Potato Planters

I am biased, but I think we have the cutest potato planters on the block. I am amazed at how quickly our two-year-old figured out what we were doing and how much she wanted to help. The rows get finished faster and with a lot more giggling when we are all out there, buckets in hand... even if it does mean Jay has to go back and thin the seed potatoes a bit before covering them up.

Potato Planters

Market Prep

The thing about a family farm is that everyone has a job. Idle hands are rare, when there is always some other task that needs completed. For our oldest daughters, that translates to bagging lettuce this week. As you can see, they actually enjoyed it ... even if we did get to sneak in some math lessons, while they were sorting:

Market Prep

The Broccoli Song

Our two oldest daughters thought the veggies needed a catchy marketing jingle, like all the restaurants and stores have. So, they made their own:

The Broccoli Song

Let the Season Begin!

Saturday kicked off the 2010 Farmers Market season for us, with a cold morning in Clay Center. We had a few cool season crops for sale (spinach, lettuce, onions, radishes, turnips), our jellies, and lots and lots of plants. After about an hour, we had to put the pepper plants away, though; they didn't take too kindly to the 40-degree temps. All in all, it was a successful start to the season.

Let the Season Begin!

Weekend = Workdays

When the farm is your second job, weekends mean workdays in the garden. This weekend is no different. Our goals for the next two days are:

• Transplant all the pepper plants (about 200 of them) into the high tunnels
• Plant as many potatoes as we have time to do
• Finish the track/footings on the movable high tunnels
• Transplant the tomato seedlings that will be sold in hanging baskets, about 60 of them
• Transplant the baby lettuce plants and seed in additional lettuce, and
• water, weed, and watch all the plants that are already outside

Throw into that schedule a dance rehearsal and recital, church, birthday celebration, and 4 trips to the hospital for IV treatments...and you have one heckuva crazy weekend. Having my parents up here  and friends to call on for help will make it actually feasible, definitely!

It may seem like a lot to do, but these chores don't feel like work.There is something intrinsically rewarding about starting plants; playing in the dirt; being outside on a sunny, 70-degree, low-wind day; and turning around at the end of the day and being able to see what you accomplished.

Weekend = Workdays

Family Farm

What does it mean to have a family farm? To us, it means all members of the family do their part, have their roles, and reap the benefits of the farm.

What does it look like? For us, it looks like this:
K's responsibility: plant onions and potatoes, be a gopher.

Jay's responsibilities: Sit. Rest. Recover. And tell the rest of us what to do.

L's responsibilities: have fun, enjoy being outside, don't get hurt.
Uncle Anthony's responsibilities: go-fer, help with just about everything.
Linda's responsibilities: Try to pick up the slack until Jay is up on two feet again. Once he's better, take care of paperwork, legalities, and creative ways to prepare and preserve all this fabulous produce.
N's responsibilities: look cute. I am partial, but I think she's doing a pretty darn good job of it!
M's responsibilities: help plant potatoes and go-fer...until she's wore out. Then she's supposed to play safely outside.

Family Farm