Farm Notes

December

2010-12-09T06:42:00.004-05:00

As fall draws to a close, December seems colder than I remember from past years. We had 4 inches of snow last Saturday. And it has been in the teens each night this week with the highs reaching only in the mid 30s at best. I also have suffered this week with my second dose of lung infection of possibly bronchitis of the year. Interesting the doc gave me steroids and doxociline as usual but also gave me Vicodin which I was surprised to learn has been known to be effective for cough. For me however the half tab just kept me awake and the whole tab gave me a pleasant little high, but no relief from the coughing. Thankfully I see Doc Sheila tomorrow for acupuncture. Though I am feeling some better now. Unfortunately it seems to take western medicine to clear the infection. I have tried elder and maybe I need to take larger doses as it just doesn’t seem to have the kick.

Last year due to my lack of interest in late November and heavy snow most of the rest of the winter spring planting was a rush as the beds for the most part had not been prepped. Last week I finished cleaning out the garden and tool shed and have about 24 beds in near ready to plant condition. I am quite pleased. Also over the course of several weeks I have collected well over 100 bags of leaves from the Grandin/Raleigh Court community in Roanoke. Thank you all for raking and bagging those leaves for me, the soil loves them. Also thank you this year using the paper bags, I guess they are more expensive but I am able to just put the entire bag leaves and all in the garden paths for the winter as the leaves and the bags break down. Next spring and summer I will move some of them to the beds for mulch there. ‘This year’s mulch, next year’s compost.’ This way I don’t have to add much more than some lime and a little ‘chicken poop’ and the beds seem to grow lots of food for friends, family, me and earthworms et al.

Not getting many eggs these days. The 25 hens that are left in the retirement community seem to enjoy their days gabbing with each other, eating and resting, but as far as egg laying they are past their prime, now I am trying appreciate the wisdom they offer me in their maturity. Maybe this spring we will revitalize the neighborhood by putting 50 new chicks in the day care next door to the retirement community. I am sure that Beauty our last remaining rooster will be pleased with that addition.

Next week I will be away on business in Florida but look forward to getting back into the garden around Christmas for more bed work it the weather permits and my breathing is back to normal. We are still eating some greens from the garden and I have covered some but the heavy freezes have taken a toll.

I am enjoying this down time quite a bit, yesterday I made yogurt and butter. Maybe some bread on Saturday… it seems there is never time for this in the summer. Do I miss July and August? Not yet!

2010-09-05T06:32:00.005-04:00

In search of a venue for a planned Day of Mindfulness for our upcoming Heart of the Blue Ridge Sangha, on Friday Suzanne, Alan and I visited both The Phoebe Needles Center and the Light Morning Community.

The PNC is dear to me, I love the work they do and have enjoyed my times there in the past. We decided to schedule the Day of Mindfulness for the PNC at the Webb Lodge. The location will be ideal for our needs for that day, with the lodge itself providing a cozy, secluded location for sitting as well as a small kitchen for our meal together. There are also beautiful walking trails in the woods right outside the door.

Personally, I think that the Light Morning Community would be less well suited to our group’s needs, though it is a most incredible place. The feeling I received when I arrived was one of a deep spiritual connected to everything around it, plant, mineral and animal. We met with Robert and Joyce who welcomed us and told us about their time there over the past nearly 40 years. Robert gave us a tour. Our time there was cut short by our pressing schedules, which ran counter to everything else I felt there. I hope to be able to go back and spend time there in the community, possibly on an individual retreat. It is hard to believe that this jewel is located less than 20 miles out my door and in the 23 years I have been living here this was my first trip. I have been unable to stop thinking about it since I left there.

Farm Notes June 3

2010-06-03T07:26:00.002-04:00

West End Market had its Grand Opening yesterday and though I was unable to stay very long it was great to be there. It was nice to see so many people and so much support. I hope that I am able to participate in some small way and I wish this community well as they now have their first farm market. What's next? How about a nice community garden?

We had a great CSA day on Monday with lots of nice greens and even beets this week and of course… Bok Choi. Bok Choi Coleslaw anyone (thanks Nell).

The east side of the garden is over run with weeds. I have help coming today and tomorrow and hope to get it under control and then more help on Saturday to “rock” the west side. I will be cleaning up about 15 beds on the east side for replanting. That about all that is going on so far this month, more later...

Farm Notes for May

2010-05-28T05:45:00.003-04:00

May has been a great month with lots of wonderful veggies for our little CSA; bok choi, turnips greens, collards, asparagus, chard, kale, lettuce, garlic scapes, arugula, spinach, honey, tatsoi and did I mention bok choi. I hope our members don't burn out on the greens; however it is May. Soon to come are potatoes, garlic, squash and more squash, cukes, peppers and so on, but not yet.
As always May is a very busy month with much to do that I could not have done without help from Allison, Annmarie, Angela, Nathan, Emily, Jenny and Brendan as well as all the CSA members who made it financially possible. (There was also help from the wonderful people who set up and who visit the Grandin Village Community http://grandinvillagecommunitymarket.blogspot.com/ ). Thank you all so much. We have planted and replanted spring veggies and finally got the West Side mostly planted in summer crops. Things look beautiful, now we go about the tasks of keeping the bugs and weeds in check.
We also have had a little over 4 inches of rain in the last two weeks of the month, so it is steamy out the perfect summer crop conditions, if a little wilting for the delicate spring produce still growing.
I am really looking forward to June, I think our garden looks the best it ever has, well except for the asparagus beds which have suffered from excessive weed growth and limited weed control. Hopefully this will be taken care of next week.
Today I am in Charleston, SC today and plan to go sit on a beach and catch up on some reading, while our house, with the help of Butch and Tammy, is recovering from a major water leak earlier this month. Yesterday we visited the only tea garden in the U.S. and learned lots about the production of tea http://www.charlestonteaplantation.com/ . After that we stopped by and spent time with Angel Oak (Quercus virginiana) she is gorgeous. She is more than 1500 years old http://www.angeloaktree.org/ . If you get to Charleston these are two really nice stops. Kei also enjoyed seeing works by Picasso and Rodin at the Gibbes Art Museum http://www.gibbesmuseum.org/ while I sat outside and enjoyed a lemon-strawberry Italian Ice.
See you in June!

