These and several other styles can be found at our etsy shop. YES, I DID IT. I bit the bullet and openned a shop on etsy. Our shop is appleseedfarm1.
Now for a store front......
See ya on the farm
Charlotte
Monday, January 23, 2012
Ta Da Pictures of the Aprons
These and several other styles can be found at our etsy shop. YES, I DID IT. I bit the bullet and openned a shop on etsy. Our shop is appleseedfarm1.
Now for a store front......
See ya on the farm
Charlotte
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Great week to be a farmer
This past week has been so busy, you would think it was planting season. Tues and Thursday, I went to Indy for the Horticultural Conference. The first day, I took classes all about record keeping. Not just financial but also planting wise as well. I am a poor bookkeeper to say the least. If you doubt that, just ask my accountant. On Thursday morning, I took classes on high tunnels and hydroponics. Very good speakers. I should have went to the first class but did not want to hear about protected plants. Silly me thought it was about plants that were copyrighted protected. DUH, when the whole morning was about high tunnels. So, I missed a good class. But did get to sleep in a little longer.
Tuesday night, I was a speaker at a women's meeting at St. Mary of the Woods. I spoke about how I grew up, what my life was and is like, and how I started and continue to grow the business. All that in 20 minutes.
Thursday evening I jumped a mile outside my comfort zone. I went to a networking meeting. Now, kids, I have to tell you that I stink at marketing and networking. I am happiest on the farm. But go I did and I stank at it. I hardly talked to anyone BUT I did go. So at least points for me. The more I go, the more comfortable I will get.
Friday evening, we had freezing rain come to the farm. OK, it came all over but it did something wonderful for me. This was the first weekend that I didn't go anywhere but also didn't have company. It doesn't happen often, nor do I want it too. But occaisionally it is nice. It started to rain on Sunday a little so the roads have become a little passable but horrendous fog came in. Boo for me, home again.
Planting in the seedling room has begun. Read an article about growing root veggies in troughs. Giving it a try, I'll let you know what happens.
See ya on the farm
Charlotte..
Tuesday night, I was a speaker at a women's meeting at St. Mary of the Woods. I spoke about how I grew up, what my life was and is like, and how I started and continue to grow the business. All that in 20 minutes.
Thursday evening I jumped a mile outside my comfort zone. I went to a networking meeting. Now, kids, I have to tell you that I stink at marketing and networking. I am happiest on the farm. But go I did and I stank at it. I hardly talked to anyone BUT I did go. So at least points for me. The more I go, the more comfortable I will get.
Friday evening, we had freezing rain come to the farm. OK, it came all over but it did something wonderful for me. This was the first weekend that I didn't go anywhere but also didn't have company. It doesn't happen often, nor do I want it too. But occaisionally it is nice. It started to rain on Sunday a little so the roads have become a little passable but horrendous fog came in. Boo for me, home again.
Meet the 4 generations of Appleseed Farm.
See ya on the farm
Charlotte..
Monday, January 9, 2012
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
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
Friday, December 2, 2011
It's Begining to Look a lot like Christmas
Everything is coming up Christmas. I love it. Yesterday, I put up 4 trees in the house. I still have 2 more to go before that is done. This is the first year in about 10 years that I have been in the Christmas spirit to do all the decorating. But, Moonlight and Mistletoe, I am spirited this year.
I think it may be a two fold reason.
1. After years of hard work, Appleseed Farm is starting to come into it's own. In this economy starting and growing a small business has been frustrating, rewarding, loving every minute of it. But difficult to say the least. But it now has been worth it and we are starting to think of expanding. HOW COOL
2. The more important one to my heart, are my grandchildren. I have a grandson who is 5 and 2 granddaughter who are 4 (not twins). Of course there is Wyatt who is 11. It has been fun experiencing Christmas through those little eyes. Each light, each tree, each package brings sparkle to their eyes. That has been a hoot or ho ho ho. Sam loves to sing Jingle Bells whenever we are working on anything, doesn't even have to be related to Christmas. I'm hoping for a Christmas picture of all 4 of them soon.
Gotta go because it is beautiful here and I need to go trim in the blueberry fields. Hoping to blog a few more times before Christmas. If not, Merry Christmas. Hope to see you in church for candlelight service.
See ya on the farm
Charlotte
I think it may be a two fold reason.
1. After years of hard work, Appleseed Farm is starting to come into it's own. In this economy starting and growing a small business has been frustrating, rewarding, loving every minute of it. But difficult to say the least. But it now has been worth it and we are starting to think of expanding. HOW COOL
2. The more important one to my heart, are my grandchildren. I have a grandson who is 5 and 2 granddaughter who are 4 (not twins). Of course there is Wyatt who is 11. It has been fun experiencing Christmas through those little eyes. Each light, each tree, each package brings sparkle to their eyes. That has been a hoot or ho ho ho. Sam loves to sing Jingle Bells whenever we are working on anything, doesn't even have to be related to Christmas. I'm hoping for a Christmas picture of all 4 of them soon.
