the weather's been a bit intense this week...we got about 7 inches of rain on monday and tuesday. i was worried as i watched my plants be drenched and then submerged in water. ed said not to worry about things we can't control. he always has to make so much sense! he said the same thing to me one time when we were in an airplane, experiencing a lot, i mean A LOT, of turbulence. i did not appreciate his comment then, even though he was right. especially since sena was with us. but this time, it was actually useful. nothing i can do about the rain, so i was able to let go a little when i thought about it that way. anyway, it stopped raining and the rest of the week is supposed to be beautiful. hopefully no major damage to the crops in the field. we'll see.
last night was my yoga night and aiyana wanted to come with me. i had some misgivings, but i finally said yes. she was amazing, and it was so special to have her practice with me. it's a one-and-a-half-hour class, and she was totally quiet and respectful the whole time. she just watched and did the postures as best as she could, and when she got tired she just sat there quietly. she wants to come again, and i am looking forward to it.
sometimes i just feel like everything is so amazing, and we get so used to it, and we forget and fail to appreciate it. i try to remind myself to take in this special time with my kids, to be awake at this special time in my life, when we have so much richness, and so much to be thankful for. i try to remind myself of this when i start getting too wound up, and mislead by little details.
peace
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Happy Spring!!!
I’ve been so busy lately - I haven’t been posting as often as I used to…
Ed and I have been working hard taking advantage of the warming weather; we’ve been working in the old and new fields, preparing one and planting in the other. Ed plowed and tilled the new field, and we all picked up stones and cleaned it up; Ed has to till again, and we should be ready to plant there in a couple of weeks.
We’ve been also working the old field, the field we used last year for growing everything. What a difference a year makes! The soil in this field is so easy to work with now; relatively weed free and stone free, and in much better condition than the new field. We got a soil test done on both fields, and the results show a dramatic improvement in the old field, from all the compost and rock powders, and the general care we devoted to it over the last year. It’s a little hard having to start all over again in our new field, but it is encouraging to know how big a difference a year can make.
We’re still using our old field this season while we’re getting the other one ready. We already planted lots of things there: lettuces, spinach, peas, carrots, chard, and radishes, turnips, and more is to come. Since the soil is in so much better shape than last year, we decided to try no-till on part of this field. Up to now, we always tilled as part of preparing our beds for planting. But our long term goal is to minimize tillage, or any practice that involves the use of heavy machinery; tillage in particular damages the biology of the soil, which is obvious, when you see the dead worms, chopped in half by the tiller. We try to encourage a thriving biology in the soil, because that’s crucial to soil and plant health, and so we want to avoid tilling. We did about half the beds we planted so far without the tiller; we used a broadfork instead, which is a manual way of gently digging and aerating the soil. Of course it takes much longer and requires more effort than using the tiller. But we’re experimenting right now, and I want to see if there is any short term benefit from planting a crop with and without the tiller. I already know the long term benefits weigh in for no-tilling.
The greenhouse and hoop tunnels have been pretty intense these past 2 weeks. With temperatures being in the 60’s during the day, temps in the greenhouse and under the tunnels were getting in the 90’s, so we needed to vent everything. At night, temperatures have been dropping to low 20’s and so we had to make sure everything was covered. So it’s been a lot of cover / uncover with both the greenhouse and the tunnels, and sometimes it feels like that’s all I’m doing, especially now that we have over 20 tunnels in the field already.
My parents were here a couple of weeks ago, and we got them involved in everything we’ve been doing. They helped de-stone the fields, and my dad helped with our car, while my mom pretty much took charge of cooking and dish-washing which was a huge help. I love working outside, and it’s where I prefer to be, but I have a hard time when I’m done and tired, and I come into the house, and have to cook, clean, wash dishes…it’s hard to do it all. The food especially, I would love to have food ready for me to eat when I come in tired, as opposed to having to cook it myself. I do love to cook, but not when I’m tired and hungry.
I’ve definitely let go of the house in a big way, and it’s a conscious decision. I need to focus on the field and the children, if we want to make a living farming.
