tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84571729455251220692012-02-10T14:08:51.072-06:00prairieharvestfarm@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07525357985811815580noreply@blogger.comBlogger2041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457172945525122069.post-32003635622538429602012-02-10T14:06:00.002-06:002012-02-10T14:08:51.083-06:00

Prairie Harvest Farm will not be offering CSA shares for the 2012 growing season. I struggled with this decision, but it's clearly the right one. At least for now. It currently isn't viable for me to continue operating a CSA in a region that is just beginning to recognize the importance of wholesome, locally grown food. As a small scale vegetable grower, it's been a tough thing to make a go of

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Well, here it is the end of August and I haven't made time to update the blog since late June. Figures. The growing season takes up so much of my energy and I am generally not in the mood to share stories from the farm.  When the CSA season begins in mid-June I begin writing and sending out weekly email newsletters for the shareholders, so perhaps that is the other reason that the blog becomes

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Weeds are always an issue and sometimes there are areas that need attention which are too large to hoe or weed by hand, but too small to get the large tiller into. So, a good walk behind tiller is essential. Both for keeping weeds down in paths but also for bed preparation. While the tiller I purchased last year does a good job of tilling, I found myself pushing it along more than I would like. (

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About a month ago we planted the beginnings of a windbreak on the west edge of the property. It will eventually have four rows; one shrub row, two conifer rows and one row of deciduous trees. We began by planting the two center rows, which are the conifers. We chose Austrian Pines, which have lovely coarse, large needles and a fairly thick and spreading growth habit. They are also very hardy,

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No, not ripe tomatoes....sorry to disappoint you. Even still, an exciting discovery; the first small tomato fruits of the season. They've been there for a few days now, and as of today the largest was about the size of a walnut. The first fruits are always exciting. The largest developing tomato is on a variety called 'Big Beef' and is planted in the high tunnel (yet without plastic). Just think

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Today was beautiful. Blue skies, upper 70s, a few passing clouds, and no rain. The remainder of the week is expected to also be without rain, filled with abundant sunshine, and in the 80s. This will be perfect growing weather and perfect working outside weather. The soil is finally dry enough to get some hoeing and tilling done and I'm both relieved and thankful for this week's opportunity to get

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Tomorrow is Week2 for the CSA season, though shareholders also picked up a smaller, 'freebie' share prior to the official Week1. Those first Precursor to Week1 shares included spinach, kale, radishes and oregano. Last week's shares contained two kinds of lettuce, kohlrabi, two kinds of pac choi, radishes, broccoli (for full share families)and mint. This week shareholders will be receiving four

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A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to get four evergreen trees spaded in that would otherwise have been cut down (because they were across a property line). So, we now have four lovely conifers that are looking quite nice in their new location. The spot is a bit low and also more shady than is ideal, but they now have a chance to reach old age here on this property. They're fairly sizable

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On Saturday, May 7th, a wonderful group of friends and family generously gave their time and energy to help construct a high tunnel. The weather was beautiful for the work day, and we made a lot of progress. We started the day at 9:00 am, took a lunch break at 1:00, and continued working until around 7:00 that evening.  Site prep took place prior to the work day, with some skidloader work by Jeff

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The 22nd National Red Power Roundup is currently going on at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds. The local chapter (Chapter 15), of the International Harvester Collector's Club has the honor of hosting this year's event. The gates opened this morning for the first day of the show. The event continues through Saturday evening. This is a pretty large event, with folks coming in from all over the

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About a month ago I purchased a John Deere Gator. Yes, John Deere. That's a rarity on this farm, where most farm equipment is red (International Harvester/Farmall/McCormick). I offered (kidding-ly), to paint it red. Clearly that won't be necessary; Jeff can tell people it's mine (which it is), if he needs an excuse for its presence here. For awhile now I've felt that a utility vehicle would make

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The Albert Lea Farmers' Market will hold it's first market of the season this coming Saturday, May 14th. Market runs from 9:00 to noon. Check out the website for more information:  http://www.albertleafarmersmarket.com/   Thoughts on what might be available on Saturday: baked goodscraftsrhubarb  bedding plants vegetable and herb plantsasparagus? green onions?radishes?spinach?

