NO DELIVERIES INTO THE NORTHSIDE THIS WEEK. We’ll catch you all again next week. Farm pick up (tomorrow 11 – 7) is in the igloo cooler down by the purple garage. Our drive is a treacherous sheet of ice. Fun and challenging at the same time! Order here!
Pig Wifery – by Greg
Here’s Lilac, the pig. She’s gonna have her first litter, and she’s in her nest of straw looking miserably uncomfortable. In the next pen, her sister Marshmallow had 8 in her first litter last week. We are proud and excited for these ladies. Typically, it seems that farm animals tend to go into labor in the coldest nights of winter. Each night we bundle up and and check for signs of labor. If all’s quiet and the sows are snuggled down, (sans heavy breathing), we’re good for another night!
The Greenhouse production is gearing up: – by Jen
We’re upgrading our basement seed starting situation, after several years of jank-ey fluorescent lights and heavy handed watering. Now that LED grow lights are much more affordable, we’re moving on up and installing full spectrum lights that are waterproof!! I’ll also use bottom watering soaker trays that will help with the seed displacement problem we had when the watering wand blasted the seeds right out of the tray. Incremental improvements that have multiple pay back. Making life easier is soooo nice!
It’s time to start the onions and leeks (alliums), some flowers, and a lot of the brassicas (especially the cabbage and broccoli) seedlings for our Garden Share Program. It’s so fun to care for the little sprouts that shoot up and stretch for light in the warm and toasty laundry room.
We generally don’t fire up the greenhouse until mid to late march. Then, it’s full on seed starting! Unfortunately, the Modine Propane Heaters, which were in the greenhouse when we bought the farm in 2008, (and who knows how old they were before that!) are running at less than 50% capacity. It’s super inefficient and buying new heaters is on the top of our list. Regardless, working in the greenhouse on a cold, yet sunny March day is the best. T-shirt weather and soaking up the Vit D!
