Able2Farm

Making Hay While the Sun Shines

2009-03-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

The beautiful spring weather has given us opportunity to get some early crops planted, and the first round of tomatoes seeded. I have direct seeded chard, beets, spinach and arugula; 2400 leek plants were set last week; I have transplants seeded and under lights in the basement for 2 varieties of kale, broccoli and lettuce; Mom and Dad helped me seed the first round of tomatoes yesterday--300 goliath, 100 brandywine, 100 San Marzanos, 100 cherokee purples. Hopefully we will get the peppers seeded this afternoon. The 6000 vidalia-type onions have struggled, having been hit hard by early 10 degree weather, but I estimate havrvesting about 60 percent of them. The garlic is doing very well, although I don't plan to sell it at market this year--I plan to save part of it for family use, and the rest for seed garlic next year.

We had a peach tree pruning lesson in Mr. Brays orchard--a few hours of tree-pruning is great for mental health!

Next, Mr. Bray supervised Cooper and me planting the Able 2 Farm peach trees--30 trees in all, five different varieties with staggered ripening dates; Mr. Bray says we'll have our first peaches in 28 months!

I've started a Facebook page for "Becky Douville". The pictures are much easier to upload, so please visit me there!

Ding Dongs et. al.

2009-02-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

When Mom and Dad decided to sell the homestead and move into the house on the hill, I knew I'd be heading back to church. Long before they arrived I told John, "They're going to go all over the county looking for a church, but they'll end up at the church right down the street. I know it. And I know I'll end up going back with them."

This is significant because it is the same church I left 16 years ago, ungracefully, Painfully. I vowed to NEVER go to church again.

My predictions were correct, and soon I found myself spending Sunday mornings in the pew next to Mom, being the Good Daughter. The next step was Sunday school, and before I knew it, my class joined me on the farm to help raise money for our World Missions, or Apportionments.

Here is one of my favorite SS classmates, Bob, selling our produce at market. Bob is on my speeddial, and he's one of the first people I call when I have a project I need help with. He's just an uplifting person to be around, and no job is impossible for him.

More church folks, harvesting tomatoes.

Last year, the church's long-term, much-beloved handbell director moved on to greener pastures, leaving the choir reeling with disappointment. I was asked to step in as the new leader of this very dedicated, close-knit group.

First time I stood in front of them, they looked like they were gonna eat me for lunch!

However, not to fear, I soon realized that they are all just a bunch of ding-a-lings--just like me!

Look at those happy faces! (click to full page!). I snapped this at breakfast between services last Sunday--and it is one of my favorite pictures, ever.

NEVER say NEVER. Life is full of surprises. Find joy in unexpected places.

Leeks!

2009-02-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

I have never grown leeks, so I decided to plant a trial 100 ft. row. I ordered 600 plants from Dixondale Farms. Long story short, they sent me 2400! My onions got hit by early 10 degree weather, so I decided to plant all the leeks; hopefully I will have a successful harvest and will have them for market. I can't use plastic mulch, because I might need to hill the plants later on for blanching. We borrowed "Big Blue" from Mr. Bray to make the raised beds.

John, the Gentleman Farmer, looking very professional on Blue.

After laying the drip tape, I went down the row and poked holes about 5 inches deep, and dropped a leek into each hole. Finally I watered the row, causing enough dirt to fall in the hole for the root to take hold. This method of planting should minimize my hilling chore later on. These are mid-season Lancelot leeks, which by my calculations should be ready late June. I am hoping for a spectacular display of greenery from the 4 rows, which I can see from my sunroom.

Shitake Mushrooms

2009-02-21T04:53:00.001-08:00

Last Monday, Judith and Joe from Love is Love Farm in Douglasville, invited me to help with shitake log innoculations. A definite "NOT TO BE MISSED" occasion! It was a sunny, cold day, and the group assembled early. Joe and Judith had cut most of the logs, I think around 500 or more of them, and we got right down to work.

This special stand holds the log, while Mike drills holes a couple of inches deep, a couple of inches apart, all across and around the log. Each log will produce approximately 1 lb. of mushrooms, and it will take about 1 year before harvest. The logs can be reused for about 3 years. By the way, we all learned after Mike left that drilling is not the easiest job!

The shitake mushroom spores are stored in sawdust, which is moistened, packed into the injector, and then injected into the hole.

Then the sprores are sealed into the log with a dab of hot wax. Simply put, the pores feed off the nutrients in the log as the log decays, which is why the log is only good for 3 years. Although mushrooms can be grown in many different "substrates", those grown in logs are the most nutritious.

Note: Don't hold my feet to the fire with the above information....never read a thing about mushrooms...

While I enjoyed the day and the experience, Mushrooms aren't on my agenda for this season!

Fruit Orchard

2009-02-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

Today we had a beautiful spring-like day, which coincided with Ormando having a day off at Adams Farm. He came with some friends and we got the beds made for the Southern fruit orchard. Some of the peach trees, ordered from Cumberland Valley Nursery in Tennessee, arrived several weeks ago and have been waiting patiently in the compost pile.

There are 8 trees bundled together here--varieties White Lady, Red Haven, and Snow Giant, on Guardian rootstock. The remaining 16 peach trees will be shipped Feb. 20, along with Pear trees. from Adams County Farm, Pennsylvania. I'll go to Ison's nursery this weekend for the muscadines--varieties Sugargate, Late Frye and Early Frye. The 40 blueberry plants are coming from Bottoms nursery--10 each of the varieties Alapaha, Brightwell, Powder Blue and Ochlockonee. This is planned to give us fruit from June 1 until frost!

Irrigation drip tape being installed.

Mulch being rolled out.

Edges of the mulch being covered. Yeowee! Look at that shovel swing--makes my lower back hurt just to look!

The four finished beds, climbing the terraces up to my Mom and Dad's house. The top bed still needs to be made for the apple trees, arriving with the plum trees in November.

In my opinion, life doesn't get much better than this.

More Pictures

2009-01-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

It's almost time for the new season to get a serious start, so I thought I'd post some final pictures of last season. Meanwhile, I'm shopping for a new camera; as soon as that's done I'll get better about posting.

Svetta loading the truck for market.

Mr. Bray and Janet with watermelon and colorful umbrella at New Hope garden.

Two cute fencer-gals from OSU on the four-wheeler.

Mr. Bray and his peaches. Yummmmmm!

More pictures to come in the next post.

Able 2 Farm with Animals

2009-01-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a fencing tournament in Louisville, KY; Cooper and I drove up and met Robert, who came from OSU. It was a beautiful drive, winding through the mountains and farm country. Somewhere around Bowling Green we stopped to get gas and entering the interstate we saw a sign posted:

PROHIBITED!

Pedestrians
Non-motorized vehicles including wagons
Farm Implements
Farm animals on foot

There were other categories, but you get the picture--we were in REAL farm country! It motivated me to come home and post some pictures of our animals, which Robert took with his new digital camera at Christmas.