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We purchased grapes this year. Just enough for our own use though; not an expansive vineyard. We got ten vines of 'Edelweiss' (an excellent white grape), ten 'Bluebell' vines (a blue concord type grape), and ten 'Reliance' vines (a red, seedless grape). I planted them last week after removing sod, tilling each strip, and running the sub-soiler down it to create a deep, loose trench for planting.

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Last week we dropped the old cottonwood tree that stood on the property. It had the largest circumference of any of the trees on the property and was also one of the tallest. It had been mostly dead for a long time; with only one branch still hanging on. It had shed most of its bark these past few years and stood as a chalky white statue. I feel a little bit badly taking it down. It was still

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The high tunnel is here, the site is prepped, and now it's time to begin construction. For anyone interested in lending a hand, here are the details: When: Saturday, May 7th      9:00am-???       (hopefully into the evening)Where: Prairie Harvest Farm            (see the 'Directions' tab on this site) A friend of mine deemed high tunnel construction a modern day barn-raising. Clearly a high

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I realized that I haven't yet mentioned the status of the garlic. It is indeed up, though I had been beginning to wonder about it. Last fall was extremely wet so I didn't get it planted until mid-November. Mid-November is a bit late for getting garlic in, but the gardens had been so wet and I figured all would still be well as long as I got it in and mulched before the ground froze. Which I did.

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Yesterday I borrowed a sod cutter from a friend and proceeded to remove strips of the lawn in order to make a home for rhubarb and asparagus. The ground was wet so it didn't work as well as it otherwise might have, but I have bareroot asparagus and rhubarb crowns waiting to planted, so I couldn't wait. With the soil exposed, hopefully things will dry out enough in the next couple of days so that

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I picked up my packaged bees on Saturday, and introduced them to their new homes on Sunday evening. Sunday was a relatively nice day, so this was a good choice. It's best not to chill the bees, or the queen when hiving a package. It's also wise to install packaged bees in the late afternoon/early evening so that they settle in rather than having a full day to venture out and look for a

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I haven't written much lately and this is why. This past weekend was full. We had errands to run; places to be. Both happy and sad days; memories to add to the fabric of our lives. I picked up my two new 3 lb. packages of honeybees (both previous colonies having died this winter), on Saturday morning in Stillwater. We buried a dear friend Saturday evening. Spent time with family on Easter.

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Sad news to share.On Saturday we buried Buster. He was only eight, and it really shouldn't have been his time yet. I last saw him Wednesday evening just before dark, and when Jeff got home shortly after he wasn't here. Occasionally he'd take a notion to go for a run and would turn up in town or at a neighbors the next day. He liked to follow his nose. When no one had seen him by Thursday evening

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With the cold, blustery and rainy weather forecast for this week and next, I took the opportunity to do a bit of tilling before the cold spell hit. I try to avoid disturbing the soil structure any more than necessary, and therefore till as infrequently as possible. That said, I do need to prepare the seed bed for planting/transplanting in the spring, and tilling is a great way to create a loose

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I couldn't resist posting these awfully adorable photos of Bandit and Buster. We have a chunk of oak in the yard, they were near it, and I had the camera. So it became their pedestal. Worth noting: this oak 'pedestal' is a slice from one of the many oak trees that went down during last summer's tornadoes. It has roughly 180 rings. What a shame that so many beautiful oak trees were lost.   

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A few mornings ago I had brought the hay-rack of seedlings outside (they still reside in the shed most nights), and proceeded to water them. This lovely visitor was sitting amongst them. I had probably taken him by surprise because when I noticed him (and quickly shut off the water), he was laying upside down (legs up). Whoops; sorry little guy. I quickly put my finger down to his feet and he

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We planted three apple trees a couple of years ago, and should have done some structural pruning at that time, but failed to do so. So, I took the opportunity to do a bit of pruning this week. Dormant pruning is usually advisable for fruit trees in order to thin and 'top' trees, yet not encourage a response of vigorous new growth immediately following pruning (which would happen during the

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The deadline for signing up for the upcoming broom-making class is this Sunday, the 10th. The class will be held here in Ellendale, on Sunday, April 17th. You'll find details about the traditional broom-making classes in this previous post. Please respond by email for more details.

