Farm update

Weather, poor planting signs, and a hectic schedule have kept us from planting. But hopefully this weekend we will be hard at work. 

Phillip planted onions early in the year or late last year and they are doing beautifully. It's nothing for him and the girls to yank one out if the ground, peel back the dirty layers, and chomp. I prefer my onions sliced and used in a dish...not raw. But to each his own!

One thing I didn't quite expect was how beautiful they are when they flower. We need to trim the flowering heads off so they will continue to grow bit before that I snapped a few photos. They remind me of birth. The flower pods tucked into the thin paper shell like a baby in the amniotic sac. And they delicately, beautifully, they break through and blossom. 

Adventure #37210 - Nashville

Oh Nashville! You are a cool city.

For three days I have been attending the Emma Marketing United Conference in Nashville. A little disappointed that Phillip wasn't able to join me but not overlooking the fact that I get to have some much needed/deserved time alone. No real routine, other than shower, coffee, get to conference.

This conference is one of the best I've attended. Emma HQ is an amazing/inspiring space. They have played host to an amazing line-up of speakers, and the attendees have had a great vibe, frenzied energy, and because we are marketers and communicators - mostly all extroverted. So meeting new people hasn't been very difficult.

And although we are probably some of the most connected people some great conversations have happened when the devices were out of my hands and getting recharged. That very thing happened yesterday - I sat down, a young women sat next to me and we asked the obligatory "where are you from? what do you do?" She said she was a writer, works for the Austin Farmers, market. I shared what I do and I think she then asked when I was due, eyeing my very visible baby bump. Turns out she and her wife are trying to get pregnant, her brother lives in Asheville, and a good friend of hers is interested in writing birth materials. So needless to say - we hit it off! She invited me to an an after party at an appliance store where she would be sharing some of her farm goodness and kitchen prowess.

Turns out the woman I was speaking with was Kate Payne author of Hip Girls Guide to Homemaking and The Hip Girls Guide to the Kitchen. I enjoyed a lovely evening with a small group of other women sampling homemade tonics, cheese, jam, and PICKLES. Perfect for a pregnant woman right? Kate shared her pickling knowledge with us and demonstrated how to prep a batch of pickled carrots. I now can't wait to harvest some from our garden this summer.

And all because I was disconnected, used my eyes and voice, to engage with another human being.

Adventure # 443 - Spring Planting Continues

The rain finally stopped and the sun shone a little bit yesterday. We had enough of a break in the weather to get our hands dirt, our shovels out, and our knee pads on to work in the garden and flower beds.

Sophie helped me do some of the weeding and watered after I planted. Emma helped Papa put in some topsoil and compost in the garden boxes and hoe the clumps out - in a pink tutu nonetheless.

Phillip worked on the berry patch today and planted three more apple trees yesterday. Just a few more days until we can plant the rest of the regular crops.

And we have compost to use on the big plots. A year + worth of saving our food scraps has proven to be very worth it! :)

Adventure #2620 - Spring Planting

Per the "rules" in March the weather is unpredictable. Hot, cold, hard frost, springlike, hot, cold....When we would think there would be a break in the weather to get the plots tilled it would end up being too cold or rainy.

Last weekend the weather finally broke. It was a beautiful weekend, clear skies, and in the low 70's. Phillip was so excited to be outside and getting the plots ready! For me the most exciting part...was learning how to drive the tractor! Our neighbor lets us borrow this tractor each year. It makes the work so much easier and quicker so we can get to what really matters - planting and growing! I guess I'm a real farm woman now.

Then that beautiful weather disappeared and left us with a week of rain. It has been a soggy and muddy week and we are expecting more rain today and tomorrow.

We plant by the signs and according to the Farmer's Almanac. They are predicting good planting today and tomorrow (April 18-19) but we need to be cautious of the rain. We may not get a good planting day in until the end of the month or the first of May.

Several folks have asked what we are planting. This year we hope to be able to sell at our local Farmer's Market. On the docket is:

• Corn (feed and sweet)
• Green beans (blue lake and greasy)
• Okra
• Onions
• Carrots
• Radish
• Cucumber
• Garlic
• Spinach
• Collard Greens
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Lettuce (multiple varieties)
• Peppers (sweet and hot)
• Tomatoes
• Chicory
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Sage (over wintered and reproducing!)
• Thyme (over wintered and reproducing!)
• Chives
• Parsley
• Lavender
• Watermelon
• Strawberry
• Sunflowers

We definitely have our work cut out for us! But we enjoy being outside and the satisfaction of eating what you grow is second to none!

Adventure #25...Garden turned Farm

When we moved back to North Carolina one of the things Phillip was most eager to do was to restart the garden that once existed.

I had talked to some folks and did some research on container and square foot gardening and was happy to help and get started. We I didn't want anything too big that became too much to manage.  But Phillip had other plans.

He borrowed his neighbors tractor and set to tearing up the lawn. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy! Our neighbor on the top side of the property came down to help cut the plots and till them. Soon our small garden project turned into three large beds. And four garden boxes (that I built all by myself thank you very much!)

 Last summer we planted:

• cilanto
• basil
• tomatos
• sage
• mint
• okra
• pumpkins
• watermelon
• corn
• greasy beans
• squash
• onions
• lettuce
• green peppers
• jalapeno peppers
• spinach
• flowers
• other stuff I can't remember

Most all of Phillip's free time was spent out in the garden. I learned to can and we learned a lot along the way - like don't plant other stuff where your spreading crops are - watermelon and pumpkins took over the whole plot. Once those were gone more lettuce magically appeared. 

At the end of the season Phillip tilled all the plots again, borrowed the tractor and cut two more plots! We officially have a farm instead of a garden.

I now find myself anxiously awaiting the warmer weather and when we get to start on our garden again! This year with more land dedicated to our farming adventure we have hopes of selling at our local farmer's market. We also have apple trees, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry bushes that were planted last year. I am excited to grow more food, can more for the winter, and keep exploring this productive and creative endeavor.