Weekend Getaway

Ben and I had a ball at Foggy Ridge Cider last Saturday.  The day was cloudy, but the atmosphere was  festive.  We reconnected with old friends and even made some new ones.  Nothing brings people together like great cider and fantastic food.

Fresh pea soup alongside asparagus bread pudding with watercress sauce were served in the tasting room.  Fat Bear Farm offered asparagus, spinach, seedlings, and eggs out on the crush pad.

Ben was left on his own for a bit while I enjoyed the offerings in the tasting room.

 You can see some of the beautiful equipment used to crush the apples and mix the cider in the background.

We were lucky enough to catch some of the apple trees in bloom.

The orchard is breathtaking, even on the cloudiest of days.  In the background to the left, there are even more trees in full bloom.  

We want to thank Foggy Ridge for hosting us again.  It was our pleasure to help kick-off their Farm Days series for 2013!

We'll be back at the Cobblestone Farmers Market this coming Saturday.  

It Is Risen!

We've been impatiently waiting for the first asparagus spears to emerge, and it finally happened today!  Due to unusually cold temperatures (it SNOWED a few days ago), most things on the farm are coming up two weeks later than last year.  Punxsutawney Phil needs to find a new job, but let's not dwell on it.  

At long last, I can shake off all the winter doldrums because today has had "spring" written all over it.  The daffodils (that's my Missouri-speak for jonquils), forsythia, and phlox are finally sharing their colors with us.

I just about had a fit when I saw this butterfly.  Does this mean it's time to put out the hummingbird feeders?  

I guess the blueberries got the memo that spring was going to be late this year.  The buds didn't open early enough to suffer any frost damage (but my fingers will remain crossed for at least another week), and the bushes are looking incredibly happy.

The first farmers market of the season is in exactly one week!  We'll be at the Cobblestone Farmers Market in Winston-Salem this year.  Details to follow.

Join Us For Farm Days at Foggy Ridge Cider!

Fat Bear Farm is growing asparagus for the third year, and it is finally time to harvest!  As the first spears of the season are emerging, it is with great pleasure that we invite you to attend a spring celebration at Foggy Ridge Cider (click here for link).

On April 28, from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., we will be selling asparagus and other Fat Bear goodies at the cidery.  So come on out for a hard cider tasting accompanied by a variety of prepared asparagus dishes.  I don't think it gets much better than that!

Asparagus: The Annual Disappearing Act

It's not that the work slows down in autumn, it's just that the type of work changes.  There's a lot of clean-up, mulching, pruning, and general putting-to-rest to do.  

Winter is on its way, but there's still no time to play.

At the moment, my focus is on asparagus.  The ferns have yellowed and died.  This means that the plants have made all food they can to support the root systems, so I can now cut them back.  This task is a much bigger undertaking than it was last fall.  We have twice as much asparagus growing now, so the work has doubled.

I have to cut them back for several reasons.  First of all, the ferns can harbor pests and diseases.  In our case, I've found quite a few slugs attached to the bases of the stems.  This is a plus for the chickens.  I like to throw them a few asparagus tops here and there so that they can enjoy the slimy snacks.  They tend to leave the actual ferns alone.  Secondly, it's a lot easier to mulch the rows with the ferns out of the way.  Mulching is extremely important in the fall.  It protects the crowns from heaving out of the ground as it freezes and warms, and it suppresses the early spring weeds.  And finally, if I were to let the ferns remain, they would shade out and slow down the emergence of new spears in the spring.

Although this job is long and tedious, it is very satisfying work.  When I'm all done, the asparagus field will look like nothing more than rows of golden straw.  It will all be weeded, mulched, and prepped for spring's arrival.

Drowning in Asparagus and Loving It!

The 2010 asparagus is enormous.   I guess we have the manure to thank for that.  It's taller than me and has beautiful, thick stalks.  I'm so excited about the first harvest next year!

The 2011 asparagus is growing strong.  It won't be harvested until 2013.  I still have to finish mulching between the rows, and I have a lot of weeding to do in there.

Also growing in the asparagus field, we have our sweet potatoes.  I put in 200 slips, and they look great so far.  Sweet potatoes are a staple in this house, and harvest day is a true celebration.  So, we're impatiently waiting for October to come.