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Tomorrow I'll be attending a season extension workshop at the SWROC (Southwest Research and Outreach Center) in Lamberton, MN. This is one of the University of Minnesota's 'experiment stations', where agricultural trials and research are conducted. These agricultural experiment stations also operate with a focus to disseminate information (hence the 'outreach' portion and workshops/horticulture

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We have small squares of high quality alfalfa hay for sale. 1st and 2nd cuttings available. No Rain. Stored inside and off the ground (on pallets).First cutting tested...Crude Protein: 20% RFV: 168.7Non-GMO seed. No chemicals applied.    Bales are around 50-60 lbs. each.$4.50 a bale. (minimum of 10 bales) I'd estimate that we have around 400 bales remaining. Located just off of I-35 at the

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The NRCS has various assistance programs focusing on conservation practices and improving environmental quality; some of which you may have heard of such as CRP, EQIP, and WHIP. The high tunnel cost-share program that I mentioned in the previous post is funded through EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program). Nearly forty percent of land in the United States is agricultural, so it

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Wonderful news....I'm putting up a high tunnel this season! A high tunnel, also called a hoop house, is a type of greenhouse structure, but is typically less permanent than a traditional greenhouse. These structures are quite basic; consisting of galvanized tubing covered by UV stabilized poly plastic. They come in many sizes and even a few different shapes, including gable, gothic, and the

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Many of the crops that I've seeded for the upcoming season are already developing into strong little seedlings. Some already have true leaves and have been growing in their flats for nearly a month, while many are still in the cotyledon stage. (You'll have to look this up if you're unfamiliar with plant biology; I'm not going to explain.) The majority of what is currently growing in flats are the

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There are many different species of kiwi. Some grow in warm, temperate climates (such as the fuzzy brown kiwi that most of us are accustomed to). These are Actinidia deliciosa, and kiwi belonging to this species are not hardy in our region.  Several other (lesser known) species of kiwi exist, which are indeed hardy in our region (or at least marginally so). Species native to Siberia and northern

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Being that we're not syruping this spring, we won't be hosting any events here at the farm for you to come out, see the sap boiling, or try a sample. But, some state parks in the area hold syruping events, as does the MN Landscape Arboretum. Here's a recent posting from the DNR about the approaching maple syruping season. I'd suggest seeking out one of these opportunities; it's a pretty neat

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A farm has to be built slowly. Prairie Harvest Farm is now entering its third year of existence. Some of our accomplishments the first season include getting chicks, who have provided us with meat and eggs. We also began maple syruping that first season. We began beekeeping that first year as well, planted three apple trees, planted raspberries and a small strawberry patch, and put in two

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Currently we have only a small patch of rhubarb for our own personal use, and no asparagus. So, I've ordered both bareroot rhubarb and asparagus, which will arrive this spring. Neither will be harvested this season, as they need a season or two of growth to become established and healthy. I would have liked to order more than I did, but currently don't have a large area established for perennial

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For those of you considering joining the CSA this year (and also for those of you who have already signed up), I thought you might appreciate a list of the crops I intend to grow this season. Please note that this list is not set in stone. Just because an item is listed, does not guarantee that you will see it in your shares. Particular crops may not perform well due to number of reasons...

