Farm Blog

  Our seed potatoes came in on Wednesday afternoon. This may not sound too exciting but it is becoming an annual event for us.                                                                                                    Doug and Leslie, friends of ours, coordinate the seed order every January from a potato grower in Colorado. This grower supplies lots of seed companies and outlets in the East. Doug has arranged for them to make a potato drop for us when the semi truck is heading to Vermont. This year they were delivered to the Feed Barn in West Chester, all 7000 pounds. Yes, 7000 pounds,that is a lot of future tators.                                                                           Jim and Linda, owners of Gravel Knolls Farm, where the Feed Barn is located, used there fork lift to unload the three and half tons of spuds. Than about ten of us organic growers from southwest Ohio and Indiana started dividing up the pre-ordered potatoes under the direction of Leslie. It was threatening rain and hail but the weather held long enough to get everyones orders loaded in their vehicles. It was great to see all the fellow farmers and talk for a spell about the upcoming season. Now if only the weather will cooperate a little more so we can get our 500 pounds planted.

  The weekend of February 19th we went to the annual Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Conference (OEFFEA) held in Granville, Ohio. This is one conference we try our best not to miss. We have been OEFFA members for the past 25 years and have been to at least 20 of the annual conferences. They have really grown over the years, this year over 900 farmers and foodies were in attendance. The amount of young people came close to that of the gray hairs!    We always come home energized, educated, renewed and reconnected to organic farming. Thank you OEFFA for continuing to inspire us!

  Last week we went to the one day conference of Innovative Farmers of Ohio (IFO). It was held in Hiram. Ohio and well worth the drive. We have also been members for a long time and have been to several of their conferences as well. The keynote was Dr. Susan Beal a true holistic veterinarian from Pa. and a breath of fresh air in her field. 

 We have been out picking early this morning for our Saturday Farmers Market located in Deerfield Township. We had on light jackets when we started. Quite a difference from  the very hot and humid weather we have been having the last few weeks, how refreshing.

 We really felt in the Holiday mood picking flowers. They have expoded in color, just like fireworks. We were in a sea of red, white, blue, and about every other color and shade you can imagine, but not as noisy.

 We started our market season last Tuesday in Wyoming, Ohio and went back again yesterday for the second market. We will start picking this morning for the the Lebanon Market which begins tomorrow. Deerfield begins next week and Madeira will soon follow.

 Seeing all the familiar faces and renewing acquaintances, especially at the first few markets, is a wonderful feeling. Although we only see our customers for a few minutes (if that), it feels like seeing an old friend or family member and really energizes us. It helps carry us forward in the months to come.

 It is a very busy time of year and the days start to blur together. It is both exuberating and exhausting, and we love it.

Conard bought 6 pigs the last of March and brought them home and put them straight out in pasture, in our biggest bottom field that we call Betty's bottom. This field is named after a wonderful lady that attended our Meeting (church) and whose family owned a neighboring farm for almost two hundred years. 

  If you are not familiar with farm slang and wonder what a bottom is, it is the farm ground that surrounds a creek, river, or stream and it seems everyone has a story about a bottom field, if you ever farmed one. They range from floods to quicksand. When Betty found out that we had bought this property that adjoined us, she had to tell us her stories, of this bottom field and woods. She finally stated that she had worked and played in that field so much her name was written all over it. So we named it Betty's bottom. She has since passed away but was a terrific lady and neighbor.

 Sorry I got side tracked, this blog is about Conard and his pigs. Well Conard has always enjoyed raising pigs for the fair and always wanted more. He likes pigs better than the fair. Last year he started his own enterprise of raising organic sweet corn. So this year he has started another enterprise of raising pasture raised pork. They are living high on the hog (pun intended) in this field, doing their best to root it all upside down. They have free access to pasture, and Conard's feed ration he is getting is customed blended.

  It really feels good to have hogs back on the farm. We raised hogs in the 1980's and 90's with Guy's brother. They are a great joy to watch and work with. He is planning on getting more next month.  

  We pleasantly suprized ourselves last Wednesday evening when we checked the boiling sugar sap and the hydrometer (fancy name for a floating tube that tells you when the syrup makes) read 32.  Success, it's maple syrup. Over one and half gallons total.  

 Our fun and syrup adventure involved alot of time and help from friends and family. We tapped the trees on Sunday evening, Conard collected the sap on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Guy went to our neighbor Phil's to get his propane syrup finisher that Phil and his dad used in the 1970,s when their sugar camp was in full operation. Phil was pleased to see it being used again, and he was a major resource drawing from years of experience.

 Sandy was getting the boiling pan and all the other equipment together when she realized the boiling pans were wanting to leak. Sandy took the pans to her dad to seal. Which he did in a fine fashion. On her trip over she spyied that a friends of our's sugar house had smoke coming out of the chimney, we decided we should go and get some advice from him. Jeff had his sugar house in full swing and the sweet smell was just overwhelming. We left with encouragement and a nice sample of finished syrup to try.

 We started boiling Wednesday morning, and thanks to Phil stopping by a few times to check on us sap rookies it went pretty smooth. Success was achieved about 7:30 that evening. We tasted way to much and put the wonderful syrup in canning jars with a triumphet look in our eyes.

 The next morning we just had to have pancakes. 

 The last time we wrote we talked about how we were glad that the cold weather and snow had returned in early February as compared to the mud we had in January. Well probably a lot of you must have wondered how we were liking it when we kept getting snow and more snow. 

 We liked it just fine. The livestock did use more feed and it was a bigger chore keeping fresh water unfrozen to them, but the farm being blanketed in snow was just beautiful. Now we are in the spring thaw and more mud, but we are mentally prepared for it. Spring is here and bringing its wonders, sights, sounds and new challenges.

 We have gotten our existing two hoop houses planted. Also we have started many seed trays with a variety of crops. Yes, we are eager to get our hands in the soil. 

 While we are waiting for the soil to dry out for major field work and projects we are trying something new. We tapped fifteen of our sugar maple trees and going to try our hand at making some maple syrup. This is a project we have wanted to do for several years. We were blessed a few years back to receive sugar maple making equipment when Guy's Aunt Estella Jo sold her farm and shut down her sugar camp. We never have seemed to have enough time to try making some until this year. We have a lofty goal (for us) to make a whole gallon this year. Wish us luck, it should be fun.

 Cold weather came back about a week ago and the last two days brought us about 6 inches of snow. Cold, snowy weather can add more work and time to daily chores. It makes us haul more feed and contend with frozen water for livestock. Haul more wood to keep the house warm, work harder to keep equipment starting and running. It might seem odd but we enjoy it.

  We feel cold weather is much better than the alternative-MUD. The mild two weeks we had in January was nice for a lot of people but we had our feel of mud, mud, mud. Now don't misunderstand us, we will be happy when spring gets here and the mud it brings along with it, but that is short lived because the days are getting longer, warmer and planting season will be coming soon. But a gray wet winter seems to drag on forever. So let it be cold and snowy when it is supposed to be. Get out and enjoy the freshness of it. Take a winter walk and see what critters are leaving their foot prints in your yard or park. And when your better half or friend isn't looking, hit them with a snow ball. That is guaranteed to warm you both up.