Jason the mason installing a new floor in the washing station
Monthly Summary – April 2012
General Observations:
April was a cold and windy month. There were lots of farm repairs to be done including spring cleaning and some farm improvements – installation of paver floor in washing station and farm house was painted. Lots of weeding, composting, mulching and seeding going on, and weeding. Seedlings order for WEC reviewed. And the on going war with the vermin,ie rats and aphids continues.
Equipment 70.5 hrs:
Intro of the box truck and demo of tillage with the Ford and rototiller was given. We received a new compost spreader; first trial of new multi-spreader resulted in broken link on main drive chain and noticing that tire rubs; it requires Z passes. The axle and drive gear on new spreader was reoriented. The Kubota was serviced; air and oil filter/oil changed in Ford and JD and the roller was repaired. The corn planter and potato sorter was loaded to be taken to Come Back Farm for storage and hopefully use at months end.
Administration 43 hrs:
Pictures from farm camera were downloaded onto website and sorted.
Infrastructure 132 hrs:
Outside contractors were brought in to install a new block floor in the washing station area; the farm house was scrapped and painted, screened porch was repaired and spruced up. The door to the refrigerator was repaired also. Intro to the electric fence was given and broken sections were repaired. Intro to irrigation rotation was given and the rotation was started. Ralph’s House flooded, drainage areas were cleared. Weeding, weed wacking, mowing, mulching and clearing of all access areas and walkways was done. Sink holes in veg gardens were filled in.
Greenhouse 199.5 hrs:
Peas were planted, herbs such as parsley (2nd succession), assorted flowers, 1st, 2nd and 3rd succession of seedling for sale done this month as well as field tomatoes and potted peppers, eggplants and tomatoes for sale. The seedlings order for the Whole Earth Center was prepared this month. An aphid infestation was dealt with M-Pede being sprayed in greenhouse and to seedlings. Zinnias seedlings died; possibly due to the direct spaying of M-Pede or the cold? A new seed order was prepared.
Composting 60.5 hrs:
Manure delivery from Gilberts Horse Farm had lots of wood shavings in it. Lots of compost was spread in the BGB, veg beds, farm house gothic, herb bed and corner garden.
Planting 147 hrs
First succession of chard, kales, salad, beets, carrots and radishes were direct seeded in Ralphs House and the kale had to be removed due to infestation. Two new asian pear trees were planted. Flowers were planted in the gothic beds,
Crop Care 162 hrs:
Everything needed weeding, mulching, pathways were weed wacked and cleared, remay frames build and installed to protect newly planted plants from the frost at night and then there was more weeding to be done, again.
Harvesting 57 hrs / Handling 30 hrs:
First harvest of asparagus, spinach, kale, scallions, radishes and eggs went to market. Stinging nettle, catnip and thyme was cut, dried and stripped for teas; it was observed that catnip was not drying well. Fields of cover crop of rye/vetch/pea was cut for straw but it was a bit wet due to rain and straw was cut from the market garden.
Marketing 40 hrs:
Wednesday’s market atHopewellbrought in 4/4- $249.50 (sold lots of apple sauce), 4/11- $201.00, 4/18- $256.00, 4/25- $382.00 monthly total of $1,088.50.
Special Projects 7.5 hrs:
MR did a chicken talk for an afterschool group this month. The chickens were moved weekly and a run for chicken feed was needed. A total of the number of eggs that was collected this month for the 2010’s was 740 and the 2011’s was 1,253 = 1,993 eggs.
Weather:
week 1: clear, wet, windy and cold, 36F at night
week 2: windy and cold, 45mph in beginning of week
week 3: clear, cold, windy, warmed up one day in beginning of week
week 4:bright, cold, windy; some frost damage to seedlings