they'll have to pay with some discomfort.  Meanwhile, we've added a few water stations at the farm so creatures here can get something to drink.  We'll let you all know how that's working out.

And there you are.  The help we received brought motivation along for the ride.  We're still way behind and we recognize there is still some stress around that.  But, there is also hope.  And where there is hope, there is opportunity.  

Here's to taking that opportunity and running with it.

Popcorn and Peer Mentorship

There is a bag of Blue Gate popcorn sitting in our kitchen.  I was thinking that maybe I should put it away, but I decided not to because it reminded me of some people who have been "game changers" for us and our farm for some time now.  It made me feel good to know that they care enough about our well-being to listen when we need someone to hear, be there when we need someone to be present, and provide skilled hands when our own are not sufficient to the task.

And the beauty of this arrangement is that we are always willing to do the same for them.

BGF, Scattergood & GFF

The Genuine Faux Farm (our farm) has participated in this group since the beginning, along with Blue Gate Farm and Scattergood Friends School Farm.  Our good friends at the former Grinnell Heritage Farm have since moved to Virginia to manage a farm there, but they are still very much an important part of our group.  And our friend that once ran Wabi Sabi Farm has also moved to another job, but is always welcome too!

Prior to formalizing this group, we periodically ran into each other at Practical Farmers of Iowa conferences or events.  During one of those conferences some of us discussed how isolated we felt most of the year - especially during those moments when our farms required so much of us.  A proposal was made that the entire group would visit each farm once during the growing season (one per month).  We would provide skilled hands for two to three hours and then we would all share a meal.

 

It ended up being the best farming decision we made for the Genuine Faux Farm.

GHF now in VA

 

This past Sunday, our group of friends came to the Genuine Faux Farm to help us try to get a foothold on our 2023 growing season.  Some of our group were there in spirit, but distances were too great to attend physically.  Life changes, but friendships endure.

In any event, the popcorn still sits out where we can see it because it reminds us that our friends were just here.  And that has value, as does the work they did during their brief, but appreciated visit.

While we are still far behind where we wanted to be at this time in our planting, we now  see hope that we can make progress.  We were both unsure that anything could get better at this point, but now we think we might be able to make some things happen.  We needed our friends to ground us a bit and give us a boost.

And they did.

 

A few years ago, I read that some folks call this a "peer mentorship" model.  We entered into the relationship with different strengths and weaknesses, but we all had some commonality in what we were trying to accomplish.  It's been a joy to watch ideas move from one farm to the next, getting manipulated to fit a slightly different operation.  Sometimes the idea takes root and becomes a mainstay.  Other times, it keeps getting altered as situations change.  But it is still evidence of respect and a shared desire to improve.

 

Whether you want to call this peer mentorship or not, it works for us and these farms.  We hope that you, too, can find your trusted peers.

 

Have a good remainder of your day and a fine week to come!

Struggles at the Genuine Faux Farm

I was looking forward to the 2023 season at the Genuine Faux Farm - no, really, I was.

This was supposed to be the season that we would be given the opportunity to figure out what we could reasonably do on the farm given our "new realities."  I realize these new realities are not so new anymore since I recently celebrated my third anniversary of taking employment with the Pesticide Action Network.

Those of you who read this blog do not also live my life, so it might help to recap so you can have a hope of understanding what I am trying to say here.  When I took the PAN job in April of 2020, Tammy and I knew it would require that we change the scale of our farming operation.  We were going to go from having me full-time, Tammy part-time and other workers during the summer to just the two of us part-time.  The number of available labor hours was going to be a tiny fraction of what it had been.

Needless to say, that year was a year of transitions as we did our best to figure it all out. It didn't help that the pandemic was adding extra limitations to what we could do and how we could do those things.  We really did NOT expect that the 2020 farming year would be a banner year and we were ready to struggle with some disappointment and changes to our expectations.

The next year was, actually, a bit worse because of my kidney cancer diagnosis and the removal of that kidney in late April of 2021.  More transitions.  More struggles to figure out what was possible and what was reasonable to expect for production at the Genuine Faux Farm.  Then, 2022 came along and it was Tammy's turn to deal with a major surgery - having to have an Achilles tendon reattached in the late Spring.  

In short, we really did not have much of a chance to figure things out either of those two years because we were simply working to get through recovery processes and return to health.