Farm Notes for April

2010-05-04T08:29:00.003-04:00

My two favorite garden partners Domanik and Penny!

April was an incredibly busy month with some self induced stressing about where we would have enough veggies to make the first CSA date of May 3rd. In fact, we did and did very well I think. Everyone got asparagus, bok choi, spinach, collards and lettuce.
We planted and replanted (succession plantings of beets, peas, lettuce, arugula, spinach, bok choi and kale). In addition, we planted fingerlings, carrots, mizuna, dill, basil, chard, leeks and scallions. Also finally got the Hall field disked after trying to get into it since mid November and it was planted in spring oats (better late than never).
I love my little farmette.
The passion I have for farming/gardening comes from several places in my heart. Of course, my love of growing things and of feeding myself and those I love. Another place is for my ancestors, my desire to be nearer to them. My Mom told me that my efforts here reminded her of my granddaddy (I like that). Most of my passion however comes from the community of friends and family that have come up around my farm. Some old friends from long before the spark of passion became a flame and others, newer friends who have come to me through my garden. I thought now this would be a nice place to list everyone I could think of, as I went through the list the numbers increased to well over 200 names. You all know who you are many of you have never even been to my farm, some have never tasted my vegetables, many of you I see on Facebook and Twitter only, but you all bring such joy to me and I garden for all of us.

Im a better Eggman than a movie maker

2010-04-28T12:39:00.002-04:00

Check out the auto chicken door opener!

Earth Day at Ferrum College

2010-04-23T05:31:00.004-04:00

Last night I went to hear Ted Strong and his granddaughters Monet Becenti and Marianne Gonzales at Ferrum College. Unfortunately, this was the first time I had heard him speak. They were amazing. Listening to his words on Yakima spirituality and creation beliefs allowed me to open up a bit, to practice being an empty cup available to be filled. Though I see myself as open minded, I realize that all too often my cup is to full with my own sense of understanding. A wonderful experience just to sit there and be filled. It was amazing to see the emotion with which his beautiful young granddaughters spoke, the sense, they had of those who had come before them and that they were continuations of those past lives. A very nice way to spend Earth Day #40. Thank you Rachel, Dave, Glen and everyone at Ferrum College for making this a very good evening. http://www.ferrum.edu/fe/2009summer/EarthDay10.html

April 1-21

2010-04-20T12:32:00.001-04:00

April 1-21: It has been incredible weather sometimes feeling like July (at least 3 days in early April in the 90s) and other days like… well April. We have had beautiful cool nights some as low as the low 30s and highs during the day, mostly between 55 and 75. I heard my first whippoorwill on April 13; it feels like that was about 2 weeks earlier than normal.
What did we get planted this month so far: fingerlings, kale, broccoli, chard, lettuce, radishes, arugula, pak choi, spinach, peas, scallions, leeks, parsley, carrots, basil, dill and planted the Hall field in spring oats after Henry came over and disked it for me. Everything looks great including the weed crop. The asparagus is prolific.
Let’s see on the down side had to buy a new car, a new washer and replace the well pump and repair the garden hydrant. The fence needs major work (next year). On the up side; Allison is working some each week, which has helped a lot, and I am still looking for one more person for 4-8 hours per week.
I have been sick for the past week or so and I missed going to the Earth Day Celebration in Grandin Village. I love going to that and am so sorry that I missed it this year. I have been there for the past 4 years except this one with a few chickens for the kids to touch and see. Here is a picture from last year: Raina and Anna Louisa

Farm update for March

2010-04-20T09:28:00.000-04:00

Well it has been awhile since March however I never did get around to writing in the blog about it however if you are interested you can look at the calendar we did actually get a lot done. If my memory serves, we have not had a frost since around the first of March…’what climate change?’

Farm Notes for February

2010-03-07T06:29:00.007-05:00

SNOW: there was lots more snow and then there was more snow. Really there is not much more to say after about 42" so far this season (an average year is 17", with most years much less than that). I was unable to get in the garden at all, the chickens hate it. I really do love the snow and it gave me an opportunity that I have been waiting for for many years. I finally broke down and bought a small 4 wheel drive tractor (amazing) LIFE IS GOOD!

I did actually get a little pruning done (standing on the frozen snow made me quite a bite taller, I felt like a giant-this helped a lot). The Virginia Association of Biological Farmers held their annual conference in Danville this year, which I attended. It was great to see lots of old and new friends and set through several interesting seminars. I especially enjoyed two in particular: 'Getting Started in Commercial Production of Organically-Grown Veggies' given by John Wilson of New Earth Farmin Virginia Beach and the other by Mark Jones of Sharondale Farm in Keswick on 'Specialty Mushroom Production'.

Now the March rush is on...

January notes

2010-02-05T09:55:00.002-05:00

SNOW! nothing much left to say except MORE SNOW! We had about 16" in December, about 11" in January and here it is February 5th with 4" more on the ground and it looks like 6-8" more today and tomorrow with even more due on Tuesday. The average snow fall for our area is 17". Obviously a winter to remember.

