Oh my- farmin keeps ya busy

I can't believe it's been since May that we last posted. And I still am surprised that folks NOTICE (thank you dear friends who actually do read the blog. I'm always so thankful and honored.) So much work has been accomplished if not so much blogging. We can't believe all that is growing and all that always remains needing to be done. We have some half assed projects laying dormant- like the strawberry garden is now fenced in with chicken wire but only a small portion is buried and there is no gate. So Dottie gets into the garden and then has to tromp on everything 3 times before circling out the arbor. But we FINALLY got our truckload of mulch last week and I'm happy to say it's down and doing it's job. There are still a few areas that can use the wood chips and then there's the unloading of the balance of it in some good spot. But it was a huge thing that was delayed and delayed and just when we felt hopeless, Red got a better contact number than I had and the city of Madison dumped load after load into our pickup bed and trailer. A big thank you to the guy with the front loader.

The hay finally was cut (unfortunately just before a huge storm) last week and today the round bales were loaded into the mow. It seems dry enough. It will be waiting for the big critters that we'll hope to have by fall.

The garden is amazing. I'm curious about the tomatoes, that seem to be all in blossom and we even see some green tomatoes but look just sad. They are not too tall (just about 2- 2.5 feet at best)and the leaves look wilty (no spots, no bugs to speak of just droopy.) But our potatoes are so lush and the blossoms are coming in the fingerlings and the beets (why did I plant so few?) are ready.
The peas and beans are in blossom- we need to plant more rows of carrots and more beets! and beans but it's hard to imagine we'll eat all the beans that are already well underway. The wax beans and snap beans, northern and jacobs cattle are all looking great. The pole beans just got trellised late as they were crawling all over each other. It was very satisfying to disentangle them, methodically tying each piece of twine and giving them the support they need. My second patch of lettuce is ready and we harvested some of the tender baby carrots. A couple of months ago we bought a bag of those carrots that are lathed to be 'babies' and they were inedible woody things. So amazing to compare! The broccoli di rapa is bolting and I tried to freeze as much of it as I could but given I'm the only one eating em in this house.... I will grow them again but plan more company to come enjoy them. I wish I was feeding more of my friends, nudge nudge please visit!

The cherries - I've been harvesting them for the last several days and sadly, there are more with the little worms than not. I've developed a float test that works fairly well (the wormy ones float to the top) and then a painstaking picking through. It's discouraging to read the poor prognosis for organic cherries- but I'm interested in trying a more comprehensive strategy next year. It would be fine if the pests get a few but still leave us a harvest. It seems like it doesn't really go that way (and our apples seem to be pretty much completely lost to damage.) Hmmm. I hear we can sew up nets .... I do love to be crafty.

Wormy cherries aside (they are still CHERRIES and the ones that escaped are yummy!) This is such a great start on this farmin' thing. I feel so grateful for all that we've been able to do but also for the plants that keep growing, ready to give us this amazing food. I have been reflecting a lot on my anxiety about failing - why I have been so vulnerable to my ego being all wrapped up in outcome. I'm choosing to be amazed and impressed and see that my tending this thing is a small contribution.

The last two days have been exceptionally and abruptly HOT. Heat index near (or over? 100) and the chickens are constantly panting and holding their wings out to stay cool. What can ya do? Maybe bringing them into our one air conditioned bedroom but that might make us seem really crazy. We have shade and a fan for them. I've still maintained some good hours of weeding and working on various projects but have to do them first thing and in the evening. I'm enjoying cold showers to wash off the mud and I'm forgoing my concerns about water use to enjoy a few a day if I want (they only last a few minutes!) Today, I was weeding between the rows of beans and the soil is still moist from the heavy rains last weekend. To save my back, I was kind of crawling along and the cool(relatively cool...it was still steamy) ground felt great. I am so used to being a dirt streaked mess (in between those cold showers) and having clothes that just never come clean. Red was concerned that neighbors might have seen me rollin in our weeds. :) I try to look more composed than that- ya can see us from the road. (I thought through that one while wearing my sundress weeding.) But it's just that fun! I'm glad to have all this work. I'm currently sans baby as she is with her other mom and I'm finding my way through it all. I'm glad to be tending this bigger than me thing and appreciating what it gives back.