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On a warm day last week I peaked into the honeybee hives to confirm what I already knew. If all were well, they'd have been active at the hive entrances and taking cleansing flights. Unfortunately, there was no activity at either hive entrance because neither hive made it through the winter. A sad reality. Upon my brief inspection I noted that both hives had ample supplies of honey remaining, so

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With all this warm weather we've been having, our snow has melted quickly. The yard has become sloppy and much of the lawn is visible. Our nearest state park still rates their ski trails as fair, and the second closest state park rates their trails as good. This is encouraging; I was hoping to get out at least a couple more times. Apparently the snow cover is still hanging on within the woods

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Today I got my potting soil in order to begin sowing seeds. Tomorrow I will begin seeding; starting crops such as lettuce, spinach, broccoli, onions and leeks. These crops tolerate cooler temperatures, so won't require a lot of supplemental heat in the greenhouse. They can also be transplanted outside much sooner than many other crops, meaning that I can start them sooner. Onions and leeks

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I wanted to let everyone know that we won't be maple syruping this spring. Collecting and boiling sap is a major time commitment and we have several projects that need to take priority this spring before we become swamped with the growing season. So, while I will miss being in tune with the freeze-thaw cycles and sap flow of the maple trees, I will feel good about having more time available for

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Thanks to a federal USDA grant, the Albert Lea, Austin and Mason City Farmers' Markets have formed a non-profit organization aimed at promoting local foods and consumer education. The association is called the LFPMA, which stands for Local Food Producers Market Association. Among the three markets we have roughly 100 members, and have formed several committees in order to encourage stronger local

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Yesterday I headed down to the compost pile to add our latest kitchen scraps and found that I had to cross a mountain range to get there. Jeff's been pushing a large portion of the snow from the yard down along the south edge of the barn, toward the compost pile. This just happens to be the best location to stash snow from the yard in order to keep drifting to a minimum. I guess I hadn't been

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I've been feeling crafty lately and have started making jewelry. If you know me, you're probably saying, "what?!, she doesn't wear jewelry, why on earth would she make jewelry?" Well, I must be turning over a new leaf because this particular jewelry I will find occasion to wear. The type of jewelry I'm making is of the very natural sort. I'm making seed jewelry. Many seeds are unbelievably

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I'm not always the best at staying informed about various issues. I don't generally read newspapers, nor do I often seek out news online. My primary source of information regarding current events nationally and internationally is gleaned while driving; I listen to MPR/NPR. Their news stories are well-written, informative, interesting, and generally pretty objective. Unfortunately some of the

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As someone who values traditional craft and practical skills, there are many things that I would like to learn. One of these things is broom-making. Brooms were a commonplace, functional item in every farm household, long before they were produced commercially and shipped internationally. These old-time brooms were generally made on the farm... the bristles made from bound willow branches or in

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Well, I must say that I'm proud of myself. I'm actually taking my sewing projects seriously this time and sticking with them. First, I made four door cozies. Nothing fancy, just functional, to keep some of the chill out. Then I made a hanging clothes pin holder. It's pretty cute. Then I made some heat-able herb shoulder wraps. Well, they're sewn but not filled. I still need to get some rice and

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Lately I've been feeling like working on a few sewing projects. The trouble with me and sewing projects is that I sometimes become frustrated with myself or the sewing machine and then don't complete the project. Or I don't talk myself into beginning the project; perhaps because I don't sew often enough to feel really comfortable with my sewing machine, the best tension settings and so on. I have

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I've recently sent out an email to those who were shareholders this past season, letting them know that they can now sign up for the 2011 growing season. I've asked that they let me know by February 1st, at which time I will begin accepting new shareholders for the upcoming season.So, if you're looking to be part of a CSA this season, please get in touch. New families seeking to be shareholders

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I've done some re-structuring of the CSA for the upcoming season. I've decided to expand the CSA and discontinue selling at farmers' markets. I'm hoping that this will make the farm more economically sustainable, as well as allow me to focus my attention more fully upon the CSA. It should also allow me more time for field work during the week. Along with this decision comes adjustments to

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I have a very tiny greenhouse that serves as my seed starting and transplant growing greenhouse. It sees the most use in the spring; February, March, April and May as I'm beginning all the young plants that will be transplanted into the gardens in early summer. Thus far I've gotten by with an electric space heater to maintain just enough heat to keep the greenhouse a reasonable temperature at

