Have been having so much fun with my Oru Kayak and exploring the Sugar River, that some of my farm chores are getting neglected!
Not on my squash!
Caught in the act. Here, you see a squash bug laying her eggs on the underside of a squash leaf. Beautiful little copper colored things...but when they hatch, they can be so destructive. Overnight, they can decimate an entire bed of squash.
Happy St. Paddy's!
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! It's looking very green in our grow room even though a fall from a ladder has sidelined me from this year's growing season. But family and friends are determined my raised beds will be filled with all kinds of wonderful veggies! Hoping to have tomatoes and peppers, too, for Jason's Garden, our annual plant give-away.
Overachiever?
It doesn’t even fit in the carton! To be considered “jumbo” an egg must weigh at least 70 grams. Lady’s extraordinary effort tipped the scale at 100! Like everything else here at Walnut Hill Farm, we have more questions than answers!
It's egg...citing!
Guess we’re in the egg business! The youngsters have started laying and we’re collecting 8-9 eggs every day! There is nothing like freshly laid poached eggs for breakfast!
There is such satisfaction to growing....
sweet potatoes! Although usually grown in the south, they are heat and drought tolerant. So if ever there were a summer to grow them, this was it! Not really a potato at all, sweet potatoes are the sweet tasting root of the morning glory family. Aren’t they beautiful?
The last CSA box is packed and ready for delivery....
and it’s somewhat bittersweet. I have so enjoyed this project all summer and I am sorry to see it end! It’s made me a better grower and has really given me a sense of how productive my 20 beds can be. I have provided a box of produce for 7 families for the last 14 weeks…and now I am wondering if I could up it to 10! I have learned so much…and have so many questions and ideas to explore this winter. Looking forward to cleaning up the greenhouse before my pots of tender perennials come inside. I am going to focus on my microgreens and propagating new house plants for Jason’s Garden.
I used to get hysterical....
…but I’m getting better. I found another friend in the house, but remained calm, swept it up into a bucket and released it into the woods. I think it’s a milk snake, harmless to humans but a terror to rodents! It was named by early settlers who had the mistaken idea that they sucked milk from a cow’s udders.
Putting it in perspective....
Mammals - around 5,500 known species
Birds - 10,000
Reptiles - 8,000
Amphibians - 5,000
Fish - 31,000
Insects - 950,000
Flowering Plants -260,000
Trees - 100,000
Fungi - 100,000
WHO WINS?
The greenhouse...
…is really the heart and soul of Walnut Hill Farm. More of a grow room…but where it all starts. Now that outside production is winding down, I’ll start work on propagating more house plants for Jason’s Garden next year, and cranking up the hydroponic system for growing our greens all winter. Banana and citrus trees and any tender perennials will winter here.
Week #12 in our first CSA program....
and the summer has flown by! This week’s box has everything you need to make an outstanding salad! Our Walla Walla onions have been so delicious this year and the cucumbers so plentiful! It’s time to make pickles!
Coming of age!
One of the “teenagers” laid her first egg today. Not sure which one gets the credit as both the Red Stars and White Orpingtons lay brown eggs. It’s nowhere near as big as Poppy’s, but it’s mighty fine for a first effort!
Lady was egg bound....
and it’s exactly as it sounds! An emergency trip to the vet, a thorough examination, and a soak in a warm bath with epsom salts seems to have solved the problem! But the root cause may be a calcium deficiency. More oyster shells and egg shells will be added to her feed immediately!
One very special tomato!
It’s called Canestrino di Lucca…which translates to “little basket” from the Lucca province of Tuscany. It has thick walls and is perfect for stuffing. Slice off the top, scoop out the middle…and fill with chicken salad. It’s the perfect elegant summer supper.
Week #7 of the farm's CSA program...
and the bag is bountiful!