Crazy Lady--so-named because she's eccentric, and spends hours by herself standing on a ledge in the barn that is about 3 inches wide. When there are goat babies around, she goes into the dogloo and refuses to come out.

Dirty Harry, surrounded by his charges. This is the time of year he really comes alive--with that massive fur coat, the 11 degree nights feel like someone finally turned on the air-conditioning!

Carlos...with his "happy" face. This is how he greets me every morning--and I do appreciate his enthusiasm!

Christmas in Connecticut

2009-01-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

We had our annual Christmas reunion in Westport, Ct., with John's family. Above is the annual "kids" picture--all of Nana's grandchildren. From left to right is David, John, Zachary, Liz, Robert, Nick, Jason, Cooper,C.J., Ricky.

It was snowy, and cold, with lots of time for the Aunts and Uncles to visit with the neice and nephews. I had missed last year, so the maturity level had increased markedly. All but the 2 youngest have graduated from high school and are thriving in college--I loved getting to be with these amazing young adults. I found them to be unique, strong, enthusiastic individuals and we agreed that as parents, we're very proud of them all.

Robert returns to school tomorrow; once he's gone, I'll throw myself into seeding the first seasons' flats of chard, to be started under the lights in the basement and put into the ground, under cover, mid-late February. Last week I made crop lists, ordered supplies, and found a great source for an unlimited supply of free chicken litter (huge accomplishment!). Mr. Bray ordered fruit trees from a farm in Pennsylvania, to be shipped on Feb. 22. Leek plants should arrive next week; before we know it, Spring will have sprung, and once again I'll be sliding down the slippery slope of farming. Hopefully, this year it will be a more graceful journey.

David, David, David!

2008-12-07T05:26:00.000-08:00

David and me at Nellya Fencers after a tournament. We've been in this pose, wearing the same outfits countless times over the past 16 years, but I think it's one of the few which were actually photographed. Thank you to Caitlin, David's girlfriend, who happened to be at the right place AT THE RIGHT TIME!

Timing is everything.

Onions

2008-11-24T10:01:00.000-08:00

Thursday, Mr. Bray sent Ormando to help me. He, John, and I put down the drip irrigation and plastic mulch by hand. Ormando, who works full-time for Adams farm, and just finished helping Mr. Adams plant 27,000 onions, taught me the most efficient way to plant; I struggled to keep up, but I managed, onion-to-onion!

Friday, Ormando returned with Luis, and with a chill factor of 26 degrees in the morning, and 25 mph wind, we got all the onions in--even though they look "bitten" by the cold, Mr. Bray says they will be fine.

All in all, it took 12 hours over 3 days, to get this planting done--600 feet of bed. 1200 feet of row.

And I still love farming!

The Salt of the Earth

2008-11-24T08:37:00.001-08:00

That's what Mr. Bray calls Mr. Ken (on Mr. Bray's tractor) and Mr. Roy (smiling). I call them Angels of Mercy.

I ordered 5400 granex sweet onions, which arrived about 10 days ago and have been sitting on my dining room table while I worked to get the beds made. Mr. Bray has been "down in the back" for awhile, but I've been checking in with him to see how he's doing and keeping him up-to-date with my farm work. When I called him on Wed. morning, he sounded like he felt really bad, so I kept it short, telling him I was going to attempt to rig my tractor to make the onion beds.

5 minutes later, I get a call from Mr. Ken:
"Hi Becky, Lester says you need some onion beds made. I'll be over around 1:30 with Lester's tractor to work."

Oh, Glory Hallelujah!

Exactly at 1:30, I heard "Big Blue" coming down the driveway. He crested the hill over the onion bed with Mr. Roy following on foot, wearing his new overalls and toting his wrench; as they like to say, "the pecking order is:

Lester 'suggests',
Roy 'tells, or bosses' and
Ken 'does'".

Truthfully, they are all three "doers", but they have crafted this intricate, colorful, efficient system which has kept them working together for 45 years! Ken and Roy spend time every day helping someone do something. Roy says, "Usually, it's old people, and Becky, since you had your 50th birthday, you qualify!"

Of course, they won't take a dime for anything; I was told, "That's not how we do things, we're friends, we share and we help each other."

It took a couple of hours to get the beds made, with plenty of time for conversation. ("So-and-so is happier than a pig laid out in the sun!") I had made a pan of "party chicken" for Mr. Ken, who is widowed, and we picked chard, kale and lettuce for them to share. Mr. Ken had some Blue Ridge apples in his truck, which he gave me to make applesauce.

That is how we do things.

They really are The Salt of the Earth--and Angels of Mercy.

And, I am so glad they are my friends.

Greens and More

2008-11-02T17:15:00.001-08:00

This is my first "head" lettuce. A romaine called Winter Density. I started the lettuce in flats in early September. We've been eating and sharing it for 2 weeks now.

My favorite--"Buttercrunch"

"Oakleaf", a leaf lettuce which will, with patience, mature into a lush, tight head.

"Bright Lights" Swiss Chard

Kale, which I put in a beautiful soup today....made with tomatoes and vermont cranberry beans harvested earlier.

Mr. Bray's custom mix of mustard and turnip greens. I have eaten these greens EVERY day, and they just keep coming back! Truly one of the easiest things I've ever grown; I've enjoyed sharing them and hearing all the different ways people prepare them.

Spinach--the first time I've started it in flats and transplanted for "heads". It seems to be lagging behind the other greens. Last year I direct sowed it as I did the leaf lettuce. It didn't really do well until the spring, so I might overwinter it under row cover.

It looks like "something" has been enjoying the melons left in the field. We keep finding them in all kinds of different places.

Okra.

Back to Farming

2008-11-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

Once again my different lives intersect.

One of my Russian fencing friends sent me these pictures of a cucumber harvester. I think they are hysterically funny-- actually I couldn't believe what I was looking at! I love the one lady who brought her cushion along. I want to find out if we have such a contraption here, and how much they cost.

I've already made a mental list of who gets invited to the cucumber harvest party!

Click on the photos to enlarge them. Don't you love the "supervisor" standing up? I wouldn't want to mess with her!

More fencing

2008-10-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Tina, in a fantastic lunge. It is this single fencing move which we think might be our "fountain of youth".

Taking a break--Tina LOVES her lessons more than anyone I know--and attitude is everything!

Next, my lesson. Did you notice how much leather Maestro is wearing, and how little we have on? If one of us makes a mistake, guess who says, "ouch!"? We've learned to apologize profusely for our error if we get hit....

So why, you might ask, would the coach of World Champions and Olympic Medallists take time to teach two 50-somethings?

Look at that face. You can see his brilliance. You can feel his great wisdom.

This is a man who knows that the youngsters can bring him speed, athleticism, finesse, medals, fame.......but WE.......

WE CAN BRING HIM DINNER!!!!!!!!!

