New Year New Goals

Hard to tell this is January here on the farm.  It has been as high as 60 degrees here in Fairbanks, Indiana.  That means we have been able to tackle some of the outside chores that we don't usually get to until March or later. 

Robert has been out on the tractor the last 3 days.  He was able to turn the upper field to expose the weed seeds to the sun.  Hopefully they will germinate and then we will turn the field again.  Since we don't spray chemicals around here, weeds are a constant battle.  For the other two fields that we plant in, he decided that we would try another method that a local old time farmer told him about.  We burned the fields, this is supposed to kill the weed seeds.  This big time farmer told him that this is what his grandpa did to his fields instead of spraying the nasty chemicals.  Time will tell.  I hope it works.

I have been outside cleaning out the last of the raised beds.  We still had the peppers and eggplants in some of them. Of course, they haven't been producing since the killing freeze but the dead plants were still there.They had to go into the compost pile.  I also had to cover the garlic with straw.  (Holy Moly has straw gone out of sight, in our neck of the woods, it is over 5 bucks a bale)  I can't cover the strawberries just yet because they are still green and growing.  The deer haven't found them yet, I think because the garlic is planted in a couple of raised beds close by. 

Ok, Dudes...goals for this year

1.  Blog at least once a week and add pictures. Hard to follow the farm with only my not so adequate texts
2.  Pull the new orchard trees into straight alignment.
3.  Put new rock around the raised beds  (mulch was not a good idea)
4.  Get new greenhouse up and running
5.  Plant 200 more blueberry plants
6.  Build leanto so I can get the tractor out of my barn.  (can't move in there)
7.  Get milk goats  (Dad, here I come with a zillion questions)
8.  Get a certified dairy for the milk goats
9.  Learn to make cheese from goat milk
10. Get rid of the brown rot in the peach trees

I could list things all day.  Work on the farm is never done.  But it is a way of life that I love.  Hope to see you all soon.

See ya on the farm
Charlotte

"Help me, I'm stuck in the mud"

That was what Sam was hollaring on Friday when she spent the day with Nana.  It was a balmy 80 degrees in the greenhouse so I decided we could get started on the cleaning.  Sam was good for about 10 minutes.  (For those who know her, that was pretty good, huh)  then decided outside was the best place to be.  Did I mention she was wearing her Dora sparkley shoes.  Mom should know better than to send her to the farm with girly stuff on.  She took off for the swing set to slide and got stuck in the mud.  Who knew that mud was better than a playpen for corraling kids.  Just kidding, I got her unstuck and back in the greenhouse for 10 more minutes of cleaning and then to the house before I shot her.  She good as long as she is watching Dora, Wow, wow, woobsy, or Ruby and Max.  Mud or TV, take your pick as babysitter.

Got most of the greenhouse cleaned out today.  Plan to wash the windows and bleach everything this week.  Hope to get the heat regulated and plants into it by next Monday.  I am so ready for the farmers markets to begin. 
See ya on the farm
Charlotte

TREASURE TOWNS

I saw this phrase recently in a magazine.  Don't you love it?  It was in an article about groups of people revitalizing their hometowns.  Trying to make the place they grew up in somewhere to be proud.  Wouldn't you love to be able to yell from the rooftops

I grew up in......(fill in the blank)

Take a stroll down Main Street in your hometown.  For most of us it is a little disappointing.  Old buildings we remember have been torn done or should be because of safety issues.  Destruction, mayhem and foolishness.  Where are we?  In the projects?  (No disrespect intended)  

I gre up in

HYMERA, INDIANA

This is a town like most small towns.  When I was a kid, there was a Old Soldiers Reunion in May (?).  A carnival would come to town and be put up in the grove behind the school building. ( This school building was supposed to have a ballroom in it on the 3rd floor that was off limits because the floor was falling in.  I was always too scared to sneak up there to see it, I sure wish I had.  It is gone now and a new school building is in its place. )  I can still see the bingo tent with the corn pieces for covering your numbers.  Kids weren't allowed to play because the prizes were just that.  A huge prize table sat in the middle of the tent and the winner chose from there.  I can still smell the fish from the fireman's tent that my Uncle Harry used to cook at each year.  My Grandma Carpenter would always wait for that fish sandwich.  And wait you did, there was always a long line to get your fish.

But the best part of all, the PARADE.  It seemed to last for hours and people threw lots of candy!!! 

The firetrucks, police trucks were so loud.  There were so many floats that it was hard to pick your favorite.  Kids decorated up their bikes and rode the route. Do kids even ride bikes anymore?  

Now it's your turn, tell me where your from and why it is a TREASURE TOWN

See ya on the farm

Charlotte