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A Sustainable field of Hope
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Sweet, sweet spring! Hello farm friends, hope you are enjoying the moderate temperatures that have marked our spring. I actually found myself wishing for rain, contrary to the rain deluge we had last year. At least farmers are putting up a decent cut of hay with these good drying conditions. Anyway, spring has been good to us. Fern and I have been helping out once a week at our friend's farms this year-Harmony Hill Gardens and The Turnip Truck, both in Bucks County, PA. We help weed and prepare beds for crops. We enjoy the great company, but also the wide open spaces that our home in Bethlehem can't provide. We belong outside. Fern has spent half of her life outside already! This is the first spring in 13 years that I haven't worked like crazy in horticulture. It's a bit strange for me to be chasing a toddler all day and wonder why my house still isn't in ship shape like I projected, with all of my "free time". So here I am, chipping in helping friends and raising our child. It's a good life, but still a struggle, especially with Joe working away 4-5 nights a week.
I am doing a good job procrastinating about rewriting our business plan. I am not very good at being still, which researching and typing require. A curious toddler pounding on the keys then shuts me down, and I don't get back to it till more than a week later. Most of you probably know about my absence from the internet and social networking since you have to call me to contact me...I feel pretty out of touch sometimes. I am embarking on a different kind of work-raising a child, instead of the brains and braun that have marked my springs for all of my adult life. I must buckle down and begin researching so that our farm will thrive and have several income streams.
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Posted by Aunt Bee at
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Hello farm fans! Happy Spring! I am writing from the 20' x 30' garden of our home in Bethlehem. This plot produces an amazing amount of food for such a little space. It has alot of charm and biodiversity. We have 2 compost piles that feed cats, dogs, birds, and mice. The volunteer sunflowers are getting to be overwhelming. Need any?
I have had a soul searching winter, finally admitting that farming with an infant by myself was too much for my health. Now, that statement was tough to write. More accurately, meeting the stress and demands of direct marketing and CSA was too hard on me. Living outside with an infant was fine, we would nurse in the field, rest in the shade when necessary. Picking and packing in the unending rain was what did me in, and then hauling baby and her gear to sit at markets did not help. I came home utterly exhausted, burnt out truthfully. It was hard explaining that to my mate, finding the words to tell him that it wasn't fun anymore.
We have decided to go to our farm twice a month as a family, work during the day and visit our wonderful friends at night. It's tough to have your feet in two different states. We're rewriting the business plan to reflect us as a family. We somehow expected this dream to move faster. All good things take time!!
Last year was challenging-farming with an infant, too much rain, late swarming bees, recession. We will persevere and build our dream homestead that will support our family. It all takes time, and we're learning to enjoy the journey instead of just eyeing the finish line. These two hares make quite a pair!
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Posted by Aunt Bee at
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Hello farm friends, today I am writing from the cozy confines of our home in Bethlehem, PA. Fern and I have been here since mid-October. We had an abrupt halt to our farming season. I was absolutely rundown and had caught a cold, became dehydrated, and passed out, giving myself two champion lumps on my head. Thankfully all this happened during a visit to PA, so my family made us stay home to recouperate. We would have been in sorry shape had I passed out at the farm. Joe handled the last week of CSA shares. I have always taken my health for granted, and I'm starting to feel wiser these days. Working in the weather really takes it's toll, plus lugging an extra twenty pounds wears you down even more. I must admit that I've also been suffering from superwoman syndrome. Now that I'm looking back, I persevered in a sopping wet growing season and was able to maintain our CSA, two weekly markets, and some restaurant sales. I need to give myself a pat on the back. It feels great to take a break, for sure.
We've lots of farm planning to do this winter, since next year we'd like to erect a building. Looking forward to working with a local builder, starting to define the spaces at our place, and revolutionize my work day. Just having shelter from the sun for us, the produce, and equipment will be a huge difference. It's pretty cool how resourceful one can be, but you can lose efficiency as you "make do".
