Summer is definitely here and the high temps are in full swing. Luckily we have also had intermittent rain storms, so most everything is growing super well. Here are a few pics showing the progress to date at the homestead. The small patch we planted in the spring is wild like a jungle and the […]
Since we started this journey in 2010, we have tried growing all sorts of lettuce varieties and there are numerous choices out there. To date, our best performing lettuce is Johnny’s Salanova. Seeds come pelleted for easy planting. We plant in soil blocks and then transplant in the field. When we harvest, we mix the […]
Here’s an update on the veggies growing in the backyard. We have a slight infestation of cucumber beetles. Every morning and evening, I go out and kill these by the dozen and we have sticky traps out to try to catch them. They are so devastating to the cukes and squash, but hopefully they will […]
Last year we prepped part of our backyard for planting by tilling the grass in and planting a cover crop. This year we are actually planting in this area! We planted potatoes (thanks to generosity of farmer friends), butternut squash (saved seed from last year’s crop) and cukes. This weekend we will plant tomatoes in […]
The winter has been long and cold. I learned new weather terms….polar vortex, anyone? Yesterday we experienced a Northeaster and the ground is once again covered in snow. Getting a later start for sure this spring, but starts are going strong in the hoop house and are ready to be transplanted. Today’s sunshine was welcome […]
The sun is shining and the snow is melting. It’s been a long, cold and snowy winter and today we went over to take a look at how things survived the polar vortex and other gems of this season. The hoop house was balmy and smelled kind of like cabbage due to the overwintered kale […]
We are approaching the end of 2013. It’s hard to believe because so much has happened this year. We moved to Cleveland, started making plans to expand our farm in our back yard, grew some new crops and had a lot of fun growing and sharing the fruits of labor with our customers. Here’s a […]
Okay, I know….kale sounds gross, right? That’s what I thought when I started growing it. It’s supposed to be good for you, how can it also taste good? Then I started to actually eat it – raw in smoothies, cooked with eggs, quiche, salad…yum! This salad is super easy and delicious and nutritious. You can’t […]
It’s November 11th and we are yet to have a hard frost, but it’s definitely on its way. Got the garlic planted a couple weeks ago, mulched and tucked in for the cold winter. After attending an awesome workshop by Dan Kittredge of the Bionutrient Food Association, we also applied chopped up leaves and grass […]
Last weekend we decided it was time to harvest some honey. We donned our bee outfits (headgear and lots of light colored clothing), lit up the smoker and went to work. The top box was mighty heavy when we finally got it unstuck using the hive tool. The smoke confused the bees and also seemed […]