I heard a comment that seemed appropriate for my situation, by a woman farmer, in the movie “Fresh”. She said “If you want to come and see me, come any time. If you’re coming to see my house, take an appointment”. That’s where I’m at. I’m letting go of everything but the essentials (cooking) as far as the house goes. I’m hoping that Sena will soon be able to take on more responsibility too. Already, she makes her own breakfast in the morning (except for using the stove, which I want Ed or I to be there for). Yesterday, I showed her how to make pasta (which I actually hope we don’t have to eat too often, since I really don’t like pasta and I don’t like feeding it to my family). She’s also very helpful with chopping vegetables, getting them ready for me to cook. I feel good about giving the kids more responsibility, you can see that it makes them proud of themselves to see how much they can help, and they mostly enjoy it.
This week, I’ve had more positive feedback from customers regarding our farm and CSA. I pretty much thrive on that. I love to work hard and grow beautiful vegetables and know that the people who eat them enjoye them.
So, I’ll just end by saying that even though it’s been hard juggling everything, I keep thinking that if I love this farming life enough, eventually I will learn what I need to learn, and I will get to know the soil and the plants well enough, and everything will work out. Lately, when do yoga, or simply relax before falling asleep at night, I feel a wave of well-being washing over me, and I just have to smile, because I feel so good about the little plants I put in the ground, and so connected to them. It's like they're my little children.
peace
Ed and I have been working hard taking advantage of the warming weather; we’ve been working in the old and new fields, preparing one and planting in the other. Ed plowed and tilled the new field, and we all picked up stones and cleaned it up; Ed has to till again, and we should be ready to plant there in a couple of weeks.
We’ve been also working the old field, the field we used last year for growing everything. What a difference a year makes! The soil in this field is so easy to work with now; relatively weed free and stone free, and in much better condition than the new field. We got a soil test done on both fields, and the results show a dramatic improvement in the old field, from all the compost and rock powders, and the general care we devoted to it over the last year. It’s a little hard having to start all over again in our new field, but it is encouraging to know how big a difference a year can make.
We’re still using our old field this season while we’re getting the other one ready. We already planted lots of things there: lettuces, spinach, peas, carrots, chard, and radishes, turnips, and more is to come. Since the soil is in so much better shape than last year, we decided to try no-till on part of this field. Up to now, we always tilled as part of preparing our beds for planting. But our long term goal is to minimize tillage, or any practice that involves the use of heavy machinery; tillage in particular damages the biology of the soil, which is obvious, when you see the dead worms, chopped in half by the tiller. We try to encourage a thriving biology in the soil, because that’s crucial to soil and plant health, and so we want to avoid tilling. We did about half the beds we planted so far without the tiller; we used a broadfork instead, which is a manual way of gently digging and aerating the soil. Of course it takes much longer and requires more effort than using the tiller. But we’re experimenting right now, and I want to see if there is any short term benefit from planting a crop with and without the tiller. I already know the long term benefits weigh in for no-tilling.
The greenhouse and hoop tunnels have been pretty intense these past 2 weeks. With temperatures being in the 60’s during the day, temps in the greenhouse and under the tunnels were getting in the 90’s, so we needed to vent everything. At night, temperatures have been dropping to low 20’s and so we had to make sure everything was covered. So it’s been a lot of cover / uncover with both the greenhouse and the tunnels, and sometimes it feels like that’s all I’m doing, especially now that we have over 20 tunnels in the field already.
My parents were here a couple of weeks ago, and we got them involved in everything we’ve been doing. They helped de-stone the fields, and my dad helped with our car, while my mom pretty much took charge of cooking and dish-washing which was a huge help. I love working outside, and it’s where I prefer to be, but I have a hard time when I’m done and tired, and I come into the house, and have to cook, clean, wash dishes…it’s hard to do it all. The food especially, I would love to have food ready for me to eat when I come in tired, as opposed to having to cook it myself. I do love to cook, but not when I’m tired and hungry.
I’ve definitely let go of the house in a big way, and it’s a conscious decision. I need to focus on the field and the children, if we want to make a living farming.
I heard a comment that seemed appropriate for my situation, by a woman farmer, in the movie “Fresh”. She said “If you want to come and see me, come any time. If you’re coming to see my house, take an appointment”. That’s where I’m at. I’m letting go of everything but the essentials (cooking) as far as the house goes. I’m hoping that Sena will soon be able to take on more responsibility too. Already, she makes her own breakfast in the morning (except for using the stove, which I want Ed or I to be there for). Yesterday, I showed her how to make pasta (which I actually hope we don’t have to eat too often, since I really don’t like pasta and I don’t like feeding it to my family). She’s also very helpful with chopping vegetables, getting them ready for me to cook. I feel good about giving the kids more responsibility, you can see that it makes them proud of themselves to see how much they can help, and they mostly enjoy it.
