If you were hoping for a well-researched blog post, search on.
The Scrambled Egg Edition.
Many gardeners got an early start this year because of the unseasonably warm spring. My garden is actually far behind others I’ve seen around here! Plants that like summer are doing unseasonably well; and plants that like a longer, cooler season — well, not so much.
Throwing compost down earlier this Spring.
Not only has it been hotter than usual, but also quite dry with a nearly constant wind, which is a bad pairing; and when you don’t have an irrigation system in place it hurts. We’d like to rectify this conundrum by the end of the year by soliciting for donations to kick-start our budding business. Ever heard of kickstarter.com? Yeah! So, once we have made a fancy little video describing our endeavor, we’ll start a kickstarter project.
The most needed elements to our operation right now are a) a greenhouse, b) a substantial washing area and walk-in-cooler, c) a drip-irrigation system, and d) a BCS walking-tractor. I can even do without the tractor, but the other three things are needed to bring us to the next level — that is the level that allows us to devote most of our time to the business, and actually making a living on it! So keep us in your prayers.
The honest challenge right now, and how we’ve adjusted our plans.
We fully accepted our current reality even before it happened. Soon after getting married in July of 2010, my wife Sorena and I immediately began looking for a house and some land to start our little operation, and in October we found something that worked. I had just finished a full apprenticeship at a nearby CSA vegetable farm, and was ready to put everything I learned to the test. My personal goal was to have a CSA started in the second year. Then along came a Madalyn. So we had to adjust and slow down our growth to accommodate the needs of the new baby. Instead of selling through a membership-based program, which requires more devotion, more organization, more experience, and more time, we decided to continue selling at a small farmer’s market instead. It’s called KC Organics and it’s located near Red Bridge Road and Holmes in Minor Park in south KC. Here’s the website. We’ll be going to market within the next few weeks.
Of course I could have just got a regular job and saved some cash, and after an extended period of time we could retire and grow old on a farm and have a nice place for future grandchildren to visit.
Barf. No way! Farming is what I love! Sorena and I like the lifestyle. We like the fresh food. We like the sense of community that is created around small farms and good food. We like the idea of teaching Madalyn and her future siblings the value of sweat equity and a good days work, helping to support the family. I could go on, and on, and on … In the end, farming is just what I love. I love growing vegetables and being outside in God’s creation. It’s a struggle; but as friend reminded me, it’s easier to steer a ship when it’s in motion. Keep that in mind.
The Pests
I normally try to make a concerted effort not to complain about the weather and the bugs because this is part of a vegetable farming operation, and we learn to deal with it. However this year has been extraordinary, and it seems to be following a pattern of a climate that is verifiability changing, compared to what we’ve been used to for many years. If you follow me on Facebook, you’ve heard about our pesky rabbits. Those buggers can really do some damage. I’ve tried, and continue to try to catch them. Bring in the dogs! The flea-beetles are out in full force, and the deer have recently become curious again. They chopped off the tops of half a bed of beans last night. The moles are in the garden this year as well.
The gist: because of our mild winter (more like an extended fall), the pest population was not reduced as much as usual. As soon as the weather warmed up, they were ready to flourish. Also because of the lack of snowfall, the soil was never conditioned, as it usually is. It wasn’t nice and fluffy this spring. If we have more years like this ahead, farmers and local food eaters will just have to learn to adjust.
The Plants.
Another post will follow this one with a selection of pictures taken today!
Time to work off that gut!
-farmermatt
