Getting the row cover on the sweet corn and zukes Monday morning was not bad at all. Wasn’t cold, and I was able to use the breeze to unfold and position the row cover instead of fighting it. I just laid it out flat over them. Corn and zuke were fine – even the three corn plants that were not covered for comparison.
The Clinton County Health Department got a grant to improve access to local vegetables and fruits, and offered growers small grants. I chose to get a fine netting to keep cabbage moths from laying their eggs, becoming those little green worms, in our broccoli/cabbage/etc. Also got 10 foot lengths of EMT and a bender for supports to keep the netting off the plants since the insects will lay their eggs through the netting if in contact with the plants. As soon as I got it I made the support hoops but put row cover over them to protect them from wind and cold. Well, they are 4 feet high and caught the wind so need heavier/better supports. But wind goes through the netting so we unrolled it and cut a length and put it on. Didn’t check this afternoon to see but we haven’t had wind. Did make the sandbag weights at least twice as heavy so hopefully it will hold it in place (harder to move from place to place too).
It has been an eventful bird week. No more predation and caught one male raccoon. Caught Red Roo and Mr. Muss in a cross-the-fence stare down. They must have kept it up for 15 minutes or so.
Moved the first batch of broilers out of the brooder and three-weeks-one-day old. They were very ready, but it was the first dry day, and an excellent day it was for their move. The “tractors” as the moveable pens are called, are 12 x 12. We put heavy felt (or old comforters, blankets) on two sides to block wind and make a “warm room” in one corner that has a heat lamp, but most holds their body heat at night, and they put out lots of body heat. I turn the heat lamp on to lure them in, then have been able to turn it off and they keep their space warm.
The pullets got moved to down to the maple tree now that there is good green growth.
Bees are enjoying the dandelions. I can hear them buzzing as I walk along.
The electricity gets turned on tomorrow for the field well, deer fence, and farmstand. We are awash in eggs so I expect to open the farmstand by week’s end in hopes of gaining more customer traffic. Added spring onions to the farmstore frig this afternoon. None of the greens planted this spring, in the “greens hoophouse” or the field, have taken off. The field has been cold, and I have kept that hoophouse open (cold) in an effort to keep the overwintered salad and kale from bolting. The last of the overwintered greens will be harvested this week, and hopefully with the moisture and warmth the spring planted will take off and we’ll have greens for the farmstand.
That is about it at this end. Appreciated the dry spell to run the sweeps under the field weeds, and appreciate the rain for all the transplants I tucked into the field.
