Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Getting Ready to Start Harvesting

Today we started getting all of our big washing and picking tubs ready for the upcoming harvest this week. We also washed the big plastic bags that we hold the washed and dried greens in for the market and home sales. I checked the field and will start picking and cutting greens tomorrow. We are going to the market on Saturday so its time to get going. Just have to wait for the rain to finish. It should be clear tomorrow, but cold. I'll need to break out the gloves and stocking hat. If I am able to pick enough this week, I will sent out an e-mail for farm sales. We'll see how much this first harvest yields. While it rained this afternoon, we went through the remaining peppers to see what was still good. We have lots of hot peppers, which seem to hold better and dry great. I am thinking of making some pepper vinegar to sale. Lots of people love hot vinegar with their greens.
Time to cook supper, fish and grits, then settle down on the sofa. It's good sleeping weather.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Raking leaves

Today was a great day to get outside and rake leaves. It was cold and partly cloudy early this morning, but by 11 am the sun came out. Instead of trying to use the leaf blower to get the leaves in rows, I used the riding lawn mower. I just raised the cutting deck to its highest position,turned on the blades and away I went across the yard. This worked great to get most of the leaves in rows and then I came back with my rake to finish raking everything nice and neat. I then collected the leaves onto a tarp and pulled them to my flower beds and spread the leaves as mulch. The yard looks much better. Leaves are still falling, but I plan to start topdressing all the flower beds with pine straw for that finished look.  Everything always looks so much better mulched and it sure helps keep down weeds. Mulch will keep the plants warm this winter and keep the work down next spring.

Selvin had to go to therapy this afternoon and then on to Lowe's to get the shelving units that we will be using in our market space. We have to redesign our allotted space in order to have enough room to set up our produce display. We will be returning to the All Local Market this coming Saturday. While he was gone, I watered all the plants in the greenhouse and raised beds and planted out some more scallions.  I have just one more pot of scallion seedlings to plant. Waiting for them to get just a little bigger.

Supper was the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers. Tomorrow I will have to cook something else other than turkey. It sure was good, though. We have now settled down in front of the fire. We'll both be asleep in no time.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Back to the Blog

Now that Thanksgiving is past and things are finally settling down a little on the farm, we hope to now do a little better with keeping up with the blog. As many of you know, Selvin has been laid up with a herniated disc in his back.
He is improving and is getting very antsy not being able to work. I keep assigning little projects for him and sometimes have to call him down for trying to over-do. Need to get him well because salad season will soon be upon us. Yes, there will be salad mix in about another week.

During the last month the log splitter arrived and Kirby, Matt (our son who visited us during Thanksgiving from Washington state) and I have split two nice big piles of firewood. We let Selvin help by working the lever to raise and lower the wedge.

The Swiss Chard plants, that I grew from seed in the greenhouse, have been planted in the field. Still have three more flats to plant, but I think I'll use some of the plants in my flower boxes for the winter. The plants are not only good to eat, they are also beautiful when planted with pansies and ornamental kale.  It will also be good to keep some in reserve in case of die-off with the cold weather coming. I have also started white and purple kohlrabi and broccoli plants for the early spring planting. The little plants are staying very toasty and warm on the heat mats and under the grow lights in greenhouse. The snow peas are also coming up in the side garden. Planted six rows about two weeks ago and will plant six more rows after the start of the new year. They will grow slowly during the winter months and then come spring will shoot up and be ready to harvest around late March.

Tonight we are enjoying a quiet Sunday evening by a nice warm fire. Nice to just relax and get ready to rake leaves tomorrow.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Digging Sweet Potatoes

It has been a real job the last few days getting the rest of the sweet potatoes out of the ground. With the rain last week, the lower part of the rows were very wet and sticky. The potatoes were also very deep in the ground. After much plowing, I think we have gotten most of them. Thanks to our friend, Darlene, for her help on Saturday afternoon. Selvin has not been able to do much work since his back injury. We finally found out that the trouble with his back is a herniated lumbar disc. Today he is feeling better and was able to sit in the warm sunshine and clean the potatoes as I dug them out. As soon as the inflammation and pain is under control he will have some physical therapy. The greens and lettuce continue to grow well, but I will have to replant some of the spinach. The hot weather caused some of it to "dampen off" and die. Looking forward to cooler temperatures.
Need some frost on the collards and then we can start harvesting and selling them. Maybe in the next few weeks we will have them ready to go. The broccoli crowns have been harvested and now the side shoots are forming.  The broccoli has been delicious. I hope everyone, who were lucky enough to get some, enjoyed it as much as we have.