Controlled Chaos

I really can't tell you just how many flats of seedlings I have going right now. Or how many varieties. At how many stages... this time of year is crazy. The above picture shows tomato seedlings about ready to be meticulously plucked out and transferred to Red Solo Cups (No jokes Please) where they will continue to grow until they can be put in the ground. These are already hardened off and spending most of their time in natural sunlight. Flats like these are literally EVERYWHERE here at the farm. Some outside under plastic domes, some in raised beds, some in pots on the front porch- literally whole seed packets growing in small nursery areas outside. Nearly every flat surface inside does or will soon hold growing plants. Each day the care process becomes more daunting. And the weeding has barely just begun. Dinner time rolls around and I hardly know how it got here so quickly.

 I'm not the only one buzzing around though... These guys are working really hard too, though chaos isn't a word that goes hand in hand with bees. Every action they do is a carefully orchestrated event- in sync with thousands upon thousands of other individuals. Jason re-colonized both hives last week that had been lost over the winter. He'll go out every day to check their progress on setting up shop. Sometimes he comes back in with a small striped hitch hiker on his shirt. He's comfortable with them which is a very neat thing to watch. Being comfortable is imperative, because the entire hive can sense your uneasiness. This is my favorite time of year because every day brings changes to what we're working on. 

The Nursery

 Last weekend was sunny, warm, and perfect to tackle a tedious project. Jason, along with a wonderful couple who are actively participating in this year's farmshare, planted a variety of Shiitake mushroom spawn including Double Jewel and WR46 into oak logs. It was a seemingly never ending drill a hole, hammer in a spawn dowel, and seal the dowel in with wax. Good conversation, frolicking children and dogs, and an ample lunch of roasted chicken made the day more fun than work. You can see in the picture below the small circles- those are the dowel containing the mushroom spawn. These will sit on a pallet for a few weeks and then be soaked in a wet environment- that's when the real magic happens. If the spawn gets the message that the environment is right- they will fruit. And when they fruit- we get mushrooms. Hopefully!

Meet the New Egg Layers!

We have six new girls here at the farm. Referred to as pullets, these chicks will spend their first weeks inside the warmth of our house under a heat lamp. Every week they'll be able to withstand another 5 degree F decrease in temperature. As the days warm up, they'll be able to go outside and get used to their surroundings in a secure cage. These six are of mixed breed, and will start laying white to brown shades of eggs in late summer. This will bring the egg laying flock to 10 hens- with Hillary, the rooster, keeping careful watch over everyone. Hillary frequently takes on the hawks that would very much like to make our hens an afternoon snack. He's fearless, and it's only because of him that our hens get the benefit of free range days when they can have their fill of insects and weeds.
When you come out to the farm, feel free to bring left over vegetable rinds and bits, pasta, and breads to the grown chickens. About the only thing we won't give them is root vegetables and meats. They love to snack on "people" food and will often take it right from your hands.
One of the things we'll be building this year together is a chicken run- low in profile about 6 feet long by 2 feet wide. We'll place this at the entrance to the coop and carry them to the garden. Placed between rows every day we're hoping to use their expertise at weed control. As they devour the weeds we'll move them down the row throughout the day. If they can clear one row a day that saves us a ton of work!

What's on Tap?

A Morel  mushroom- they grow naturally here at Twin Creeks Farm

Here's what is in the process of growing for Spring:

Asparagus- Two mature beds *

Beets

Carrots

Herbs- An expansive variety of cut and come again types

Kale

Leeks

Lettuces- A large variety of cut and come again green leaf types

Onions- Both for greens and bulbs

Parsnips

Peas

Radishes

Spinach- Harvested early for cut and come again growth

* notes a crop we would like to expand planting this Spring 

For the past few weeks I have been diligently watering soil. Pretty boring when it all looks the same. But just in the last few days little seed heads have finally popped up. This is when things get exciting. I'll be working on schedules for farm hands this coming week and next. If you haven't already worked yourself into the calendar, call me at 513-259-7194.