Fernie just turned one year old a couple of days ago. It's amazing how time flies!! She is a happy-go-lucky kid, happier going on an adventure than playing with toys. She is almost walking, and beginning to verbalize. Wondering how she'll do next year as a toddler.....stay tuned.
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Posted by Aunt Bee at
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Hello farm friends! I haven't forgotten about blogging, just a little time crunched. Catching WIFI with Fern on my lap is challenging since she wants to type the blog herself. And then I'd like to mention that baby slime in the keyboard brings all progress to a halt.
So what have I been doing with my time? Making sure that we have enough planted to satisfy our 6 member CSA, and then trying to move any extra produce through two weekly farmer's markets, the Madison Bounty program, and a few restaurant sales. To me, it seems elementary on paper. Wait, but I forgot to factor in the extreme rain that we've received. Not only does it make me grumpy, it means that Fern must ride in the backpack ALL THE TIME. It's tough to bend over and harvest spinach with 20 wiggling pounds yanking off your hat.
We've had good fortune the latter half of the summer into fall regarding labor issues. I've found three young men who do guest appearances, each able to give us a few hours each week. This means that half the potatoes are dug now, onions are stored, and that organic matter has been spread into existing beds. They are all family oriented, so hanging with Fern is not an effort. Just having their company for me makes a difference.
I miss Joe alot. It has been a tough year in so many ways: weather, economy, ag labor shortage. I've been occupied with fulfilling my commitments, and need to remember to look up at the sky and count my blessings. We have a great life, and Fern and I are able to be together all day. Sometimes it's hard to get anything significant done, but we have a healthy child and are working on a lifetime project with our farm. Gotta remember to be in the moment and enjoy.
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Posted by Aunt Bee at
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Ahh, it's July. We are blissfully pulling giant weeds from our fields and watching most of our crops grow. (See the pictures of the week on our website) The copious rain could relent a little, as I'm done with wearing the rubber boots. The tomatoes, peppers, & okra could use some heat now! Row covers are our friends since they give us a few extra degrees.
We are preparing for our fourth CSA share pickup this weekend. So far, so good with this endeavor. I enjoy the weekly interaction with members, hearing how they prepared our produce. We look forward to the beans and squashes that are rapidly filling their spaces in the garden.
It feels very wholesome to bring our child into the garden while we're working. Sometimes we'll wear her, other times she enjoys assorted baby furniture we've inherited. When Fernie rolls off of her blanket, she becomes immersed in the jungle! Oh where, oh where has my baby gone.....Her immmobile days are gone for sure!! She loves watching branches sway in the breeze, & occasionally she talks at the dogs. Lately I've been hitching Bernie to a snow sled and then taking her for rides which she loves. He definitely has blossomed with his new job, excited to wear his harness and care for the baby. It is a busy day keeping all of our wards occupied!
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Posted by Aunt Bee at
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Ah, it feels good to report the huge amount of seed that I sowed today in anticipation of tonight's rain. Winter squash galore, soybeans, multicolored sweet corn, zucchini, sunflowers, broom corn, and lastly mangels and oats intended for the livestock. This is half of my last big push of direct sowing. Now I can focus on subsequent rotations of all the greens like arugula, spinach, lettuce and even radish. I really lilke growing basil directly from seed in the field rather than using started plants. It is so much more robust with an incredible root system. I confess that I love seeds, so I find myself sowing them all year round. I have a knack I suppose. The other half of direct sowing will include other beans, cukes, and assorted herbs. Hopefully I'll be sowing tomorrow afternoon after harvesting for the first CSA share distribution and the Cazenovia Farmer's Market. All this jockeying goes along with me needing to do all tasks in two hour increments found around Fern's needs. I'm getting much better at it. Woo-hoo!
Our dogs flushed a woodcock fledgling last night during our evening walk around the farm. It was pretty big, with its distinctive curved beak and spherical body. This is the third year in a row that I've seen fledglings. It was fun looking them up in a key to find out their name. We are continually finding new life forms on our farm, even after five years of ownership. We just found a Mapleleaf Viburnum near the goat enclosure, and promptly made sure it was protected from Peach and Plum. It is rewarding to know all this diversity was there, and that it hasn't went anywhere.
