A few things I know now

It is apparent that growing season has begun, due to my recent lack of doing anything that looks like typing on a keyboard. Not ghosting you, blog, just a little less time at the desk and more time on the farm these days! Which is a problem I am happy to finally have again. Winter was long! 

But I do want to continue to make regular posts, and also spend time logging information that is necessary to remember for future seasons. One day I may have a farm manager that is not me, or even a full-time employee, and it would be super helpful to have some sort of past logs for them to look through that aren't just from my brain (that remembers things like, "oh yea, in 2017 I planted okra in the first bed of the hoophouse on Mother's Day because I remember I was talking to my mom on the phone as I was doing that). I can't rely on it because I know one day I won't remember! So I must keep track. Excel and I are not great friends, but we are slowly warming up to each other. 

Anyway, when I am doing morning and evening chores, which right now consists of shuffling trays of seedlings in and out of the grow tents and watering accordingly, I think about things I can write about, and one of those is what I have learned along the way, usually the hard way but is there really any other way? I always think I am so green and I feel so unsure about things I do when it comes to propagating, growing, and harvesting (all the things), but really I have come a long way. I also have a long way to go but I gotta give myself a little credit here: Before we bought this property, I had never so much as planted one tiny seed in the ground. Many farmers become farmers much like chefs become chefs: They intern their way from the bottom up, paying their dues working on various farms for a small hourly wage or maybe just in exchange for a trailer to sleep in and some farm fodder. They eventually become a farm manager, all the while scrimping and saving to own or rent their own piece of land one day. 

I feel very fortunate that this farm kind of fell into our lap. Well, not exactly. We had a vision, and a dream.. and with some help,  found this piece of land and house that had actually never been farmed on but did have a small garden and plenty of potential. So we got to work! We planted whatever we could think of in that small garden plot the first year, then the 2nd year got chickens and expanded the garden, then got pigs and expanded the garden, and now here we are with over an acre of garden space for vegetables, a propagation hoop house, and a partridge in a pear tree. 

Anyway, this post has become not what I planned on from when I wrote the title, but rather some ramblings from a farmer with a little too much on her mind right now! I will get back to what I was going to talk about in a later post, but right now I have to go 2 tabs over and record some things in the old Excel before it leaves my brain!

More farm friends to follow

This is a continuation of the last post which I shared some informative YouTube channels in relation to farming and gardening. As I was sharing , I realized my list was pretty long! So I decided to split it up into 2 parts. And I will also share more as I discover new people doing cool things in the garden. .

I would be doing an injustice to this list if I did not mention JM Fortier, who wrote a book The Market Gardener, which I reference on the reg. He has taken many of the tips a la Eliot Coleman and run with them. He operates a farm in Quebec called Le Jardins de la Grelinette (doesn't it just sound beautiful? It actually translates to "Broadfork Farm") with his wife Maude-Helene. He has also started a program called the Masterclass, in which all his secrets of market garden success are revealed in step-by-step instruction with beautiful video. I hope to enroll for the next session in April..we will see!

I am often outside and think "hmm, wonder what is the best way to go about doing this thing?" Many times I look to MIGardener for tips. From what I can tell, he has a backyard garden with mostly raised beds. He has some really to-the-point helpful garden info and I have used many of his techniques a number of times.

I found a lot of gardening, and just all around useful homesteading information from Marjory Wildcraft. She has a huge network of friends who are well-known in their respectful industries and she hosts an online summit each year that I make a point to be a part of. Her YouTube channel Backyard Food has great short videos too.

Another one to mention is Rough Draft Farmstead. They have a Podcast called the No-Till Market Garden Podcast. (ooh, just sparked another idea for a later post!) and have just started a series for beginning farmers and gardeners. Jesse is one of those people I feel like I am already friends with though we have never met.

I could go on for a few more posts I am pretty sure, but I think I have covered most of my favs.

Till next week!
Or should I say, No-till next week? I should share that with my friend Farmer Jesse, he could use it for his podcast. Everyone needs a catchphrase, right?

With a little help from my (online) friends

Currently, I am looking down at the floor of my office at hundreds of seed packets. They will be eventually be put in their newly labeled, enveloped homes before they end up tucked in the ground. This task I find arduous and fulfilling at the same time, but instead of completing the thing at the top of my to-do list, I am instead immersed in a world where the answers I seek are right at my screen. That is right friends, I am talking about YouTube.

