April 25, 2020 Starting to get started.

A few weeks ago we offered free gardening plots for people to use for growing  food. So far we have three takers who have reserved about twelve percent of the land we have prepared. We are beginning to prepare more land for planting as part of our gardening plans, but there really can't be enough food planted in the next two months. If you want to get growing, just get in touch. We have land, organic compost by the truckload, water, and you we can even help out with a bit of seed. All you need to do is plant your seeds, then keep the weeds down while your food gets ready to eat. And if you want to work for free, we have work for you to do. We have food to plant, maintain, and pick to feed the increasing need people will almost certainly run into this year.

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This week we had some rain so only a few days of building happened. On Monday we had a quick inspection with a quick approval since all the Inspector had to look at was the four corners of the house. Tuesday and Thursday were the only two dry days, so we built external wall sections until we ran out of lumber. We didn't raise them into their places because we need to keep everything covered with plastic to keep the rain out. We'll buy more lumber early next week and as soon as it is dry we will raise the walls up.

Since we had rain we took some time out to do some farming. Monday, following the inspection, we laid out the "Peaches and Herbs garden plot inside of the Kitchen Garden area. A friend gave us our first peach tree in the early Fall of last year and we planted it in one of the garden areas we had laid out when clearing the home site.

Each garden, within a larger garden, is to be designed with a few constant features. The first is a seating area, at least one feature tree and, in the Kitchen Garden, a mixture of food and flowers. The Peaches and Herbs Garden seating area has a great view of the Strawberry Patch and sits next to where the potting gazebo will be built.

Ann wanted to begin moving some of the plants we have been propagating in the Flower Garden on the West side. Our plan always was to pot  annual plants, and plants requiring control, so that they can be shifted around as needed. So we potted nineteen Hostas we divided last year and put them into holes dug especially for potted plants. The Hostas now ring the peach tree and interior path of the new garden and a radial layout of various basil and mint will surround the seating area. We will grow all of our herbs in this garden for use, but we will also use herbs in other gardens for effect.

Wednesday it rained, so I rented a small trailer and went out to Fischer's Mill too pick up our tractor Rosie. She had blown a hose and needed regular servicing so I took her out there last week. It sure is nice having our tractor back at the Farm. I began tending to the excess growth we have growing everywhere as soon as she was off the trailer. Ann took the day to bake bread and desserts for the week.

Since we ran out of lumber, Friday was devoted to working the Strawberry Patch. We had weeded it out pretty well two weeks ago so Ann, Beth, and Jackson got it all cleared out and tended by lunch. Today the Patch is awash with flowers and small berries. It looks good for strawberries this year.

Our produce stand will be up and running soon.

While the crew did the berry patch I spent the morning burning off weeds in the Kitchen Garden area and also in the place where the Produce Stand will eventually go. The East side Kitchen Garden area is pretty well tended right now, but the rest of the Farm is running wild with weeds. Aside from running the tiller over everything, we are also burning off the sprouts where we can't reach with the tiller. I spent about four hours burning, but barely made a dent in the project.

Friday afternoon I rejoined building the new Carrot row. I had dug most of the bed out a few weeks ago but Rosie the tractor blew a hydraulic line and so the project went on the back burner. I will make all new soil for the thirty foot Carrot row with about fifty percent vermiculite, twenty percent native soil, twenty percent of compost, and the rest in Coco Coir with peat moss. The whole thing will be encased in chicken wire to keep the critters out.

The weekend is for rest whenever we work a hard five days and, since we had rain today, there was little guilt in laying around. But we look forward to continuing to build on Monday and hope the weather continues to improve so that we can have the house framed up and the roof trusses installed by the end of May. About the time we should be harvesting strawberries.