First veg sighting of 2012

We spotted our first tomatoes and zucchini today. They must have been on the plants for a few days, but today is the first day that I got down on my knees and really looked at several of the plants. The first tomatoes take a long time to grow and ripen, but the squash usually fires off pretty quickly so I guess it shouldn't be too long until some produce starts coming.

Mink

A mink got into the chickens night-time predator-proof pen and killed 3 chickens. We thought it was a skunk. No big deal (other than we're sold out of this batch of chickens and we don't want to lose any but...) we just need to set a live trap to catch it. But during the day when the chickens are loose on the pasture George was out working on the high tunnel and saw the chickens running wildly and squawking across the field. He yelled for someone to get a gun and took off toward the chickens with the shovel he was using. He eventually found a mink chasing the chickens and dispatched it with his shovel.

Going High Tech Weather

I decided to get a weather station that I can connect to the home computer to start trying to get more detailed in connecting weather variables to farm processes.  You can check out our weather on Weather Underground. 

First Hay Cutting with New Rollers

Yesterday was a great day for cutting hay.  I got to try my new rollers from B&D Rollers that I installed over the winter.  Everything worked great except that I didn't tighten a bolt tight enough when I put everything back together this winter and a u-joint shaft fell off while I was running.  Not a big deal, but I'm sure I would have been more upset if I would have had someone else do the install and the part fell off while I was running.  It's not the first time and I always hope that I remember that when things do go wrong after someone has done work on something.

End of May

The corn looks really good and the alfalfa is ready to cut, but the rain never seems to give me a window of opportunity to cut hay.  I know that after the dry spell we had from late summer through the winter I shouldn't complain, but haying is all about timing the weather, so I complain.  An on the subject of hay.  My orchard clover mix isn't popping like I think it should.  Didn't figure I needed any nitrogen applied to the fields since it's been in alfalfa or beans for over a decade, but the orchard grass sure looks yellow.  I guess I'll have to break down and do a soil sample to see what's going on. 

Corn and Beans - Sweet and String that is...

We got the sweetcorn and string beans planted.  I guess I went a little overboard with the beans.  Sharon and the kids were not pleased that we'll have such a quantity of string beans.  That means on hands and knees picking and not much return for all of the labor.  I'm sure they're hoping hail in a very selective spot.

Eggmobile Back In Business

It took some doing and some luck, but we got the eggmobile back on its wheels and the chickens were back happy in their home.  And best of all, no hens were lost and no human was injured.