Gotta go because it is beautiful here and I need to go trim in the blueberry fields. Hoping to blog a few more times before Christmas. If not, Merry Christmas. Hope to see you in church for candlelight service.
See ya on the farm
Charlotte
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
What a spectacular fall
This has been a truly fantastic fall. The trees are just amazing. This time of year we are starting to wind down the gardens and get ready to put them to bed for the winter. We started this about a week ago. My brother-in-law has been helping out a little lately. He feels he is one with the weeds. He has been pulling lots and lots of weeds, spent plants and anything else that is left over in the raised beds and putting them in the compost pile.
He doesn't understand my love affair with my compost piles. You ought to hear him when I tell him that the tracter bucket full of debris is destined for the compost pile. If he stays around long enough he will find out where we farmers get our black gold.
Much of my time as of late has been working in the kitchen getting orders for our PourAPie ready and shipped to the various markets. I have also been making quite a bit of apple butter. I have been co-packing it for another greenhouse. But, I finally got outside to the garden and got the garlic planted for the winter. So far, I have planted strawberries, asparagus and now garlic. I am so excited, I have never had this much of a jump start on the spring before.
I have also started rosemary in the seedling room. Doesn't look like it though. Hope the package wasn't mismarked.
So now you know what I have been up too. Just the ususal. Tooling with the idea of milk goats for spring. Any ideas? Thinking of adding cheese to the line.
See ya on the farm
Charlotte
He doesn't understand my love affair with my compost piles. You ought to hear him when I tell him that the tracter bucket full of debris is destined for the compost pile. If he stays around long enough he will find out where we farmers get our black gold.
Much of my time as of late has been working in the kitchen getting orders for our PourAPie ready and shipped to the various markets. I have also been making quite a bit of apple butter. I have been co-packing it for another greenhouse. But, I finally got outside to the garden and got the garlic planted for the winter. So far, I have planted strawberries, asparagus and now garlic. I am so excited, I have never had this much of a jump start on the spring before.
I have also started rosemary in the seedling room. Doesn't look like it though. Hope the package wasn't mismarked.
So now you know what I have been up too. Just the ususal. Tooling with the idea of milk goats for spring. Any ideas? Thinking of adding cheese to the line.
See ya on the farm
Charlotte
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Through others' eyes
A few weeks ago, volunteers and a couple of employees, plus the Market Master from Down Town Terre Haute. It was a scheduled tour and a fun lunch of potluck. I couldn't wait.
I had such butterflies in my stomach for at least a week prior the tour. As I looked around the farm, all I could see was what needed to be done. The gardens were weedy, the barns needed cleaned, the blueberries needed watered, again, the pastures needed mowed again, the chicken coops needed cleaned. What was I thinking having people over when there were hours of work that needed done before we were "show ready". Well, they came anyway.
First words I heard, "Wow, this is beautiful". Breathe deep and relax. So let me walk you through the tour these kids got and we will look at it through their eyes. First up, the flower gardens as you come up the driveway are full of beautiful zinnias. I stand looking at the weeds, the girls took their pictures in front of the gardens because they were so "beautiful".
Next on the list, the barn. It is full of "crap" both figuratively and literally. The chicken coops need cleaned and the barn needs organized after the spring planting. (We grow our own plants from seeds, so there are pots and soil and everything else everywhere. Think of a toy room gone wild). They oohed and ahhed over the baby chickens that were in the nursery, learned a few things about growing your own plants from seeds so you know how the plants were grown.
Now, we walk out to the row crops. Here we have blueberries, Indian corn, okra and green beans. Did I mention the weeds? Lots and lots of weeds. In fact, I bet my husband (the planter who should not give up his day job) 5 bucks that the way he was planting would not be good. It would result in many weeds. I am now 5 bucks richer but hand pulling a LOT of weeds. The blueberries and green beans have been weeded and look good. We are providing water to these with drip hoses and overhead watering. The Indian corn is 70% loss but the okra, just keeps a comin.
Back up to the main production area for the market farm is my raised bed section. I have about thirty 50 square foot raised beds. Yes, these have some weeds in them but they are in high production. We raise eggplants, peppers, tomatoes in these beds this year. We also have had cabbages and bok choi for early gardens. Each year we add at least 5 beds to the area. We are hoping for a total of 75-100 beds. They are very easy to maintain.