Our stamina for farm work is already much less than it was and our responsibilities for each of our off-farm jobs have grown over the past three years.  Already, the stage was set that we (mostly I) needed to adjust our expectations yet again.  But still, I was looking forward to an opportunity to not ALSO be going through the hard work of recovery at the same time.

Well, guess what?  It turns our that our assessment that the Covid-19 virus would be a bad thing for small-scale, diversified farmers to contract was correct.  Unlike other colds and illnesses, we couldn't just work through it.  And while we are recovering, we still struggle with stamina.  It set us back when we were ill and it isn't letting us catch up after we are supposedly "done with it."

So, here we are in 2023 trying to deal with disappointment that so few things have been done and we're trying to figure out what we can catch up with and what we have to let go.  

The good news is that we did get the onion plants in the ground and the drip lines are set.  This year, we decided to go with single rows so that we can use some different cultivation methods.  So, we have a success.  Here's hoping we can build off of this one so we can get others to go.  The problem is, we usually only have enough in us to accomplish one of these things a day - at a time when we need to be completing a dozen or so of them during each rotation of the Earth.

But that's the way it is and we'll adjust - because that's what we do.  I wonder what I'll see when I look back on the season in November? 

I suspect there will be an onion crop somewhere in there.

Murphy Tours the Farm

Murphy made sure that the farmers provided breakfast first, as Murphy always does - each and every morning.  She has learned that an effective Farm Supervisor (cat) must keep their energy up if they are going to keep the farmers on their toes.  

It is becoming clear to us that Murphy is going to be a smaller cat once she is fully grown.  While she is still a kitten there are signs that there might not be lots of physical size to be gained.  We've noted for some time that the tail and the head are a bit small for the rest of the body.  Now her proportions are... well... proportionate.  In other words, she has graduated to the status of "mini-cat."

The weather has become suddenly - and almost startlingly - pleasant, encouraging us to head outside to do chores and other farm tasks without jackets and coats.  We were even able to move onion,lettuce and other hardier seedlings out to the high tunnel over the weekend.  

On our farm, this is actually a momentous occasion that is met with gladness and resignation.  The positive vibes have to do with a growing season that is beginning to look truly possible.  And it's so much easier to care for the plants in the high tunnel than it is when they must be in our basement growing area.   The resignation comes with expanded responsibilities for the humans...  we won't speak for the Farm Supervisors.

Actually, our Farm Supervisors, going all the way back to Doughboy and Cubbie, have always seemed to like having the farmers out and about more often.  It might be the fact that they get more attention.  It might be that they, too, are also appreciating nicer weather.  I think it isn't hard to see how Spring weather might also be appreciated by our feline contingent at the Genuine Faux Farm.

Murphy, on the other hand, is finally getting the license to explore the farm in more detail.  Up until recently, she has resided closer to the farm house - bouncing back and forth between the Poultry Pavilion and the house.  During the worst weather, she's been in the basement of the house, of course.  Otherwise, she pretty much sticks close to our highest traffic areas, which are the paths that lead to and from anything that has to do with the hens. 

Even during those moments when I have taken a walk around the outside of the farm, Murphy has had some self-imposed limits as to how far out she would go.  This Monday was different.  She followed me out to Valhalla when I watered the seedlings that were there.  Then, she went with me to visit Crazy Maurice, the Weeping Willow (you can see her by the base of the pole in the picture above).

Maurice is awake and was actually pleased to meet Murphy.  You can see some evidence that Crazy Maurice is breaking his slumber by the nice yellow color we see from a distance.  But, if that is not enough, we found the buds swelling on his branches too.

According to the Old Oaks on the south side of the farm, Crazy Maurice is a positively hasty tree that is too willing to speak to non-trees - including farmers and, apparently, Farm Supervisors.  Although, there has been evidence that the Oaks are probably more fond of Maurice than they let on - but that's a story for another day.  After all, this post is supposed to be about Murphy - as she just reminded me a few minutes ago.

Crazy Maurice was actually pretty impressed with our littlest and newest Farm Supervisor.  There seems to be a gentle soul inside the body of this zippy, pouncy, little fur ball.  We've noticed it, and so did Maurice. 

Yes, she does take running leaps at Inspector and Soup.  Neither of the other cats like that much.  But, when she does make contact, it is actually pretty tame.  It's the difference between flag football or touch football versus tackle football.  She'll pounce and "tag" the other cat and then bound away.  She'll also back off if either Soup or Inspector turn and tell her with a hiss or grumble that this is not the time for it.