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My seed orders have been placed and some of them have already arrived. I chose to get my orders in early again this year because varieties sometimes sell out. Of course I also enjoy looking through seed catalogs and planning next season's garden so generally I jump right in when they arrive. Additionally, I will be starting some crops as soon as mid-February, so I can't wait too long to get my

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Well, it's been a year of extreme weather patterns; December following suit with record snowfalls here in southern Minnesota. I'm sure it's been a struggle for many to keep driveways open with all this deep snow and drifting. Luckily Jeff has a snow removal business, so we have no trouble getting out of our own yard (though usually it gets opened up last...after several local businesses in town

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I came across a thoughtful composition written for MomSense magazine by Lindsey O'Connor that I really enjoyed. The article was titled 'Wintering' and this is a portion of it:"And that was the problem. I longed for wintering. God infused his natural world with a need to slow down and change pace with the seasons. Shorter days and colder temperatures prompt some animals to hibernate and plants

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I'm feeling pretty good right now about the abundance of items that I/we took the time to can and freeze this summer and fall. At the time it was just one extra task in an already busy day, but we're certainly enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of our labors now. Most of the items we canned or froze were vegetables from my garden, but we also purchased and bartered for fruit with friends. We

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If anyone is interested in purchasing dry beans; I still have a fair amount left. I have much more free time in the winter, so I've had a chance to get a bunch shelled. I have 'Dragon's Tongue', which is somewhat liken to a pinto bean and is tan with deep purple specks. I also have 'Calypso' which is similar to a cannellini bean; these are a beautiful half black/half white bean. I'm selling them

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The outdoor farmers' market season has come to a close, but don't worry, you can still find many of us at the Albert Lea Northbridge Mall on Wednesdays and Saturdays until Christmas. Many, but not all of the regular vendors will be present. You can expect to find baked goods, jams and jelly, salsa, crafts, and yes, even some fall vegetables. The market will be inside, near the theatre entrance on

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Good news...my extractor arrived on Tuesday. I assembled the few pieces that were required of me, cleaned up and readied my work space, and will begin extracting sometime in the next few days.My mom and I went through the hives last Friday/Saturday (luckily it was warm enough that the bees were active and we could have the hives open without chilling the brood). Everything went smoothly, but I'm

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Just a quick note regarding the wonderful honey that my bees make and share with all of us. I do expect to harvest some honey yet this fall, though I'm behind schedule. Last year at this time I was already sold out of honey. This year, I have yet to swipe some from them or get it extracted. This is because I chose to invest in an extractor this year (rather than borrow as I did last season), and

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Clearly it's been months since I've posted anything on this blog and I do feel badly about that. The trouble is, life becomes very hectic during the summer months and I just don't find the time to post updates. With three markets a week, two days harvesting and packing CSA shares, and two days for actual garden work (other than harvesting), there's just little free time. When I do find computer

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The first week of CSA shares begin this Monday and Tuesday. Waseca families pick-up their shares at the home of one of our shareholders on Mondays from 4:00-6:00 pm. Farm pick-up is on Tuesdays from 4:00-6:00 pm, and there is also the possibility to pick-up your share in Albert Lea on Tuesday evenings. A generous Albert Lea shareholder has offered to pick-up the shares of other families from her

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Just a reminder....The New Richland Farmers' Market began today. Five vendors were present; offering a nice selection. In terms of veggies we had...asparagus, cilantro, green onions, kale, lettuce, radishes, and spinach. We also had a great assortment of baked goods, a small selection of jams and jellies, eggs, real maple syrup, homemade soap, birdhouses, embroidered dish towels, and heirloom

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A few days ago Jeff cut the alfalfa for the first time. It was a nice stand and should yield a good quantity of bales. Yesterday it was cooler and not very breezy, so we were waiting all day for it to dry out. Some of the windrows weren't drying well in the center, so we ended up manually turning/fluffing the entirety of the field with pitchforks. Jeff did most of this, but my mom and I lent a

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Just a brief review of where I'm at with planting and an update on how the crops are looking....The cole crops (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, cabbage) have been in for quite awhile now and are looking very nice. A few of the broccoli plants are beginning to form heads, which is hopefully just indicative of their health and stage of growth. There's a possibility that

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I'm sure everyone is aware of what hot (and quite unseasonable weather) we've been having. Not only has it been extremely warm, many of these sweltering days have been accompanied by pretty strong winds. This combination can be really tough on plants. Earlier this week we reached a high of 91 degrees, with night-time temperatures only dropping to 69 degrees. This is not normal for the end of May.