Let's is there anything else going on? Well since the solstice the eggs have been on the increase as expected, that has been so nice (mmmmmmmmm cheese cake). The green house is fully operational and I hope to start getting some seedlings in around the end of this month. There were two large pines on the fence line that had to be cut and removed. Other than that the garden has been snow or mud covered in so I have been unable to get in there to do any work. The garden plan is done, most of the seeds have arrived and been sorted. Our Fedco Seed http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds.htm buying coop this year placed a $1200+ order of seeds, supplies and potatoes. This was incredible considering last year was our first year and we only ordered about $400. We had 13 participants in the cooperative effort this year which netted us substantial discounts.

Well enough for now, time to go for now. time to go for a walk in woods through the snow.

December 2009

2010-01-06T08:08:00.007-05:00

Just the kind of December one might hope for. There was at least 5 inches of rain early plus 16 inches of snow just before Christmas followed by more ice and rain on Christmas Day. The temperature has not been above freezing for nearly a week now, very cold for this time of year. There is a forecast for even more snow today. Lulu 'The Amazing Chicken Dog' loves the snow, Annie the basset is not quite so enamored with it. Of course, if my belly hung within 4 inches of the ground I might not enjoy it so much either.

It has been slow and relaxing this month. I have watched more than my fair share of football (my continued release for violence that I have been unable to give up- GO GREEN BAY!) and worked on my seed order and garden plan. Before the snow I had 2 tons of lime spread on the new 1-acre field that I am working on for summer 2011, unfortunately though I had planned to have it ripped before winter really kicked in, winter came earlier than expected, so it has not been done yet.

There is a group of about 10 of us in the area who have put together a buying cooperative for seed. Most of the seed will come from FEDCO seeds http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds.htm. By doing this we can get some hefty discounts from FEDCO. Let's see, also this month I replaced the engine on the BCS. I bought a new Honda 13 hp from Joel at Earth Tools in Kentucky. Earth Tools is without a doubt the best and most knowledgeable two-wheel tractor dealer in the country http://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/.

I also finished cleaning the garden and added more insulation to the greenhouse, it obviously still needs more, but should do fine for the spring starts, just not warm enough to do my summer vegetables. Rachel who has helped me for years came over yesterday and we had tea and talked about it. She will take care of the transplants for the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants etcetera.

Had a wonderful, if not chaotic Christmas season with all my kids home. 2009 was a wonderful year and I am looking forward to 2010. Ain't Life Grand!

November to date:

2009-11-11T08:06:00.001-05:00

I love this time of year, this statement of course does not include the holiday stress that is self-induced. Actually, I am doing much better with that this year than I have over the past several years. There is much relief from the pressure of cultivation and harvest at this time of year-this time of year being from Thanksgiving through mid February. Life becomes a little slower, a little calmer, a little fuzzier, like this pic of the EAST End. I take a lot of pleasure in just cleaning up, and reorganizing the fields, the greenhouse, hay barn, tool and garden sheds. It is also a time to get all the tools back in full operational order and sharpened.

I have cut the Hall Field (about 1 acre) and raked it up, some for compost and some for the chicken house. I am having 2 tons of rock lime spread on it as soon as it dries up a bit. Henry (my neighbor is going to bring his big tractor and rip it (sub soil) for the winter, then come back and disk it in the spring for cover crop, then we will cover crop it again next winter with winter rye and Austrian winter peas so it will be ready for summer veggie planting in 2012. Both the East and West Ends of the main garden have been cut and the east end is ready to work for spring (unfortunately I did not get a cover crop in this fall). I have mulched the garlic and yesterday I cleaned out a chicken house, spread the litter on the asparagus, and covered the asparagus in mulch. What perfect timing, it has now been raining all night and they are calling for snow later today. In addition, I bought 20 bales of straw from another neighbor Norris, most of this will be used in my little greenhouse as insulation. The green house is not heated, though I am working on a plan to heat it with compost just enough to do my early starts of lettuce, cole crops etc.

PLEASE LET I SNOW!

So right now, I’m having a great cup of coffee and planning to work on the seed order again today. Most of my seed comes from FEDCO, these are beautiful people. http://www.fedcoseeds.com/ They have a commitment to non-genetically engineered seed. They honestly do their best to keep the prices low and have the most incredible seed catalog that I have ever read. Again, this year I am working with a group of local growers and we have organized a buying cooperative for seed in order to get the best discounts offered.

Let me just add one more thing, if you don’t already you may want to check out Jeff’s Tiny Farm Blog - it is great stuff http://tinyfarmblog.com/

Maintenance Day

2009-11-01T15:57:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the last day of market at Grandin. What a great year. We have had lots of rain in the past day, it looks like we got a little over 3 inches, good for the garlic, onions and greens though doesn't offer very good conditions for field work. However it did provide an opportunity to walk off a new potential field for next year (a little of 3/4 acre). In addition I repaired the throttle on the tractor and did maintenance on the flail mower, tiller and rotary plow. Now to watch Brett Farve back at Green Bay (who is he playing for now?)

Garlic Planting

2009-10-25T15:11:00.003-04:00

I love garlic planting day (actually it was Thursday 10/22) . It is the beginning of next years garden. This year I planted 5 pounds of garlic that I ordered from Hood River Garlic http://www.hoodrivergarlic.com/ My garlic from last year provided enough for us to eat, but I was unhappy with the quality so I ordered new garlic bulbs to plant. Hood River shipped me 2 pounds of Hard neck Shantang Purple, 1 pound each of Hard Neck Pyong Vang, Hard neck Brown Tempest and Soft neck Brown Tempest. I also planted about 10 pounds of bunching onions. I'm looking forward to next July to see what the results of the new garlic will bring.

Blue Cliff Retreat

2009-10-12T14:25:00.009-04:00

First let me say that you may get the idea that since i have not written since August that i am a man of few words, not normally so.

