Is it spring yet?!?!?!

I keep thinking spring will be here soon....then we get a blizzard on March 12th!!!!  We have plants growing in the greenhouse, but at this rate it will be July before we can get them into the fields....lol...Let's hope for mid-May.  Tomatoes are seeded and growing, along with some peppers, and lots of hanging baskets of flowers. 

We are not doing alot of planting today because Joe is out plowing snow at a few local businesses and around the farm.  Once again....the horses didn't get to go outside today, just like so many days this freezing cold winter.  Wow....I'm with everyone else.....enough is enough.  We got our snowmobiling in and now it's time for the tulips show up!

Well dig some veggies out of the freezer and make a pot of vegetable soup, or maybe some broccoli soup and stay warm, better weather is just around the corner....I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Here we are the last day of February and it is way to cold!   We had dirt delivered today so we can get planting for the 2014 season, it all starts again!  We have been working to get the heaters working properly...they don't even want to do their job...it's too cold!!!!  Expecting our cuttings tomorrow because it is the best day to deliver this week....it will be 27 degree's....hopefully!!!

Stick with us, as the season progresses we will go from seed to farm fresh veggies by mid-July!  Have a great March, with any luck it will be much warmer.

Rain, Rain and more Rain!

Well I guess I have been absent for long enough.  This spring has been quite a challenge for us on the farm.  It has been an extremely wet and challenging this season thus far.  We were hit by  hail, and rain after rain after rain.  Our veggies our pulling through and we should be opening very soon. 

I have talked to many people who have small backyard gardens and they have been very happy with the weather because they don't have to water their gardens....good for them...not so good for us.  We have large equipment to try and drag through the fields and with all this rain, well...it's not going anywhere but down in the mud.   I think we have been stuck more already this year than in past 5 years...maybe more!

We are cleaning, painting and getting the market ready to open.   I like to move furniture, so I'm sure I will be moving the benches in the market to new spots...and maybe move them again...that's what I do!  

So watch for signs of movement and you'll know we'll be opening soon!

Winter Break!

I guess I've had enough time off from the hectic days of this summer past....and now it's time to get back in gear and get ready for our new and hopefully wonderful summer of 2013.   

Mother nature put the hurt on our orchards in Michigan last year....farmers keep on chugging along and hope that this year there will be a bumper crop!   We plan on planting lots of those wonder veggies for this year, I might even talk Joe into trying a few things new for 2013!   Don't get to excited...there is still a long time before we will be picking our own veggies, but we can dream of those warm summer days, with butter running off your sweetcorn and down your arm!
Maybe a thick slice of tomato, a few slices of bacon a little mayo and....OK, I'll stop!  LOL

Let's get back to business...
Joe put new natural gas heaters in our large gutter greenhouse.  This should help to keep our heat bill down a little this year, and  we should be firing them up very soon.    I can't believe it's already the middle of February!   I think I'll dig around for a comfort food recipe using some of the veggies I froze last summer!    I still have some sweet corn, some green beans, a little bit of broccali and maybe if I dig deep I might find some brussel sprouts.  Check back next week and let's see what kind a great dish I came up with.

Oh yea!  Joe and I become grandparents for the first time in November!  Our son Joe, and his wife Ashlye had a beautiful baby girl - Our Little Miss...Kenadie.  Maybe she will be the next generation to take over on the farm!?!?!?  She's a keeper !!

 

Michigan Heat Wave

 
Today is another beautiful day in Michigan and we have finally gotten some much needed rain.  Many of our customers have wondered how we have any sweet corn and our other vegetables at all, based on the news reports.

Most of the state of Michigan and the Mid-west for that matter is still is a very serious drought situation.  Even our farm is not out of the woods yet.  You may notice some of the sweet corn not fully developed or missing kernals.  Some of our patches of sweet corn may have smaller ears than normal.  This is all because of the lack of rain.  We have started to harvest our crops earlier this year due to the excessive heat, and this is a nice benefit for you.  To help out with our crops, we are able to irrigate some of our fields.  This is a huge life saver for some of our vegetables. 

While we have lost a portion of our vegetables in the field due to the excessive heat and dry conditions, we also try to plan for some of this in the spring by over planting.  Some years this creates excessive vegetables, but in years like this year, we are still picking, but we don't have any excess.

So even if you think we are down and out, Michigan Farmers are some of the most resiliant people out there.  We keep our heads held high and try to work through those curve balls that mother nature sends our way...just about every year!  So get out and visit your local farmer, and farm markets.

2012 Summer Season Brings Back Old Friends

The farm market has been open now for a few days and how quickly we fall back into the old routine with our great customers and friends.  Many of our customers stop by to ask about the kids....They have seen them grow up...summer to summer.  Here's an update...our oldest daughter Amanda lives and works near Lansing, our son is married, with his own child on the way and our youngest daughter, who spent many hours on my back in a backpack while I worked at the market, is still helping around the farm.  Elizabeth prefers to be in the field driving tractors with her dad rather than work at the farm market.



Elizabeth helping to sort....eat the tomatoes





Amanda (with the blue bucket) and her friend Nicole
they are still best buds!

 

Joey doing what he does best...get dirty!










We are open 7 days a week with our fresh picked sweet corn and lots of other Michigan summer produce.  As it get ripe and ready in the field, we will get it picked and get it to our market.  Take a drive out to Macomb (17330 26 Mile Rd. - 1/4 Mile East of Romeo Plank) and get a taste of Michigan Agriculture.  And remember....buy fresh - buy local.

Almost Stuck in the mud!

Well this week's post is going to be short and sweet.  I'm rockin' the hot pink cast this week...went to the hand doctor after my little spill last week and I guess I have a finger with 2 fractures not just  a dislocation.   So typing is taking a bit more work since I only have two usable fingers on my right hand.  : -)

I didn't let that stop me from working in the greenhouse all day.  It was be beautiful outside today.  Joe got the trickle lines set up on the tomatoes, there are actually tomatoes on those plants...how cool.  We hope to be picking our own tomatoes by the middle of June this year!!!!!

Today was supposed to be a corn planting day, but we almost got stuck trying to get the field ready,  It was plowed before this last batch of rain went through, but it needed to be field cultivated to get it ready to plant.  I guess Joe will try again  tomorrow to get it planted.

Ok...that's enought typing for tonight.  I'll be back next Sunday with planting updates.

Getting your gardens ready

Each year we wait for the snow to melt and get our vegetable and flower gardens planted.  This year has been a little different.  80 degrees in March...again 80 degree days in April.  Some folks want to get their gardens in early.  Remember we are in Michigan and if you plant to early and are forever covering and uncovering for the frost and freezes. 

For now...Hanging baskets are a great way to spruce up your place early giving you color and flowers to your home, and if the weather is going to be cold...it is very easy to bring them in for the night.  

Have you ever had your garden dirt tested.  As a cost control and environmental issue we test our fields each spring before we plant.  This ensures we are only using what is necessary, and we are not spending money on nutrients and fertilizers we don't need.   If you don't have to fertilize as heavy because the dirt has enough nutrients in it then why put more on.  Why spend the money if you don't need to.  We work very hard to bring you the safest and freshest produce possible and to do this we need to make sure our costs stay as low as possible.



Love those Tomatoes!