Probably the most humorous interaction thus far has been Murphy waving both paws in the air in front of the Inspector while he put a single paw up and waved it at her once.  Murphy then spun and bounded happily away.  It was almost as if she was celebrating getting the big lug to "play" a little bit.

Murphy is learning to test soil temperature and to determine if soil is workable.  The picture above shows her testing out an area in the plot we call "Middle Earth."  By my test, the soil temperature is still pretty chilly, but the soil moisture is about right to work it if we wanted to.  Murphy's conclusion on the other hand was that this process was interesting for only a moment.  

Then it was time to bound back to me and try to dart between my feet as I walked to the next location on the farm.

Murphy was also involved in this morning's farm tool inspections.  She's still a kitten, so her attention span wasn't really sufficient to complete any individual task.  But, I was pretty surprised by her willingness to involved in the entire farm walkabout.  Perhaps in the future, she'll decide she won't need to accompany the farmer everywhere he goes on these walking tours.  Or maybe, she will.

There's still plenty of cat to grow into.  It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.

Reaching the Potential of Early Spring

I took a quick walk around the farm yesterday with the knowledge that I could not spend much more time than that outside.  Such is my life now that I work full-time for Pesticide Action Network.  I have to ration my farm time and actively seek a balance between both jobs.  I tell myself that it is still early and that there are many things that have to wait a while yet.  But, I know the truth.

This period of time before things start greening up and growing is one of the best times to clean things up and get the preparations done that will make the growing season that much easier.  Now is the time to rediscover fence posts that were left where they shouldn't be and to free up things that I allowed weeds to grow around last fall that I need to have access to soon.  There is this beautiful window of time where it is warm enough to do the work without being bundled up to the point where you have to turn your whole body to see to your left or right.  

It's even better because this hasn't been a super wet early Spring either.  It's dry enough that I can actually get everywhere I need to go without having to acquaint everything from my knees down to mud once again.

The trick, of course, is actually motivating myself to get out there and do the things that I need to do.  It's the same trick that I need to use to get my farm office work done - which is the same trick I need to use to keep getting my PAN work done.  

Now, if I could remember what that trick was, I'd be in good shape.

Foresight 2023 at the Genuine Faux Farm

The month of February serves as a tipping point for our farm most years.  This is when we have to move on from Farmer Delusional Syndrome and actually make the move towards what will actually happen at the Genuine Faux Farm in the coming year.  If we're going to plant onions, we need to start the seeds now and it won't be long before we need to start other plants if we intend to grow them.  If we're going to raise poultry, the chicks need to be ordered (especially this year with demand for chicks being high).

So, I thought this might be a good time to provide everyone with a farm report that outlines what we THINK we are going to do in 2023.  Of course, time makes fools of us all, so things don't always go according to plan.  So, take the plans for what they are worth - an honest attempt to try to come up with a reasonable set of goals for the farm.

One of those goals is for both of us to avoid a major surgery that makes it that much harder to accomplish anything on the farm (and elsewhere).

The egg (and veggie) email sales will continue

We will continue to offer eggs - and whatever other food products we have available - through our email list.  Deliveries will continue on an every other week basis, with periodic changes when other schedules dictate.  We will continue to make our quick delivery stops in Waverly and Cedar Falls as we have been doing for the past couple of years.

If you want to join the list, use the contact form at the right side of this blog, you may need to scroll down a bit to get to it.

The advantage of this approach is that we can still provide some of the food we produce at a reasonable price to people who have interest.  We can do this without the additional stress and strain that comes with the commitment of a CSA/farm share program, farmers markets or other such set ups.  Essentially, we offer it if we have it and people on the list order it if they want it.  

We are able to do things this way now because both Tammy and I have off-farm employment.  That means we are not under as much strain to make sales.  On the other hand, we are (and will be) under some pressure to get everything done, which is why the delivery windows are small and our product range is reduced from prior years.  We want to grow and provide good food to others, but we have to do it on a scale that is reasonable for the available time we have to give to that endeavor.

What are we growing?

Our first two goals are to feed ourselves and to successfully grow a couple crops for seed contracts with Seed Savers Exchange this year.  Beyond that, we will be growing some vegetables in larger amounts with the stated purpose of offering some of it via the email list and taking the rest to the food bank or other similar destinations.  We may opt to sell some things in bulk depending on the situation.  Additional goals include getting the expense and income sides of the farm to "zero out" and to provide quality food to people that need it while doing so in a way where we can stay healthy while juggling everything we are going to attempt to do.

