Poppy, one of our original chickens! Feisty, strong-willed, and fiercely independent, she kept the other girls in line, and actually taught them how to be a flock. She taught me how I needed to care for this flock…with friendship, kindness and patience. She had a remarkable sense of humor, too, and reminded all of us of the importance of being able to laugh at ourselves. I knew she was declining several months ago, when she allowed Bertha to take over as mother hen. Her posture had changed. and her silhouette resembled that of a little old lady. The rest of the girls sensed it too, and seemed to understand that Poppy should be accorded special privileges. Each night they made a special place for Poppy on the roost, securely tucked in the middle, between all the rest. I’ll miss you, Poppy, and I hope you know how grateful we all are for having you in our lives!
First full day of spring....
and this hungry bee is scrounging for food! I think the recent unseasonable weather has encouraged bees to leave their hives prematurely. There is hardly any pollen available to them! He was fortunate to find some in the crocus plants that have just begun to bloom. But it will be many weeks before real food is available for them. We are looking forward to becoming bee keepers this May. We have painted and sited the hive, taken the classes, and ordered the bees. But seeing this little one frantically looking for food gives me pause…I hope we are up to the challenge!
Daylight savings time....
doesn’t seem to affect the chickens! They know spring is on its way…so they are ramping up production!
It's all about the soil!
Spent a wonderful day with the Master Gardeners of Green County. They were hosting their yearly symposium and had a great line-up of dynamic speakers. One speaker quoted Wendell Berry…”the soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life. This reminded me of a quote over 2000 years ago by Xenophon (400 B.C.) “to be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil.
New Greenhouse Manager
I welcomed this little guy to the greenhouse last fall, but haven’t seen him all winter. I’ve been worried about PC2 (Prince Charming II) and then, while moving fig trees around, there he is! I think he’s a Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis). The original Prince Charming enjoyed the greenhouse accommodations for 6 years! Welcome to Walnut Hill Farm!
Nothing goes to waste!
We are busy cleaning out the beds in preparation for the planting of garlic and shallots at the end of this month. I have been finding all sorts of things…carrots that weren’t pulled, onions left behind, and way too much parsley (what was I thinking). Instead of carrying them off to the dump, we’ve been making vats of vegetable stock, and it’s been flying out the door as family and friends take some home for their freezers.
Black Gold!
Now is the time I appreciate all the compost that’s been “cooking” all year. It”s so rich in organic matter, you can see a marigold growing on the side of the bin. As we ready each of the beds for winter, we apply a generous amount of this “black gold,” then top with a layer of straw.
Can you guess what this is?
Kayaking, 7 new chicks, and beekeeping classes have kept me busy this summer. I hope I’m not neglecting the “farm!” But I have stumbled on to the most incredible invention and am exploring it for use in elementary schools. It’s called a Foldscope, a cardboard, folded origami-type microscope with 140x magnification, that fits in your pocket and costs a fraction of a science textbook. (Yes, I know…I have an origami kayak, too!) Every 5th grader should have one and I’d like to develop the science curriculum for the year that would center around it. Developed by a Standford professor to put in the hands of health care providers in third world villages….and so many other uses. So I have been having fun exploring the anatomy of a honeybee. This is a photo of the bee’s hindwing. You can clearly see the hamuli, or hook-shaped projections, that connect to the forewing while the bee is in flight. AMAZING! (A foldscope with accessories and training, costs $19.95)
Strawberries!
Strawberry season is in full swing at Walnut Hill Farm…and they’re served at breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Plentiful peas!
The peas have been beautiful this year…and the deer think so, too. Fortunately, we planted enough for everyone! These are Avalanche Snow Peas from High Mowing Seeds. @CalihanCooks is planning on using them tonight in Joshua McFadden’s Pasta alla Gricia with Slivered Snap Peas.
Playing hooky!!
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!