Georgia Grown

2008-10-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

This is a quick shift away from the farm, where, aside from a few rows of spectacular greens and fall lettuces, things are pretty desolate.

In my "other life", there is always, forever always, Fencing.

This is a picture of Robert on the 50 yard line at Ohio State. The varsity fencing team got to be on the field during a football game. Where did my baby go? Seems like yesterday we were worried he might spend his life as a beanpole (back to the vegetables!). He's strong and healthy, loving every minute of school, and way, way too busy to call his Momma!!!!

Are you reading this Robert????

Seriously, when my boys are happy, so am I!

Apples

2008-08-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

One of the more interesting and entertaining aspects of this new life of farming has been watching John; that in itself is notable, since usually John is the one watching me, narrating my activities with his quiet, keen observations and acerbic, dry wit.

For reasons I can't explain, John chose several farm projects on which to focus his formidable, unwavering, methodical attention, one of which was the apple tree; John becoming intensely involved in something as "recreational" as cultivating an apple tree is a rare occurrence, but when something does catch his interest, the object of his fervor (or maybe it's just laid-back devotion) almost certainly transforms into the near-perfect version of itself. (I might say-- tongue-in-cheek, but not too-- that I myself have become near-perfect because of this attention/fervor/devotion.)

So, this has become John's apple tree. He loves this tree and he has guarded it's fruit jealously. Sometimes while sitting in the sunroom. we will see a squirrel tip-toeing away with an apple; John will actually jump up and run out the door yelling. This leaves the boys and me in stitches.

"Like Dad can really catch that squirrel!"

Finally, this week, John-ny Appleseed decided it was time to take the apples to market.

Before we even got set up at the Decatur market, my cellphone started ringing: "Do they like the apples?"

One of my fellow farmers, Steve Miller, stopped by and informed me that:

A) The apples are Golden Delicious
B) They are indeed ripe as evidenced by the BROWN seeds, and
C) They are ONE of the finest-tasting apples he's ever sampled!!! {"No, dear, he didn't say THE finest.")

Steve was kind enough to pose for this picture, as evidence.

Soon, a remarkable thing happened: EVERYONE started coming over and exclaiming how wonderful the apples were--here are two great "Mom and daughter" photos:

They wanted to make sure John knew they liked the apples!

The "apple karma" created a festive market atmoshpere -- and other fun things happened, too:

This beautiful butterfly hung out around the zinnias and had lunch "on the house".

Then beautiful Isabella bought the zinnias; watching her walk around the market with her bouquet and butterfly made us smile.

And I got to visit with farmer Greg Brown; Greg and I both took Lynn Pugh's Organic Growing Class offered through Georgia Organics last year--we were surprised to find ourselves next to each other in Decatur. We got to catch up with "farm talk" and took this picture to send to Lynn.

I'm definitely hooked on "going to market".

Cookies with Friends

2008-08-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

A friend recently sent me this picture which she snapped when I said the magic words, "Would Carlos like a cookie?"

Carlos is our miniature donkey and the " cookie" is really a loaf of French Bread--the $1.09 loaf from Publix.

Carlos had an unpleasant childhood, followed by a juvenile-delinquent adolescence, culminating in a predictable adult-donkeyhood governed by fear and distrust, and the by-products of those flaws,unfriendliness and loneliness-- uncharacteristic traits for the usually loving, social, miniature "beasts of burden" from Sicily.

It's no surprise that fate would send this gentle, hurt soul here to "the funny farm", where I intuitively knew sugar and carbs, with patience, could turn his life around.

Daily, for almost 2 years, I have gone into the pasture to ask the same question: "Cookie for Carlos?" The entire Able2Farm animal kingdom--on both sides of the fence-- unites expectantly in the rehabilitation of our long-eared friend's broken heart--coaxing him little by little to become the donkey he was meant to be!

Although I can still see uncertainty in his eyes ("How far can I stretch my neck to reach that cookie?"), each day we see progress as Carlos steps closer to a treat BETTER than a cookie OR french bread---an experience which will bring him true, deep contentment and confidence-----a nice, long, BACKSCRATCH!

Silver in Beijing

2008-08-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

As mentioned earlier, our Sada was cutting okra at Able2Farm on Sunday, and on Tuesday was on her way to Beijing. I spent most of last night online following her progress up the bracket toward the gold medal bout; by 8 a.m. this morning, our family was huddled together on the sofa to watch Sada and Mariel fight it out.

So today it is Silver for Sada, which will hang nicely with her Bronze from Athens....we are hoping she is celebrating! Her whole family, including her very, very handsome fiance, is with her in Beijing--now she gets to plan a wedding and go to law school!

When she gets back in town, I think I'll teach her how to fry that okra.

Watermelon....Round 2!

2008-08-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Watermelon: 2, Us: 0.

This is our second batch of watermelons; they sell quickly, but are a pain to transport out of the field and to the market. I was thrilled when Chris and Susan appeared this morning to help with the harvest. We had a tremendous rain last night so the melons were swollen with water and aching to burst; we had to gently carry each one to the end of the row and lay it gingerly on the back of the truck--even so, 3 of them split.

My favorite is the Black-Diamond-type; they are very big--we estimate the largest to be around 35 lbs., and the seeds, which are lined up neatly in rows off-center, are manageable. Having grown accustomed to the seedless variety, I annoyed my sons by resurrecting supressed, long-forgotten seed-spitting abilities; evidence of my "failed shots" (ha! and not all of them failed!) remains permanently embedded on the front of my t-shirts.

I'm off to Target to see if I can find a dehydrator. I'd like to dry some of the San Marzanos and also some figs. I'm having a blast preserving tomatoes; so far:

Crushed
Whole, with basil
Sauce
Ketchup
Chutney
Preserves
Jelly
Chopped, Frozen

Beijing or Bust

2008-07-27T17:46:00.001-07:00

My family has spent much of the past 15 years being heavily involved in the sport of fencing; all three of our boys are fencers and I retired a couple of years ago. We have had many interesting people in our lives because of fencing, and a few of them visited Atlanta this week on their way to the Olympic Games in Beijing. They spent today relaxing around the pool and lake, and asked if they could "do some farm chores". I was happy to oblige!

Sada, Tina and David's daughter, Bronze medalist in Athens....cutting okra.

Coach Vladimir Nazlymov, Robert's coach at Ohio State University (2008 NCAA National Champions!) and coach of Siobahn Byrne, OSU teammate and Olympic fencer for Ireland.

Siobahn picking tomatoes!

Robert, Tina, and OSU teammate Eileen Grench

Sada, Tina, Coach, showing off the loot!

Coach, dwarfed by the tomato plants!

And of course there was food...Able2Farm Caprese salad.....

Able2farm figs with cheese and roasted pecans....

I love sharing this place with friends~

"Janet, now all we need is a mule...."

