Spring Preparations on the Farm

 It's been a busy spring, with our number one challenge being finding the time to get things started and repaired. When we are balancing family activities, two jobs, pigs, cattle, track meets, 4-H, and veggies, sometimes the veggies get moved to the back burner. Mother Nature took out a few potential work days with some beautiful rain; beautiful... but you can't plant in the rain.

Thankfully we have windows of opportunity to get caught up.

Last Sunday, Easter Sunday, we finally got our potatoes in the ground. (Ironically, according to my mom, that's exactly when the Farmers Almanac said to plant them this year.) With the Kubota tractor, our new potato planter, and helpers, we made quick work of planting the potatoes. 

Meanwhile, these two were busy cultivating the other half of the town garden.

Then it rained. And rained. And rained. Slow, steady, wonderful... but inhibiting. It did come with a little wind, that finished off the rest of the plastic for Hoop B. We got the plastic ordered to fix the buildings, and that list is long. We need to rebuild end walls for Hoop A, B, and C; put a new roof on Hoop B; cover the two mobile buildings; and tear down Hoop D. 

Today we got back out to it. The kids and I cleared out hoop B. John said, "It's good to be strong" so I guess he felt like a super hero, pulling all those overgrown kale and bok choy plants. Now the building is ready for Jay to come in with his kubota and tiller, once we get plastic on it. 

And the seedlings are growing well in the greenshed. 

Next week, prom and a cattle show take over our weekend, so we are hoping to get started on repairs in the evenings this week, weather permitting. We won't be selling at the first markets of the season, but we usually don't. We expect to have stuff to sell by mid-May, just as the school year wraps up. 

Until then, it's plant, weed, water, repair, and plan.

Spring Preparations on the Farm