In other words, we're going to try and let our ideals run the show this year and see where it gets us.

We'll focus on crops we like to eat and crops we like to grow - which only seems fair.  It's also a good way to encourage us to get out there and do the work!  So, we'll be growing beans, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, sweet corn, squash, and all sorts of other things.  We won't be growing garlic this year, which really seems odd to both of us.  We'll see how we feel about it as we approach the typical harvest time.  We just could not get a combination of time and energy to put our crop in this Fall. 

Our growing areas will include our two high tunnels (Valhalla and Eden) and we will grow in approximately one quarter of the area we grew in during past years when the farm was a much more integral part of our income.  We have to continue to refine the farm to fit our current labor force - which provides many fewer hours of work than it did before. 

There will be poultry in motion

We've gone and done it.

We ordered turkeys for 2023.  Our first target for sales will be the Local Foods Connection, as it has been the last four or five years.  We think we will have one other bulk buyer and the remaining birds will be available for others - assuming there are any at that point.  This is one of those things we have to do to make the task fit with the limits on our available time.  Selling seventy birds to seventy different customers eats up a LOT of time.  Selling sixty birds to two customers and then adding a few sales beyond that to a much smaller group is doable.

We also ordered broilers for 2023, but will only do one batch starting in July this year.  Like 2022, we will not have the numbers of chickens for sale like we did in prior years.  But, we will have some - but they will not be available until the Fall. The argument for a later start is the recognition that we need to be working with the veggies and fruit in May and June.  If we add broilers, along with hens and hen chicks - and then turkeys during the earlier months, we can't get it all done.  So, we moved the broilers later in hopes that the adjustment gives us the ability to accomplish what we want to.

And, yes, we ordered new hen chicks - due to start laying in October or early November.  So, unless something drastic happens, we'll be offering eggs into 2024.

So, there's a summary of some of our 2024 GFF farm plans.  There is, as always, more than that going on.  But, if I told all of that to you now, what would I write in future blogs?

Have a good day everyone!

Difficult Growing Year to Review

 

Usually, once I get to the end of November and the beginning of December, I am spending time evaluating the year's growing season.  I am finding this year to be a difficult one to assess.  For one, I don't really have much for records - and that includes pictures.  And for two, this year is probably better assessed in terms of non-crop growing measurements because we did not really do all that much for crops this time around.

I recognized that our "not all that much" might be viewed as "entirely too much" by some.  But, in comparison to prior years, we did, in fact, grow very little produce.  Most of our farm production came in the form of eggs and poultry - and even that was reduced.

On the plus side, most of the crops we DID plant and see to completion produced at levels that were at or above normal expectations.  Our production of winter squash was on target and the quality was a bit higher than average.  We grew them expecting that the Thelma Sanders acorn squash were going to be purchased by someone in particular, but that pretty much did not come to fruition.  That's ok, the NE Iowa Food Bank got some excellent product they needed.

The tomatoes and peppers and peas and beans and lettuce in the high tunnel did just fine this year.  I do admit that we did not really give any of that our all this year in large part because there just wasn't enough of us to go around with Tammy laid up for a significant chunk of time.  The real winner was that we did a very good job of freezing and canning food so the farmers themselves would eat a healthy and diverse batch of veggies and fruit this Winter.  We really should not discount the real value this has for us.

In addition to the veggies, we were able to harvest some apples - though it wasn't a great year.  Tammy got to eat some raspberries when they were ripe.  We acquired and canned a bunch of peaches.  And, we raised broiler chickens and turkeys so we would have that protein in our freezers too.

And if there were some things we did not manage to grow this season (I'm looking at your onions), we happen to know some other small-scale, diversified growers that we can buy it from.  It's a good thing.

Perhaps the best thing about this past growing season and the fact that we were not fully dedicated to growing and delivering all kinds of produce every week was that we have been able to address things on the farm that have really needed addressing.  

We finally filled the hog manure pit that has been filled with eight feet of water since the day we arrived.  Now we can move forward with making the Poultry Pavilion safer and even more useful than it has been previously.  