2008-07-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

As long as I have known Mr. Bray, he's talked about Janet. When I finally met her--during an afternoon together in Mr. Bray's garden rolling seed potato in sulfur--I was not disappointed. Mr. Bray always says, "If I could get you and Janet together, I'd get a mule and a cotton allotment!" Janet and I both feel like it is one of the finest compliments we've ever gotten!

Janet and I finally got to "do a project" together this week; Janet is an expert canner and spends the summer harvesting from her gardens and fiendishly preserving anything that might otherwise go to waste. She showed up at my house toting her brand new pressure canner and a bunch of jars. She was so proud of that thing--soon we were discussing proud possessions, and I told her about my 50th birthday present from John--4 new 4-wheel tires, top of the line! She one-upped me with her birthday present from Addison--a trailer load of cow manure!!!

Obviously, we are cut from the same piece of burlap!

I am growing San Marzano paste tomatoes which will never fetch the price they deserve at market, so I decided to preserve them all for my family and friends. Janet was there to help, but she thought we were doing 4 or 5 jars....not the 20 quarts we ended up with 7 hours later. We also cleaned and sugared figs for preserves, which she had helped me pick out of her "Papa's" garden earlier in the week. It was a long day--neither of us has trouble sleeping at night-- but very satisfying, and I never worried about it being too much for Janet. We were so thrilled with our dueling canners....I'm just glad nothing exploded.....another really fun day at the farm!

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

2008-07-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

From the left, Janet, Mr. Bray, and me, at New Hope Garden.

Where did this come from?

2008-07-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

When I was weed-eating around the peppers and zinnias this weekend, this melon revealed itself from beneath some burdock. It is perfectly shaped and without blemish, having been sheltered from danger by the giant wayward leaves of the weeds. All who saw it was amazed--we are not even sure it is our Athena canteloupe, because no one remembers the canteloupe ever looking like this. I will have to show it to Mr. Bray. There have been so many hands in this garden, maybe someone planted it as a surprise.

It's not the first time I've found a surprise in the garden. Last week before market, I walked thru an overgrown section to give the chickens water; hiding in the underbrush was a whole crop of long-forgotten swiss chard. It too had been protected from insects and sun--and over-eager harvest. It was big and beautful and sold out quickly at market.

These are lessons taken to heart-- now I know I can grow chard all summer-- and that sometimes "being in the weeds" can be a hidden blessing. Mr. Bray is right: the garden itself will teach me, I just have to look and listen.

What's Coming Up.....

2008-07-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

As long as we've lived here, we've never paid attention to the apple tree, except to seek it's shade on a hot summer day. Last year the apples were noticeable enough that I pushed John to bring home a bucket lift (remember we own an equipment rental business) so I could get up in the tree to harvest enough fruit for jelly. I got in the lift and John had a jolly time playing "God" with the controls which he operated from the ground.

This year, Mr. Bray advised us to thin the apples so there would be one fruit per 6 inches. That's it. No spraying-- nothing except the thinning-- and it looks like we'll have a motherlode of big, beautiful apples.

I can't wait to get in the bucket lift again. And John says he can't wait to shake the bucket with me in it-- again.

This is how I spent my Sunday afternoon: laying plastic mulch--by hand! It's white, since the black mulch is too hot for this time of year. I'll be doing 2nd plantings of greenbeans, squash and okra--I can't keep enough of those items, and even though we have 200 ft. of okra, we have a constant waiting list for it!

This is my row of chard, beets, carrots, which I am attempting to grow without plastic--although I did lay the drip irrigation lines. I am planning an identical row right next to it using the plastic--can't wait to compare results.

And the figs are beginning to ripen--don't know if they'll make it to market--they get eaten before they hit the basket!

Farmer Chris is coming tomorrow to help lay the rest of the mulch. Thank goodness! The rest of the day will be spent getting ready for the Emory market on Tuesday.

Bong! or Bing!

2008-07-18T15:57:00.001-07:00

We finally harvested our first watermelons. Becky P., Connie and Jim were here when Mr. Bray came over to give us our watermelon lesson. First we looked for the "pig-tail", or more correctly, "tendril" which should be withered or dried. Next, we looked at the top stripes which should be faded, less defined, and the belly, which should have changed from "whitish" to "yellowish". Finally, the we performed the "slap" test, being demonstrated above by Mr. Bray; with the wilted tendril, faded stripes and yellow belly, "bing" means don't harvest until next week; "bong!" means perfect!

We harvested about 10 watermelons, which we will offer to our church family. Tomorrow, we take tomatoes only to Fairburn and the Church market. We are offering the other vegetables on-farm only.

Harris and Clark, the "Thoughtful Food" shop at Serenbe takes their first delivery of our heirloom tomatoes tomorrow. Check out their blog at www.harrisclarkblog.wordpress.com.

Future Farmer of America

2008-07-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

Meet our neighbor at the Emory University Farmer's Market today--Miss Ellie Holt, daughter of Chaz and Georgia Holt of Holt Heritage Farm in North Georgia. She is absolutely adorable and we could barely keep our eyes off her...she was sweet and alert, smelling the flowers, studying the veggies as she lined them up on a brick wall....obviously a beloved child, " gently raised". I'm already looking forward to seeing her next week!

Speaking of adorable, sweet, and alert, Miss Michelle Putnam joined our sales team, and thank goodness she did, because we were very busy selling our tomatoes! Michelle is Donna's daughter, and she is a grad student at Emory; she was great selling the tomatoes--I can hear her now:

"And this is our classic slicing tomato, Goliath, very nice on a burger; and here is my favorite, Brandywine, delicious enough to be the star on it's own plate!"

Michelle sold a lot of tomatoes!

We came home with just a few heirlooms, and stopped by church, a voting precinct, where Donna, Pam and Bob were selling produce to voters.

Another successful market day...tomorrow it's back to the field!

In the Weeds!

2008-07-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

Donna, Pam, Julie, Bob and Chris came early this morning to harvest tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, canteloupe and the last of the squash. We pulled up all the greenbean plants, thinking we would pull the beans off under a shade tree; an impromptu group meeting-- during which we bit, smelled, snapped and looked at the beans-- resulted in a decision that they were too mature to sell. We loaded up the plants in the four-wheeler and back of Chris's pick-up and dumped them in the woods. The rest of the morning I fretted over missing the harvest of one of our best sellers. Donna took home the okra, knowing most of it would have to be tossed because it had gotten too big.

Donna came back at 4, along with Buren and Marilyn, Karin and Danny, and Connie and Jim. We walked out to mourn the greenbeans again, which were by now wilting in the woods. Buren put some in a bag to take home to cook. The thought that they might be delicious made me fret some more. I looked at all the gorgeous zinnias and felt frustrated I had let the week get by without learning how to take them to market.

The grass is tall, weeds are popping up everywhere; at this moment I am thinking about an empty water bottle laying at the end of a row which I can't seem to get picked up! It feels like the "to do" list gets bigger every day!