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Just wanted to let everyone know that the Albert Lea Farmers' Market has started for the season. It is held on Wednesdays from 4:00-6:00 pm and Saturdays from 9:00 until noon. This past Wednesday was our first market and while we don't yet have much produce to offer, there were definitely some quality items. I will have spinach, rhubarb and a few different herbs. I saw others with asparagus, a

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Last night/this morning we did receive a hard frost. It was a clear night (stars shining brightly), with no wind so the temperature dropped quickly.We have a digital thermometer that records temperatures throughout the day and night and the lowest temperature that it registered was 30.2 degrees; sometime during the early morning hours. This thermometer is immediately outside the house, so it's

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...a brief update since I've not posted in awhile.I caught a cold over a week ago and am still recovering. Unfortunately it worsened into a sinus infection, which has been fairly miserable and is still lingering. This is only the second sinus infection I've ever had, but I'm quite certain that I am not a fan. In any case, I've been less productive than I would like to be. As I recover, I would

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On Sunday we planted an offset double row of Norway Spruce trees for the future windbreak on the north edge of the property. Last spring we had planted a double row of Red-twigged Dogwoods. So someday, these trees and shrubs should provide considerable protection from winter winds. We planted only thirteen Norway Spruce; six in one row, seven in the other. They are well spaced, taking their

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Sometime early this morning Sonny (the horse), got out. That can be a very bad thing this time of the year in particular...transplants are out, portions of the garden are seeded. It's possible that he'd eat seedlings and trample things as well. When we discovered him loose this morning he was in no mood to be corralled. He took off galloping about (crossing two gardens three times). Not a good

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This spring after the snow melted and things slowly became green, I noticed that two neat little rows of seedlings had emerged in the garden north of the house. At first I figured it was just arugula that had reseeded, but that wouldn't make sense based upon the two tidy little rows. When I went down there to see what I had growing in that garden, I discovered that it was spinach. Spinach that I

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Last night we received just under half an inch of rain; which is perfect. All of the seeds waiting in the soil will be bursting forth with life. Unfortunately, in addition to the seeds that I've sown, many of those eager seeds will be weed seeds.And so the battle begins....It seems that the grass seedlings are most prolific, followed by perhaps lamb's quarters and other common broadleaf weeds.

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This being Earth Day, I hope you get the opportunity to do something with an environmental focus; whether it's simply being outdoors and enjoying the day with friends or family or perhaps taking part in a clean-up project. Take a moment to enjoy the beauty around us each day and recognize our responsibility to be good stewards. And don't just do this because it's Earth Day; take steps to be good

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Today I worked on the un-enjoyable task of pounding t-posts, which will be the supports for the the weave that holds up the tomatoes. After awhile the blisters on my hands said enough is enough, so I called it a day. I'll be finishing this project tomorrow (with some thicker gloves). I'm not sure how many posts I'll end up pounding, but there are four posts per twelve tomato plants. I'll be

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The last of the tilling was completed today. I had been waiting to till the main garden because it was slower to dry out than the two smaller gardens, which were tilled over a week ago.Last season Jeff did most of the tractor work (tilling the garden, spreading manure, digging potatoes), all with his IH560. This season I've done the majority of the tractor work. I'm increasingly confident

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In case you're wondering how far along I am with seeding; I'm on task. I have everything seeded that will be a transplant (aside from future successions of some of the late season crops). Seedlings that can handle cool weather spend their time sitting on a hayrack that is outdoors during the day and goes into the shop each night. They're looking very nice. These seedlings include broccoli,