We also put in a new sidewalk to get to the house.  This, and the new gravel for the driveway, turned out to be critically important improvements.  Especially when it came to making our home a bit more accessible for Tammy as she went through rehab.  Those of you who know our farm and have been here know exactly why that is.  It was not that long ago that the sidewalk was uneven and mostly sunk below the surface of the nearby sod.  The back steps were precarious and wobbly and the door was marginally secure.  That has all been upgraded now - just in time.

What things were before was marginally acceptable if you had no mobility challenges.  Let's leave it at that and simply accept that the improvements were necessary and beneficial.

Now we're looking at next steps.

One of the things that is different during this phase of the Genuine Faux Farm is that both Tammy and Rob are working off the farm.  We are exchanging our time for money that we then exchange for labor and skill that have made these improvements possible.  Of course, that doesn't mean we haven't been involved in these processes at some level.  But, the reality is, we have this window to make some capital improvements to move the farm forward.

Another thing we've been doing is trying to find homes for tools and assets that no longer fit what we do.  The return on those things also help us fund forward movement.  It's a big puzzle and we're trying to piece it all together.  So, while this past year doesn't feel like we have much to report in terms of our 2022 farm production, we can say that we are feeling some momentum returning.

And that, my friends, is a good thing.  Thanks for reading and have a great remainder of your day.

Miss it - Sort of

Just a few years ago, we were still doing the Farm Share CSA program.  That meant that I had shares to deliver twice a week for 36 to 38 weeks of the year.  In addition, there were egg and other sales the rest of the season. That meant that it was typical for me, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, to hook up a cart to Rosie, the tractor, grab a batch of harvest containers, some tunes, a clipboard and a scale - and go out to harvest whatever was ready (and needed).

Of course, Fall usually meant there were additional harvest tasks that had to occur on the other days.  So, nearly every September day had some sort of harvesting going on.

Like all things of this nature, there was a certain amount of stress that came along for the ride.  Would there be enough of each crop so everyone could get a nice share of it?  Will the quality be up to my standards so I could feel good about what I was providing?  Could I get it all done so that I could clean, pack, load and go - in time?  The answer there was that we were often late during September because my helpers had all gone to their various schools.

The days are getting significantly shorter, but the work could still fill a July day's sunlit hours.

Over the last couple of years, I find that I am having trouble just finding time and energy to do farm things.  But, when I do, I am reminded that I do enjoy the harvest.  Especially, of course, if it is a reasonably good one.

But, I am also pretty sure that I don't have the desire to go back to the way it was either.

So, here we are again.  Looking for balance.  How much of this can I set myself up to do in the future so I can still enjoy the harvest... until I cross the line into being stressed by having too much of a good thing?

This year, we had a nice acorn squash, watermelon and pumpkin harvest.  Several other things have done fine.  And others - not so good.  But we do have more data to consider so we can keep working on finding the answer to the eternal Genuine Faux Farm question.

How much is the right amount of "much?"  

Well, we know one thing for certain.  Next year will be different.

Again.

Weekend Warrior...er...Farmer

As the daylight hours become less and less each day, the amount of time I can spend outside to do farm work almost disappears.  With a full-time job with Pesticide Action Network, I find myself working for them during the best hours of the day for things like... oh.... harvesting squash.

The net result, of course, is that the weekends are are now made for things like... you guessed it... harvesting squash.

So, guess what Tammy and I did on Sunday?

What? How did you know?

Can guess how many pounds of squash are in these tubs?

I mean, no - really?  How did you guess?  Did someone tell you?

I did?!?  When?!?

You mean you didn't fall for the double misdirection ploy where I actually tell you what I did by implying that I needed to do it on the weekend and then hoping you would think it couldn't be that obvious and you would guess something else? 

Oh, you noticed the pictures....  Never mind.  I guess I'm not as clever as I thought.

Or maybe I am tired from harvesting squash.
 

Ok.  Since you all outwitted me and guessed that we harvested squash on Sunday, maybe you can show me how clever you really are by guessing how many pounds of squash are in that SECOND picture -  the one with all of the green tubs stacked up in our Truck Barn?

There are 18 containers.  Seventeen are full of Thelma Sanders Acorn Squash (like those shown above) and the 18th is full of Burgess Buttercup.

None of the pumpkins or watermelon are in those containers.  But, I can tell you that the largest pie pumpkin weighed in at 31.8 pounds.  

Feel free to put your guesses in comments here or as replies to our social media posts.  Or you can send us an email using the from at the right of our blog.

Have a good day all!