This poster has been a source of inspiration to me for the 25+ years that I’ve carried it around. For most of its life it hung on the back of my office door so when I had to “shut the door” whether it be to concentrate on something or coach an employee, I would always [...]
Archive of entries posted on March 2010
Rockin’ Right Along!
Things are rocking right along on the farm, ahead of schedule according to my notes! No time to celebrate though, Mother (Nature, that is) could change everything in a second! It takes a lot of courage and discipline to be a farmer for a living. I think diversification is the key to success though. Today is [...]
Get to know your veggies–Broccoli
Remember when we were kids how disgusting broccoli was? The only broccoli I remember being offered was the frozen stuff which I suppose remotely resembled broccoli. The ONLY thing that made it palatable was the melted Velveeta on top. I don’t even remember anyone growing broccoli when I was a kid, come to think of [...]
How to prevent “damping off”
Anyone who has ever started seedlings in the house or in a greenhouse has looked in on their seedlings at one time or another and found them laying face down on the soil. The stem is wilted at the soil line. This condition is called “damping off” and is caused by a fungus. Several years [...]
Variety is the spice of life–and the garden!
Farmers select various varieties of crops for different reasons. Some varieties are disease resistant, some taste better, some varieties are selected for their growth habits (for example bush beans vs. pole beans), hand-me-down seeds (aka heirlooms) and some are just prettier. In conversations with folks about vegetables and gardening, the question always comes up: “What [...]
Get to know your veggies–Carrots
“Why do you never see a rabbit wearing glasses?” I would say because they would fall off when he jumps, but supposedly the correct answer is because he eats carrots. Carrots are one of the crops grown at Wild Things Farm. Little Finger is a member favorite, probably because they are harvested at a small [...]
A couple of “Wild Things” hanging out at the farm!
Okay, okay, so I haven’t invested in one of those fancy “bird bath hot tub” thingees yet—-I do feed them regularly and there is a pond on the place with year round running water so it’s not as bad as it looks in the picture! In the backyard there are two feeders where black oil [...]
The Quest for the Homegrown Artichoke (part II)
We have germination! It’s been 8 days since the artichoke seeds hit the dirt and yesterday there were slight hints of green and today, voila! We have fresh-born artichokes–well, that may be stretching it a little far. I’m currently reading “The Four-Season Harvest” by Eliot Coleman and he has artichokes in his appendix with instructions [...]
Gentlemen (and women), start your tillers!
NASCAR got started last month, and this month in my area of Tennessee, we farmers get started! Yesterday was the day that the soil in the “Front Bluff Garden” was dry enough to make a ball in your fist, but fall apart when you poke it gently. Woohoo! There are 6 separate garden areas on [...]