June 2011

June 3- Friday

Amanda, our third intern arrived yesterday and is housed in the big house while I try and get the larger of the two bedrooms on the second floor of the "residence" complete enough so that it is comfortable for the duration of her stay.  Though there is a great deal of planting and other tasks to perform, it feels good to spend a half day each day upgrading the residence and bringing it closer to completion. Once the room is in reasonable condition, with a carpeted floor, door, closets, bed, chairs, etc. then work on the bathroom and downstairs kitchen will commence with emphasis on the installation of a toilet and sink and door for the bathroom and then a clearing of a third of the ground floor for a communal kitchen/dining area.   Perhaps I'll even get a front door on- incomplete (uncarved and without stained glass and an insulated core) but operational.  I'm not certain if the barn swallows will go for the intrusion- we'll just leave it open during the day and hope it doesn't upset their comings and goings too much. 

Sunday, June 5

J and I created two more "tumuli" today- both quite large.  Many of our tumuli are chicken tumuli as we start with the burial of a chicken or multiple chicks.   We are still encountering predatory problems but are getting them in at night- the one we lost last night probably got out at 4 am and paid the consequences.   I won't allow that to happen tonight- or at any point in the future.  We had our first Sunday luncheon and meeting in the shade between vehicles in the gravel drive with lemonade, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, carrots,  and a couple of hummus and cucumber dips.  Worked out days off for June, July and August and discussed the work for the week to come.  J and I then went off and got a large slate chalkboard which we installed in the residence.  We will now have a central point of planning.  K and Amanda spent the day working together in the "triangle" beds weeding the Fava beans, leeks, harvesting the red lettuce heads and pulling all that had bolted, and finished with the harvesting and processing of Kohlrabi and Collard greens.   Tommorrow will start off as a morning filled with the planting of seedlings and some direct seeding before we get into bed building (Jonathan and I- he to continue on the sweet potatoe beds and I on the salamander earth figure for the artichokes which are crying out to be put in the deep earth mounds there.) and harvesting later in the day.   The repaired tiller should be back on Wednesday and will be a help to speed up tilling and planting.  I expect we will put about 2,500 feet of new raised beds into service this month.  Potatoes and corn will be next week.   Caught a small bright green snake and passed it around.  Quite friendly but glad to be on its way when I released it into some tall grass.

Monday- Harvest Day June 6

My father was a navigator-bombardier on a B-24 when the D-Day invasion occured.   He flew a total of 25 mission before retiring as a Captain at the old age of 23 to teach younger men how to fly in Ireland.   He appears on the cover of a Life Magazine which carries the caption "Navigator-Bombardiers of the 8th Army Air Force" or something like that.  I can spot him right away looking somewhat debonair in the crowd of men.    He never talked about the war and his experiences except perhaps once telling the story about how there raged a football game on the second floor of a bombed out building with a sardine can as the football and how one yound gent got carried away literally when he successfully caught a pass and flew out a window but was unharmed.   He went on to become an Air Attache and work in intelligence in various emabassies in Europe or at the Pentagon when we were stationed back to the U.S.  He never discussed the war though he had good friends in ex-German fighter pilots and his job was a silent experience for us his family members. He wore the uniform of a Colonel and smoke and drank alot.   When we were out at my grandfather's and uncle's farm in Kentucky I think he enjoyed being there.  I think he might have enjoyed farming though I'm not sure what he would think if he knew that I was now farming.   He is at peace now and I feel better too. 

June 8 

Howard's End CSA is a full service CSA.  Not only do we cater to our paying members but the local population of young bunnies and groundhogs have decided to join too.   I practically steppend on a bunny which was too busy chewing on beet greens to pay me any notice and I had to shoo it away which it acquiesced but only reluctantly.  The young groundhog was less fortunate.  it met its end, quickly.   I think we will be setting hav-a-heart traps and see if that helps.   Mowing should help the problem by removing the cover.  

June 11

Two hours of sleep last night due to friction with one of the interns and a fierce rainstorm that dumped 1 1/2 inches of rain and kept me in fear of finding dozens of dead chicks for one reason or another.   Following market and the successful sale of many pounds of broccoli among other things it is agreed that teamwork is the way to go.  Four farmhands equals two teams of two, or one of four or a threesome (when I am out picking up compost or something).  This way, there are far fewer chances for one on one confrontations.   A better social atmosphere is created and the work effort of all workers are increased with the comraderie.   No one is alone, facing a huge project that stretches for hours.  Everyone has to pitch in and a natural rhythm is established.  Time for a short nap. Then off to pick up the repaired tiller which as sat, until now, in the field since last year.  It is only useful for the final top tilling of any raised bed but that is where all the seed rests so it will be a great help and pick up the planting pace a bit. 