However few words could describe the amazing experience that I had a Blue Cliff Monastery last week. There were more than 1000 people there, which was a surprise, for some reason i had expected that there may only be half that number. My friend Ted and i drove up towing his pop up camper and we camped the first night at Lackawanna State Park in Pennsylvania it was gorgeous. Then the next morning we drove on to Blue Cliff Monastery in Pine Bush, New York. My first impression was it looked like the circus had come to town. There were large tents set up all over the area. Blue Cliff was a summer hotel getaway in the past, in the lower Catskill's now it is home to about 35 resident monastics in the Order of Interbeing of the Unified Buddhist Church.

i would guess the majority of people there would consider themselves Buddhists; however, there were many people of many different faiths and no faith i am sure, including many who considered themselves Buddhist in addition to another spiritual tradition.

On Friday evening, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) met with us in the Great Togetherness Meditation Hall and with so many people at the retreat, there was definitely great togetherness. This was the first amazing moment as Thay came into the room to give us the first of four Dharma talks. i have been reading his books since the early 90's. All of his talks were inspirational.

In addition, we heard talks by Sister Chan Khong who has been with Thay since the 60's in Vietnam where she worked tirelessly to assist the victims of the war on all sides of the conflict. i even had the opportunity to speak with her directly for a brief moment.

However, the most wonderful moment for me came on Monday after the Dharma talk. There was a scheduled walking meditation, but i had decided to go back to my room to do some writing before lunch. As i came out of the meditation hall, the sun was shining so brightly in spite of the cool breeze so i decided to take a short break and lie down on the grass. Soon a number of others had done the same and then Sister Chan Khong showed up to lead in some songs. So i decided to stay a bit longer. i was surprised when Thay showed up about 5 minutes later, he had pneumonia in August, so i had not expected him to get out in the chilly breeze. He led the walking meditation and i was only about 10 feet behind him. As we topped the small hill behind the monastery, he stopped, turned and sat down on a mat provided by his attendant. There were probably 150 -200 of us there with him, i was still less than 10' away. He never said a word, just watched us, looked at the sky, the trees, he just listened to the birds, to the breeze, to a small baby. He was there with us in the Present Moment providing us with what i now call the "No Talk Dharma Talk". We sat there about 10 minutes before we got up to continue walking slowly, mindfully. This was perhaps the best learning moment i have ever had in my life.

Finally on Tuesday morning Thay offered the transmission of the Five Mindfulness Trainings, which i received. These are a guide for ethical living based on the 5 precepts offered by Buddha Shakyamuni more than 2500 years ago. They are a guide, as the North star is a guide to the north, there is no expectation of getting to the North star or to perfection as one follows the path of the mindfulness trainings. The trainings do however provide the direction to travel. http://www.plumvillage.org/mindfulness-trainings/3-the-five-mindfulness-trainings.html

It has been a bit difficult readjusting to real world time however i am coming around ...hopefully more mindful than i might have in the past and hopefully with a presence that i will be able to maintain :)

My Crackberry Addiction and Recovery Program

2009-08-24T09:31:00.001-04:00

It all began about a year ago, a co-worker informed me that our company was looking at providing us with Blackberries. I could feel the rush of excitement. I had secretly wanted into the Blackberry world for so long. I would see others using the roller ball and pressing it and seeing the instant high they received… just a simple press of the roller ball, like an injection. There it was in front of you, email, text, calendar, and all the other hardcore pleasures. You could see the high in the eyes of clients as you spoke with them and their heads nodding, never taking their glazed eyes off the screen. Listening to you as you became the 5^th wheel in a multi tasking euphoria, them still nodding and occasionally saying….ummmm or unhuuu or ahhhh. Sending instant messages, replying to emails and on and on into Crackberry bliss. I wanted that so badly.

Finally, in April I received my Blackberry. It was like heaven as I too began receiving and sending texts and emails and of course the phone with its complete contact list. My eyes too glazed over with this new drug that had completely taken over my life. However, I was not satisfied with the highs I was getting. I wanted more…I added Google mobile it was so seductive, then Facebook, Twitter the highs higher…. the crashes harder when I could not find a signal. I added Pandora to listen to music to sooth me but what I really wanted was more, more …constant interaction.

Though I knew I was hooked and didn’t know how to get off this merry-go-round and not even sure if I really wanted to. I loved flying high with my Blackberry. Finally, on Saturday while driving my spouse noted that I was weaving back and forth while reading tweets. My angry drug induced retort was that it was better to weave than not as weaving is what kept me centered in the road. I knew at that point that the monkey on my back was in total control, I had lost all free will.

I had heard of treatment programs but I felt that treatment was for quitters. It was a hard decision but with the support of my family, I finally took the steps and walked thru the door to the Blackberry equivalent of a methadone program (trading in one drug for another). I signed up to share minutes with my spouse and received a free bottom of the line phone with just phone and text (I had forgotten that they even still made such archaic devises). So now, I have a phone for friends and family that I can have with me all the time and the Blackberry…of course I cannot go cold turkey it is still my business phone but I will cut it off from 5 pm to 8 am. So no after hours emails and calls from co workers and clients and no FB and Twitter from phone after hours either. I think I can see the light, I think I am on the road to recovery. However if I do start jonesing too much you might just see the occasional 9 pm Tweet. Please keep me in your thoughts.