So, to make my boo-boo's better, I have heated up 4 (FOUR!) 2-bite brownies and put a LARGE spoonful of vanilla ice cream on top. That means while I wait for some photos of our beautiful produce to upload, I will enjoy at least 8 (eight) big bites of chocolate!

Perfect tomatoes (2 bites...)

Sweet peppers: King Arthur, Romanian Heirloom, Italian Heirloom (4 bites!)

The cucumbers that refuse to die! (6 bites!)

San Marzano Paste tomatoes (Done!)

Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Goliath, Valencia, San Marzano, tomatoes with pool ball. (Lick the bowl!)

Okay, I feel better--the brownies and the pictures really helped! See you at market tomorrow.

When you see this, you'll know it's me!

2008-07-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

We did the Emory University Farmer's Market today....more on that later!

It was a hard, hot day, but John rewarded my dedication with this badge of honor...displayed proudly on the front of Grandaddy's truck, which has become my choice of vehicle more often than not these days. I love it. It says it all.

Power Brunch

2008-07-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist the urge to snap a pix of our brunch today....

Canteloupe
Cherokee Purple tomato sandwich, with salted slices on the side
Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Bread and Butter pickles
Hot Tea

There are definite advantages to being a farmer.....

Tomatoes!!!!!

2008-07-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

They're here! These are the ones we brought in after our markets this weekend....the rains hit hard yesterday which required us to get anything with color...otherwise, the rain would cause them to split.

If I can get my paperwork together, Sveta and I may take them to the Emory market tomorrow.

Will let you know how that goes.

We also brought in around 40 canteloupes, so COME AND GET THEM!!!! First come, first served!

Dinner with Friends

2008-07-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

We spent The Fourth of July with our "uptown" friends, Tina and David and two of their three daughters, Emily and Jackie. I love to cook with Tina; we always manage to turn out exceptional meals for our appreciative families. She brought beautiful marinated legs of lamb to grill on the Green Egg; during a stroll through the field, we harvested side dishes for our feast.

We started to work in the kitchen and could hear David and John in the next room searching the internet for the next joint family vacation. We feigned displeasure when they would nix some exotic location because there was no "kitchen for Tina and Becky to cook in".

Emily, a recent Columbia grad. was home for the weekend from her new job and apartment in New York City. We thought she needed to learn how to prepare fried green tomatoes. Tina watched over her daughter like the ultimate southern gustatory doyenne....one would have never guessed this mother was born and bred a NEW JERSEY girl!
The tomatoes were sliced, dipped in buttermilk and Zartarain's Fishfry spiked with cayenne. Next came a gentle fry in canola oil....canola being a nod toward healthy.

They were golden and crisp; the crust was fragile and transparent enough for the green color of the tomato to shine through.

David executes "quality control". Obviously, the green tomato is bringing out his "inner child"-- I've noticed this happens frequently when he's around good food!

The red potatoes were cut into fans and roasted with a drizzle of olive oil and garlic; they were crunchy on the outside, tender and sweet on the inside. We also had steamed silver king corn, Kentucky Wonder-type greenbeans with pancetta and onions, chilled canteloupe, and crusty french bread from Alon's. The lamb was perfect: slightly charred exterior, rare inside, with a delicate lemony, garlicky marinade, which we sopped up family-style with the bread.

It was a fun day, with great friends and food!

Tomato Sandwich with Glob of Mayonnaise

2008-07-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first 'mater sandwich of the season, made with a brandywine which Sveta and I picked this morning. Sveta is finishing up outside and I came in to make lunch. Sveta is from the Ukraine and lives in our apartment during the week. She helps with anything that needs to be done, and the farm wouldn't survive without her! Her off-time is spent looking for "a nice, tall man on the beach".
This is Sveta resting by the pool, enjoying her 'mater sandwich. She approves......
In fact, in her momentary pleasure, she is telling me she would give up "the nice tall man on the beach" for a 'mater sandwich any day of the week! Can you hear her saying,"yummmmmm!"? (which is Ukrainian for "'mater sandwhich"!)

Beautiful Zinnias

2008-07-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today was good. We solved a problem with the irrigation which bothered me for a few days. I kept the weed-eater going--one of my favorite chores. Standing at the top of the hill and seeing a tidy field makes me happy! On the way in for the evening I cut these zinnias and had this conversation with Robert:
R: What are those?
B: Zinnias
R: Where'dya get 'em?
B: The garden
R: Why'd ya grow 'em?
B: Why not?
R: Are they useful?
B No

I believe the obvious escaped my baby boy! Here's the photo I snapped moments later; Beautiful, huh?
The zinnias, Robert, I'm talking 'bout the the zinnias!

Why are these people smiling?

2008-07-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

Because Grandaddy just arrived!

Getting the lopes to the end of the 200 ft.row and into the four-wheeler was a challenge. Grandaddy saw us struggling and saved us with his John Deer and trailer; it scooted easily between the rows and made life much easier. 89 BIG ones today!

I felt like a bond trader managing the sales: "Five...do we have Five???? You sold how many???? I told you I needed those! Hide them so no one gets them--don't worry, we'll get more tomorrow!" If I had been selling investments instead of lopes, I'd be on my way to jail!

In case we've never met, from left to right is Grandaddy, me, Svetta, Robert and Cooper. Elvis is between Robert and Cooper.

Next, Tomatoes....then WATERMELONS!

"Lope" Contest

2008-06-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

I was unhappy with myself in the previous post for using the word "melon-y" to describe the experience of eating one of the canteloupes. Can you help me?

I have gotten so many e-mails saying how "great", "fabulous", "amazing", even "phenomenal" they are, I have decided to announce a contest.

Please describe in 1 sentence your experience eating one of Able 2 Farm's canteloupes. Include any and every aspect of it you deem appropriate and printable.

Our judge will be none other than our own Mr. Bray, who reminded me this morning that the true name for a canteloupe is "muskmelon". When I told him "musky" reminds me of "mold", he corrected me with the word "musty". I think I have been using the word "musky" to describe mold my whole life, but I stand corrected.

Please send your entries no later than July 7. On July 8, we will announce the winner, who will receive a FREE canteloupe from Able 2 Farm!

Entries sent to: able2farm@gmail.com

Canteloupes are Ready!

2008-06-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

Mr. Bray was right-- Monday we poked around in the canteloupe vines and found 2 yellow fruits with the telltale cracks around the stem--by Friday, as he predicted, we were hauling in 40 BIG ones, ready for market.

That is, 40 minus the 2 we cut and ate in the field! They were beautiful, sweet, and we stood together between the beds and giggled with glee, intoxicated with the head-y, melon-y aroma and way too much self-satisfaction. Life, for the moment was simple.

Today, we divided up the loot for our 2 markets. John and I went to Fairburn and others ran the church market. We were profitable, and the subject of this post sold out within the first hour. I know we made some friends today!

