Pigs, Production Gap, Production Note, Vacation Cabin Rental, Veggies, Winter Stash, WP Migration

Lucky

Posted on by Farmer
WE FEEL BLESSED! We are still delivering CSA Shares packed full of veggies and are harvesting plenty of greens right now. We have great help on the farm and even though we have had a hot summer, it hasn’t been too awfully hot for the crops, and the creek continues to flow enough for irrigating our fields. Those farmers’ in Texas and other drought stricken areas have no water to irrigate with and in extremely warm places it has been much to warm for fruit to set on crops. WE ARE LUCKY…. We have been harvesting a wide selection of produce and all of it pretty tasty.  In addition, we just had our pigs processed so have a good selection of pork for sale.
Our crop loss this season has been mounting up: (1) potato crop failure, (2) mice eating pepper, eggplant, summer squash and melon sprouts resulting in low yields (3) Tomatoes dying exceptionally early in the season after succumbing to leaf mold, (3) Onions being overtaken by nut sedge resulting in crop loss and low yields, (4) Loosing half our sweet corn crop to raccoons. (5) Loosing a good portion of our garlic and peppers to Fusarium. (6) Cucumbers have not produced in the greenhouse nor field.  In the past, we grew a great crop of cucumbers in the greenhouse, but have not had success the last couple of years which is probably due to the heat.  Probably the most accumulated crop loss we have experienced in years, but nothing compared to what others around the USA and world are experiencing, so for that we are thankful.  Winter might be a little financially tight, but it has been for the past couple years, mostly since when we had winter employment.  We are mentally prepared, and feel fortunate to have a roof over our head, all the food that we need, plus wood heat to keep us warm.
Read what these farmers’ in Vermont have experienced this past season and they still want to farm!  We feel so LUCKY for not having to endure what they have this season.   Perhaps they should also consider a Farm Vacation Rental Cabin (a.k.a. Crop Insurance) in with their production mix.
What have we been doing these past few weeks since our last journal entry? In between weeding and hoeing the fall crops, transplanting more fall crops, direct seeding even more fall crops, and harvesting and packing produce for both the CSA and markets.  We are extremely happy to report that we have also been preparing our fields for seeding our cover crops. Finally – after removing irrigation pipes, black plastic landscape fabric, drip tame, flail mowing, then disking the fields – we were able to seed our first bit of cover crops.  Cover cropping is a very important aspect of any farming operation. Thanks to the farm crew for the photographs.
Preparing to smoke our hog side meat by first starting a fire in the smokehouse. We are using hickory and apple for flavor.
Preparing to smoke our hog side meat by first starting a fire in the smokehouse. We are using hickory and apple for flavor.
Our hog side meat inside the smokehouse. We can’t leave the door open too awfully much or we loose a lot of heat. Notice the smoke surrounding the side meat producing such a wonderful aroma as the meat is smoked. The side meat is from Peter, Paul and Mary.
Our hog side meat inside the smokehouse. We can’t leave the door open too awfully much or we loose a lot of heat. Notice the smoke surrounding the side meat producing such a wonderful aroma as the meat is smoked. The side meat is from Peter, Paul and Mary.
Smoked side meat, also known as bacon, looking and smelling so DELICIOUS!
Smoked side meat, also known as bacon, looking and smelling so DELICIOUS!
Thermometer used for monitoring our smokehouse temperature and the internal temperature of our meat. It is very difficult keeping a steady temperature in the smokehouse with a wood fire. The temperature in the smokehouse constantly fluctuates.
Thermometer used for monitoring our smokehouse temperature and the internal temperature of our meat. It is very difficult keeping a steady temperature in the smokehouse with a wood fire. The temperature in the smokehouse constantly fluctuates.
Cooking the bacon that we made using the smoker.
Cooking the bacon that we made using the smoker.
Our first BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato) sandwich in a very long time – I would say probably in 40 years – and it was just as delicious as what is instilled in my memory.