A simple way to grow and process dry beans on a small scale for your winter use

2009-08-18T08:31:00.009-04:00

Thursday May 14, I planted Cannelloni, Red Kidney, Black Coco and Jacob's Cattle beans. Here it 96 days later. I pulled the beans out of the ground on Saturday. I have done dry beans this way in the past and it seems to work very well. I planted a 4' by 100' row and after I planted, I fertilized with chicken manure and laid down the drip tubes. I have not touched the bed since. The nice thing about planting beans in mid May and planting in relatively close quarters is that the beans come up quickly and shade out the bed, limiting weed growth. In the past 30 days, the weeds have grown up a bit but the beans developed and dried on the vines. I have pulled the vines with the beans on them and laid them out in the sun for some additional drying. On Sunday I picked the beans from the vines and placed them in poly feedbags. Then I took the feedbags with the beans inside and the beat the *&^% out of them on a wooden sidewalk and Voilà… shelled dry beans. After that, I place the shelled beans in a 5-gallon bucket and set up a fan behind another bucket. Pouring the beans from one bucket to another the breeze from the fan blows the chaff away leaving clean dry beans ready to use. Simple… good food for sometimes-good people! (as you can tell I am still trying to learn our to use blogger with photos)

Fall Garden

2009-08-15T13:47:00.004-04:00

About a week and a half a go Rachel came over and helps clean up and plow a bed to get the fall garden planted in. I finally got the bed finished today and planted from west to east Ever Star Champion, Collards, Kale, Lettuce Mix, Turnips, Long Standing Bloomsdale Spinach, Bulls Blood Beets, Shuko Pac Choi, Dry Land Cress and Mustard Greens. I added some organic Harmony (5-4-3) and laid the dripTube.

As a Vegetarian, I will be eating 'High on the Turnip' come the end of September.

Meditating Mouse

2009-07-20T08:08:00.005-04:00

This morning while sitting meditation, a mouse scurried out from under my alter took one look at me applied the brakes and threw it into reverse. There is something to be said for quiet time.

Over the past few months, I have for the first time noticed that I have a mouse problem. I purchased a Tin Cat http://www.biconet.com/traps/tincat.html in order to relocate them without having to send them on to a new life. I was catching them, one and two at a time in the ductwork and in secluded parts of the house and then releasing them into the woods behind the house. Then I began suspecting that I was just catching the same few over and over, as they found ways back into what I had previously considered my impermeable abode. Now I actually take them about ½ mile away and release them into an old abandoned falling down house in the woods. I am guessing they are having to be more creative for food sources there but have no doubt that they are plentiful.

So after meditation I set up the Tin Cat in the meditation room baited with peanut butter, (mice love peanut butter) and I sat down to do some reading. Not 10 minutes later my little meditation partner was in the Tin Cat enjoying a breakfast of peanut butter. I took her/him out to join the small group in the abandoned house.

At this moment s/he is probably, scampering back up the road toward my nice food filled home and will join me again in a day or so for more meditation.

I have considered tagging or marking them in some way to test my theory that they coming back in the house but haven’t come up with any humane means of doing this yet. Any ideas?

Egg Collection on Malu Aina

2009-07-18T12:21:00.008-04:00

Here is how we collect eggs. This may be done with any size chicken house. There is a hinged door behind each set of nesting boxes. We have four sets of five boxes. The door then lies back when released by a simple turn of the latch. This allows ready access from the outside of the house. By not requiring you to go into the house, you may avoid coming within a close proximity or being surprised by certain predators (i.e.: snakes, possums, raccoons etc). Possibly even more dreaded than predators is CHICKEN POOP on the head (you may choose to carry an umbrella and a gun instead). I have also found that when I have guests collecting eggs, they are much more at ease not entering a dark chicken house.

A Time for Snakes

2009-07-17T06:54:00.008-04:00

Publish Post

This is the time of the year for snakes, especially if you have chickens laying eggs. I used to get so angry at the snakes for eating the eggs (not being aware that this was just what snakes love). I still hate it when they try to eat baby chicks (solution: try to control broody hens so that chicks hatch or arrive from the hatchery during March or October before or after snake season. On another positive note, though there are some gi-normous black snakes around here, I rarely see any poisons snakes, a few copperheads over the years and no rattlesnakes (knock on wood). The snake in the picture with Rachel is well over 6' as was the one that Kaye chased out of the chicken house last year also over 6' (possibly the same snake). I have in the past taken the snakes more than a mile away and dropped them off only to have them show back up a few days later. Nothing like a free buffet. Again the snake that Rachel is holding in the photo was taken out on one day and two days later was back for more. Finally the last picture is of Darla, the snake charmer who belongs to Kaye's cousin Florida.

Blogging from bed

2009-07-15T09:21:00.001-04:00

This morning the view out of the window was a beutiful sunrise over the VA Hospital in Salem. I'm not there, I'm in another hospital several miles away. Yesterday I had some minor surgery and headed back to the farm today. It looks like it will be about a month before I can get back to any heavy lifting, mid summer could be a good time for this I guess. It looks like I may be a bit late getting in the fall crop. Generally I should start prepping the beds in a week or two with planting beginning August 1 and going through October 20 for various greens, bok choi, beets, carrots, garlic, onions, cover crops (winter wheat and Austrian Winter Peas and everything else I'm forgetting in the fog of the medical environment surrounding me. I need the healing winds of the farm moving over me.
I am doing this blog entry using the Blackberry so my texting skills are improving, however my usual lack of writing skills may seem even worse typing on this small keypad and screen. I hope you all have a lovely day.

Market Day

2009-07-04T04:55:00.002-04:00

7/4/09 Saturday-Happy Birthday United States, I am sure our founding fathers would be happy if we could get our &^% together so we could make it a few more years. Also I think they may well also wish for us that we could find more compassion in hearts for all life, i.e. a living wage, quality affordable health care, education, a clean environment, real diplomacy, ending our wars around the globe, ending capitalism's stranglehold on the poor in this country and around the world and just becoming good global citizens for a change... (Okay back off the soapbox now).