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I've got just about all of my potatoes planted at this point.In all I will have planted around 200 lbs. of potatoes. The varieties I'm growing this season include... 'All Blue' (blue), 'Cascade' (white), 'Dark Red Norland' (red), and 'Yukon Gold' (yellow). I also have yet to plant 'Austrian Crescent', which is a fingerling potato. I'm planting these from the potatoes that I grew last season. I'm

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The bees now have a nice selection of blooming plants to choose from.Yesterday, on the way to my parent's for Easter lunch, I spotted a beautiful carpet of blue on the edge of a woods. We abruptly stopped, turned around, and went back. They were of course scilla, a spring ephemeral wild flower. Spring ephemerals are perennials, who have a very short-lived bloom time each year. Essentially, they

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I just returned to the house after doing a couple of night time checks before bed. I put Buster in the barn for the night (he tends to run), and made sure Sonny still had hay. It's a very warm night (still reading 66 degrees), with a fairly strong breeze and hazy sky. Despite the wind I could hear the spring peepers and western chorus frogs to our south and west (it's low-lying ground and

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I recently determined that the clear plastic breathable hinged fruit containers (that strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries typically come in), would be very useful for holding cherry tomatoes, ground cherries, and peas when packing CSA shares. They would keep these things from rolling around loose as well as spare them from getting crushed, and they would be re-usable. Yes, I could purchase

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I'm pleased to say that we will have official share boxes/totes this season.Last season I hadn't come up with a good option for holding shares, so we used plastic bags (which was far from my first choice). At least they were second-hand from friends and family, so they were seeing an additional use. Disclaimer: I'd prefer you use cloth bags when shopping, but if you have plastic bags in your home

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Today we took the opportunity to test out the pto tiller on the IH 300 Utility. Last season we'd broken sod with this tiller, but using the IH 560, which is a heavier and more powerful tractor. The 300 is a smaller tractor with less hp, but we hoped that it would be capable of running the tiller on soil that had previously been worked. Thankfully it did, which is nice because I find it a more

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This incredibly warm weather made for a very short maple syruping season. We had tapped on the 10th of March, and the majority of the trees had started running by the 15th. We removed the taps, tubing, and pails this past Monday, the 29th when we first noticed the sap becoming a bit off-color and cloudy. This happens when the buds begin to break (the trees are now flowering), and the sap flow is

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The bees were bringing in big bundles of it on their legs today. How exciting :)I know that many of the silver maples are blooming right now, but I wonder what other pollen sources they're finding.

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Last season I borrowed Jeff's mom's rear-tine tiller to catch up when the weeds were at their worst. They had gotten ahead of my hand-weeding and hoeing, so Jeff helped me catch up for a few days. He ran the tiller, taking care of the paths and large areas between the still young plants. I did the hand cultivating. We caught up during those three days. After that flush of weeds, I was ahead and

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Thanks to a leaky old barn, we were forced to perform a temporary fix on the roof. The old milk room ceiling leaks when we get a moderate to heavy rain, and that's a real pain as it ruins the chickens bedding. There's no use re-shingling the current chicken house or box stalls that house the horse and dogs at night, as the barn is on it's way out anyway and will hopefully be taken down this fall.

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I still haven't done a thorough hive inspection...was actually planning to today but it's too cold and I don't want to chill the brood. Yesterday I mixed up a sugar water solution and also some tea tree oil grease patties, so that I have everything ready when the weather is just right for an inspection. (I'm shooting for a morning of about forty degrees so that the bees are relatively inactive,

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A few days ago I cleaned out the chicken house, and brought a new bale of wheat straw (kernels still intact) down to the barn. This was to be spread on the floor for bedding after the floor dried. The chickens were outside during this day of spring clean-up, as of course was Sonny (the horse). Well, silly me for having left that wheat straw sitting in front of the chicken house (within the

