New Logo

Thanks to Jj at Vision we have a new logo that represents seasonal eating.  For those who don’t know, Seasons Eatings Farm is a new name.  We were Thyme For Ewe for over a decade.

A seedling for spring, tomato for summer, butternut squash for fall and greenhouse with greens for winter.  Perfect!  I’ll be using this on the new business cards, website, blog, letterhead, tshirts and advertising.  Jj created a black and white version too.  One more step toward expanding the business!

Yes You Can!

Another column, co-written with Paula Farrar.  Paula owns Done Roving Farm.

Robin Follette and Paula Farrar

A lot of our feedback from this column starts with “I can’t.” I can’t grow vegetables; I don’t have room. You can, and we’ll tell you how. Food can’t be any more local and fresh than when grown in your own yard.

If you have room for a five gallon bucket or larger planter in a sunny spot you can grow patio and cherry tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and summer squash easily. Pickling cucumbers do very well in hanging baskets. One plant tucked in among the flowers will provide several cucumbers. One summer squash or three cucumber plants will fit in a container the size of a five gallon bucket. If there aren’t drainage holes in your container you need to add them. One-quarter inch holes 1” from the bottom of the container will work well. Drill at least one hole per side or four holes in a round container. Fill the container with a growing medium and compost, both available at local garden or farm supply stores. Water it until water drains from the holes, and plant. Plant your seeds or seedling(2) and step back. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. It’s better to occasionally water deeply than shallowly often. Don’t fuss over the plants unless they start to wilt, become pale or show signs of disease. If you find the plants need more nutrients you can add compost to the top two inches of the soil. Watering will carry nutrition to the roots the same way rain does its job.

Eggs!

This is one of the articles written for my newspaper column, You Are What You Eat. Some of this is specific to Eastport, Maine, because I write for an Eastport newspaper.

Have you heard of cage free eggs, free range chickens and pastured eggs? These new buzz words are important. We need to understand the differences between the three to understand what we’re getting when we buy eggs.

Most of our eggs are produced by hens kept in battery cages. The laying hens in these cages are packed in without room to stretch. They eat a 100% processed diet, defecate and lay eggs. They are debeaked as newly hatched chicks so that they’re less likely to cause damage when pecking each other. It’s not a good life for the birds. As consumers realize how much truth there is behind “you are what you eat” and how food is raised we’re expecting, even demanding, better. We should expect better food for the amount of money we have to spend on groceries now. Food prices are skyrocketing.

Rain!

It rained.  It’s only a quarter inch but I’m grateful for it.  Taylor’s at camp with my parents (empty nesting til Monday) and nephew, and Britt isn’t working this morning because it’s too wet to weed.  I’ll hang out for the farmstand for a while, watch the radar and probably go fishing later on.  It’s nice to sit here on a Saturday morning with Steve, a cup of coffee and the cool weather I love so much.  Weeds will go wild with this little bit of rain so there will be plenty to do next week but for now, it’s really nice.

After a second cup of coffee (living on the wild side this morning!) I’m going to water the big greenhouse, fill some 1020 trays with seed starting medium, check the raspberries and maybe pick some cherries.  Suzanne, I’ll post the cherry ice cream recipe.  It’s very good!  Blueberries are on my list for next week as is making bread and butter pickles.

Before I sell anything my family is provided for first.  This has caused a few customers to be upset.  When someone sees 20 heads of cauliflower sitting on the porch yet I say “not for sale” they’re ticked.  I learned long ago while watching a PBS show on farmers living on food stamps and working at a grocery store rather than having a garden that farmers should be feeding themselves first.

LOOK! Rain!!

(I removed the map)  WE GOT RAIN!  I haven’t been to the rain gauge yet.  At 2:30 am it was raining hard.

I’m to the right, on the border of Canada, and above the word Bangor on the map.  We really might get rain!

July 18, 2008

Friday 18 July 2008 Eastern Daylight Time
(longitude  W67.7, latitude N45.3) I love the long days on the 45th parallel.