This week, I’ve had more positive feedback from customers regarding our farm and CSA. I pretty much thrive on that. I love to work hard and grow beautiful vegetables and know that the people who eat them enjoye them.
So, I’ll just end by saying that even though it’s been hard juggling everything, I keep thinking that if I love this farming life enough, eventually I will learn what I need to learn, and I will get to know the soil and the plants well enough, and everything will work out. Lately, when do yoga, or simply relax before falling asleep at night, I feel a wave of well-being washing over me, and I just have to smile, because I feel so good about the little plants I put in the ground, and so connected to them. It's like they're my little children.
peace
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
sick children
sena and aiyana were both sick last week. it's been a little rough, especially for aiyana who got an ear infection at the end. sena's never had one in her life, and aiyana only had one last year while we were in mexico, so we're not used to them. she was crying in pain, and i tried all the remedies i knew: hot oil with garlic, hot and cold compresses and some homeopathic remedies. what woked best for her were cold compresses and pulsatilla. i'm glad we're done with that now...
things are coming along great on the farm - we got a lot of things in the ground last week, and the seedling in the greenhouse are also doing well. we've been getting quite a few CSA applications in the mail and it's all very exciting.
more later...
for now, check out the pictures of my cute sick children:
this is sena. she wasn't feeling well, and i had work to do in the field, so she made herself this little shelter right out on the grass close to where i was working, and rested there.
and this is aiyana, with a fever. not even reading about horses could cheer her up....
peace
things are coming along great on the farm - we got a lot of things in the ground last week, and the seedling in the greenhouse are also doing well. we've been getting quite a few CSA applications in the mail and it's all very exciting.
more later...
for now, check out the pictures of my cute sick children:
this is sena. she wasn't feeling well, and i had work to do in the field, so she made herself this little shelter right out on the grass close to where i was working, and rested there.
and this is aiyana, with a fever. not even reading about horses could cheer her up....
peace
Monday, March 15, 2010
Fresh - the movie
saw an excellent movie this weekend (first movie i've seen on big screen since Sena was born 6 yrs ago...). the name of the movie was Fresh and it took a look at food, industrial agriculture, and the local/sustainable movement. it was a lot like Michael Pollan's book "The omnivore's dilemma", and in fact Michael Pollan himself was in it, along with at least one farmer from his book.
i liked the movie because it condensed some important issues which affect all of us in a nice format, and most of all i liked that it ended on a positive note, making one feel empowered to deal with these issues as opposed to simply depressed or overwhelmed by the knowledge.
peace
i liked the movie because it condensed some important issues which affect all of us in a nice format, and most of all i liked that it ended on a positive note, making one feel empowered to deal with these issues as opposed to simply depressed or overwhelmed by the knowledge.
peace
spinach
this is our over-wintered spinach. i planted it last october, and it grew a bit last fall, then it stayed put under the plastic tunnels, waiting for the return of the light. it's been growing strong again since early february.
peace
Sunday, March 14, 2010
CSA response
we had excellent response to our CSA so far. some people have already signed up, and many more showed interest. we gave out a lot of pamphlets already, and i can't believe the whole thing started only last thursday (i mean that's when we first put out our info to the public). anyway, yesterday we went to the market to tell people about the CSA, and that went really well too. we also brought some spinach and eggs to sell, and we sold out of everything in about 15 minutes. it was a little embarrassing, but we had not planned on doing markets this early in the season. well, we should have more soon, if everything goes well. the greenhouse is going strong, and last friday ed and i planted spinach and peas in the ground.
i feel so good being outside again, close to the land.
peace
i feel so good being outside again, close to the land.
peace
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
farm website
we got a website for our farm. it's really simple, but it's up and running. check it out at under "my links" on the right of this page.
peace
peace
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
slideshow of this past weekend
this past weekend i spoke about conscious consumption and food consciousness at a women's gathering in hartford. there were two other speakers: a naturopath who spoke on earth medicine, and a woman who spoke on self-care. the event began with one woman leading the rest of us through a short yoga practice, and ended with another woman drumming while the rest of us danced.
the celebration was held at Fire-n-Spice vegan restaurant and the food was unbeleivable.
it was all so lovely! one woman was there taking pictures and captured it all beautifully. here's a link to the slideshow she put together (click on Celebrations and then International Women's Day). i'm the person with the patch skirt and brown top and doc martins.
