Yeah Daddy's all round for the Opalco crew!. Their bucket truck and skilled staff saved the day. What an amazing vehicle. Big thanks to Pat Plaister from Clearview tree service too and Mr. Ted Emery, and also to the Maple Rock Farm crew for covering for me for the market harvest. You guys all rock! Could'nt have gotten the job done without all the help. Thank you. Actually we did not finish the job but at least we got all the branches off and chipped and now we just have to knock down the stubs. Feelin like I had a little kharma in the bank on this one. If i had had to cover the cost on this one it would have been close to $3000.00. Seriously, Thank you to everyone.
Today is market day. Lots of great produce and beautiful plant starts. It's looking like you could put your toms out now. It's a liitle cool yet but we'll be going for it here next week. Classic case of tough love farming. Live or die. We've brought you this far, now your on your own. Don't baby your plants too much, they'll never make it in the real world. Hmmm just like kids.
I'm outta here peeps, se you at the market!
John
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
What's The Haps
Today we are having to clean up a big mess that the windstorm left us. Three good size (50 footers) cottonwood trees toppled and are precariously perched in a group of smaller trees. This mess is all hanging over my walk-in cooler and power transformer and meter box. Not a project I'm looking forward too. But a Huge thank you to our power co-op OPALCO for sending out their crew and bucket truck. We'll make short work of it and not die in the process.
On top of that it's market harvest day. The variety is slowly increasing. We'll have salad greens, braising greens, rads, turnips, spinach, kale, chard, arugula and some beautiful adolescent head lettuce.
Hopefully we can get in a little field work too. There is lots of ground prep happening and transplanting and sowing continues. We mostly have the tomatoes installed in the hoop house's and hopefully the weather will settle down this next week and we can put in the outdoor toms. We'll be transplanting summer squash this week and we are sowing winter squash in pots now for transplant. We could sow direct but we simply are out of space at the moment. I've just tilled under a good bit of ground but it needs another 30 days before its ready to go.
Anyway, It's all good. Things are pretty much on schedule. Trying not to forget to keep on schedule is sometimes harder than it sounds. Always, there is so much to do. Along with harvesting, maitenance and field prep there is sowing, fertilizing, weeding, cultivating and keeping all of the tools, tractors and vehicles running not to mention paper work and keeping the cash flow on the positive side. I love it. Definately I have the best job in the world!
See you at market.
Farmer John
On top of that it's market harvest day. The variety is slowly increasing. We'll have salad greens, braising greens, rads, turnips, spinach, kale, chard, arugula and some beautiful adolescent head lettuce.
Hopefully we can get in a little field work too. There is lots of ground prep happening and transplanting and sowing continues. We mostly have the tomatoes installed in the hoop house's and hopefully the weather will settle down this next week and we can put in the outdoor toms. We'll be transplanting summer squash this week and we are sowing winter squash in pots now for transplant. We could sow direct but we simply are out of space at the moment. I've just tilled under a good bit of ground but it needs another 30 days before its ready to go.
Anyway, It's all good. Things are pretty much on schedule. Trying not to forget to keep on schedule is sometimes harder than it sounds. Always, there is so much to do. Along with harvesting, maitenance and field prep there is sowing, fertilizing, weeding, cultivating and keeping all of the tools, tractors and vehicles running not to mention paper work and keeping the cash flow on the positive side. I love it. Definately I have the best job in the world!
See you at market.
Farmer John
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Schooled
The crew and I attended a Farm walk this week at Hedlin Farms in LaConner WA. It's always a pleasure to see what other folks are doing out there. Over the years I can honestly say I have learned more from observing other farmers operations than any other activivity. Basically I walked away from this last farmwalk with mixed emotions. One, I realized that I have so much to learn. Two, I have learned alot.
I especially enjoy seeing larger operations. Size is subjective I suppose, the Hedlin's are farming about 400 acres. Much larger than us but not what I would call a big farm. Anyway, theres always something to learn from the bigger operations, especially in the tool dept. I was watching their crew transplant with a mechanical transplanter. uuhhhh, I will be buying one of these. No brainer, kinda makes me feel stupid for not already having one.
Very interesting greenhouse operation and racking systems. Tomatoes especially. They already have ripe tomatoes! So I don't have an inkling to do what they are doing there but definately saw a couple of tricks of the trade that we can apply to our operation.
Back at the grind here. We have have alot to catch up on, especially field work now that things are finally drying out a bit. We're getting the water flowing everywhere too. It's still cool out there but it's season on!
Take care,
John
I especially enjoy seeing larger operations. Size is subjective I suppose, the Hedlin's are farming about 400 acres. Much larger than us but not what I would call a big farm. Anyway, theres always something to learn from the bigger operations, especially in the tool dept. I was watching their crew transplant with a mechanical transplanter. uuhhhh, I will be buying one of these. No brainer, kinda makes me feel stupid for not already having one.
Very interesting greenhouse operation and racking systems. Tomatoes especially. They already have ripe tomatoes! So I don't have an inkling to do what they are doing there but definately saw a couple of tricks of the trade that we can apply to our operation.
Back at the grind here. We have have alot to catch up on, especially field work now that things are finally drying out a bit. We're getting the water flowing everywhere too. It's still cool out there but it's season on!
Take care,
John
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