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Posted by Aunt Bee at
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Whoa Father Time! Where have the last two months gone? Today is a rain day, supposedly when I have time to do ALL of the computer work and phone calling that I haven't made time to do. I haven't been ignoring any of you on purpose!! Please speak up if you need some Bee and Fern time! New (cell) phone number that replaces all others: 315.552.4267. Also new mailing address: Aunt Bee's Farm, P.O. Box 463, Cazenovia, NY 13035.
I love being a mom, but it is way more time consuming than I could have imagined. Sometimes my work ethic competes with mommy duties. I've conceded to using a whole day to do a few hours worth of seeding or bed prep. Gone are the days where I would work till dark, and then remember to eat. Fern is good for me since she does make me take breaks. My self worth occassionally takes a hit when all I got done in a day was weeding ten feet of lettuce. I would not trade this experience for anything, though! Fern is so much fun, and the best little buddy. She likes to ride on the sled that her dog friend Bernie pulls around for me. We are blessed with many trees that she naps under and will someday climb. She is becoming aware of the natural world, forcing me to check-in and "be" in her moment.
This week's calamity is the incorrect pipe that I bought to build our high tunnel greenhouse. Our wonderful friends from Pennsylvania visited for the holiday weekend, offering to help put up the tunnel. All was going well, till it was time to stand up the ribs of the structure and they looked more like wet noodles. That's when I saw my mistake, AARRGGGHHHH! So, we have several hundred feet of pipe that is cut, but not strong enough to use for this project. We are rallying, using it for little tunnels. And waiting till we have capital to buy the right pipe. We have lots of plants that are supposed to be growing in the tunnel right now, so they're in a holding pattern till we assemble more little tunnels.
Add the high tunnel incident to the fact that we are down two hands, and you begin to understand my absence from the computer. My brother declined an employment opportunity with us after several months of being interested, so not only are we down a farm hand, but he also would have been helping us with his neice. Joe works one week in PA, and one week at our farm. My brother would have helped bridge the gap between Joe's availability. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get it all done with fewer people. Hence, we have soil stained hands that care for our perfect little girl, and clasp one another's hand as we fall asleep after a hard day's work. It's a great life in pursuit of our homesteading dreams.
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Posted by Aunt Bee at
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Happy New Year to our fan club! These new parents were in bed by 11:30pm. We are wintering at our home in Bethlehem, PA, and got to see fireworks out of our bedroom window. The red, green, and white display was a real treat with my pajamas. January has found me researching seeds, tractor implements, and marketing options. Joe is searching for the best camper for his little family. I'm looking forward to family camping. Fern is looking forward to riding in wagons pulled by her dog friends.
We've been checking in with other farmer friends, exchanging magazines and books eagerly. One of them showed me how to carry Fern without using my hands with four different techniques of wrapping fabric. I have begun with the front carry in the center of my chest. She really likes it since we can make eye contact and she can fall asleep to my heartbeat. Now I can type and move about more freely. What a difference!
As I prepare to be on the farm with my new family, I have found myself reflecting on my farming ancestors. My great-grandparents Violet and Edgar McElheny used mules to raise grains and hay for their farm and sale. Their farm was sustainable, all their meats harvested on site, served with lots of homegrown potatoes. My Dad remembers a cold room with a giant butcher block table holding an entire slab of bacon. They would just go out and cut off when they wanted to cook. Dad said they always worked hard, ate well, and were happy. Nothing was wasted-Edgar would drink the water in which potatoes were boiled. I wish I could have known them. Such a wealth of unrecorded knowledge. I'm sure they found their medicines in the forest and in their foods. Lately I've been probing my father about his memories of them and their techniques around the homestead. I'm sure they'd be proud of our choice to build a homestead that is self-sustaining, raising a family with good foods to eat, and sharing the abundance with our neighbors. I wish I could go on a field walk with Edgar, or sit with Violet on the front porch rocking chairs.