A comment from a customer sharpened my focus; it came from one who was rummaging through the "family" basket full of faulty produce destined for our home table, which John had accidentally brought to market; she asked to purchase some peppers which had insect damage. I pointed out the brown spots and explained they weren't good enough to sell, to which she replied, "This is not the grocery store, this is from YOUR FARM, where things are natural and clean, NOT PERFECT!" She bought the whole basket.

We are expecting the rest of the melons to be ready over the next week--maybe 300 of them! We have already presold many of them, and you may place your order by e-mailing me at able2farm@gmail.com.

I'll post a picture of our treasure soon!

Market updates

2008-06-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give you a heads up on our market schedule for this week:

* Saturday, June 28 8am-12pm

North Fayette United Methodist Church
847 New Hope Road
Fayetteville, GA 30214

* Saturday, June 28 8am-12pm

Fairburn Farmers Market
West Broad Street (Hwy.29)
Fairburn, GA 30213
At the Old Freight Depot on West Broad Street, Historic area

We should have the following produce for sale:

* Eggplant, Japanese

* Sweet peppers: Italia, Romanian, and King Arthur

* Green tomatoes

* Garlic

* Greenbeans: Magnum-stringless

* French Filet Beans

* Cucumbers: Eureka, for eating out of hand or pickling

* Summer Squash: yellow, patty pan, zucchini

We are looking forward to seeing you this weekend, and are counting down the days until our first on-farm market!

Sunflowers at New Hope Baptist Church

2008-06-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

Mr. Bray suggested I work at the New Hope garden for experience. The garden is a joint venture between the church and the Fayette County Master Gardeners; the church uses the project to provide food for a family in need; it is the Master Gardeners' Plant a Row project, with all produce being donated to local foodbanks. My time spent there has provided me with valuable experience and new friends.
Master Gardener Janet Lester took these beautiful pictures of the garden's sunflowers, and although I don't know how to upload them in order, you can see that they would make a lovely series to frame and hang.

Jayne Akeman ordered the seeds for these flowers from "Cooks Garden". We started them in flats in March and kept them under lights. When it came time to put them in the garden, we were out of space and overwhelmed; we gave the 4 flats to Mr. Bray and he showcased them at New Hope in 2 rows bordering Neely Road. He calls them "Jayne's Sunflowers" and Jayne has standing "cutting rights". We have enjoyed decorating our market tents with them and plan to grow them extensively at Able 2 Farm next year.

Janet told me that sunflowers are heliotrophic: they face the sun, and follow it as it moves across the sky. When night falls, they reposition themselves to face east for the rising sun; this impromptu botany lesson evoked within me an undeniable awareness of our spiritual, inextricable entwinement with nature.

This is my favorite one --a fleeting moment full of possibility and hope--a shy pause, peeking out cautiously at the world! I look forward to learning more about the many varieties of these amazing flowers!

Fast Forward...a quick update

2008-06-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Here we are almost a month later and I have been told, "UPDATE YOUR BLOG!" So here I am, nothing fancy, just came in from packing the trucks for market tomorrow. We are eagerly awaiting 300 or so cantaloupes and the first tomatoes sometime in the next 10 days. Meanwhile, tomorrow we will be taking our produce to the church market (North Fayette UMC) and to the Fairburn Farmer's market. We have summer squash-yellow and patty pan, zuchinni,cukes,garlic,greenbeans and eggplant! We have met wonderful people the past three weeks at markets in Fayetteville, Fairburn, and College Park. It's so much fun to talk to everyone and to have seen some of the same faces at all three markets! Some of our customers have e-mailed me and told me of their culinary adventures with our produce--I've saved them all!What an incredible adventure this is! Everyday brings a new surprise--amazing things happen out there at night! I can't believe how beautiful, healthy and strong everything looks! The green tomatoes are huge and prolific! I tackled aphids this week with an insecticidal soap, sprayed efficiently and quickly with my spiffy new sprayer. Mr. Bray and Mr. Ken came over to give me an operational lesson; when John brought the battery out and I asked him where to plug it in, Mr. Bray patiently and carefully explained to me how batteries work...while John stood behind him and mouthed the word, "DUMBBBBB!!!". I really know that batteries don't plug in, but I had been in the sun all day and was feeling stressed!
Keeping the field nice and tidy is really hard....expecially without chemicals! We have carefully layed out newpaper and straw mulch between the rows to combat Bermuda grass; it's not perfect, but acceptable. I weed-eat between the tomato rows, and have gotten pretty skilled with that job; I actually wear my beekeeper's "bonnet" and it does a great job of keeping debris out of my mouth and eyes!
Finally, the thing I am most proud of is that every plant you see was started by us, right here, and nurtured under lights until the last frost. Now look what we have!!!!! What you see here are the watermelons--3 kinds, including seedless--did you know you have to plant seeded watermelons next to the seedless for pollination? The Silver King corn is to the right and the cantaloupes are to the left.

Our First Market

2008-05-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

In the original plot on Able2Farm, spring has sprung in the form of radishes, lettuce, vidalia-type sweet onions and too many eggs for one family. We decide to take our produce to the church Spring Fling to see what happens.

Volunteers from my Sunday School Class arrive at 7 a.m. to harvest and clean the produce. The air is crisp and filled with excitement...I love this picture of Karin and Connie, because even though their heads are down, you can FEEL their big smiles.

Big, beautiful baskets of spring mix!

Dottie Dog helps Donna spin the lettuce dry in a commercial salad spinner....I'm weighing and packing the lettuce into bags....just like the grocery store, ready to eat.....but fresh, fresh, fresh!

It's Spring!

2008-03-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Spring is officially here--after a horrible drought last summer, it is hard to believe I have been patiently waiting for the soil to dry out enough to try out the new cultivator. Actually,all of my farming friends are calling me "Spoiled Wench" because I had 3 tractors here yesterday--one each outfitted with the cultivator, the disc and the tiller--that's one advantage to being married to Mr. Able 2 Rent All!

These pictures document my work for several days: quite hard to get the finished look because the land hasn't been worked for at least 25 years. I was pleasantly surprised by the rich loamy soil--not the hard red clay I expected. The finished bed will be 70 ft.x400 ft.

Coming later are the details of the "greenhouse" I'm building in my basement--thanks to a visit by our friend LUZ!

Mr. Bray and the Garden on Hickory

2008-03-11T14:16:00.001-07:00

Here is one of my favorite people in the world, sitting in one of my favorite places in the world....Mr. Bray in his beautiful garden on Hickory.

Mr. Bray called today and said, "It's time to seed your tomato transplants. Come on over this afternoon and I'll help you."

My heart leapt with joy!

Everyone should have a Mr. Bray in their life--and a wonderful spot like this garden to visit--just to go and "sit a spell" underneath the shade tree--a place where, according to Mr. Bray and his friends, many of the world's problems have been solved.