peace
the celebration was held at Fire-n-Spice vegan restaurant and the food was unbeleivable.
it was all so lovely! one woman was there taking pictures and captured it all beautifully. here's a link to the slideshow she put together (click on Celebrations and then International Women's Day). i'm the person with the patch skirt and brown top and doc martins.
peace
Monday, March 08, 2010
Saturday, March 06, 2010
tomorrow
tomorrow i'm supposed to speak at a gathering for International Women's Day. my topic is "conscious consumption", and more specifically "food consciousness". i am very excited. it's a huge topic, and i feel like i can take it into so many directions, but i worked on it and was able to focus it to about 20 minutes speaking time. there will be a lot of interesting women there, and i look forward to sharing with them.
peace
peace
Friday, March 05, 2010
website help
ed and i want to put together a really simple website for our farm, just so people can find us on the web if they wish. i don't have much time to spend on this, and have no web programming experience; also, we can't afford to pay someone to design one for us. so i'm wondering if anyone knows an easy way to create a webpage, i'm thinking something similar to creating a blog, which i was able to set up quickly, by myself, without having any experience. if you do know of anything along these lines, would you please let me know?
thank you!
peace
thank you!
peace
Thursday, March 04, 2010
busy
i have been so busy lately - i feel a little crazy right now. but it's all good, all very positive, just a lot of it. and the growing season has barely just begun!
things are going well in the greenhouse. many of the scallions have sprouted, and so have the cabbages. onions have yet to come up.
the house is coming along too. interior walls are being put up right now. sena and aiyana's room is pretty much finished, and so is mine and ed's. we got another johnnie (who's also a capenter and a friend) working with ed and johnnie right now, so things are moving fast with the three of them.
i finally got the taxes in the mail. that lifted a lot off my shoulders. doing them was painful. so many forms to fill, now that we have the farm, and the jargon is so outrageous, i had to read each sentence over at least 5 times...
this coming season, ed and i will be doing 3 farmers' markets: storrs, ashford, and another one which is yet to be determined. we also plan to open a farm stand at our house, and we are starting a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). putting all of this together is so exciting, SO exciting, and so overwhelming, at times. we're working hard on figuring out what our CSA will look like, and we'd like to finalize things by next week. we've also been making signs for our farm, and for our market tent, etc. etc.
busy!
peace
things are going well in the greenhouse. many of the scallions have sprouted, and so have the cabbages. onions have yet to come up.
the house is coming along too. interior walls are being put up right now. sena and aiyana's room is pretty much finished, and so is mine and ed's. we got another johnnie (who's also a capenter and a friend) working with ed and johnnie right now, so things are moving fast with the three of them.
i finally got the taxes in the mail. that lifted a lot off my shoulders. doing them was painful. so many forms to fill, now that we have the farm, and the jargon is so outrageous, i had to read each sentence over at least 5 times...
this coming season, ed and i will be doing 3 farmers' markets: storrs, ashford, and another one which is yet to be determined. we also plan to open a farm stand at our house, and we are starting a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). putting all of this together is so exciting, SO exciting, and so overwhelming, at times. we're working hard on figuring out what our CSA will look like, and we'd like to finalize things by next week. we've also been making signs for our farm, and for our market tent, etc. etc.
busy!
peace
Monday, March 01, 2010
how exciting
a snowdrop i planted last fall just poked its beautiful head out of the ground
and my scallions have sprouted too, in the greenhouse
peace
and my scallions have sprouted too, in the greenhouse
peace
goats
ed, sena, aiyana, and i put up the goat fence on saturday. on sunday, we picked up the goats from our friends' house. the girls were really excited, but the goats were a little stressed with the move. they seemed to settle down when we put them in their new pen though, and started chewing on brush and bitterseweet right away. that was nice to see.
we plan to move them to new ground every month or so, so they should have planty of fresh stuff to eat, and hopefuly they'll help clear the brushy mess that's on that part of our land.
here's shaman (his name is actually shamus, but the kids keep calling him shaman, so shaman it is)
and folly
and vera, who's pregnant
peace
we plan to move them to new ground every month or so, so they should have planty of fresh stuff to eat, and hopefuly they'll help clear the brushy mess that's on that part of our land.
here's shaman (his name is actually shamus, but the kids keep calling him shaman, so shaman it is)
and folly
and vera, who's pregnant
peace
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