From EcoReality

Carol trades seeds with other local farmers at "Seedy Saturday."

Farm Talk

by Carol Wagner, Farm Steward

It has been a busy month it the garden. With the help of three WWOOFers, we have pruned eight fruit trees, built a dozen 4' x 12' raised beds, nearly weeded the entire lavender field, made cold frames, planted seeds in them, moved several slash piles from the neighbors (to be chipped), and cleared the pond of blackberry vines, and made those vines and other yard debris into berms below the lavender field.

This took five people 478 person-hours. Whew!

Is there anything left to be done? You bet! There is a chicken coop and chicken tractors to be built. There is a proposal for fence modifications to move fencing from down by the creek closer, in order to deer fence a large area closer to the house. As soon as the field behind the cottage dries out, we need to dig a trench (to become a seasonal stream) to divert water from the ditch that is emptying into the garden. This will go from the road, perpendicular across the field between the hay field and the buildings and orchard, to drain into a new pond (next to the west orchard) that would be used to irrigate the gardens. There is also the repair of the existing dam.

To say the least, the work is never done!

--Carol