                         SUN
        Begin civil twilight       4:25 a.m.
        Sunrise                    5:01 a.m.
        Sun transit               12:37 p.m.
        Sunset                     8:13 p.m.
        End civil twilight         8:49 p.m.

Do you know what these are?

Sunrise was pretty this morning. The sun comes up to the left of the greenhouse this time of year, behind spruce and poplar trees.  I spent time in early light picking tomatoes and cucumbers, gathering eggs and packing order.  I love being up and working before sunrise, especially when the humidity hasn’t moved in yet.  I woke Steve at 6:25 am.  He’s tired and ready for a break.  He’s on vacation starting Wednesday of next week.  It will be good to have him home in the garden with me in the morning.  Or to be in the boat on a nearby lake with him.

I’ve picked for and packed up today’s orders and sent them off with Steve.  The E-Z Up is up but the open flag hasn’t gone out yet.  We have peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, greens that haven’t been damaged by the heat, zucchini and turnip today.

Business Plan

I’ve started working on a new business plan that includes what we’re already doing and what we will do with the land we hope to buy as soon as our house in Princeton sells.  There’s a tap at the top that will take you to the plan.

Picking today:  cucumbers, peas, broccoli, cauliflower.  Pulling broccoli, cauliflower, peas.

I need to start thinking about mucking the hen house and barn.  How I hate that job.

Recent Searches

do green peppers like hot dry weather

Not really. They do like warmth but dry isn’t good.  Dry soil leads to bitter peppers.

when do i plant fall peas in zone 5

This is a must read for everyone wanting the scoop on Planting Peas in Zone 5.

tomatoes not ripe maine

It’s too early in general.  Please don’t use my tomatoes as a guide.  Mine are growing in greenhouses.  Most tomatoes should be ripening well by early to mid August depending on when your garden was planted, how warm it is during the day and how cool it is at night.

planting peas for fall harvest

I’ll be planting mine Friday if all goes well.

can i feed cucumbers to chickens and ducks

yes.

roosters and bobcats

Aren’t friends.  Bobcats ate some of my roosters.  One even growled at me (bobcat, not rooster).

can a cow eat meat

No

henhouse paint

Barn Red.  It got a fresh coat Saturday!

meadow vole

aka vegetable destruction creature from hell (fill in your own ideas if you don’t believe in hell)

can local farms feed america

Not today but it’s an excellent goal.

pictures of farm girls in tank tops

www.imaperv..com

when to plant late-season corn zone 5?

Repeat after me.  Planting corn has nothing to do with zone 5.  Continue to repeat this until you can either no longer speak or have read the info in the zone tab above and understand how USDA zones are used.

vegetarian fed pork

Pigs are not vegetarians.  If you want to raise pigs naturally get them out on grass and let them eat all the meat they can find.

when to plant peas for fall harvest in z

Good for you for not finishing this question!  You read How To Plant Peas in Zone 5, didn’t you?  What’s that you say?  Ran out of room?  Oh.  Ok then.

27,000 gallons

It takes 27,000 gallons of water to water one acre of land 1″ deep.  ACK!  I can’t imagine doing that every week when it doesn’t rain.  Steve went to a Soil & Water Conservation meeting this afternoon. While there, he spoke with Nate Pennell about plans for our irrigation pond.  I’m anally retentive about water (not because of Steve’s position on Soil & Water, but because wasting water is wrong).  I don’t water paths or water in a matter that promotes water evaporation before it hits the ground.  I’m still out there watering by hand with a hose.  I’ll have to get over that when I’m watering acres versus today’s acre.  I’m sure we use far less than 27,000 gallons of water on the garden each week but I’ll feel better about how much we do use when it’s coming from the new pond rather than the well.

27,000 gallons of water to water one acre of land 1″ deep.  Staggering.  Please Lord, send rain. It’s so dry.

Sustainable Farmer

Sustainable Farmer.  I’ve just discovered this website and Bonnie’s blog. Excellent information.  I’m watching videos while I work on the business plan this afternoon.  Very inspiring!

