Monday evening finds me with a smile on my face. I had a wonderful weekend with my mom and grandma, my sister went to the prom, friends came by to chat and help out, goals were accomplished, I ate too much..
I did have to cut off the ring that I've worn for 15 years or so. One swollen finger and Sheldon's snips later and I regained feeling! I planted seeds, harvested lettuce, moved the goats around, introduced the chicks to the outside world and dirt... I feel calm and yes, rather collected. Having my family here was so fulfilling and needed. I was surrounded by their sounds and laughter and love and I am reminded of how very blessed I am.
The garden is alive and green. Right now I'm harvesting lettuce, chard, and kale. The arugula bolted way too early to even harvest more than a few springs.. Soon to come are beets, radishes, onions, potatoes, and maybe a few peas if it doesn't get too hot too soon.. Or tomatoes if it does? The chickens have finished their short molting spell and are laying again. The bees are busy gathering nectar and I hope to gather their honey in a month or so. The baby chicks went out into the new coop yesterday and seem to be content and comfy.. Their first rains came today. Charlie and Butterbean are in the old portable chicken coop for now. They've figured out the electric fence.. again.. so I'm trying this for a while. They'll be moved around the yard every day to eat a rectangle of grass.. I think they'll get bored very quickly but it's worth a try for now.
The farmers market is coming up in two weeks and I have a lot of work to do. Yard sales yielded lots of baskets, a board for posting products and pricing, grandma brought coolers, table cloths, and aprons, and I'm on my way! I am very excited about the prospect but rather nervous at the same time.. I'm hoping I'll have enough to last three hours a week, but I'm thrilled at the opportunity and challenged by the idea so this too is worth a try. I will put out a list of available goodies a few days before the market. In the meantime, if you're in the neighborhood stop by! I have eggs, lettuce, kale, spinach, and chard available now!
Thank you Mike Gerken for this amazing image of Ms. Papa doing her thing!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
New Logo!
Thank you to Alan Joyner for creating my new logo! I'm looking forward to t-shirts, stickers, and business cards coming soon!
Monday, April 8, 2013
Crop Mob Spring 2013
The Crop Mob held on March 30 was a wonderful success! About 20 folks showed up to lend a hand with a multitude of projects. The hoophouse frame is up and ready to go, the pig pen has been cleared out and ready for the house to be put into place, the Two Bees sign is up, dirt was moved, wood chipped, weeds picked, bees checked, and a great time was had by all! It was so uplifting to see so many folks working together.. Some have been doing this for years while others just bought their first pair of gloves for the event! It was amazing to watch young and old learning from one another and to see such bright smiling faces! Thank you so very much to everyone that came out!
This Spring has been a bit "wacky" to say the least! At times, it felt more like January than March. The cold, rainy weather has really stalled seedlings.. my potatoes are just now coming up and those poor tiny seedlings are finally starting to take off. It seems the worst of the cold is behind us. Everything in the garden is finally coming to life and I hope to have my first veggie boxes out in a few weeks.
The bees have been VERY active lately. The three new hives that were put in a few weeks ago are doing well. One of my older hives is busting with bees. I checked yesterday and there are queen cells, which means they will swarm soon. I've got emergency lesson plans set up at school in preparation for the swarm that will surely come. I just hope I'm lucky enough to be around when it happens.
I had a little bit of that luck on Saturday. I looked up to see a huge cloud of bees. As it turns out, it was a swarm that settled right under a table near the hives. Pictures will be added soon.. I was able to capture the swarm and they are now in a nuc box close by. I'll check them in a week to make sure the queen is settled in and laying. So, lucky me, I now have 6 hives, and maybe 7 by the end of the week?
This Spring has been a bit "wacky" to say the least! At times, it felt more like January than March. The cold, rainy weather has really stalled seedlings.. my potatoes are just now coming up and those poor tiny seedlings are finally starting to take off. It seems the worst of the cold is behind us. Everything in the garden is finally coming to life and I hope to have my first veggie boxes out in a few weeks.
The bees have been VERY active lately. The three new hives that were put in a few weeks ago are doing well. One of my older hives is busting with bees. I checked yesterday and there are queen cells, which means they will swarm soon. I've got emergency lesson plans set up at school in preparation for the swarm that will surely come. I just hope I'm lucky enough to be around when it happens.
I had a little bit of that luck on Saturday. I looked up to see a huge cloud of bees. As it turns out, it was a swarm that settled right under a table near the hives. Pictures will be added soon.. I was able to capture the swarm and they are now in a nuc box close by. I'll check them in a week to make sure the queen is settled in and laying. So, lucky me, I now have 6 hives, and maybe 7 by the end of the week?
Crop Mob Photos
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