Another farming relative is my grandmother's little brother Charles Krug a..k.a. Uncle Sonny. Throughout my upbringing I would occasionally hang out with him and his trio of small mules Gus, Festus, and Zeke. They pulled a covered wagon that he used in Appalachian Wagontrain re-enactments. He also kept a large mule and a couple of horses. These mules would occassionally go logging in his woodlot. I loved listening to him speaking to his animals, requesting their help rather than forcing them to work. I don't remember them doing any field work, although he did raise small grains. Uncle Sonny died in 2002. After he had worked the mules in the morning, he went in his house for lunch, sat down and passed away. I'm sure he'd love to chip in his two cents right now,. I often invoke his memory when we play horseshoes after a hard day's work. I'd like to use mule power on our farm someday and treasure the little bits I've learned from him. I expect to add them to the homestead in the next three years. Wish me luck!
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Posted by Aunt Bee at
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Greetings farm fans! We are proud to announce the arrival of our daughter Fern Violet on November 14, 2008. She came to us 4 weeks early, choosing a full moon to herald her arrival. It's been several weeks now, and our family life is blossoming with the new member. She is a happy baby, thankfully. Bandit and Bernie are loving protectors, following me around the house. I've learned to wrap Fern onto my body with a section of fabric, freeing my hands for typing and chores. She is truly growing like the proverbial 'bad weed'.
I'll be spending the next months cruising catalogs for exciting seeds to grow and planning for the spring hustle. We've set up the seed starting chamber here in Bethlehem since I'll be returning in May rather than April like last year. Joe will be joining Fern and I at the farm during the growing season, continuing with his current job part-time. We are in year 3 of our dream of establishing a sustainable vegetable farm and homestead. Hopefully 2010 will see Joe farming full time. I will enjoy his comraderie,as well as his technical and creative perspectives. It will be so much fun with the family together working on our dream. We are still researching which type of home we'd like to build in the next couple of years. We will be camping at our place again this year. I enjoyed it quite a bit the last two years, each year getting better. The stars are incredible at our farm, so many galaxies are visible, shooting stars abound. We are eager to share all the wonder that Mother Nature has to offer with our daughter.
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Posted by Aunt Bee at
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Happy Autumn to you all! This is our favorite time of year-great colors, smells, harvests, cider making, and our anniversary. We just celebrated three blissful years of matrimony preceded by 12 years of friendship. Wow, time sure does fly by when you're living your dreams. We are so thankful for all that life has offered us. We're looking forward to sharing our adventures with you. 2008 has been a great year of networking and crop growing, finding us planning for a banner 2009.
The end of September found us extracting 34 frames of honey, yielding approximately 90 pounds of glorious golden goodness. Our friend Mike found a 3 frame manual honey extractor for our homestead. Last year my mentor Bob extracted our honey in his honey house, a fabulous facility. We wanted to do it the hard way this year, truly appreciating Bob's help last year. Our honey is unfiltered and unheated, containing all the subtlties that make it so healthy.
Joe and I spent 5 hours uncapping and spinning the honey frames, teaching ourselves technique along the way. Joe was a great sport, especially when the bees found their way into our shed and were crawling in his hair and up his pantlegs. I am accustomed to their behavior, but it was a new experience for him. Although working with honey is fun and delicious, it does make EVERYTHING sticky. Honey on your glasses does get you down.
Early October found me wrapping up farm markets and field chores, getting ready to move back to Bethlehem, PA for the winter. Joe and I spent two entire weekends processing all the gleanings from our fields: basil, tomatoes, apples, chard, spinach, etc. We thoroughly enjoy spending time together in the kitchen, no matter what the task. Salsa, sauce, clear tomato soup, pesto, and applesauce now line our shelves waiting to be exulted in the depths of winter. Now I am home, enjoying the daily company of my husband. Lots of preparation to be done before our 'sprout' arrives in 7 weeks....
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Posted by Aunt Bee at
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