June 17

This weekend marks the final push to get caught up with crop plantings.  18 crops need to go into the ground.   Upon completion of this list, we will be in reasonably good shape and can change our focus over to field maintenance which is seriously lagging , harvesting and successional crop planting.  Though we are signed up for the August 6 farm tour, I'm still very apprehensive about the whole idea.  We have to make a final decision by the 24th.     Our cash flow is but a trickle and I don't expect much improvement until August.  In the meantime,  I will have to find ways to improve it.  One idea is to have a "Dinner at 8" near the end of July at the farm- under the stars.  This dining event will feature a "country-grourmet" meal for let's say, about 40 people (if I can get Valerie to agree to this number).  We would provide everything but the wine (??) including our own brewed beer (if we can get started soon enough), some liquors, an herbal gelato and some artisinal pizzas baked on site along with some main courses and a salad.  The pizzas necessitate the construction of a clay oven which can be done.  At $30 a person, I think we could net about $1,000 which would complensate us for all the produce, chickens, eggs and labor that will be demanded.   Another income source will be the local grass fed beef idea and what holds up the commencement of this project is the anticipated formation of a new local butcher in Spring Mills.  It is currently in a formative phase and I imagine won't become a reality until sometime in the fall at best.   I may have to contract the local commercial butcher if I can- I understand that they book well in advance.   A third financial cog would be the garden ornament business which I have designs for but have yet to implement.  All I really need to do here is clone myself (or better- someone larger and younger than I) so that I can get down to business right away.  In the meantime I will just have to wait until the planting and the other behind schedule jobs get some progress under their collective butts.    I do hope to have a few prototypes around and about for sale by the time the farm tour rolls around.   In the meantime,  I need to fix the lawnmower and hook up the hot water heater today so I can feel good about myself a little.

June 18  Market Day

Amanda and K accompany me to the market so that I can hop over to Greenmore Gardens CSA , talk about chickens during their "open house" and take a look at their crops.   We arrive fifteen minutes before opening bell but manage to get set up in time.   The two interns are in great spirits and end up running the show for the day while I sit back, rest and laugh at their  humorous dispositions.   By market's end we've done over $150 in business, made our distributions and head down to "Nature's Pantry" to pick up supplies for various pesto and hummus recipes we plan to make for distribution to the members this forthcoming Tuesday.   A large box of seed from Johnny's greets me at home which is a welcome sight and I take the rest of the day off once the truck is unloaded.  Just can't do anymore.  Tomorrow, Sunday will be a long day of planting and I am determined to get at least ten crops in.  J and K will both leave around noon for four days.  The hot water installation has failed for some reason.   I will probably need to hook up the pressure tank after all and consult a manual to see what else needs to be done.  I also have CSA accounting to do which I have thus far managed to avoid.   That will be a Sunday evening task.   I could sleep for a week.  

June 28 Market Day Evening.

The last time I remember, I was in the truck returning from the Saturday, Market, talking to Amanda about Dairy Queen and listening to her describe Peruvian eating traditions and their spiritual world.   Then I'm in upstate New York, exhausted as usual, working out a new budget which this time is based not on potential crops but on the value of each distribution that we've been making.  It makes more sense.  We have hit distribution number 16 for the year.  There will be a total of 40.  My estimation now, based on the distributions, time of year, emerging crops and value-addeds coming and a look back at the fall distributions, is that we will gross around $65,000.  Enough to pay the bills, remove $16,000 of the red from our books and have a little saved to get us through the 12 week break which begins mid-December and ends at the beginning of February.   With each drink, the Peruvians bless the earth and we are planning a Big Feast.  The 29th of July.  Places for 40 people.  An evening of merriment and fine country dining under the stars.   Time to firm up the menu planning.   Time to make the artisinal beer and build the artisinal clay oven for the artisinal pizzas that we will serve.  Time to get those damn artichokes into the Salamander beds.  Time for the Salamander to make its' presence known.  Time to bang the bend out of the lawn mower blade so I can cut more grass.   Time to do alot more planting. Time to start planting for the fall and time to mound up the earth around the leeks so that they will become fat and tender.   The interns are putting in longer hours.   I am told that yesterday K stood up in the field and exclaimed that she hated farming.  She kept on farming and both she, J and Amanda worked very late in the kitchen makeing Basil and Garlic Scape pestos, pizzas, and spinach hummus while M and Valerie made scone and pizza dough.  I arrived just at midnight and everyone were still in the kitchen though somewhat dazed and quiet looking.  I was a bit dazed myself having spent a ten hour day shingling a roof before driving the 5 hours to return.  Up at 7 (late!) and everyone pitches in to wrap things up and get the truck loaded.  I run off to a local market to purchase the odd vegetable, eggs and cheese from some of my amish friends to supplement what we already have.    The yogurt is no good due to a small error but we have extra so it doesn't matter.  The distribution goes well though I feel battered and jet-lagged.   The farm is coming together though and that thought will make this week a good productive week.   We will get the planting done and get some clean up and infrastructure work in too.   We will also try to get those pigs again this Friday.    Maybe build a giant See-Saw for them.  One on either end. I See this pig and Saw that one.   I'm thinking seriuosly about working up an outline for a farm radio show.    I wonder how the interns will do tommorrow.  I have a local "intern" candidate comeing to visit on Thursday.   Time to go to sleep.

One of the events that we will hold in 2012 will be entitled "The Central Pennsylvania Boules Championship" and will consist of a boule tournament naturally, a barbeque roast of our chicken, duck,and local pork and goat along with a large smatteing of vegetables.  The highlight along with the many boules courts that we will create (all over the farm- using unused bed rows and the flat area down at the residential area), will be the beer tasting.  I figure we'll make 6 different beers- an India Pale Ale, a Belgian Ale, a Chocolate Stout, and so on.  Everyone will be able to sample the beers and will get two or three bottles to drink as part of the package deal (so we won't be selling the beer at all), which might run $20-25 a person.  Maybe we could hire the Alleghany Ridge Runners to play music for a couple of hours.  I can't wait!