More planting...

Monday, Tuesday and today, Rita and the kiddos came out to help with more planting. On Monday, Bret, Cortnie and Garrett volunteered to come over in the mid afternoon to work up the gardens. Bret began tilling the front garden. We are planning that for perennials only, including rhubarb, asparagus, raspberries, strawberries and some day...blueberries. We might also get some old timey favorites in there like gooseberries, elderberries and some grapes. Cortnie and Garrett and I worked on cleaning up the garden waste from last season. I don't know if we were wise in not tilling up the land last fall like everyone else, but Nature doesn't do that in her gardens. So why should we? Some day, I'd like to figure out a no-till option for annual gardens, but I don't see how that's possible right now. Some day.

We picked up all the dried leaves and stalks and burnt them in the middle of the garden. The ash will help build the soil for raspberries. Andy took over rototilling the entire front garden and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

We also began laying down straw in the walkways in the back garden. We'd like to have them covered before the next big rain in two days, to minimize the washing away of soil. Cortnie and I also hacked away at some extra early thistles.

To date, everything we planted except carrots and beets have emerged. Actually, I think some beets are up as well. Carrots always take awhile.

On Tuesday, the whole family came out to help. The younger kids helped clean up the back garden by picking up all the dried stalks and putting them into two big piles. Bret worked on rototilling a large chunch of garden to work it up for future plantings. Cortnie watered our seedlings and the rest helped Rita plant more peas, spinach, beets, carrots and lettuces. We're going to have lettuces up to our eyeballs! Luckliy we'll have the on-farm store outlet and perhaps a farmer's market.

Today, just a few kids came with Rita to help finish planting the third and fourth rows with the same early weather crops. We look forward to a bit of a planting break and rains coming. It's been unusually dry this spring and with our heavy clay soils, we've been taking advantage to get as much in the ground as possible before we get doused.

The Last Two Weeks

I haven't logged in here nearly enough to catalog all the events in the planting calendar.

We finished planting the second row on Saturday, April 3rd and had plans to plant again the next weekend. However, this did not occur. On April 5th and 6th, we had rain.

April 7th we got 5 inches of snow.

April 8th the snow began to melt.

April 9th the snow was gone and we had off and on showers.

April 11th, a visit to the garden confirmed the sprouting of our radishes. Could not tell without closer inspection if anything else had germinated. Will wait until soil dries more.

April 12th we had rain again, lasting through the afternoon and into the next morning.

April 13th we had morning showers off and on, with a strong southern wind. Expecting to see more wind and sunnier days this week. Hopefull will be able to spread out straw for walkways and move the chickens this week. (Chickens will pick off anything that sprouts). So far, have them closed in the last two days in anticipation of being moved.

Last night, Rita ordered more lettuce and radish seeds, along with some more corn and peas for her family's needs.

On April 7th, we bought garden tools, a 100' hose and a large utlility wagon for Ethan and Elly's birthdays. But will be used all over the farm as well.

Planning continues in Omro for a full fledged farmer's market. We meet every Monday and will continue to do so until the kick-off weekend of Memorial Day.

First Planting!

Yesterday we planted our first row of crops. Two days ago, Rita and the kids came out and helped mark out six wide bed rows. We chose 3' wide beds in order to take advantage of growing space and utilize companion planting more thoroughly than last year. We look forward to the results of our efforts.

Yesterday we planted peas, radishes, beets, lettuce, mesclun, spinach, and cilantro. The children were a big help, with Isaac, Isaiah, and Gerret offering their planting and stick marking talents for the better part of two hours.

Below is a photo journey of yesterday's endeavor. Here they are planting Wando and Golden Pod peas along the pea fence. We learned shortly thereafter that the fence should have been more in the middle as reaching across three feet for the rest of the crops will prove taxing.

One of the row markers. Each row is about 40' long. When the crops are fully established, we will probably move the twine and fence posts.

Below, Isaiah and Gerret plant the last of the peas.

Above, Rita follows and covers the seeds under the fence.

Here, Andy and Bret deliver straw bales from several of the farm buildings. We had used them as winter insulation, but now they will be used for walkway mulch. This will cut down on weeds and soil erosion...hopefully!

Planting spinach in between our butterhead lettuces.

Hopefully today we will get started on a second 40' row. Look for a diagram of the early garden in the next few days. I have to scan it in yet.