This morning was one of those mornings that have me questioning the farming life. It was about 20 degrees when I headed out for the chores. Fortunately, I am prepared for such mornings with lots of warm clothes from long underwear to boots to hat and gloves. And the animals seemed no worse for wear,… Continue reading An Autumn Update
Year: 2013
This Week in Pigs..and more
We got the first freeze of the season two nights ago. That’s the end of the squash plants but we were able to have a least a short crop of yellow squash this fall. Now, we are into winter crops: greens like collards, kale and mustard and root vegetables including sweet potatoes and turnips. The… Continue reading This Week in Pigs..and more
What We’re Picking Now
Collards, mustard, kale, turnips and four kinds of sweet potatoes
Piglets!
Some video for your enjoyment:
Piglets!
I am writing this entry from the pig pen. And, I will be attending today’s board meeting from the same place. I declared this a “family emergency” and want to spend every minute with our first set of piglets. Ten adorable babies were born yesterday to Macintosh, our full blooded Tamworth sow. We knew she… Continue reading Piglets!
The Evil Wax Moths
I lost my second original hive, this time to wax moths. It had seemed to be doing well with capped comb and even some honey stores. But last Sunday, I found the first evidence of wax moths, including the moth itself. The moth lays eggs and the worms eat through comb and create cocoons. And… Continue reading The Evil Wax Moths
What We’re Picking Now
August 22, 2013 Watermelon, cantaloupes, snap beans, white corn, fresh eggs
Long Overdue Update
I know why farmers talk about the weather…because it is so important. A lovely long spring that produced wonderful peas and spinach turned into a wet early summer that washed out the squash crop, rotted the onions, and made it impossible to get into the fields to plant or weed. Things have gotten a bit… Continue reading Long Overdue Update
Taking the Bad with the Good
July has arrived, and the rain has finally stopped. An early tropical storm in June soaked the place and then it just seemed to keep raining. We lost the early squash and zucchini plants that had just started to produce. Some of my flower seeds came up (you can always count on zinnias!) but others… Continue reading Taking the Bad with the Good
Bee Journal
Checking hives has been on my to do list, but it’s been raining non stop since last Friday. Today, I finally donned the suite, fired up the smoker (I still need to work on that), and headed out to the hives. The first bit of exciting news is that I am pretty sure I saw… Continue reading Bee Journal