News from the Farm, Monday November 9th

This week on the farm began with bitter cold, the work made easier by all of the work done last week before and during the rain and snow.  And then the weather turned, and the crew planted the garlic in balmy weather – three big beds of it, a total of 1,800 row feet – and mulched it the next day under still warm and sunny skies.

Here in the second week of November, the old laying hens have been dispatched and the young hens have moved into their winter coop. Our turkeys will soon be ready for the table, and we have sold all that we hoped to sell, for which we are grateful. The root cellar is full nearly to bursting. We’ve *almost* finished harvesting all the roots except for some rutabagas, and had the luck of plucking a last bushel of apples off the ground that fell after our sweep of last week. In the hoophouses the tender salad mixes are growing; in the fields the heartier greens are soldiering on beneath protective layers of row cover, still sweet and tasty despite some damage sustained by the frosts. Julie says “It’s exciting to see how much food is still out there”.

In other exciting farm news, this week Julie and Jack acquired a new-to-us farm truck – a 2001 Chevy Silverado. It’s already been pressed into service to pick up a few loads of minerals.

In staff news, Mario sustained an injury from the wood splitter on Friday. Julie was thankful for Anthony’s quick response and excellent support, and for Aric and Maya for helping to take good care of him through a long evening that ended at midnight after several hours of waiting at the hospital. Please send healing thoughts his way! This coming week also brings Davida’s time of WWOOFing with us to an end – her last day will be Wednesday November 11th.