This time of year I find I am scrambling around for a plan, grasping what memories I have of last season (see: last post about keeping a farm journal :/) and coming up with new ways to improve upon what I have already done. And that is where the old Tube comes in.

Honestly, how did anyone do anything before this? They just like, figured out how to do a fishtail braid, or to unclog a bathroom sink, or put up a caterpillar tunnel themselves?*
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While I love to read and have (too) many books on my shelves that would probably answer many of my most urgent farm questions, most of the time I have my phone in my hand and I use Mr. Googlepants** to find the answer for me. Which most often leads to a selection of videos posted about the very specific thing I am looking for.

Before this farm, I had no previous experience growing anything (see:NONE). So I have utilized a lot of Google to help me figure out how to come up with ways to do things. Everything from planting dates to installing irrigation to the best ways to use mulch. I have found many ways to do things, and also what hasn't worked.

So I have narrowed my searching to a few key leaders in the field (no pun intended!) that I really respect and learn so much from. I am in awe of those who not only have figured out a formula for what works on their farm, but they also have the where-with-all to share it with the world in a professional format. Many of these guys just carry a GoPro around with them, and the result is nothing short of fun and easy to watch.

Here is my shortlist of people, in no particular order, where I look first for The Answers:

Justin Rhodes was the first I started watching, after a friend introduced his work to me. Some of the videos he posts are a little longer and tend to include his family, which makes for some very sweet camera moments. Last year they remodeled an old school bus and traveled across the country, visiting farms in every state. Check out The Great American Farm Tour on YouTube or the documentary.

The next one I found just recently and I was instantly a fan. This video was what introduced me, and then found his website and here it will stay in my tabs for what I am sure will be a long time. John Suscovich offers real-life advice on everything from how to get chores done efficiently to how to best market your farm to how to keep the farm's finances in order.

The next I found just recently as well, although I get the feeling this guy has been in the game for a long time. After watching this video, I bought the tools he developed with the great Eliot Coleman for Johnny's Seeds. Conor Clickmore is a pioneer in his field, and his neat, weed-free crops are the stuff of farmers' dreams.

Curtis Stone has a ton of educational content on his site Urban Farmer. He also has a book of the same name which is on my list to buy. His videos are also a treat to watch. He visits farms all over the country as well and shows different techniques they use.

I have decided to make this a multi-part post, because there are so many I want to share! I think it is so important to learn from what others have done , and then take that knowledge and do what works for you. Farming can be one overwhelming, frustrating, teeth-grinding, tool-throwing endeavor (the latter, so I have heard..). It can also be rather isolating at times. You feel like you are the only one out there trying to achieve a productive farm. I am fortunate I have pigs and also the neighbor's sheep to talk to out in the field, and while they make pretty good buddies they are not much for conversation. But for real, it is important to find a network and some camaraderie in farming. I suggest finding a group locally, such as a Meetup, but you can always find like-minded friends out there in the world in the palm of our dirty callused hands. :)

*Yes, I have searched and subsequently learned how to do all of these things, thanks for asking.
**Term credited to Justin Rhodes 

Here we go 2019!

It's a new year, and I am taking this opportunity to create new habits that will make an impact on the success and growth of our farm. With each year, I learn A LOT, and I tell myself I will write it down and make sure I remember, so I can do it better next year. But in the middle of summer, sitting down to write something down is the last thing I feel I have time for, as I pull weeds or fix irrigation in the light of my headlamp at 10 pm. How is there not enough time for it all in the longest days in the year?
Which brings me to my next new habit, which is to be organized and more efficient. Place tools in one place so I am not walking back and forth all day. Make daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists, and list it by time for the daily ones. Have a mental picture of how the entire day will play out. Move on to the next task when the time is up! And keep a notebook outside with me to record everything.
This blog will be the journal that helps keep me accountable. Even if it is just a little rambling from something on my mind, like today (boring, I know sorry!) the goings-on of the farm will be here. As I learn, I will write. And as I do, I will write as well.
Signing off now.. I have seeds to order!

Delilah is on Instagram!

www.instagram.com/peachtreefarmstead

Tree Day!