I’m headed to the Grandin Village Community Market. I really love going to market. The pic is of a market that I was going to and is still going on at Smith Mountain Lake so if you are out that way visit that market. Where ever you are find a farmer's market and support local agriculture.

Wild now with the growth from spring rain

the back of the garden catches me

with tendrils of this and that

and abundant flying things do buzz and reply- Martie Odell-Ingebretsen

7/3/09 Friday-I have been feeling the need to have more specific garlic types so I ordered garlic from two sources, Territorial Seed and Hood River Garlic. Oregon garlic has always served me better than the east coast garlic I have ordered. This time I am determined to keep the garlic segregated. Teri from Hood River Garlic was so pleasant to deal with; she and her family have a farm near the Washington border in Oregon. I am looking forward to planting garlic this fall. While today on my to do list is digging last falls garlic.

In addition, I enlisted the help of an engineer friend as we develop a 12-volt sliding chicken house door. If successful, the battery will recharge using a solar trickle charger and will open in the morning and close after dark using a timer. Keep your fingers crossed.

Well I did get my garlic dug today it looks like it should be about 20 lbs after it dry, half to sell and half to eat and give away. This should be plenty with the since I have 15 lbs of seed garlic on order.

Cherie

2009-07-01T08:50:00.000-04:00

Cherie docked at the marina in New Bern, NC with a nice little dog asleep on the deck. I love staying at the Bridge Point Motel. It is a little run down but with the marine just out the back door it is probably the best motel I ever stay at in all my travels.

Farm Post

2009-07-01T08:49:00.000-04:00

Sunday June 28, 2008 I went to Sangha this morning http://heartoftheblueridgesangha.wordpress.com/ we had a very nice Tea Meditation followed by a graceful meeting regarding potential time and location changes. Change is not east of most of us; however, the gathering was handled so skillfully that it seemed so comfortable to be there.

In the afternoon Kaye and worked on the side yard which has never suited me and what ever we do seems to fail. I have put down more mulch, which seems to get the chickens very excited, it may be that the only thing to do is to pour a concrete pad L

Monday June 29, 2008 began my study of The Heart of the Buddha's teaching this morning after meditation. Then went to let the chickens out. Lucy had died in the night so I took her and gently laid her to rest in the compost pile.

Bulls Blood Beets

2009-06-27T12:18:00.000-04:00

It is getting very hot out there today, but so far I cleaned up and weeded beds in B and C 8-13 which includes black popcorn, blueberries, butternut squash, cantaloupes, watermelons and sunflowers. I also weeded the sweet potatoes in I 3. Then I hacked my way through a jungle of weeds and dug the bunching onions (I 4) that I planted around the middle of October last year. These are the onions that sustain us through the winter, though they are small and strong they store well and are abundant. It has been a great morning in the garden I also was able to get the carrots weeded in I 4 and replanted some (Danvers 126 OG), tilled raked and planted I 4 with more Bulls Blood Beets, they are without a doubt the prettiest plant in the garden right now.

If I could just find a good market for weeds and rocks…

Hot Night (early evening) in the Garden

2009-06-27T07:07:00.003-04:00

I love the sunflowers!

So today is my garden day, all day, what the heck am I doing sitting here in front of the computerwhile it is still cool outside?

Re Blog because it's my favorite

2009-06-26T11:14:00.000-04:00

This seems to explain it all:

WAVES ARE WATER

“When you look at the surface of the ocean, you can see waves coming up and going down. You can describe these waves in terms of high or low, big or small, more vigorous, more beautiful or less beautiful. You can describe a wave in terms of beginning and end, birth and death. That can be compared to the historical dimension. In the historical dimension, we are concerned with birth and death, more powerful, less powerful, more beautiful, less beautiful, beginning and end and so on.

Looking deeply, we can also see that the waves are at the same time water. A wave may like to seek its own true nature. The wave might suffer from fear, from complexes. A wave may say, “I am not as big as the other waves,” “I am oppressed,” “I am not as beautiful as the other waves,” “I have been born and I have to die.” The wave may suffer from these things, these ideas. But if the wave bends down and touches her true nature she will realize that she is water. Then her fear and complexes will disappear.

Water is free from the birth and death of a wave. Water is free from high and low, more beautiful and less beautiful. You can talk in terms of more beautiful and less beautiful, high or low, only in terms of waves. As far as water is concerned, all these concepts are invalid.

Our true nature is the nature of no birth and no death. We do not have to go anywhere in order to touch our true nature. The wave does not have to look for water because she is water. We do not have to look for God, we do not have to look for our ultimate dimension or nirvana, because we are nirvana, we are God.

You are what you area looking for. You are already what you want to become. You can say to the wave, “My dearest wave, you are water. You don’t have to go and seek water. Your nature is the nature of nondiscrimination, of no birth, of no death, of no being and of no non-being.”

Practice like a wave. Take the time to look deeply into yourself and recognize that your nature is the nature of no-birth and no-death. You can break through to freedom and fearlessness this way. This method of practice will help us to live without fear, and it will help us to die peacefully without regret.”

- THICH NHAT HANH -

The echinacea looks so nice this time of the year

2009-06-26T09:47:00.001-04:00

Mostly since April it seems that I have either been sitting in front of a computer screen (listening to Pandora, Tweeting and FBing, oh yeah and working) or behind a steering wheel, though I have had some time in the garden. The compost pile was completed May 31st, now it is just sitting there cooking for the next 6 months. I am not big on the hard work of turning compost, so I just pile it high and let the microbes, worms and buggies do the work over longer extended periods. I have started on a new pile, to be completed by August 31st. This time I have begun recycling household paper in the pile, and it does not look so nice at first but should be just fine by next summer when I start adding it to the garden. Let’s see I also have been planting, weeding, harvesting and marketing…oh yea and eating lots of fresh veggies and good Malu Aina eggs. The new Grandin Farmer’s Market is such a great market. It is the third market I have worked and the most exciting. There is such an incredible sense on community there. Thank you Brent, Patrick, Bruce, Sean, Andre, and everyone else who are working so hard to make it so good. I am going to make an attempt to be more disciplined with this blog in the future, but don’t hold me to this.

