New Post

I was kind of running out of steam when it came to writing this blog a few weeks ago. I was starting to feel like on worn out Debbie Downer record: "not enough interns, super tired, poor me." But a few things have changed, my energy is back, and life on the farm is exciting again! Well, maybe not exciting to read about, but it feels pretty action-packed when you live here. Trust me.

First, I went on vacation, which was great. We went to Vegas and tried to go to the Grand Canyon. March is apparently not the best time of year to do that. Oh well. Vegas was odd and fascinating and a lot of fun. Everything there is such a spectacle. Its like walking through a seedy, drunk circus being performed in a sumptuous palace, but with more neon and gambling and old people. There is just no good way to describe it. We ate a lot, drove around, walked the strip and through all the themed and fancy hotels, drank a bit, saw the lights, played pinball at the Pinball Museum, saw the Freemont light show... The highlights for me were the amazing burlesque show we saw at the MGM Grand, the fountain show in front of the Bellagio, and the drive-in with the best frozen custard in the world.

After returning from Vegas, I got to spend a few days in Portland. That was really nice, too. Visiting made me want to move back there, despite the inconvenience of living in the big city. Of course, I have no job and no money and no rental there... so I came back to the farm. And what a strange contrast that was. Vegas is the polar opposite of farming, I think.

Since my return to the farm it has been constant go, go, go. The newest intern, Steve, has a lot of drive and ambition and tons of energy, so it has been a little easier to get things done lately. Also, the weather has been improving and the days lengthening, which makes all the outside tasks easier. Marcia and John are still not making things easier, of course, but we are bringing them around.

I finally got the greenhouse cleaned. Its all set up with tomato seedlings and grow lights now. Looks pretty awesome, even with all the broken crap John insists on storing in there. The herbs will be sprouting in their trays soon, then the other veggie seeds, so the greenhouse will be packed with cute little plantlings wanting their share of the shelving. That will be fun to see. Then, in a couple of weeks, we can start hardening them off and thinking about where we want them to go in the gardens. Hmm. Better get the garden beds finished soon.

Just today we finished seeding the pasture. We planted it with a rye, alfalfa, and some other range-y, browse-y type grasses. We then covered it with compost mixed with lime, humates, and boraxo soap for fertilization. I am hoping that it is not too early or too late to have planted- any earlier and it might have been too cold and the grass seeds would freeze, but any later and there won't be time enough for the pasture to actually grow before the goats are trampling on it again.

We also built some awesome potato beds. Instead of using half the garden to grow potatoes, I thought we should grow them vertically. So we chopped up some pallets that were just sitting around and made two three foot by four foot-ish vertical beds for the potatoes. I have never grown potatoes like this (or at all), but I have seen them grown in old tires stacked in a similar way, so hopefully it all works out. It was pretty quick and easy, but best of all, it was entirely FREE. Now we just need some dirt to throw in there as the potatoes sprout.

A few days ago, we moved the bucks to a new barn. Oh my gosh! Another barn! Its a small barn on the south end of the property, and it has always been there. Obviously we'd seen it, but we didn't know, however, that there is a stall there that they use to store the boy goats, not just rusty tools and musty straw. It is a tidy little stall now, and the boys are settled cozily in. Its easier to clean then their old stall in the large barn, and has a small pasture attached. It is perfect, and moving the bucks there will not only help us keep the big barn so much cleaner, but will free up space for the new moms and baby goats. We still need to figure out a good system for feeding and watering the bucks now that they have been taken off the beaten path, but overall, it is very exciting.

But when it comes to exciting news, nothing beats this: COMPOST IS UNDER CONTROL! Ok, mostly. Steve has spent two full days on the tractor rearranging compost. Soon, we will be able drive the tractor past the barn where there was once a mountain of compost. Unfortunately, it has merely been relocated, not broken down. But it is progress! In its new location, we will be able to turn it more often and it will break down, and then we'll be able to move it. It has been my fondest dream since coming to the farm that compost NOT take over everything like a stinky, oozing beast of the armageddon. And now my dreams are being realized.

We are also planning a worm business. If all goes according to plan, five pounds of worms will be delivered in the next week or so. They will move into the new worm condo we are designing, and will promptly begin to deal with our kitchen waste. Then, hopefully, they will continue to be fruitful and multpily, and we will use them to break down not only kitchen scraps, but also goat poo and hay, and they will make us many piles of castings for our garden. Steve thinks he can breed enough worms to sell castings as a side business. I am more realistic- call it pessimistic if you like- and think that we will be lucky if they survive the inconsistent attention and the deluge of poo we heap upon them. But maybe they will thrive and selling their byproduct will raise some money. Its a business I've been wanting to get into anyway, and this is certainly an easier location to run it from than the carport at my rental in Portland.

Tomorrow, I am going to begin construction on the hoop house for the garden... if we make it to the Home Depot tonight. We will be growing tomatoes and melons inside of it. Here is a photo of what I hope it will look like when completed:

If all goes well, it will be a 10' x 21' greenhouse with an aisle down the middle of the two four foot beds. I am not sure how well it will hold up in a strong wind, but it should work well enough if this mild weather continues. Of course, the weather has been so pleasant, that by the time the hoop house is ready, it may be unnecessary. But won't building it be fun!

Whew. We have been doing so many more projects in the last few weeks than we were able to achieve all winter that this blog entry could go on and on. But I am stopping here, because its my day off and I want to work on the garden before it gets dark. Also, maybe I need to bake something, just to satisfy my urge to play in the kitchen- I tried making kimchi yesterday but I am not confident in the results, so I will make something foolproof this time, like brownies.