Mr. Bray's garden, born of a desire to nourish his family, now feeds the soul--and stomach--of anyone who stops by; he shares something with everyone; his philosophy is, "I don't want anyone to leave my garden empty-handed!" So many people stop for so many reasons--but let me tell you, his corner of the earth is a sight to behold!

Many years passed before I had the nerve to stop; it happened one day when I was with my friend, Jayne. When he saw us, he greeted us with an easy smile which said we weren't the first....and he called, "Come on over and have a seat. Tell me about your garden." Right then, right there, we had our first gardening lesson.

A whole cast of characters comes with this place; Mrs. Bray--beautiful, sweet, attentive--the Matriarch of a slew of cherished and successful children and grandchildren--she makes you feel like you are the only person in the world; Mr. Roy, with near-blinding, perfectly combed silver hair -- the only person I know who looks slim in overalls notwithstanding a complete second outfit worn underneath; Mr. Ken, obviously loved and respected by Mr. Bray and Mr. Roy--who lives "over yonder"--I've never quite figured out where that is! These family and friends, sharing a long, rich life--full of banter, chatter--story after story flowing forth--so much history built upon this magnificent plot; what a privilege to be with them in this place they created!

Thus far Mr. Bray has given me many lessons about growing things--mostly informal, like the day he taught me about well-water, drawing the layers of the earth with a stick in the dirt--sometimes formal, like the 2-day classes he taught at New Hope Baptist Church. Amazing! The classes were packed and chairs had to be brought in. I heard his classes at the Extension Agency were even bigger. Mr. Bray, Rockstar!

Mr. Bray is one of the finest teachers I have ever known. I hope to write more about him, and I can't wait to post springtime pictures of The Garden on Hickory!

Me and Martha...

2008-02-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

Honestly, I am a reluctant admirer of Martha Stewart: sometimes she annoys me; for example, I read she has a grey "color palette" at her Bedford Farm and allows only black animals on the premises--she has black Friesians which she keeps in the barn during the day because sunlight turns their coats too red! And she bathes and vacuums her miniature donkeys....what's that all about???

However, I find myself scheduling treadmill time to coincide with her show, and usually can't resist her magazine--the type, the feel of the paper, the photography, the topics--they're all a notch above the others.

So I flipped through this month's gardening issue to find that Martha's opening commentary is about her visit to the farm of my hero, Eliot Coleman. Eliot is the Godfather of organic growing and my copy of his book, The New Organic Grower looks like my favorite cookbook--spattered, dog-eared, scribbled-on. Martha's article focuses on making and using soil blocks--something I had decided I wasn't going to do... but as I read this article I felt my petty annoyances with her evaporate as fast as her enthusiasm inspired me!

Here's how the soil blocks work: You purchase the 3 soil block makers; the mini blocker for lettuce and other tiny seeds, the 2-inch blocker for most other vegetables, and the 4-inch blocker for large transplants. You make a very moist potting medium, make the blocks and put the blocks into a special tray.

It is this special tray which has occupied me the past 3 days. Several farmers have told me the drawback to using the soil blocks is that they do not fit well into standard plastic trays, causing the blocks to dry out. (I assume Martha doesn't have this problem because she has her "people" doing the watering!) Eliot Coleman gives instructions in his book about construction of special 3-sided trays....so, voila! out came the power tools!

First a trip to Lowes, where I picked out one 4'x 8' piece of 5/8 inch plywood for the box bottom, and one 4' x 8' piece of 3/4 inch plywood for the sides. A very nice man named Baki--Baki is from Kosovo and was jubilant because the previous day Kosovo had won independance--ripped the 3/4 inch sheet into 2-inch strips, and the 5/8 inch piece into 8-3/4 inch strips. My Dad (The Saint, who I am sure dreads the sight of me approaching with a book in hand) and I cut the correct lengths with a miter saw. The assembled box has inside measurments of 18-3/4" X 8". Here are some construction pictures:

You can barely see it, but I am using a handy little corner clamp which holds the two corners together while I drill a pilot hole for the nail. Yay, I don't have to ask anyone for help!

I construct the sides first, then attach it to the bottom:

I've finished 12 boxes...8 to go!

I will swipe these boxes with "food grade" polyeurethine,acceptable in Organic circles, as advised by Mary Anne, fellow farmer and friend of Lynn's. Mary Anne's farming partner, Harold, made her boxes-- and you will soon be getting his "recipe" for a high-octane potting mix to "go with"!

Finally, I made Martha's salmon cakes with sorrel sauce from the same issue.....a big hit with the family!

P.S. God Bless Kosovo, Baki!

To eat, or not to eat, that is the question.......

2008-02-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Meet the Girls. There are five Girls, which began as twenty-four Girls which I ordered online March 2004. They came a-peeping through the post office and lived under lights in my basement until they were ready for the henhouse--the henhouse which I also ordered online (www.henspa.com). Welcome to Modern-Day Farming!

Within the first 6 months of acquiring the original twenty-four, the group dwindled down to the current five...due partly to the actions of the previously-mentioned Biscuit Snatchers, Dottie and Elvis--I guess they just love those chicken biscuits!

So having found a safe place on the farm, these Five have been living "the life of Riley" in exchange for enough luscious eggs to feed 2 families. Although I have never named them,they have become part of the rhythm of my daily life: I call them and they come; I watch them argue over, play with, and ultimately eat up, an unfortunate earthworm; I listen for their early morning cackle announcing the laying of an egg--which is usually accompanied by an awkward but festive dance ( "See what I did?! See what I did?!" ). They are odd, eccentric, silly little creatures--absolutely adorably.....stupid!

Two problems have developed: first, since my goal is to be a self-sustaining organic grower,I need to be able to produce enough compost to feed the 600 tomato plants we will be planting, which means I need to substantially increase my flock, and once a flock is established, a large number of new hens cannot be safely introduced into the group; second, quite frankly, The Girls have become.....Bitchy! I thought it might be a passing phase associated with molting,but has continued way past what could have been explained as their version of "PMS". Not only do they "hen-peck" each other, but they fly at and peck me--to the point where I carry a broom into their pen to protect myself! Now I understand the term "Old Bitty"!

Now do you understand my question? Can I do it? Should I do it? Can I get someone else to do it?...I really don't know--I'm surprised to find myself even thinking about it. Perhaps the answer will be in another pot...er, I mean, post.

Meanwhile, I will leave you with the recipe for one of my family's favorite weeknight dinners--from Barefoot Contessa at Home (ISBN #101400054346).

Chicken Piccata

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 C all-purpose flour
2 extra-large eggs (get 'em before they croak!)
1 1/2 c seasoned dry breadcrumbs
good olive oil
3 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 C freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons, lemon halves reserved)
1/2 C dry white wine
sliced lemon for serving
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for serving

Preheat oven to 400. Line sheet pan with parchment paper.