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I haven't yet posted about seeding vegetables. I am still in the process of getting everything started, and will of course continue to seed throughout the season, but now is the main time to begin 'everyone' who will be transplanted into the garden in late May (or sooner for some crops).I seed into flats containing 128 cells. Many crops will be transplanted directly into the garden from this

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Well, we're still new to maple syruping (this being our second year), and are therefore still working out the kinks. Learning as we go. Last year we had no major mishaps, but have already made our first (and hopefully only) significant mistake of this season. Last year we learned that the time frame for boiling was best done one of two ways...either begin boiling in the morning, and finish up by

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If anyone has questions or would like further information about the CSA, please feel free to contact me at 507.402.9507 or email prairieharvestfarm (at) gmail.com. Thanks

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I'm definitely behind on updating the blog, so I will be brief.We got all of the trees tapped between the 13th and 15th of this month....59 silver maples and 3 box elders this season, holding a cumulative total of 140 taps. The weather has been awfully warm, both during the day and also at night which is less than ideal. Optimal weather for maple syruping consists of daytime temperatures in the

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Today was a perfect day for spring cleaning. So I took the opportunity to clean out the chicken house, while they enjoyed a lovely day out and about. I pitched/shoveled out their bedding that had accumulated over the course of the winter. This was composed of wood shavings, straw, and of course their droppings. At present this pile is sitting just outside the chicken house, but will make it's way

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This is what happens when your basement is too warm and moist...Eventually those potatoes just decide they'd like to start growing. These were a purple potato called 'All Blue'. Oh well; we did not get to eat these last potatoes, but the critters enjoyed them.

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The last couple of days have been spent getting everything ready for maple syruping season. Sap pails needed to be scrubbed, improvements to the firebox needed to be made, a better collection method needed to be devised, and a spigot needed to be added to our large evaporating pan. Those were the major tasks at hand. Spiles and tubing have already been cleaned, the large totes are ready, and for

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This warm weather is a good opportunity for me to check the status of my hives. Have they survived winter, and do they have enough honey reserves to make it until it's warm enough to begin collecting nectar and pollen in mid/late spring? Around here they'll have to wait until the maple trees are blooming, which are one of the first suitable sources of both nectar and pollen.Within the next few

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An off-topic post...No one ever said farming wasn't stressful. Clearly, my stress levels must be higher than necessary because I've begun to notice silver hairs. Yes, that's right. We're going to call them silver, rather than gray; just sounds nicer. Perhaps this will lend me an air of wisdom. Bring on the lovely silver hair!

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The honeybees have been utilizing this warm weather by taking what are called 'cleansing flights'. I can tell that they've been out and about by the yellow streaks left in the (quickly melting) snow. Honey bees refrain from defecating within their hive for obvious reasons, and of course take advantage of warm days to make these quick cleansing flights after a long winter cooped up inside the hive

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Our original chick order had included a guinea, and since then we took on a few more guineas from my grandparent's farm near Fulda. We currently have five of them; two lilac, two pearl, and one royal purple. Guinea fowl are native to Africa, and are insect and seed-eating, semi-wild, ground nesting birds. Yes, they can be quite noisy. They are said to be excellent in terms of keeping tick

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It's time again for the MOSES (Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services) Organic Farming Conference. This fabulous conference is held yearly in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. It boasts over sixty workshops, 140+ exhibitors, excellent locally-sourced organic food, live entertainment, and great keynote speakers. It really is a fabulous educational and networking event. Find out more about this

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This past weekend was devoted to splitting wood in preparation for maple syruping. We had brought in some large fallen logs this fall, and also recently acquired some wood that had already been cut into nicely sized chunks. So, the chainsaw work was already completed, and we could focus on getting all of it split. We borrowed a splitter and spent Saturday and Sunday afternoon, as well as Monday

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Jeff and I worked in the drizzly rain the past few days...taking down a lean-to. It was part of an old granary that no longer serves a purpose on the farm where it resides. It's being replaced by a bin.Jeff was interested in the lumber in the lean-to so we brought in a lift to make disassembly a little easier. We first removed the sheets of tin from the roof (which Jeff will re-use), and then

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