Pic Day

A very nice man who knew what he was doing repaired wifi reception and explained what he’ll do if he has to come back.  Bless his heart, hec of a nice guy.

Future pickle.

Cherries

The cherries are ripening and I’m going to get some!  Birds usually beat me to the cherries.  The trees are too tall to net.  I don’t know where the robins are this year but they’re not here.  A few bluejays are eating a few cherries but nothing like usual.  I’m excited.  As soon as I finish writing I’ll go back out to start picking.  I’ll make cherry ice cream tomorrow.  It was one of my grandfather’s favorites and reminds me very much of him.

It’s dangerously dry.  There’s a fire about 35 mile from here that has been burning for a few days.  It’s under control now.  I water what absolutely needs water and leave the rest.  The shell peas were done early because of the lack of rain.  Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage aren’t doing as well as they should be and will have to be watered.

I don’t have the patience to upload more photos on a 28.8 connection so I’ll go back to work!

Peaceful

It’s peaceful today and I NEED it to stay this way.  No customers, no visitors, no friends.  Doesn’t the no friends part sound terrible?  I know.  But I need some peace and quiet on my one day off a week.  Saturdays aren’t turning into a half day off.  I think reality is proving to be more than I wanted. I haven’t been able to stress Closed and make people understand. I need to be more careful about closing up exactly on time, bringing in the sign, etc. and saying no.  You can’t get into the local grocery store when it’s closed.  I need to do the same thing.  I don’t like disappointing customers but they do need to accept Closed.

Noon and I’m not yet showered or dressed.  And I might stay this way until after supper.  A shower, comfy clothing and supper on the grill works for me.

I brought in the vegetable sign, put the canopy down and would put a CLOSED sign out of if I had one.  I’m fending off work calls for Steve.  I’ve lied through my teeth to tell callers that he’s on the lake today, out of cell phone reach and they can‘t talk to him until tomorrow.

Peace, quiet, relaxation and family time.  It’s a good thing.  I bet it won’t last the full day.

Blog recommendations

Health Food Made Easy Excellent.  Shouldn’t be missed.

So, who’s Kirk?  Wild Edge.

A best friend for the last 11 years, Sarah is going to nursing school.  She’s in her mid 40’s, has grown children, is a grandmother, and starting nursing school in the fall.  She’s proof that we can do anything we set our minds to.

Checking In

The temperature has been at least 90* every day this week.  Hating the heat, it’s been hard on us.  Tuesday’s high was 96*.  I was in Calais and had the AC in the Blazer to keep me cooler.  The humidity breaks today.  Steve put the AC units in the windows last night.  We didn’t use them during the summers of 06 and 07 because it was cool and damp those summers.  I need a few nights to get used to the noise again.

I set up an autoresponder this morning. Our customers can send an email to orders@seasonseatingsfarm.com to find out what’s available each day.  I included our hours at the top of the email.  We’ve missed a couple of activities because I wasn’t firm about closing time.  I’ve become a lot less patient in this heat.  I need my day and a half off.

Peas are going suffering from the heat and lack of rain.  We’ll pull the shell peas, add compost and replant peas for fall.  Between now and then I need to get water out there in case the weather stays hot and dry.

C is going to help me with raspberries tomorrow.  I need to dig some up to move them to a new row.  He’s going to cut cedar posts and help me get the canes organized.  He can teach me now and get me ready for next year.

That’s it from here.  We work, we sweat, we sleep.

Sunny Sunday

Sunday morning, 56* now, a high of 85* expected.  It would be a good day to be out on the boat but that’s not how our plans are turning out.  Taylor stayed in Eastport Friday night.  We’ll pick her up in Calais this afternoon.  C is coming to volunteer in an hour.  He offered to help with heavy duty work and got suckered… I mean he agreed to weed peas.

Thank you for your kind thoughts and comments about losing Edna.  I’d forgotten how impersonal funerals in that particular religion are.  It was a long service in a hot church but being so impersonal, it wasn’t difficult.