The orchards are close by these beds. We have an old orchard with a mixture of apples, peaches, pears, cherries, apricots, and grapes. The new orchard is more of the same just younger in age. While they see a beautiful orchard that is producing great this year, I see the brown rust that has been the bane of my existance for the past 3 years on the peaches.
Moral to this story: If all you see if work at your farm, you have lost your passion for farming. Have a group of people who want to live just the way you are doing now and you will see it through different eyes. You will stil see the work but you will remember and realize that you are living the dream,
I had such butterflies in my stomach for at least a week prior the tour. As I looked around the farm, all I could see was what needed to be done. The gardens were weedy, the barns needed cleaned, the blueberries needed watered, again, the pastures needed mowed again, the chicken coops needed cleaned. What was I thinking having people over when there were hours of work that needed done before we were "show ready". Well, they came anyway.
First words I heard, "Wow, this is beautiful". Breathe deep and relax. So let me walk you through the tour these kids got and we will look at it through their eyes. First up, the flower gardens as you come up the driveway are full of beautiful zinnias. I stand looking at the weeds, the girls took their pictures in front of the gardens because they were so "beautiful".
Next on the list, the barn. It is full of "crap" both figuratively and literally. The chicken coops need cleaned and the barn needs organized after the spring planting. (We grow our own plants from seeds, so there are pots and soil and everything else everywhere. Think of a toy room gone wild). They oohed and ahhed over the baby chickens that were in the nursery, learned a few things about growing your own plants from seeds so you know how the plants were grown.
Now, we walk out to the row crops. Here we have blueberries, Indian corn, okra and green beans. Did I mention the weeds? Lots and lots of weeds. In fact, I bet my husband (the planter who should not give up his day job) 5 bucks that the way he was planting would not be good. It would result in many weeds. I am now 5 bucks richer but hand pulling a LOT of weeds. The blueberries and green beans have been weeded and look good. We are providing water to these with drip hoses and overhead watering. The Indian corn is 70% loss but the okra, just keeps a comin.
Back up to the main production area for the market farm is my raised bed section. I have about thirty 50 square foot raised beds. Yes, these have some weeds in them but they are in high production. We raise eggplants, peppers, tomatoes in these beds this year. We also have had cabbages and bok choi for early gardens. Each year we add at least 5 beds to the area. We are hoping for a total of 75-100 beds. They are very easy to maintain.
The orchards are close by these beds. We have an old orchard with a mixture of apples, peaches, pears, cherries, apricots, and grapes. The new orchard is more of the same just younger in age. While they see a beautiful orchard that is producing great this year, I see the brown rust that has been the bane of my existance for the past 3 years on the peaches.
Moral to this story: If all you see if work at your farm, you have lost your passion for farming. Have a group of people who want to live just the way you are doing now and you will see it through different eyes. You will stil see the work but you will remember and realize that you are living the dream,
Monday, June 27, 2011
Totally Disasterous Summer
This has been a totally terrible summer. We have had one wave of storms after another. While that in itself might not be such a problem, the fact that lightening struck the tree next to our house and set the house on fire was a HUGE problem for us. The fire itself was in the walls so it was difficult to find. The electricity from the lightening strike flew through the wiring in the house and took out almost all the things plugged into the outlets. This could have been fun to replace some older stuff with newer stuff but we have been systematically doing that for the past year. So we have had to replace everything with new. (Remember we just finished the kitchen into a handicapped accesible kitchen for me) Finally got all the estimates and were about ready to start the repairs on the roof, electrical and plumbing issues (we live in the country so we have an electric well pump) when the darn tree, yep the same one, fell on the house again. Came right through the garage and attic. Luckally only a couple big limbs fell because if the whole tree came down it could have smashed me and Robert sleeping in our bed. Now we have more roof and electrical repair.
As if it couldn't get any worse, I stuck my foot into my muck boots and quickly pulled out my right foot and I thought I had got stung by a bee. Not my luck, it was a spider. Bit me between the big and 2nd toe. Swelling and pain have been a close friend of mine for a few weeks now. I don't know if spiders can bite more than once but I am fixin to fill those boots up with water and wash the sucker out. Let this be a lesson to all - don't leave your boots outside no matter how bad they are.
See ya on the farm
Charlotte
As if it couldn't get any worse, I stuck my foot into my muck boots and quickly pulled out my right foot and I thought I had got stung by a bee. Not my luck, it was a spider. Bit me between the big and 2nd toe. Swelling and pain have been a close friend of mine for a few weeks now. I don't know if spiders can bite more than once but I am fixin to fill those boots up with water and wash the sucker out. Let this be a lesson to all - don't leave your boots outside no matter how bad they are.
See ya on the farm
Charlotte
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