Hello Everybody,
Happy spring (??... It was snowing a bit out there yesterday morning.)
First, there is no news more important than this one: Collins and Lucy welcomed their new baby, Remy Leopold Heavener on April 20th. I will forever associate his birthday with the sweet scent of daffodils, as the yellow and white blooms are in full swing here on Chappy. He is settling into the farmhouse and meeting all the animals: pup, cat, chickens, sheep, a new batch of ducklings and a pair of goslings. He is only slightly bigger than the baby geese and equally adorable. What a joyful addition he is this spring, congratulations C + L.
Despite the whacky weather, things are progressing wonderfully at the farm. A few weeks ago, we welcomed back Peter Kirn as our Field Manager and he hit the ground running, accomplishing more in a single morning than most can accomplish in a week. He returns, as usual, with energy and excitement for the upcoming season, and I am so grateful to have him. In just a few short weeks, he will be joined by Stefan Pla, our wonderful second-year veteran, and, in June, by newcomer Anna Swanson.
The seedling house is bursting, and three-year-old Juna has been helping out regularly with daily greenhouse tasks. Although she is not always willing to get her hands dirty, she can be counted on to bring her high fashion sense to work each day. She is becoming a very good tree climber; often I peek out the greenhouse door to find her perched way out on a limb of a nearby lilac, sparkly shoes and all.
We have had a few big spring farm projects this year. Collins and I rebuilt a tractor shed that we originally installed as a temporary five-year structure that miraculously lasted nearly ten years. The posts were completely rotted out (you could practically push the whole thing over), so we replaced them with pressure treated ones that will keep the structure sturdy for many years to come. We will be getting the new tarp roof pulled on soon and voila, we’re in business! The tractor has been living in the wash and pack shed all winter and I am sure it will be happy to return to its rightful, newly-renovated home.
If you have been past the farm lately you will have noticed our giant dirt (some might call it sand?) piles between the house and the greenhouses. This is the culmination of a many-years-in-the-works grant-funded project for a new frost-proof irrigation line. In order to be below the frost line, we had to dig a four-foot trench before laying the pipe and installing the hydrants. Peter and I were debating leaving the trench open, filling it with water and fish, and going into business as the Chappy Canal. (On that note, I recently heard that the grounded barge in the Suez Canal held a large supply of garden gnomes, leading to a temporary world-wide gnome shortage. Who knew?).
Bit by bit, the spring crops are going in the ground out at our Wasque field: radishes, onions, leeks, potatoes, peas, greens, carrot, beets. Just a few short months and we’ll be pulling a lot of food out of our soil. I’m hungry just thinking about it.
Still a few spots left in our CSA, it's not too late to join.
Until next time,
Lily
Happy spring (??... It was snowing a bit out there yesterday morning.)
First, there is no news more important than this one: Collins and Lucy welcomed their new baby, Remy Leopold Heavener on April 20th. I will forever associate his birthday with the sweet scent of daffodils, as the yellow and white blooms are in full swing here on Chappy. He is settling into the farmhouse and meeting all the animals: pup, cat, chickens, sheep, a new batch of ducklings and a pair of goslings. He is only slightly bigger than the baby geese and equally adorable. What a joyful addition he is this spring, congratulations C + L.
Despite the whacky weather, things are progressing wonderfully at the farm. A few weeks ago, we welcomed back Peter Kirn as our Field Manager and he hit the ground running, accomplishing more in a single morning than most can accomplish in a week. He returns, as usual, with energy and excitement for the upcoming season, and I am so grateful to have him. In just a few short weeks, he will be joined by Stefan Pla, our wonderful second-year veteran, and, in June, by newcomer Anna Swanson.
The seedling house is bursting, and three-year-old Juna has been helping out regularly with daily greenhouse tasks. Although she is not always willing to get her hands dirty, she can be counted on to bring her high fashion sense to work each day. She is becoming a very good tree climber; often I peek out the greenhouse door to find her perched way out on a limb of a nearby lilac, sparkly shoes and all.
We have had a few big spring farm projects this year. Collins and I rebuilt a tractor shed that we originally installed as a temporary five-year structure that miraculously lasted nearly ten years. The posts were completely rotted out (you could practically push the whole thing over), so we replaced them with pressure treated ones that will keep the structure sturdy for many years to come. We will be getting the new tarp roof pulled on soon and voila, we’re in business! The tractor has been living in the wash and pack shed all winter and I am sure it will be happy to return to its rightful, newly-renovated home.
If you have been past the farm lately you will have noticed our giant dirt (some might call it sand?) piles between the house and the greenhouses. This is the culmination of a many-years-in-the-works grant-funded project for a new frost-proof irrigation line. In order to be below the frost line, we had to dig a four-foot trench before laying the pipe and installing the hydrants. Peter and I were debating leaving the trench open, filling it with water and fish, and going into business as the Chappy Canal. (On that note, I recently heard that the grounded barge in the Suez Canal held a large supply of garden gnomes, leading to a temporary world-wide gnome shortage. Who knew?).
Bit by bit, the spring crops are going in the ground out at our Wasque field: radishes, onions, leeks, potatoes, peas, greens, carrot, beets. Just a few short months and we’ll be pulling a lot of food out of our soil. I’m hungry just thinking about it.
Still a few spots left in our CSA, it's not too late to join.
Until next time,
Lily
RSS Feed