 The top of the row is freshly mulched.

I mulched the bottom of the row weeks ago.

We'll store the roots in the basement.  They did very well in there last year.  We only planted 100 slips last year, and we ran out of potatoes several months ago.  I hope 200 will be enough.  If not, we'll go for 300 next spring. We are so fortunate to have the space to accommodate our obsession.

Views from the Asparagus Forest

The asparagus that we put in last year is now taller than me!  We'll get our first harvest next year.  A few weeks ago we picked one pound for ourselves and a pound for Ben's 'rents.  It was delicious.  I'm so amped for next spring.

Long days weeding and mulching asparagus don't seem quite so long when I stop and look at the view.  The mountains are gorgeous winter, spring, summer, and fall.

The Grand Asparagus Post

Dear Walker Plants (formerly Walker Brothers),
We ordered another five-hundred asparagus crowns from you this spring.  You told us that they would be shipped out on the 21st.  You shipped them out on the 22nd.  You told us we would recieve them on the 22nd.  We recieved them on the24th.  But I ain't mad atcha.  You sent us about fifty extra crowns, and they arrived in great condition.  Nobody's perfect.

Sincerely,
Fat Bear Farm

No, I didn't send the above letter, but maybe I will.  I was so anxious to start planting that I got a  little nervous when things didn't go exactly according to plan.  I'm starting to think that tracking packages online isn't such a good idea.  I found myself checking every few hours to see if the box had left NJ, then MD, then Roanoke.  In the end, everything was fine.

These are the prepared trenches with crowns all lined up.  Notice the rocks?  I have plans for them.

Here is one of the smaller crowns.  We planted Jersey Knight.

 I hoed one side of the soil into the trench, then topped off the middle with manure.  Later, I knocked the other side of the soil into the middle.

This is our tried and true method to keep weeds at bay.  Last year we rototilled the pathways, but no need to do that this year because the weeds and grass aren't so extreme.  I put down a layer of cardboard.

 On top of the cardboard goes a layer of straw.  I would normally water it down (and water in the crowns) at this point to keep the straw from blowing away, but the wind was low and it's supposed to rain starting tonight for three days straight.

Last year, we filled the trenches bit by bit (a few inches at a time) as most sources suggest.  We also dug the trenches about one foot deep.  It took forever, and we didn't get to mulch until fall.  We ended up with a ton of weeds because we waited so long to mulch.  We went a different route this time.  I went ahead and covered the crowns with about four to six inches of soil and manure.  They should have no problem coming up through that.  I will go through in a few weeks and add more manure.  If some crowns look like they need to be buried deeper, I'll add more manure accordingly.  I've read that research shows (too bad I didn't keep track of my sources) that this method will be fine.  Planting was about two-hundred times easier this year than it was last year.  I'm thrilled.

We depend on the ABC store for our cardboard.  They're a dependable supplier, and they love it when Ben comes to pick up the boxes so that they don't have to deal with them.  We still need several hundred more boxes, so I'll be mulching throughout the next few weeks.  No biggie.

...And those rocks

I gathered the rocks from the field.   I got two loads!  *Note to self: learn more about geology.

So I could finally put a boarder around the not-so-circular herb circle.

I added chicken manure and a ton of leaves to this bed last fall, and I put down some well-rotted horse manure late in the winter.  It still needs a lot of work.  I'm going to add some more rotted manure this spring and mulch it well after all the herbs are in   This herb circle is one of my favorite projects right now.  When I get to start painting the hen house in about a week, that will also be a favorite project.  The girls are growing fast.  Must take more pictures of them.

Everything at Once

It's getting busy on Fat Bear Farm.  It seems as though everything is happening at once.  We have a lot of projects that are up and running, and spring has come on in full force.  Here's a just a sample of what's brewing.

Asparagus

Five-hundred asparagus crowns are scheduled for arrival tomorrow.  We ordered them from Walker Brothers.  I'm pleased with their customer service, and the crowns we ordered from them last year were really nice.

The first spear from last year's planting popped up yesterday.

 I love this thing.

Ben took the tractor through last weekend.  He tilled, then used the sub soiler.  I went through with a hoe today and deepened the furrows a bit. 

I hope the crowns arrive early tomorrow because I'm super-ready to plant them.

