RD summer 09 chronicle 01

Ciaran made his first trip to the farm about a week ago. Luckily, I chose a day when we had the good fortune to be witness to lots of Josh-on-tractor business, specifically, Josh laying down almost 20 rows of bio-mulch for tomatoes, melons, winter squash. Fun with big loud machinery!

...the fact of thinking about winter crops pre-June used to startle me some, but I guess after 7 years of farm-season scheduling, not so much anymore...

Ciaran, however, is startled and engaged with almost anything outside at this point. Earlier this spring, we had a crash course in birdology and we found the Cornell website to be fantastic for many indoor-birding pleasures:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1189

Baba and Joshers had to reel-in the monitor-watching, though. No more than 7 minutes in one sitting. But we got very familiar with red-wing blackbird, chickadee, blue jay, cedar waxwing, pileated woodpecker, goose, turkey, robin, cardinal, mourning dove, mockingbird, crow, gull..(also chickens ducks and sheep on YouTube). Ciaran has startled me all spring by identifying many of the birds we heard and saw online while walking down the street or playing in Leddy or Ethan Allen Parks, or even just in our parking lot or outside our window (many blue jays and robins).

Being able to go outside, though has made our computer searches for wildlife a thing of the past. Though some may think it odd or even crazy, I leased a small plot at the Starr Farm Community Gardens, and C and I do our thing there a couple times a week, just a quick jaunt down North Ave. So far we've put in morning glories, beans, zinnias, and are to plant corn, sunflowers, some tomatoes and husk cherries today. Whatever. It's nice to have a whatever garden.

Though, the farmy farm will quickly become The Place To Be. Plans for a children's garden are in the making, to include fun flowers and edibles in the landscape, shady spots, a water cooler, digging implements and insect havens. Of course, more birds.


But for the day, our work is done.

Farm Share

Wanted to say a brief word about NOFA's Farm Share Program, since this is the second year running they have supported us in helping someone who couldn't otherwise afford it, get vegetables from our farm. Um, I've basically explained the whole gist of the program. It's not complicated, just great. They even keep a little bank of donations made by our farm members to go directly to other people who want to become our farm members, then NOFA has paid the difference that cannot be met. Just one of the programs they organize, and if you haven't checked out their site, they organize lots of programs, for farmers, gardeners, and eaters of Organic food. Every year they also hepl organize small farms like ours into a bulk order to make thinks like chicken manure and cover crops more affordable.

OUR ROAD IS MUCH BETTER!!! - I also wanted to get that out there. I know this has been a deterent for people wanting to cut flowers, so I am excited that the ride will be less bumpy, and that it may help the farm be a more open space for everyone. We have already planted two beds of flowers, including tons of Zinnias and Sun-Flowers, cosmos, bachelor buttons, and more. I also am planning a little kids garden with husk cherries, a delicious little fruit each wrapped in its own paper lantern, so . . .