Farm Update

2009-04-20T15:34:00.001-04:00

April 19, 2009 Plowed and tilled K1-4, J1-3 and I4. Started Double dig on D13
April 18, 2009 Earth Day at Grandin
April 12, 2009 prepped and planted D2w Savoy cabbage. prepped and planted H3e Cauliflower and H3w Fiesta Broccoli added manure to H3, H2, G4. Used the U bar and the broad fork and prepped the beds today by hand. It was great.
April 11, 2009 changed my mind and am using the straw to build a large compost pile

Farm Update

2009-03-12T09:23:00.004-04:00

March 21, 2009
While I wait for it to warm up a bit and drink my coffee, I thought I would catch up on the journal before heading out to finish planting the potatoes. On March 12, I prepped the potato bed (G1-4) in advance of the forecasted rain, which did come and saturate the ground for about 3 days, it was wonderful. My bed numbering system is discernable only to me or at least that is what I am told, but it does work for me. Anyway, I also prepped and planted row E 1-4. Vates Kale in E1e, Ragged Edge Mustard in E1w, Turnips in E2e, Lettuce Mix in E2wn and Paris Island Cos in E2ws. I planted Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach in E3, Lincoln Shell Peas in E4n and Dwarf Gray Sugar Peas in E4s. In addition, I cleaned out one of the old Chicken houses and added the litter to all the new plantings plus the Garlic in H3-4, the onions in I4 and the asparagus in D3-4. On the 14th and 15th while it rained I gleaned out the green building, green house, and garden shed. I laid black plastic over c1-2 and D1-2 to kill the crab grass. The oil was changed in the tractor and mower and all the filters were changed. I started some seedlings in the greenhouse for Bok choi, basil and cilantro, transplanted Nero di Tuscana kale from green house to H4 and planted three Celeste fig trees.

Farm Update

2009-03-09T06:28:00.005-04:00

After 9 inches of snow on Monday, 80 degrees on Saturday and near that yesterday, I am calling for a new season... WINSPRING. The weather made cleaning up the storm debris a very hot job with the chainsaw. There are a number of pines down from the weight of the heavy wet snow. Yesterday afternoon I was able to finish cleaning up the spring road to the top of the mountain which was littered with down trees and debris. There are a couple of large trees that has destroyed the deer fencing in the NE corner of the veggie patch (otherwise known as Whetstone Corner, filled to Jerusalem Artichokes and Rhubarb). This morning I hope to get those two trees cleared away and patch the fencing. On Friday morning, I was able to get 30 high bush blueberries planted that I had ordered from Willis Orchards in Georgia. I planted them on the Westside in Row C 8-13. I planted from est to west, 10 each of Tifblue, Briteblue and Southern Highbush. Later I cut and seeded fresh white oak logs with Shitake fungus, now just hang loose for the next 12-24 months and like magic, Shitake Mushrooms. Magic Mushrooms?
Yesterday morning I listened to a story on NPR by Debora George about her adopted daughter from Sierra Leon, it is an incredible story (see the link).

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101586618

VABF Conference

2009-03-02T08:04:00.001-05:00

I have been whining for a long time about the lack of snow over the past 2-3 years. Apparently that whining worked; we received 9 inches of beautiful snow yesterday and last night. It is glorious. Yesterday during the early stages of the snowfall, I was able to plant a number of red mulberry bushes, crab apple and common apple trees. On Friday morning, I planted 14 hazelnut bushes. Friday night I drove to Richmond for the VABF (Virginia Association of Biological Farmers) Conference http://www.vabf.org/. It was fantastic; I attended seminars on organic weed control, mushrooms and Healthy Farm Organisms from a Biodynamic perspective. This seminar was presented by Dr. Henning Sehmsdorf, he was a wonderful speaker. http://www.awish.net/NA/sscsa.htm It was good to see old friends and meet new ones.

Pruning

2009-02-23T07:19:00.001-05:00

It has been a good year for pruning even though I am slow learner. I finally recognized what orchardists have know since the beginning of time, ‘pruning is a journey it is not a destination’. It is a path of discovery, searching and learning what this living being needs to best survive and in turn to be fruitful. I have been told that it best to begin pruning in mid to late January, which I did. Yesterday I completed pruning all the fruit by pruning the blackberries, about 40 plants.

I started with the few peach trees back in January. I do feel like I have a good understanding of the method of peach tree pruning, On February 7th I attended a community pruning seminar which was very helpful. The following Saturday I joined friends for a couple of hours to help in a project that has been on going for several years, the rejuvenation of a small and old peach orchard, we still have more work to do I hope that I am able to spend more time there.

Then I moved on to my apple trees a number of which have been diagnosed with the botryosphaeria canker and possibly fire blight which I will test for later this spring (apparently fire blight can only be detected when the tree is not dormant). There was a lot of very sad cutting on at least six trees, which are now eight years old. I am in hopes that somehow they may be saved.

Next, I worked the grapes, which I enjoyed the most for some reason this year. I pruned them way back especially my oldest vine which is a cutting that I took from a Salem, VA Ohio Street house built by my granddaddy, who planted the original (Concord).