Our first BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato) sandwich in a very long time – I would say probably in 40 years – and it was just as delicious as what is instilled in my memory.
Carl studying for the plumbing test so that we will be able to do all our own plumbing on the Farm Vacation Rental Cabin saving us some of our hard earned money.
Carl studying for the plumbing test so that we will be able to do all our own plumbing on the Farm Vacation Rental Cabin saving us some of our hard earned money.
Tractor and Disk used for preparing our ground for seeding cover crops. We first flailed mowed our spent crops creating mulch. Then we used the disk to loosen the soil so that the cover crop seed has a better chance of coming into contact with the soil. On some of our farmland, that which we sow before early October, is seeded with a tri-culture of hairy vetch, winter rye and crimson clover.
Tractor and Disk used for preparing our ground for seeding cover crops. We first flailed mowed our spent crops creating mulch. Then we used the disk to loosen the soil so that the cover crop seed has a better chance of coming into contact with the soil. On some of our farmland, that which we sow before early October, is seeded with a tri-culture of hairy vetch, winter rye and crimson clover.
Getting ready to load our winter rye cover crop seed into the baltic spreader which is the implement used to broadcast the seed onto our fields.
Getting ready to load our winter rye cover crop seed into the baltic spreader which is the implement used to broadcast the seed onto our fields.
We purchase organic cover crop seed. Organic cover crop seed is much more expensive than non organic seed but we use it so that we are in compliance with the NOP (National Organic Program) standards.
We purchase organic cover crop seed. Organic cover crop seed is much more expensive than non organic seed but we use it so that we are in compliance with the NOP (National Organic Program) standards.
Winter Rye loaded in the spreader.
Winter Rye loaded in the spreader.
Carl broadcasting winter rye onto the field. We are seeding about 2 and 1/2 acres this go around. We have about 6 additional acres to seed in cover crop within the next month.
Carl broadcasting winter rye onto the field. We are seeding about 2 and 1/2 acres this go around. We have about 6 additional acres to seed in cover crop within the next month.
Hairy Vetch in spreader with an inoculant dusted over the top. The inoculant, a rhizobium bacteria, will infect roots forming nodules, to help the vetch fix nitrogen in our soil. This is broadcast in the fields.
Hairy Vetch in spreader with an inoculant dusted over the top. The inoculant, a rhizobium bacteria, will infect roots forming nodules, to help the vetch fix nitrogen in our soil. This is broadcast in the fields.
Once the rye and vetch are broadcasted, we then lightly disk in the cover crop seed, hoping that it makes good contact with the soil, which aids in germination.
Once the rye and vetch are broadcasted, we then lightly disk in the seeded cover crop seed, hoping that it makes good contact with the soil, which aids in germination.
Carl spreading crimson clover with a hand spreader. Danielle is walking along to get a feel of the speed one must walk to have the clover spread evenly across the field. We seed clover last using a hand seeder, because the seed is so small, we don’t bury it with the disk and prefer a good rainfall to set the clover seed into the soil for contact with the earth and hopefully good germination.
Carl spreading crimson clover with a hand spreader. Danielle is walking along to get a feel of the speed one must walk to have the clover spread evenly across the field. We seed clover last using a hand seeder, because the seed is so small, we don’t bury it with the disk and prefer a good rainfall to set the clover seed into the soil for contact with the earth and hopefully good germination.
Danielle seeding Crimson Clover.
Danielle seeding Crimson Clover.
Tony seeding Crimson Clover.
Tony seeding Crimson Clover.
Justin seeding Crimson Clover.
Justin seeding Crimson Clover.
Friend or foe? Harmon and Kaiser.
Friend or foe? Harmon and Kaiser.
Production Note To Self: (1) Add field cucumbers back into our planting with each succession of squash because our greenhouse crop has not been successful. (2) Add a late fall succession of cucumbers for greenhouse production.
Farmer

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