Week 8--2016 (Feb. 19-25)

Frozen Fog!

​Farmgirl’s hard work of last week paid off as we watched the first green shoots of 2016 emerge through the warm, moist soil-filled flats in our mudroom. The new shoots stretched upward against the weight of the remaining seed husks. We will provide supplemental light for the little plants until they grow stronger and we prepare to transition them for life outdoors in several weeks.

The seeds planted last week have sprouted already!

One morning last week I walked outside with Little Rosie De and found the entire farm adorned in beautiful ice crystals. It looked like fog, frozen in mid-vapor descent. It was, in fact, a frozen fog, for which I didn’t realize there is actually a word--hoar frost. This phenomenon happens when the air is still and frozen water vapor deposits dainty ice crystals across plants, fences, etc. It is akin to a fresh beautiful snowfall, but more delicate in nature.

The ice and deep snowy drifts of early, bitterly cold February melted precipitously into Mud Season by the middle of the month. The accompanying gusting winds blew in severe cases of spring fever across the farm. Farmgirl played in mud after school. The chickens extended their foraging range in search of seeds and other tasty morsels. I sensed an urgency to launch ‘spring cleaning’ in the polebarn. 

Strong winds may ruffle feathers but they won't deter the hens from getting outside and freely ranging for food!

The 'girls' are enjoying time outdoors. Nothing green out there yet but they are scratching up seeds and other things they can find.

Typically, we aim to start cleaning out livestock pens in late March and April, NOT February, once the congealed bedding has thawed after a cold, deep-freezing winter. It is impossible to move bedding before the thaw. However, a winter marked with atypical weather patterns did not allow the bedding to freeze up this year as usual. With temperatures rising, so too were the moisture levels in the polebarn.

Muscles and ambitious work ethics, accompanied by new friendships and community connections, arrived at our farm to assist with farmwork. What could have taken my hard-core other half and I several days to achieve was accomplished in relatively short order. Pens were cleaned and refreshed, compost was moved (some of it at least!) and lots of fresh air and sunlight danced through the big open polebarn doors. It was a notable accomplishment!
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Just as farmwork was progressing, the CRUD entered our house and took hold of the farmkids. As the week progressed, so did their colds and coughing, our farmboy apparently predisposed to developing croup.  There is never a good time for sickness to enter a home, though I have found it sometimes seems even worse now that we are running a small farm. As farmers, we cannot call in sick; someone has to feed and water the animals and check on things, everyday. During such times, my hard-core other half and I work together as a team, alternately comforting the farmkids and tending to the livestock. The days feel long but the week passes surprisingly quickly.

Our 6.5 month old English Shepherd pup, Rosie De, is behaving well around the poultry and enjoying lots of outside time!

​With the onset of illness in the house, we fell short in cooking many farm-grown meals this week. Frozen leftovers and a few items from the grocery store carried us through. We enjoyed one particularly nice meal of banana pepper relleno casserole, pulled together from frozen and fresh ingredients. With this dish, we first roasted our peppers (from last summer’s bounty), then baked it in a dish of farm-fresh free-ranged eggs and cheese. When topped off with homemade salsa, it was quite delicious! 

We roasted the peppers first (banana peppers on left, jalapenos on the right) before adding the egg and cheese mixture.

This is the egg and cheese mixture poured over the roasted banana peppers before baking in the oven.