It's Now on the Farm

This is not the post I planned on writing.


The post I should be writing is about my 2012 CSA.


The last few weeks ( or has it been months?) have been about planning for next year.
Getting the seed listing done, planning Seedy Saturday, my CSA, my farm events and other farm business.


I'm tired of living so far in the future.
So...here's the now on the farm.


After putting up a new chicken coop this summer, fixing up and attaching a chicken greenhouse,which acts as their winter playground/scratching area, I am truly confounded  that the rats have already chewed through two layers of plywood door to gain access to the chicken food. How can this be? Not fair.

At least let me get a good solid month of it being together before you burst my proverbial bubble! 


Game on I say. My solution to date has been to cram the doors at night with clay pots, which covers the  hole they've already chewed and seems to prevent them from chewing new ones. 


Pots weren't too busy this time of year anyway.


The rats have the next move. I'm waiting.


I really don't like rats that much.


It's been an interesting fall. We've had some pretty chilly nights, but all in all, it's warm. And in the hoophouses, it has been down right hot at times. It's hard to regulate the temperatures.

Crops are confused.


Some cute little tatsois have decided spring is upon us, so are flowering with eternal optimism. Bless them. I'm enjoying their happy colours, especially on the cloudy and dreary days.

The hot peppers that my friends the Maniacis brought seed back from Florence for are still alive and kicking. They are leaning up against a black barrel of water which is providing them with enough heat during the cold nights to carry on. How much longer, I wonder?


It's neat to see the little tomato plants that have popped up from seed. I know their germination will all be for naught if I don't interfere.  The cold weather will finish them off sooner or later.
Tomorrow I'll pot a few up and pop them under my lights indoors with the rooted basil and rosemary cuttings. Who knows? Maybe I'll get a tomato. Or maybe just the wonderful smell of the tomato plant when I brush it with my hand. That's okay too.


And miracle of miracles. I found a tomato under my spigiarello plant that was ripe and ready to eat. In the hoop house of course. But wow. A fresh tomato in mid December works for me.

                                                             (I'm eating the tomato!)

                                            But there is still lots of fresh food going out. 

The seasons and years are colliding right now. Cleaning seed from 2011 for 2012, harvesting food from 2011 but planning for 2012. 


The weather is cooperating now. I'm planning on that for 2012 too.


But we'll see about that one.