2011 Season, Week Three

May 21, 2011

This week's harvest:
Swiss Chard
Red Russian Kale
Green Garlic (use like a green onion)
Tatsoi
Beets
Strawberries
A sprig of mint

This week's farm news:

Well, we burned firewood this week like it was the middle of March. The week was remarkably gray & cool! If I didn't know better, and if the trees & pastures weren't so green, I could have easily convinced myself that it actually was March!

Early in the week not much happened in the garden because of the cool wet weather. That was OK, though, because we had plenty to do welcoming all sorts of new arrivals on the farm. On Monday we set up a beehive to house a new (package) swarm of Russian honeybees. We installed them on Monday evening & so far they seem to have accepted their new home in Bugtussle. On Tuesday our new bull, a Red Devon, arrived on the farm - from Virginia! Eric purchased him about a month ago but has had to wait for a cattle hauler to be available to bring him here. Once he arrived, Eric was very anxious to get the poor traveller back on the grass and integrated with our herd. You never know quite what to expect, especially with a bull, but all seems good so far. On Wednesday we went to a farm just outside Carthage, TN to purchase about 30 young pullets (to make up for all the ones a wily fox has been snagging - Eric even witnessed an attack in broad daylight while working in the garden!) They were raised by a 12 year old boy much in the same manner we raise our own chickens. We were pleased to help support & encourage a young entrepreneur.