Dear friends,
I am back for two weeks and I am sitting in my warm and cozy house. The first plant shelves are up and full off sprouting onions, peppers and lettuce. Still waiting for tomatoes and eggplants to crawl out of the layer of soil, gently covering them. Usually we are boiling a little maple sap into syrup by now and have the house cooking, good for sprouting seedlings. It seems a little later this year.
Kira has moved her bed to the window in her room and does not want to give up the window for the obligatory plant table of peppers later on. I was just about to put down my heavy mother foot, when Steve suggested that I could built a double layer shelf at the taller living room windows. (Peppers were the only plants she wanted in her room before, since she likes to eat them when the time comes). So I had fun making a new shelf. The shelves we had in the Log-house in the old days always shaded some of the lower shelf plants. So I made this taller, just to find out that I now need a chair to reach the flats closer to the window for watering. Since I am in total love with the fresh little green little seedlings, I don't mind climbing a little.
I am back for two weeks and I am sitting in my warm and cozy house. The first plant shelves are up and full off sprouting onions, peppers and lettuce. Still waiting for tomatoes and eggplants to crawl out of the layer of soil, gently covering them. Usually we are boiling a little maple sap into syrup by now and have the house cooking, good for sprouting seedlings. It seems a little later this year.
Kira has moved her bed to the window in her room and does not want to give up the window for the obligatory plant table of peppers later on. I was just about to put down my heavy mother foot, when Steve suggested that I could built a double layer shelf at the taller living room windows. (Peppers were the only plants she wanted in her room before, since she likes to eat them when the time comes). So I had fun making a new shelf. The shelves we had in the Log-house in the old days always shaded some of the lower shelf plants. So I made this taller, just to find out that I now need a chair to reach the flats closer to the window for watering. Since I am in total love with the fresh little green little seedlings, I don't mind climbing a little.
 New pepper shelves |  Pepper emerging  Carol looking for hay |
Last Friday was the first day above freezing since two weeks and I cancelled the tractor pick up by Leberge&Curtis and drove it the 2 miles myself. I had put on several layers, wind breaker pants, a hat, gloves and earmuffs for noise protection. Once I was passing open fields on the way it got windy and the sun hid behind clouds and I was glad that I did not have to go all the way to town. What fun though to have the first warm day and fresh wind blow around the nose. "Joan", the tractor went to the workshop to have roll over bar put on. That is a tall frame to protect the driver in case the tractor ever tips over. It can save a live or serious injury. I had tried to get one for "Henry" the old tractor, but could not get one that folds when driving into the barn. Joan is 20 years younger and there was a folding model for her. I got a grant from the National ROPS Rebate Program covering 70% of the costs. Some of my farmer friends in Germany had rolled their tractor when trying to switch gears on a down hill. Tractors don't have synchronized gears and it is hard to get it back into gear once out of gear and then they get faster and faster and when you have to turn they flip. I never switch gears on the down hill, but I had a few times where Henry mounted in the front because of heavy discs or a round bale on the back and going up hill. I had to lower the back hitch a low as possible or go backwards up hill with Henry. It is called" the point of no return" where the tractor will flip, no stopping it. Joan is bigger and heavier and stronger and it has not happened with her so far. And now I have the roll over protection bar. yeah!
The manure spreader is also at the workshop. It got a new chain with bars to move the manure towards the beaters. Joan can get the spreader back when the next warm day comes.
These are big expenses at the begin of the year. Thanks to the CSA model the bank account will fill back up soon when you sign up for your next CSA share.
If you sign up before March 15 you can get the $10 early bird discount. The info and application is attached. The Canton-Potsdam Hospital offers $100 toward a CSA for its employees. Low income families or singles can get bonus bucks aid from Garden Share. I don't have that application at this point, but will send it out as soon as I have the form. It has been 1/2 the costs in the past years.
Last year we had 45 summer/fall shares. We would like to get 60 shares this year. If you can help to find new members we will honor that with a $40 bonus at the market or bulk items (spinach, basil, beans, cucumbers or tomatoes or flowers when the time comes)
The cows are enjoying the sunny days basking outside. They get fed outside most the time to get them out. I just got seedy first cut hay that is not so nutritious. With that I can dry Carol off from milking so she can grow the calf for the next two month. We are down to milking one every 1 1/2 days and she slowed to 3/4 gallon per milking. Yesterday I noticed that some of the fence between the cow pasture and the gardens had fallen over. Fortunately the cows had not figured out to get into the gardens and with that to anywhere (they would prefer to go to my house). I spent some time to section off access to that field and also added more higher fencing to the cow feeding area as it had built up a hill from trampled snow and hay and the cows could almost walk over the fence. The cows seem save from escaping which is important as they get poor hay and will be moping and looking for better food until Carol is dried up from milking. We will keep you posted.
peace,
Dulli
The manure spreader is also at the workshop. It got a new chain with bars to move the manure towards the beaters. Joan can get the spreader back when the next warm day comes.
These are big expenses at the begin of the year. Thanks to the CSA model the bank account will fill back up soon when you sign up for your next CSA share.
If you sign up before March 15 you can get the $10 early bird discount. The info and application is attached. The Canton-Potsdam Hospital offers $100 toward a CSA for its employees. Low income families or singles can get bonus bucks aid from Garden Share. I don't have that application at this point, but will send it out as soon as I have the form. It has been 1/2 the costs in the past years.
Last year we had 45 summer/fall shares. We would like to get 60 shares this year. If you can help to find new members we will honor that with a $40 bonus at the market or bulk items (spinach, basil, beans, cucumbers or tomatoes or flowers when the time comes)
The cows are enjoying the sunny days basking outside. They get fed outside most the time to get them out. I just got seedy first cut hay that is not so nutritious. With that I can dry Carol off from milking so she can grow the calf for the next two month. We are down to milking one every 1 1/2 days and she slowed to 3/4 gallon per milking. Yesterday I noticed that some of the fence between the cow pasture and the gardens had fallen over. Fortunately the cows had not figured out to get into the gardens and with that to anywhere (they would prefer to go to my house). I spent some time to section off access to that field and also added more higher fencing to the cow feeding area as it had built up a hill from trampled snow and hay and the cows could almost walk over the fence. The cows seem save from escaping which is important as they get poor hay and will be moping and looking for better food until Carol is dried up from milking. We will keep you posted.
peace,
Dulli
