Harvested four tubs of spinach for the coop and Mt. Vernon’s winter market
Planted forty flats of rosemary
Planted forty flats of lavender
Planted tomato flats and root stock
Clean and insulated walk-in cooler
The past couple weeks we have been in the orchard pruning. Although we wish that the weather was a little nicer it is a welcomed alternative last year’s warm February which caused premature bloom. So we are happy to put on our ski masks and insulated coveralls to work out in the orchard. Also we are still enjoying fresh spinach from the hoophouse and are savoring the last of our winter carrots.
Spent the week clearing timber along the pear orchard. Vern harvested 120 bunches of carrots from the west hoop house. The master plan for the farm is coming along with all of the trees inventoried. The seeds ordered for the Spring and Summer arrived on Tuesday. We can hardly wait to start the plant starts for the hanging baskets and spring lettuces.
We have been enjoying the carrots from out hoophouse this week. We harvested extra carrots for the NewBo City Market and Iowa City Holiday Market. It wasn’t until early Saturday morning that we realized that the Iowa City market is actually next week. Although the early morning drive to Iowa City was delightful Vern and Mary were wishing they could have spent a few more hours asleep. Luckily we were able sell most of the extra produce at the NewBo City Market. We did have some left over carrots and leeks which I promptly used for a delightful carrot, leek, split pea soup. Of course there were less carrots then I had originally planned for the soup because I just couldn’t stop munching on them as I was preparing the soup. There really nothing to compare to garden fresh fall and winter carrots.
Well, we’re no longer just operating under Zahradnik’s farm; Buffalo Ridge Orchard, LLC has officially opened for business, as of today (1 November 2012). And what a day it was! It all started off with a new roof for the farmhouse. Then, not to be outdone by the Amish roofing crew, we decided that we’d get the large moveable hoophouse moved over the lettuce, spinach, kale, and leeks. We thought that we had everything under control until just after we started the house in motion – then the skids slid in, causing the supporting tow bar to bend, and eventually crack. So, after lunch we got a few more supports figured out, and eventually got everything covered by this evening. Of course, the roofers were finished installing the new metal roof by about 2:00 (and it looks fabulous, by the way). So now we have both hoophouses moved into their winter positions, the orchard all with new trunk protectors & cleaned up, deer fence strung around to deter those pesky critters, and a fancy new roof for the farmhouse to boot. What a great way to start off!
Tomorrow, just to keep things rolling, we’ll be harvesting produce (lettuce, kale, spinach, collards, fresh herbs, a few more tomatoes, etc.) and getting ready for our first vendor spot in the newly established NewBo Market in Cedar Rapids. We’re hoping that the new market really takes off and will be a real benefit for the community. Make sure to stop out on Saturday mornings in November and December to see us sometime!
This last Friday the sunset at the farm was breathtaking. Normally the calm that is brought by the sunset is followed by a flurry of activity on the farm. Whether it is racing to spray the orchard while the winds have subsided or rolling the row cover over our fall lettuces. The open horizon on the farm is interrupted by old farm buildings and volunteer trees and brush along the edge of the garden. This winter we will work to remove the old livestock buildings and modify some of the units for equipment and bulk material storage. We will also continue to clear out the volunteer trees along the south side of the garden so that we can replace them with the pear orchard. However this Friday the sunset made it easy to forget about the future horizon and just appreciate the calm that the red and orange sky brings to the farm.
Everyday has its twists and turns on the farm. Lately we have been hoping for more variability in the weather. It was nice to have a short reprieve from the sun last Friday. Although the we would have love to see the rain gauge fuller, the thunderstorm that rolled thru refreshed the spirit. I had forgotten how a thunderstorm smells and feels especially with the rolling landscape at your feet.
Welcome to our garden log which records the transition of an 80-acre traditional Iowa farm to an Orchard and Garden that supplies healthy local produce to the surrounding communities. Marcus and Emma Johnson have moved from Philadelphia, PA to Central City, IA to help Emma’s parents Vernon and Mary Zahradnik continue the transition of their 80-acre Iowa farm to an Orchard and vegetable gardens. Join us for the record of our transition from City to Farm and Farm to Orchard.
Crabapple Blossom were truly breath taking this year.
With the extra warm weather in March the apple orchard blossomed several weeks ahead of schedule. The cool April nights prevented many of the blossoms from forming into fruit for the summer and fall. We are lucky to have some apples this year but look forward to a very productive apple season next year (2013).