Pound out each breast to 1/4 inch thick.

In one plate: 1 t salt, 1/2 t pepper; second plate: beaten eggs plus 1 T water; third plate: breadcrumbs. Dip chicken in first plate, then second, then third.

Heat 2 T olive oil in large saute pan over med-low heat. Brown chicken on both sides. Remove from pan.

For sauce, wipe out pan. Melt 1 T butter then add lemon juice, white wine, and reserved lemon halves, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 2 min. Off heat, add remaining 2 T butter and swirl to combine. Serve chicken with sauce and sliced lemon and fresh parsley.

Coldframe 101 or Family Therapy!!!!

2008-02-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

Here you see the finished coldframe which the guys in the farm class started last Saturday. I have been tricking or coercing various family members into helping me finish it all week. This is John asking me to "step into the coldframe for a second"--the hammer and nails are hidden in his back pocket! HAHAHAH!

The plans came from The Victory Garden by Jim Wilson, Bob Thomson and Tom Wirth (ISBN 1-884822-23-1). There are plans for several garden structures; in addition to this coldframe, I have made the trellis and tomato cages. While I like the sturdiness of these structures, none of the plans are clearly written; non-standard cuts of wood are used; drawings do not always match the written instructions; the materials list is not complete and includes items not needed. I would recommend studying the plans carefully before starting the project--even so, I looked at many coldframe plans and this was my favorite one--the top is attached with removable hinges and the bottom is held together with dowels,thus it can be easily disassembled and stored when not needed.

I plan to make 2 more of them--they should help produce my first round of transplants!

About that profile picture.....or Ode to Jackpot

2008-02-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

You must be wondering about my profile photo.....that's not really me, but shows what happens when you ask your 17-year old to help with the technology part of blogging.

However, as I firmly believe every stumbling block brings opportunity, I will take this one to tell you about Jackpot, one of the most amazing animals I have ever known. This is a picture of him when he came to us after being rescued by our vet,who brought him back from the brink of death. A Mammoth Jackstock Donkey, he is 3 months old here.

Jackpot graced our lives for 2 years. He was loving, smart, funny and had a deafening "holler". He loved to play--with humans, with the goats, with his teddy bear (which was neon blue). He had a love-hate relationship with Harry, the pasture guard-dog. He would nonchalantly back up until he "accidentally" stepped on the tip of Harry's tail, which would start a wild game of chase around the pasture. Harry would hide in his dogloo, and Jackpot would kick it with his front hoof until Harry came out to play tug-of-war with a stick.

We don't know what ailed Jackpot. He grew to be 18 hands high! He was all legs and ears and stumbled wherever he walked; there were times when he struggled to get up. Our friend, the endocrinologist, jokingly suggested he might be suffering from a pituitary gland disorder; who knows, he kept growing and growing.

Last winter he began to suffer; one day during freezing rain, I went out to find him down and unable to get up. I knew it was time. The vet came, and I, with the above-mentioned 17 year old, said farewell to Jackpot; Cooper cradled his head as he went to sleep.

This noble, beautiful creature, whom we were privileged to know, is now resting peacefully beneath the tree of his favorite fruit--the bartlett pear.

Twenty-four hands are better than two!

2008-02-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

What a great class we had yesterday! Lynn came on Friday and we set everything up and made plans for the "hands-on" activities. Saturday morning, nearly everyone called in lost and the class got started late as we waited. John was terrific, sitting outside in the swing taking the calls. We had people coming from Lagrange, Auburn, Newnan, Tyrone and mid-town Atlanta.

While we were outside waiting, our dogs, Dottie and Elvis hopped up on the counter and ate all the biscuits. I mean ALLLLL of the biscuits!!! Fortunately, I had more in the freezer, so by the time everyone arrived there was a hot batch coming out of the oven! Here are the Biscuit Snatchers--don't let the "sitting nicely" fool you!

We took a few minutes for a "getting to know you" session. I was touched by the stories of why people had come: two women with serious health issues wanting to take control of the quality of their food; a young man desiring to honor his Grandfather's legacy of 96 acres and 4 generations of family farming; urban growers seeking to make the most of limited space; we even have 2 staffers from Georgia Organics, Suzanne and Judith. We were a very diverse group, but when we went out to the field to work and learn, we realized how much we have in common! There was a lot of laughter and a sense that we are all looking forward to new friendships!

The morning "lecture/discussion" session was one of several that will address the properties of soil, soil, and more soil. Lynn has really fine-tuned her presentation, and we came away with a reverence for the importance and fragility of this ecosystem. (See my previous post on eating, pooping, and dying!)

Suzanne (who hasn't owned a car for 2 years--she rides her bicycle everywhere and is very beautiful and fit!) documented the day's activities with camera--as soon as she forwards those to me I will post them!

Digital Camera, Video Camera, Oh, My!!!

2008-01-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the cameras are not ready. I am technically challenged, or rather, disadvantaged, because I have 3 sons, which means I get all the leftover gear which is not only outdated but missing cords, batteries, etc. Will work on this, because quite frankly, some things ya just gotta see!

The important thing is that I want you to share every step of this adventure with me....I have some pretty grand plans for the growing season, many interesting people involved....and it officially starts this weekend when I begin hosting a 9 week Fundamentals of Organic Growing class sponsored by Georgia Organics and taught by Farmer Lynn Pugh (more on her later!) We have 15 people signed up! Considering the cost of the class and the fact people are coming from Alabama and other parts of Georgia, and have to be at my farm by 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, these must be some slightly.....crazy people! Should be fun!

I took this class at Lynn's Cane Creek Farm last year, and she asked me to host a "South Atlanta" class. I happily obliged, since I could use a repeat of the course--I missed a couple of the classes and I know one can never know too much about the science/biology of farming when you are trying to do it organically. You know, all that soil health stuff....I get confused about who eats who down there... but bottom line, it's all about creatures eating, pooping, and dying, and all of the by-products of those activities. When those three things are going on, you'll get great vegetables!

So my job is to prepare a little breakfast and a pot of soup for lunch.....for the above-ground creatures....hmmmm... wonder where that fits in the scheme of things?....and some hands-on learning activities for the afternoon. The onions and garlic need weeding, compost needs sifting, some chard and spinach which were planted in the fall need thinning. I have sawn all the lumber to make a coldframe, it just needs to be assembled.

Yikes! I'm BLOGGING!

2008-01-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

So here I am...doing what I said I would never do!!!! Which of course reminds me of my New Year's resolution: "Stop saying NEVER!"

This is my attempt to share my adventures in farming with all who might care! I guess that would be those of you who eagerly await the heirloom tomatoes, and those of you who know I'll be handing you a hoe!

Along the way, I will be introducing you to some really cool (or hot and sweaty!) creatures....human and otherwise. My life is rich with all kinds of critters!

I'm off to ready the digital and video cameras. Thanks for joining me on my little journey!