So here we are in the thick of it: Seeds have sprouted, we have started to harvest greens and radishes, and we’re expecting kale and lettuces soon from beds planted in the late winter. Outside, the ground has been prepped, and strawberries and rhubarb have been uncovered. The greenhouse is hopping, it smells wonderful and the greenness is a welcome sight in this wet, cold, dreary spring.
The new hoop house is being erected currently and there will plenty of things ready to fill it when it is finished. Read more about this on Page 7 in our latest Interim.
The babies have almost all come; calves, lambs, kids (still waiting on Elf) piglets (10!) and soon the chicks will be arriving. The sheep and alpacas are naked and they were very grateful for the later-than-normal shearing date that we had this year. We’ll be spinning the wool and fiber into wonderful F&W yarn. If you have a minute, watch our slideshow of Rhubarb calving.
We are processing milk, pulling out equipment and fixing fences. We’re also clearing last year’s burdock and trying to thwart this year’s weeds.
The pastures are just starting to green up and the animals a getting impatient as they want their first nibble of fresh grass. So far, we have enough hay in the barn to get us through the time remaining before we can open the gates to the pastures.
The sugaring season came and went in a flash and we all enjoyed boiling the sap in our new sugar house. You can read about the timber framing workshop on Page 5 in the current Interim.
Our four interns have arrived, (Alena, Daniel, Fran and Tyler), and are taking all the new routines and learning in stride. They are doing a great job.
That’s all for now!
– Chantal Deojay, Farm Manager