Many Helping Hands

The best days on the farm are those when we have helpers come by.  To assist with the preparation of my first CSA basket of 2019, our very good family friends, Ms. Cheryl and Kristy (with Jackson and Noah in tow), came to lend a hand.  You know what they say about many hands making light work.  With help in child care (read: holding Alistair) and gardening, they had all my bases covered.

This week's CSA baskets included: butter crunch lettuce, spinach, strawberry spinach, garland, red leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, watercress, chard, radishes, scallions, dill, parsley, garlic chives, pea shoots, daikon, mustard and clover micro greens, and farm fresh eggs.

This week’s bonus item was artisan kombucha bread.

Ms. Cheryl helped me plant new seeds in the areas freed up from the harvest. We sowed sweet, lemon, lime, and licorice basil, spinach, red leaf lettuce, and a few beets. She also helped me pot up all our hot and sweet peppers - what a job! We now have pepper plants for miles!

Jackson and Liam took a break from enjoying their PD day to help with watering.

I am grateful for our community of family and friends who make the effort to help us keep living our dream of homesteading and hobby farming.  Without their support and elbow grease, maintaining our farm would be that much more challenging.  

My very productive morning meant that I was able to spend my Friday evening mucking out my barns while Ian treated Seamus and Alistair to a special father and sons movie night.  Scooping the poop was a weekend job that I am thrilled to have completed early.  I find it so comforting knowing that my animals are clean, dry, and safe.  Furthermore, my back is grateful that I do not have to attempt this chore tomorrow morning while carrying Alistair around in the baby carrier.

 

Thank you again Ms. Cheryl, Kristy, Jackson and Noah for all your help today - see you next Friday!  And special props to Ian for giving me some time off tonight to spend in the barn yard; the animals and I thank you.

Sky’s the Limit

Whether it is Ian’s hops on the chicks’ fence or Alistair on his play mat, we encourage everyone here on Gael Glen Farm to reach for the stars. #skysthelimit

 

Downs and Ups

On the down side, Alistair had a very difficult day.  This was his only smile all day!  The trifecta of a tummy ache from the beans in the chilli I ate yesterday, sore gums from teething, and a stuffy nose and swollen eyes from seasonal allergies has really got him up - as in, he refuses to be put down.  Poor fellow.  Poor me.  Ah, my aching back from carrying him around; strollers just are not built for barn yards.

On the up side, I think there is a good chance that we might actually get plums this year.  Our two trees were loaded with blossoms and today I noticed that they are beginning to turn into fruit.  Plum pie, here we come!

Ruffled Feathers: A Hen Burlesque Show

Gael Glen Farm certainly lived up to its name with gael force winds blowing across the farm this afternoon.  The blustery weather ruffled the feathers of our resident poultry. The hens could not keep their lady parts covered up!

Luckily I was the only one who seemed to notice the many flashes of hot pink bottoms around the barn yard. Despite his presence, Beemster completely missed out on all the action. He simply could not keep his luxuriously long feathers in check.  He teetered and tottered his way blindly around the chicken run going nowhere fast and completely missing the hens’ impromptu burlesque show. 

The only one seemingly not bothered by the wind was Ava. She snoozed the afternoon away.  Not even the very close proximity of hens and ducks could entice her to move a muscle, let alone attempt a lick.

Guess What? Goat Butt!

Are Martha and Mellie packing some milk? Or is it all udder nonsense?  Only time will tell...

From Rototill to Straw Mulch

All the stars (well, grandmas) aligned today and Ian and I finally got our main kitchen garden in.  Ian rototilled on Friday evening and today we edged, raked, planted, fertilized, watered, mulched almost everything with straw, and watered again.

This might not look like much but it was an entire day's work!

In this garden we planted chard, flat and curly leaf parsley, sweet onions, green and purple broccoli, green cauliflower, red and chinese cabbage, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, snap peas, yellow beans, lettuce, spinach, eggplant, kale, yellow zucchini and a whole whack of tomatoes (chocolate cherry, blue smurf, yellow, purple, red, green and every colour in between!).

This main garden will complement the box and pallet gardens that are already coming along nicely.

Here we have dill, lettuce (red & green leaf, iceberg), watercress, spinach (green & strawberry) and garland.

Here we have lettuces, spinach, arugula, radishes, sage, oregano, chard and dill.

Here we have scallions, carrots, arugula, radishes, thyme, lavender and rosemary.

Here we have endive, green head & leaf lettuce, arugula, spinach, watercress, red lettuce, radishes and chard.

Here we have carrots, parsnips, beets, daikon and turnip.

We also planted our pumpkin and sunflower patch today.

Now we water, watch, and wait for the weeds to grow like gangbusters.

A Spider-Man Celebration, Staggered Sheep & Sweet Sisterhood

Our biggest boy, Liam, is now six!  He had a Spider-Man themed celebration complete with a woodworking workshop, cake and pizza, a (rather disappointing) pinata, and birthday presents.

The sheep had an equally exciting day; they were busy choreographing their grazing patterns.  They were fascinatingly able to maintain a consistently equal distance from each other as they roamed the meadow.  Stellar technique!

We spend lots of time celebrating the boys on the farm but we do have a few celebration-worthy moments between us girls.  For example, I am ecstatic about Charlie and Ava's continued efforts to get to know each other.  Today they participated in a spontaneous through-the-fence bonding session.  I think these two ladies are destined to be the best of friends!

And that concludes another very busy day for all the boys and girls here on Gael Glen Farm.  Good times were had by all.

P.S. Ava did not chew any ducks today!  Another win!