This week was a perfect storm of non-farm responsibilities: daily after-school meetings throughout the week and lots of time spent on call as an EMT over the weekend. When I’m on call, I try to limit how dirty I get. Altogether, this meant that very little farm work got done this week – I didn’t even touch two of my goal categories!
Food Production
I started planning my orchard in January, before the property was even under contract, and officially started installation several weeks ago by planting two mulberry trees. But two fruit trees does not an orchard make, so this week I planted two apple trees and two pear trees. While this is only the beginning, it feels like I have a real orchard!
I also planted three blueberry bushes by the main garden in a patch surrounded by wood chips. It is mere happenstance that the wood chips I have are pine, which will add acidity to the soil that the blueberries will benefit from. Coffee grounds are another great soil amendment for blueberries; I’ve been keeping mine separate from the rest of my compost for this purpose.
I also had a comical apple harvest from the diseased trees that I found on the property earlier this summer. Without knowing any history on these trees, it’s hard to tell whether their problems are worth trying to solve with basic maintenance, or if I should direct my attention elsewhere. I will prune them this winter and see if that changes the results; in the meantime, they will be great cross-pollinators for my new trees, and I’ll do what I can with the funky (yet mostly palatable!) apples they produced this year.
Resource Acquisition and Preparedness
I was able to stock my freezer with two more gallons of wild grapes – a continuation from last week that should continue for at least a couple more weeks while the grapes continue to ripen. I also froze about a half gallon of green beans and a pint of sliced peppers. It is very rewarding to see the chest freezer begin to fill.
A tree fell on my family’s garage over the summer during a nasty storm, and they are finally having their roof replaced. I was able to get the pallets from the delivery of materials, and they should be perfect for constructing a compost bin (similar to this one). I am having second thoughts about where to install it, because I have a Japanese knotweed infestation near my original compost location, which would mean the compost might not be usable (for fear that I might spread the infestation to my garden).
Moving Forward
I am going easy on myself, as the transition from summer to the school year is a difficult one, but it is important to me that I start using the evening hours more effectively. It is all too easy to retire to the couch after a long day of work, but I feel better mentally and physically when I do something in pursuit of my goals. As the weather trends cooler and the leaves begin to show specks of color, it should be easier and more refreshing than ever to spend time outside. After all, the wood isn’t going to split itself.
Talk soon,
KC