I have been so busy around here that I have not felt much like posting lately. The whole world is freaking the fuck out while being completely manipulated and here I am with barely a difference in my daily routine. It has been a real eye opener though to become aware of all the people we know who would gladly tattle on others. It is sad really. Brings a new face to the concept of "trust" and makes me aware just how little we each know one another.
Friday we got our boxes of outdoor lights we ordered from Costco and I installed them around our yard. We now have 5 48ft long strings of 24 1watt bulbs lighting our yard at night. It is super nice and looks really good. I just have not been able to get a good picture of it. I could show it in daylight but it is not nearly as impressive.
Saturday I had a chance to load up the tree I cut up last year. It had topped itself in a wind storm and I bucked it but left it laying. Since I have been having a fire going everyday for over a month now I needed more debris to burn so I loaded the trailer as tall as I could and moved it all to the yard. The branches were burned by Monday evening and the rounds are all stacked in the wood pile to finish curing.
Since I have been burning so much I have been creating a healthy amount of ashes which have now twice been spread over the garden. Big shovels full swung around and flung out into the air and over the garden. I lost a fair amount of fine particulate to the air but a large amount of the ash is resting on the surface of the garden where the little rains recently have helped to settle it. It will be getting tilled in with the spent grain in the next few days.
Saturday morning I went north and picked up my 2 nucs of bees. The weather was cold, windy, and shitty so I put the nucs in my garden shed over night and then on Sunday once it warmed up I got them both into their hives. I have an order of Mite Away strips, Complete Bee, SuperDFM, and Pollen patties arriving today that will help me to ensure I have at least one hive make it through winter.
While standing by the fire Saturday night I was thinking about how I needed a way to organize my climbing gear in the gear shed. It was not hung well and was making the shed too cramped. I realized that I had the perfect thing in the yard, a wire roof rack from a vehicle that I was able to turn upside down and mount to the rafters. So Sunday I made quick work of the install and organized everything quickly. The gear is now all perfectly out of the way and nicely organized.
Monday I got my order of Praying Mantis eggs. I ordered 10 off Amazon but I received 12. When I went back to look at the order and track it I saw that they were sold out of what I ordered so likely I was one of the last orders, which might be why I got a couple extras. None the less I am super stoked to have them and am anxious for them to start hatching. I look forward to having thousands of mantis roaming the farm devouring all the pests. I have them all lined up on a piece of bark in a small cage while we wait for them to start emerging.
Tuesday I planted the first few rows for the season. This is my standard summer squash area and this year is the same. I have Astia, Raven, Ronde De Nice, and Chiffon summer squash planted and then 3 spots of Metki Armenian Cucumbers and 3 spots of Vine Peach Cantaloupe. This year will see a MUCH bigger variety of produce on the farm so we have the variety to eat let alone sell.
Our Cub pack master's aunt lives a half mile up the road from us and has a nice open and level area that is not being used. She is quite happy to have me using her land. Yesterday Willy had his tractor there to till her garden area and then he tilled up a 20x80ft area for me. I am going to be planting winter squash and corn. The winter squash since it takes up so much room with the vining and the corn since it doesn't grow on our farm due to light issues.
Once he tilled it twice to break up the grass turf I hauled up my fencing, plastic, and posts. I unrolled the plastic and covered the tilled area in hopes of killing off the grass with the heat during the next days. Saturday Willy might be coming down to the farm to pick up a load of sheep poo to spread out and till in for me.
So it is just another day in paradise. At least my paradise. The one that lets me do my thing and not have to worry or deal with the insanity of the world around me. Let the world fall apart and burn to the ground, as long as it is happening out there, I am good to keep growing my food, raising my children and my animals, and taking care of that which I have the power to change.
Fleming Family Farm
FLEMING FAMILY FARM, LLC
Sustainable & Organic Methods | Heirloom Produce
All images are original works of Fleming Family Farm unless otherwise notated and credited.
If you find this post useful or entertaining, your support is greatly appreciated by upvoting, following, and sharing!
Boy do I feel this sentiment. Yesterday, I spent an entire day composting, tilling, and planting potatoes in complete contentment and at times I almost want to feel a surreal sense of guilt for how my life is barely disrupted. I do have a lot of plants growing to give to others, so there’s that I guess.
You amaze me with your sheer volume of work accomplished skill, lol! I love getting nuc boxes, haven’t done that in years, I hope your girls are super productive for you:)
Well, gotta run, it’s time to transplant tomatoes in the greenhouse!
I tend towards not feeling guilt which is probably a character flaw. I find myself happily absorbed in my normal routine then walk inside and look at my computer screen and the world crashes back in on me.
It honestly feels like I don't get much done but then I do a post and see I have actually managed a good amount of progress on my projects.
You are lucky to have your green house! That is something I have been dreaming of for years and just haven't managed to build yet. Enjoy the nice warmth of the greenhouse!
Hey, I think being able to disconnect sounds wonderful! Not like a character flaw at all!
Sometimes it is nice to see just how much is getting done by looking at our posts, because there are definitely days that I feel like I am spinning my wheels, lol.
The greenhouse has been such a boon over the years, especially with our micro tiny growing season. I like actually getting to harvest tomatoes over a long period of time, and this year I'm especially excited because I put actual polycarbonate agricultural grade roofing on the thing! Not that I didn't appreciate the recycled glass, but it served its purpose over the last decade and had pretty much died a windstorm, snow, and climate induced death at this point. I hope you get a greenhouse of your own soon:)
@stryeyz and I were talking last night about doing something soon. I have a boat load of recycled windows and 3 4x8 sheets of used dual wall lexan. The hardest thing has been deciding where I can put it and not take up space in my main garden since that is where the sun is. I think have a good plan for it in my rock garden area since I have turned it into more permanent plantings.
Ah, excellent! My greenhouse side walls are just framed recycled windows and OSB, and I have to say, I love being able to slide open the windows for ventilation on hot days. Can't wait to see pictures of what you construct!
That is all I am looking at doing. Just frame in the windows and then roof it with the lexan. I will likely have to make all four walls windows though so that I can build it in the middle of a garden such that the elderberries behind would still get enough light. That will be a project for the summer most likely though.
Nice job!