Last October we planted trees. I know that 6 months ago is DECADES in blog time, but it seems relevant because now the weather is getting warmer and the most recent additions to Peachtree Farmstead have been on my mind. They have begin to awaken from their winter slumber, pulling off their blanket of snow and stretching their roots. They are thirsty! Time to water...

I remember Tree Day like it was yesterday. We visited a few places to look at trees, and came upon The Tree Farm in Longmont. It is beautiful and organized, and offers just about any type of tree or shrub you can think of. We were toured around the inventory in a golf cart, while given useful insight about what trees would do best on our property. It didn't hurt that they were offering specials on most of their inventory (Fall is a great time to shop for trees).

We wanted to line our long driveway with trees, and needed a hearty type that could stand up to wind and also create shade when full-grown. The Greenspire Linden was just the ticket. It's flexible wood makes it strong against wind, and is able to adapt in many types of soil, making it a perfect Colorado tree. We also went with the Red Oak. It is a large, easily adaptable tree as well, and the leaves are dark red in the fall. We decided to alternate between the two types in lining the drive, making a red and yellow pattern when the leaves change color.

Our tree leader showing us around the Tree Farm

Gandy and Grant tagging the most promising-looking Lindens to take home with us

 Once home, we proceeded to map out where these trees would go. We made sure to get far enough away from the pavement to make sure the roots had ample room to grow. We drew the line out with a string and ground staples. With a post hole digger, a shovel and some sweat, we proceeded to dig through the top layer of sod, the lighter topsoil, and the more dense subsoil. We dug about 2 feet down and about 3 feet wide, loosening the dirt at the bottom to ensure the roots had ample room to spread out and grow. The holes must be just short of the size of the root ball, so the base of the tree (the root flare) is above ground.

Arriving to their new home on the back of Stella Blue

 After the trees were placed in their new homes, we piled the soil back into the spaces around the tree, making sure not to place too much over the root flare of the tree. Then we gave them plenty of water, which is very important when trees are first in the ground. We wrapped the trunks as well to keep them protected.

Since they are young and pretty fragile, they must be staked for a year or so to make sure they stay upright, especially since the wind can get strong and they are out in the open. Grant cut 2" pieces of wood at the ends to make a sharp angle that we hammered into the ground at 2 sides of the tree, tying each side to the tree. We had to tighten the string occasionally throughout the winter, but it was a pretty solid method.

Next came the mulch. We placed pieces of cardboard all around the tree and piled about a foot of mulch on top, creating a warm blanket for the roots. We have plenty of chipped up wood mulch from two trees we had to cut down that were infringing on our house, touching the roof. We hated to cut these trees down, but felt a lot better when we planted thirteen of them in their place. And being able to use the fallen trees in a number of ways helps too. It is the circle of (tree) life, and it's a lot of fun! Stay tuned in 5 years when these guys will be huge, shade-giving trees. For now, they look like this:

It takes a garden..

Last weekend, I attended a wonderful workshop at the Denver Botanic Gardens (an AMAZING place, I highly recommend checking it out). It was taught by Sundari Kraft, who wrote a super informative  book called "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Urban Homesteading." She is the founder of  Heirloom Gardens, LLC. While I feel I am not a complete idiot when it comes to growing a garden, I know that I have A LOT to learn, so I was super excited to take the workshop and learn more about more great ways to grow food.
While not exactly on an urban plot out here on Peachtree Farmstead, the principles of having an efficient garden are the same. Whether you have ten square feet of space in your front yard or a couple of working acres in your backyard, growing a garden for food can be highly rewarding to well-being and health. At the workshop, Sundari shared her love for creating front yard gardens. I had never thought about it before, but it's such a cool point: Having a garden full of food in your front yard brings the idea of sustainability, self-sufficiency, and healthy living to the "forefront," if you will. A neighbor might walk by while you are watering, and ask how you how you prevented bottom rot on your tomatoes, or what type of squash you are growing. After awhile, your food-growing endeavors become the talk of the block! Pretty soon the kids next door are pulling weeds for you in exchange for some of those tasty canary melons you have too many of (they didn't know fruit could taste better than candy!). A sense of community is cultivated, along with all of the fixings for your yummy salads.
I am so excited to take part in the  movement of gardening organic food, and love to share the experience.

From the orchid exhibit at the Botanical Gardens