Chickens

Look at me Mom!

The chicks are doing well.  They're one week old today.  We've named three of them so far.  We now have a Judith (Judy), a Eunice, and an Iris.  I can tell them apart by the patterns on their beaks, and Iris is the runt.

The door just needs a handle.  We'll have to choose and extra-special one.

Their house is almost ready.  Ben still has a few more finishing touches to add before I paint.  The roosts are up, and the nesting boxes are done.  I hope the ladies like it!

Greenhouse

An heirloom tomato

The blueberry whips I started are leafing out.  I'm surprised at their rate of development.

Kitchen Garden

Snap peas, beets, carrots, spinach, kale, lettuce, and arugula are currently growing in the garden.  Here are some highlights:

Pea shoots

 Lettuce
 

The prettiest of all lettuces

One lovely beet

I should have a lot to share with you about the asparagus this week, and stay tuned for an update on the blueberries!

Brand New Pair of Shoes!

And not a moment too soon.  I ordered a pair of green Birki's last week, and they arrived yesterday. 

Yes, I spent almost fifty dollars on rubber shoes, something I never thought I'd do.  But, I have no regrets.  Last summer, I destroyed a great pair of trail shoes after repeatedly weeding the asparagus field and harvesting blueberries.  Those "waterproof" shoes couldn't stand up to the intense morning dew.  The glue melted off of them in a matter of several weeks.  

It's supposed to rain today (50% chance) for the first time in ages.  We had a good amount of snow this winter, but all that moisture is long gone.  We need a good soaking.  It's also supposed to rain tomorrow (70% chance).  So, my Birki's I will wear.  I think they will hold up to the rigors of farm life.  They're just seamless hunks of rubber, I guess.  The best part is that I can slip them off, hose off my feet and slip them right back on without worrying about the moisture.

Since rain is in the forecast, I'll be baking today.  I usually try to get all my baking out of the way when there is no possibility of getting anything done out of doors.  However, when I plan on using the mud oven, I bake on nice days. 

The boys are almost out of treats, so I'll be baking some today.  Here's the recipe:

 Peanut Butter Morsels

1 1/2 cup oat flour (grind old-fashioned oats in a blender)

1 cup brown rice flour (grind brown rice in a blender)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tb. honey

1 egg

1/2 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients

Moisten your hands and form 1" balls of dough

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and press the center down with your thumb

Bake for 20 mins. or until golden brown (I like to flip them over after the first 10 mins.)

Allow to cool completely and place in a glass jar with lid tightly sealed

These treats stay fresh and crunchy for at least a week if stored properly.  Miles Giles and Thurgood Morsel go crazy for them.  The recipe is easily modified.  I sometimes omit the vanilla and cinnamon and replace the water with some sort of meaty broth.  I also add a little mashed banana or sweet potato sometimes.  Have fun with it!  The dogs will be overjoyed that you baked for them no matter how they turn out.

Update
It's raining!  I just brought the boys inside, and they're having a good nap.  It looks like it will be a very peaceful day.

Miles Giles on the couch (check out that pouty lip)

It Begins

What better time to start a farm blog than at the beginning of what is sure to be a very eventful season?  This little guy reared his head yesterday.  A Speckled Roman tomato.  I'll be using these for sauces and soups.  I've also started four other heirloom varities: Brandywine, Moonglow, Persimmon, and Black Sea Man.  Persimmon is my all-time favorite for flavor.  I've never planted Moonglow or Black Sea Man before, so I'm not sure how they'll taste.  I so regret leaving out Cherokee Purple this year, but I wanted to try some new things.

This the asparagus patch we put in last year.  I pulled back the mulch and topped it off with a few inches of very well-aged horse manure yesterday.  There are 500 crowns in this section, and our first harvest will be in 2012.

This is where we'll put in 500 more asparagus crowns this year.  They should arrive next month, and we still have a lot of preparation to do.  We put down some chicken manure last fall, and we'll tuck the crowns in with some of that beautiful 10-year-old horse manure.

Ahhhh, and the blueberries.  All 400-and-something bushes have been pruned, and they are just waiting for the right time to bloom.  The deer, wild turkeys, neighbors, dogs, and I are anxiously awaiting their arrival.