The Invasion of the Crawly-Backs

When I began planting in the hoophouse the other day, I noticed a bunch of weird little holes and a bunch of odd “tracks” in the freshly tilled beds.   ??

There were no creatures to be seen, so I took pictures, hoping to solve the mystery later.

As I continued planting, I began to notice these big, fat (truly disgusting looking) grubs.  Most were curled tightly into a “C” and motionless when I poked them. I collected them by the handful and the hens had a much appreciated although unexpected feast.   Ewww…wonder what they were…?

When I finally made it back to the computer to do a little research, I discovered that the grubs were actually a type of figeater beetles.  The Green Junebug.

Oh, now it makes sense.  During the summer, the air fairly teemed with these HUGE beetle things.  They look rather like Japanese beetles on some type of steroid.  They are about an inch long, and would come out of the grass in the warmth of the sun and bumble around the farm in great numbers.  They don’t eat everything in sight (unlike the Japanese beetles) but the noise and unexpected appearance can be a little alarming. They DO feast on the fallen and rotting fruit in the orchard and garden.

Apparently, conditions were just right this year for massive procreation.  There are grubs everywhere. Every time the Boss tills, he uncovers vast numbers.  The chickens are loving it!

Crawly-back is not a term I coined, although I like it for its oddly gross descriptive quality.  The grubs have six 

little legs that are fairly ineffective in aiding movement, so they “scooch” along on their backs, waving the ineffective little “arms” and leaving behind the little furrows I kept seeing in the freshly tilled earth in the hoophouse.  I think it’s the “scooching” motion (along with the waving little “arms”) that makes them seem so gross and disgusting. Their rate of locomotion is incredible speedy, particularly considering their size and unwieldy body shape.

The grubs will eventually burrow down into the ground, pupating over winter and emerge as full grown beetles in the warmth of spring and early summer to begin the cycle anew.

…and that concludes our science lesson for today!

Thankful Thursday - DIRT

Today, I am thankful for DIRT!  (seriously? ...YEP)

While we are surrounded by it, most of us give little if any thought to DIRT. It is an essential building block to farming. Everything we grow needs DIRT…the gardens and the animals.

DIRT makes this possible.  Because of it we are able to earn our living and provide for our table and the tables of our customer-friends. It doesn't bother me when I have dirt under my fingernails, rubbed into my jeans and caked onto my boots.  That’s nothing a little soap and water can’t handle.  The sense of well-being provided by all that DIRT is worth the extra laundry.

  

Over the years, one "issue" in my life has caused me to cry like a baby and curse like a sailor with stops at every other human emotion along the way. I have absolutely no control over the situation and am powerless to change it in any way. I am not looking for advice to resolve it, nor am I going to reveal its identity.  Suffice it to say it is a cross I must bear, albeit not always with a gracious attitude, despite my best efforts.

However, I have found that this aspect of life doesn't bother me, hurt me, and torment me nearly as much when I am in the garden digging in the DIRT. I suppose that’s just one of the reasons I love planting, weeding and harvesting.

When I find circumstances overwhelming, I simply head out to the hoophouse where I can dig and weed and seed and plant in any type of weather. A short time later and everything looks different. The hoophouse looks full and productive, and the “issues” seem less imposing.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m down on my knees, ready for prayer and/or meditation.  Maybe it’s the connection with the earth.  Maybe it’s the fact that I’m doing productive work and am distracted.  Maybe it’s the fact that I listen to music…

Perhaps it isn't necessary for me to know the why’s and wherefore’s…

                                         

                      ...maybe I can just be thankful for DIRT!

As it provides good food, an honest living, AND cheap therapy…yes, I am thankful for DIRT!

Thankful Thursday - Co-workers

Inter-personal relationships in the workplace can either make you or break you.  It doesn’t matter how great the work opportunity may be, if you can’t get along with your co-workers, the mere thought of a day “at the office” can be miserable. I’ve done that one, and to say it’s not fun is a gross understatement!

