Sunday Walkabout 4-6

Wow!  This seemed like an incredibly short and speedy week.  It also seemed incredibly busy.  Maybe that’s why it went by so quickly.

The view of Mbrook is greening up!

If you read  this entry you know that Spring has most definitely SPRUNG here on the hill and we’re racing around trying to keep up.

That entry just took us to Wednesday…but, the work just kept coming.  In addition to the everyday routine, Market prep added a fair amount as we inventoried our lamb products, stocked the freezer and re-wrote our lamb and farm brochures.  The greenhouses and hoophouses got some much needed attention as we planted and harvested.

good selection of lamb for Market freezer

The Boss got the back garden plowed in anticipation of the much delayed potato planting.  It looks like that will be delayed even longer as rain is predicted early in the upcoming week and the onions are first priority. All those little onion plant are still sitting in the shop, awaiting their re-homing in the gardens.  The tilling of the back garden is on hold for now.  It seems like there are never enough dry hours in the day…or energy…

Some of the thousands of onion plants awaiting planting

I get the FUN jobs!

                                                      In one of my more “interesting” jobs this week, I had the “privilege” of steering as the Boss towed the small garden tractor to the shop for some diagnostic work. It’s never a good thing when equipment will not move…or even start!  It remains to be seen if the repair will be fairly simple. I’m just hoping it won’t cost $5,000+ like the replacement he considered!

Broiler batch #1 moved out to pasture so that broiler batch #2 could move into the brooder.  

The transition went quite smoothly and we are only about 3 weeks away from fresh chicken for the Market!

my trip to the Market is a beautiful drive into the sunrise

And speaking of the Market…what a beautiful Opening Day! Visit the Market's Facebook page to see the Boss' photos from this week. Despite the chilly wind, the customers came out in droves.  It was great to get back into the rhythm of the season and catch up with old friends. What produce we had didn’t last long as it seems everyone is craving fresh greens after the long and dismal winter. But, the crops in the hoophouses are looking good and we should have more (and more) produce as the season progresses.

Opening Day 2014
slim pickin's

Row cover will grant some protection to the young plants

With an eye on the weather (again), we were out at dusk after the Market, gently placing row cover over the broccoli plants as the temperature was predicted to drop below freezing for an extended period of time.  While this was over-kill on our part (the broccoli can withstand some pretty cold temperatures) it allowed us to sleep better knowing that we’d done all we could to protect the crop. Good thing…it was 28* at dawn. Guess one of our jobs in the upcoming week will be picking up the row cover and storing it away for a while.

We left a row uncovered as an experiment
We'll have to wait and see how they fared

Since it’s Sunday…we’ll get the bare essentials done...take it a little slower as we re-charge and re-group as we get ready for another week of Spring. If you think about it, pray the rains hold off so we can get our planting done soon.

Yes, I am gonna put my feet up for a while
Thanks to Blondie for the cool sheep socks!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a    Happy Sunday!

…and come back and visit us here on the hill real soon.