Finally, yesterday I cut the blackberries back and tied them up to the wires. A couple of years ago I planted about 12 Illini Thorned Blackberries. I love have the diversity however the thorns on these plants are vicious. So yesterday, I cut about half of them to the ground and cut the rest back to about one foot with a chain saw.

The plan is to plant about 30 high bush Blueberries and 5 peach, 5 plum, 5 figs and 5 apricot trees in the west field this year.

Thank you America, Thank you President Obama

2009-01-20T08:41:00.002-05:00

I was in the Navy from 1969-1973. I was fortunate to have spent my time on a submarine rather than in the jungles of Southeast Asia. I never really knew that much about what was going on in the war; frankly, I was young, dumb and uninformed. In 1971, I was injured aboard the sub and ended up spending two months in Hawaii at Tripler Army Hospital along with an entire ward filled with wounded returning from Vietnam. Seeing the aftermath of the war close up and getting to know these young men changed me permanently. I became absolutely opposed to the war, to all war. In spite of this, I somehow maintained some hope that our country would find its way. However on Saturday night October 20th 1973 while standing in line outside the Jefferson Theater in downtown Roanoke waiting to see the ‘Day of the Dolphin’ (strange the things one remembers) I heard the news of what became known as the “Saturday Night Massacre”. Nixon fired Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox and accepted the resignations of both Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus. In addition, Nixon terminated the office of the special prosecutor who was investigating Watergate. Soon after this Nixon had, the FBI seal the offices of Richardson, Ruckelshaus and Cox. On this night, I lost hope and faith in our government to act with integrity and honor and in accordance with our Constitution. There have been some glimmers of light over the past 35 years (not much in the last eight to be sure). Today I am optimistic, today I am hopeful, today I am grateful. Thank you America, thank you President Obama, I am elated and optimistic!

Farm Update 1/10/2008

2009-01-10T06:12:00.004-05:00

Things are a bit slow here this time of year though I did get my seed order in from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange always a highlight of the winter months. There is community project, that we have formed to try to order seeds in quantity to get a better discount for a larger order and save a bit on shipping as well from Fedco Seeds Coop another great and socially conscious seed company (I especially love their catalog). We hope to place this order before the end of the month.

In addition, this past week Kent Walton, a local arborist and member of our community group, Sophronia Community, came by for visit. Our group is planning a tree-pruning seminar for next month and we are thinking of having the seminar here at Malu Aina. Kent noticed some blackening and cracking of the bark on six of the eight-year-old apple trees and asked about the possibility of Fire Blight (if it is Fire Blight we will have to relocate the seminar). I had thought this was a possibility back in the summer and did some pruning at that time using a bleach and water solution on my pruning shears after each cut as is prescribed. Obviously not very mindful farming practices, as I neglected to tend to it at the end of the season. Yesterday I took a cutting to the local County Extension Agent, who is sending it off to VA Tech for testing. I hope to have the results by the end of next week. According to Kent, it may be treated with antibiotics and pruning, though this is not always successful, after 8 years of caring for these trees, I hope they can be saved.

http://www.southernexposure.com/index.html

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/index.htm

Jan 1 2008 Happy Birthday Mom

2009-01-02T07:15:00.001-05:00

I miss you, we all miss you, but see you in everything and everyone you touched. You continue...

Farm Update : Jan 2, 2008

2009-01-02T06:43:00.004-05:00

Lulu and I went for a great walk in the woods yesterday morning to start the New Year right. Later I drove to my Dad's and he and I went to lunch and to the cemetery to visit my Mom’s grave, she would have been 77 yesterday. Afterwards we sat around his living room for a bit looking through a box of old photos and I found one of my Mom in a bathing suit, it was the first time I had ever seen her in one, she must have been 18 or 19, she was so cute.

I have been working on the planting map and seed order for 2009. The order has been placed with Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (http://www.southernexposure.com/index.html). I am still working on the FEDCO (http://www.fedcoseeds.com/) order, which has to be weighed against left over seed from last year. In addition, I am hoping that others in the community will join me for placing a collective order for larger discounts and savings on shipping costs. I hope that I will finish most of this over the weekend, so I can start working on the planting map in earnest; I always enjoy doing the map even though over the course of the year it will be changed for more practical planting decisions. It does provide a good place to start and I find that it gets more and more accurate each year. After completion, I will post it, as it can be adapted for use by others.

Buddhist vs buddha:

2009-01-02T06:29:00.004-05:00

The monkey mind seems to have followed me into 2009.

I read this quote this morning:

A student once said: "When I was a Buddhist, it drove my parents and friends crazy, but when I am a buddha, nobody is upset at all."

--Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are

I think I understand, it seems that my practice is not making those I live with specifically happy and at times, I am sure that I am downright annoying. hmmmm...perhaps I need to make this the focus of my meditation, (ya think?)

On Peace- Zenju Earthlyn Manuel

2009-01-01T07:35:00.001-05:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up this morning and my heart was filled with sadness around the fighting in the Gaza strip. My heart goes out to the families of Gaza. May there be many blessings on the lives of children who come to the earth for such a short time and yet make such a powerful impact on us....I speak of the children who have died in Gaza this week and other ongoing wars in the world. So, I make these wishes this moment and for the new year to come:

May the heavy become light,
May what's ill become well,
May what's violent become peace,
May rage be settled,
May the idea of enemy be banished,
May actions be filled with sincere purpose,
May wellness be illuminated,
May gifts be recognized,
May all that we know to be love, pour out and overflow wherever it is needed.

In peace and absolute happiness to you in 2009,
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
Executive Director

What is this form I occupy...who am I?

2008-12-29T05:36:00.000-05:00

Thich Nhat Hanh explains it best to me:

WAVES ARE WATER

- THICH NHAT HANH -