Now, I may just have the perfect work environment. Beautiful setting, productive and satisfying work and I really like my co-worker.  A lot! J

Last week, the Boss and I marked 28 years as a married couple. For the past 15, we have worked together…every.single.day.  and I am here to tell you that is a good thing.  I can’t imagine trying to do this kind of work with anyone else. For the record, yes…it did take some adjustment.

We have always worked well together as a team.  He provides stability, balance and muscle…and I…hmm, not sure about that one…a helping hand and a hot meal at the end of the day…?   Here’s a bit about teamwork. He is always encouraging and supportive of my random ideas.  In exchange, I don’t flip out when he wants to buy new toys. J

It’s been five seasons since we were ALL here on the hill, working as a family unit.  Jobs and fellas and life adventures of their own beckoned to the girls.  (and that is as it should be) The adjustment to being empty-nesters meant that we honed our team skills and sharpened our focus.  We are a more efficient and effective team than ever before.  …and we even manage to have our fair share of FUN. (click on FUN...you have to...it's just TOO funny!)

I can’t imagine trying to manage this place alone or without the camaraderie and shared vision.  It would be difficult at best.
   
     So…

Today, I am thankful for the Boss! My co-worker and partner through thick and thin...good times and bad...for richer or poorer...

Just in Time

If a picture is truly worth a thousand words…

Then, I don’t have to tell you how the Boss and I spent the better part of the past two days on our knees...working.

Nor, do I need to tell you that those jeans will NEVER, ever be truly clean again…but, I digress.

We have been meaning to harvest the potato crop of 2012 for some time, but…well, you know how it goes…

  

With the first  frost of the fall season Sunday night, and the forecast calling for rain, rain and MORE rain, it was time to pull out the stops and get those ‘taters out of the ground and into the reefer in order to have them for sale far into the Winter.

We started the project Monday, in hopes of getting done in time for supper.  However, there were far more potatoes in the main “potato garden” than we anticipated and we ended up harvesting ‘taters again Tuesday. We were both quite glad that I bought a whole bunch of extra storage hoppers while I was in town! (we needed them all…and then some)

I have covered my love of the potato numerous times. Like this...  and  This one has a video of potato harvesting. The tasty tuber is crucial to our survival and we enjoy it in a myriad of ways.  Please don’t let anyone make you think that potatoes are unhealthy.  Far from it!  High in nutrients, low in fat…potatoes are an excellent source of vitamins and un-refined carbohydrates. If anything is bad for you, it is all the toppings that smother the potatoes prior to serving.

Here on the old homestead, potato harvest is done the old-fashioned way, mostly by hand. With the exception of the potato plow, there is no specialized equipment for the small producer.  If we were bigger, we could implement some real cool tools that would take a lot of the hand work out of this job.  But, bigger operation means bigger operational budget…and we’re doing quite well with our present model…thank you very much!

The Boss runs the potato plow down the row, tossing tubers to both sides.  I follow along, collecting the errant ones and putting everything off to the last open furrow.  When he finishes the tractor run down the row, we work toward each other, putting the potatoes out of the way of the next run with the tractor and plow.  …and so it goes, until the patch is completely unearthed.

The tubers are left to dry slightly in the sun before we come back to collect the bounty and place everything in cold storage until such a time that it is offered for sale. That generally means we come back after lunch, sorting and picking until all the potatoes are hauled off to the reefer.   If kept at a constant temperature in the reefer or walk-in, these potatoes could, in theory, be eaten sometime next Spring. Our customer demand will probably keep that from happening.

The potatoes we planted in July will be the most vibrantly colored and will ultimately last the longest, but those few left over from the Spring planting are big, robust potatoes just waiting to be baked, mashed, soufflé-d and enjoyed immensely in any number of recipes as well. There are red potatoes, white potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes.  The very small ones have been sorted out to sell as “tiny taters”. Nothing adds to a menu like a potato!

Filthy jeans, broken fingernails and woefully sore muscles are the price we pay for the assurance that the TATER CROP of 2012 is safely in the reefer and just waiting to fill our customers’ (and our own) needs.