I have more photos to upload but we’re not getting a wireless signal and 28.8 is too slow to bother with.  We’re picking tomatoes from the greenhouse and now outside too. Turnip will be ready in a week.  We’re eating broccoli and expect cauliflower in a week.  Zucchini will be on the grill later this week. Then there’s the Swiss chard.  Half of the second planting isn’t growing again but the weeds are doing well, so it’s going under again.  I’ll mix up mulch and aged, dried chicken manure, toss it onto that spot and till it in.

It’s time to plant yellow beans, more turnip, readishes and a few other things this week. <yawn> Time to get to work.  That’ll wake me up.

First Harvests

I picked the first tomatoes yesterday.  This mornings orders for “some of everything you have” went out with broccoli, a tease of peas, red onions and a cucumber for the first time this year.  They also have beet greens, boc choi, kale, tatsoi, endive, basil and a dozen eggs.  Steve was loaded when he left.

Today is my only full day on the farm this week.  Edna’s funeral is tomorrow morning.  She was my mother’s best friend from childhood on.  Edna was with Mum when she died.  I know this morning they’re catching up on the last ten years over coffee.  I’ll have to have a good long cry between now and tomorrow, and I’ll take my eyeliner and mascara with me to put on in the parking lot.  Edna’s daughter, Jenn, was my best friend growing up and we’ve reconnected in the last two weeks.

Anyway, I’ll spend the day pulling weeds, adding some fertilizer to the bush beans that look pathetic and picking supper.  We’ll have stir fry with leftover chicken and fresh boc choi, tatsoi, onions, kale and whatever else I grab from the garden.

We’d Like to Expand

Considering the uncertain future of mills in Maine and our strong belief in being prepared, we have decided we’d like to expand the farm.  There’s one thing we need to do first - sell the other house.  Someone’s going to get a heck of a good deal. They’ll need to pay off the mortgage and closing costs, around $33,000 total, for a three or four bedroom home with large laundry room, one bath, a lot of storage room and a small barn on .66 acres in town.  It goes on the market with a realtor next week.

We know what we want for land and have inquired about a particular piece.  It has been successfully farmed in the past and should be farmed again.  We’re worried that should this land be sold to someone else before we can make this work or if it turns out that we can’t afford it, we’ll be out of business.

Ravens

Some mornings I’d like to stick a long piece of iron out the bedroom window, pull the trigger (the iron would be part of a shot gun, btw), and bring peace and quiet back to the farm.  Ravens are pushing their luck at 3:45 am.  It’s barely light out then and really, couldn’t we sleep til oh say…4:15 am?  Or, is it too much to ask for quiet until at least official sunrise at 4:45 am?

The noisy basta….birds are in the garden every day.  I have no idea what they’re doing but they don’t appear to be doing any harm.  Still, I don’t take chances.  I let the farmcollies chase them away when a knock on the window doesn’t work.  Late this afternoon Steve noticed two ravens in the middle of the garden.  They were doing something where the beans end and artichokes start.  Knock Knock!  I’m sure when they looked up I read one’s lips saying, “screw you.”  KNOCK KNOCK!  Nothing.  Alrighty then.  Be that way.  Scooter is the best bird dog (not hunting birds, scaring them away) but he’s limping and I can’t find the problem.  I can’t send him out to chase ravens at awesome speed and hurt himself more.  That leaves Maggie.  She’s shorter than Scooter in both body and leg length.  She’s less driven to chase birds than Scooter.  He lives for that job.

And, another odd day

It rained no it didn’t but it tried it misted and sprinkled and gees would the weather please make up its mind?  We worked outside most of the day.  A nice couple came for seedlings.  I broke into my “just in case” stash of seedlings and sold seven six packs.  The couple who paid for poults last weekend came today to pick them up.  They had one of their five grandchildren with them.  He was surprised and thrilled and of course, very cute.  I put the poults in a box and suggested they close the cover but they were sure the birds would stay put.  I was sure they wouldn’t.  “They’ll poop on everything!”  She said that was ok, it would all wash.  When they pulled away two of the three were already out and the little boy was laughing.