 

That seems a small price to pay, if you ask me! Just glad to finally check that one off the “to-do” list.

…and just ahead of the rain!

Scenes from a Saturday

Change of Seasons - Thankful Thursday

There has been a subtle change in the light lately.  

The change that indicates that fall is fast approaching always sneaks up on me, surprising me with its beauty.    While you might think that produce growers would wish for summer’s bounteous harvest to continue on endlessly, we welcome the change.

It's nice to "shift gears" and concentrate on something new and different.  The seasonal shift keeps us from getting overworked or bored by any one crop or activity.  There is always something new to look forward to and other things to remember with fondness. Or, in the case of parts of this past summer, a sense of accomplishment and survival.

Tuesday’s big rain ushered in some cooler temperatures, clearer skies and gave me a chance to get caught up on all that paperwork collecting on my desk.  After a big rain, we always have a stretch of glorious days when the world seems brand-new.

 Coupled with the sense of an upcoming change in the seasons, yesterday was particularly beautiful.

The change of seasons makes for a change in our workload, our diet and our outlook.    The hoophouse crops are being tucked into the ground for what we hope is a productive winter harvest season.   

While tomato sandwiches are great on hot summer days, we are beginning to look forward to soups and stews and comfort food made from the upcoming potato harvest.The other fall harvested crops will allow for great color, texture and taste on our supper table…and at the Market.

The views that just a few days ago seemed worn and tired are beginning to show little highlights of color, indicating that the fall foliage may be amazing this year.

The indication of the upcoming change of seasons makes me appreciative of the summer’s abundance and keeps me looking forward to the challenges that will come with cooler weather.

     (…and it means lambing season is that much closer J)

Now, that's something to be thankful for on this Thursday!

Nary A Blue Butt in Sight!

Conversations here on the hill might confuse the uninformed, shock the prudish and/or embarrass us if overheard by the “wrong” folks.

      …and there is not a thing we can do about it.

It’s an occupational hazard.

We are in the business of breeding livestock.  This means we talk about S-E-X and anatomical correctness…a LOT.  We are in the business of raising livestock.  This means we talk about animal physiology, digestion, parasites and other “not-so-polite” subjects…a LOT.  We are also in the business of “harvesting” livestock.  That means we talk about cuts of meat, blood and guts…a LOT.

Quite often these conversations come up at mealtime.  I mean, everyone talks about what they did that day over supper, don’t they?  We do try to curtail our more descriptive discussions when we have company, but I know that I have surprised both of our sons-in-law on more than one occasion.  Sorry guys!

Ohhhh...and that might just explain why we NEVER get invited to supper at fancy restaurants! J

Our most recent project to cause some weird and random comments was breeding the ewes.  Actually, this was Waylon’s project.  We’re just keeping score, marking the calendar and projecting dates.

When we turned him in on August 1, we put a yellow marker in the harness.  He wore this for a little over 2 weeks.  Several ewes were marked during this time and the information duly noted in my calendar book.

When we changed markers, we used ORANGE.  There was one re-mark of the “yellow” girls. (since she is just a yearling, that was okay) Within a week, all the other ewes were marked.  Most of them occurred within a two day period. (oh, wow…lambing season is going to be one big explosion this year! …I can’t wait!)

At the end of that cycle, we switched to BLUE.  This color system allows us to easily note any re-marks.  The color cycle isn’t always the same, but it does always go from light to dark.

We generally only go three cycles.  Otherwise lambing season stretches out f-o-r-e-v-e-r. We’ve done that one and it is NOT fun.  I don’t do too well without regular sleep, so things get more than a little stressful if lambing goes on too long. All that nightly checking... (be sure to click for a chuckle)

Many days have passed since the last ORANGE mark.  (far beyond any ewe’s normal estrus cycle)

                             NO blue marks at all.

That means…or should mean…that all the ewes are bred!  WOOT!

I guess that means I can stop telling the Boss every morning at breakfast (and again at supper) that there’s nary a BLUE butt in sight! J 

Which leaves me to wonder….


                                                    what in the world are we gonna talk about now?