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35 turtles “rescued” after the annual 4th of July turtle races in a nearby town, being turned loose on the farm by my granddaughter. They were given explicit instructions to “ eat lots of bugs, but not too many strawberries”!
Here’s the pole beans I grow on the “bean tunnel” composed of arched 16 foot long cattle panels. It’s sure nice to just stand there and pick the beans!
78 “True Black Brandywine” tomatoes growing under an arbor that I often grow pole beans on to shade the tomatoes, and keep them from sun scalding on the fruit. You have to be careful that you don’t plant so many beans that they shade the tomatoes so much that it cuts production. I am trying it without planting the beans this year, although there are a few volunteers that have sprouted up here and there.
100 mum cuttings potted up for rooting and fall sale
Here are some of the tomatos growing in staked 5ft cages. As you can see they are already growing out of the top to almost 7ft tall.
Here are some "Super Sheperd" heirloom peppers growing in what the stores sell as tomato cages. They're lousy as tomato cages, but great for peppers, at least the big ones are. In the background are some "Indian Paint" heirloom tomato plants growing in five foot cages that I make from concret reinforcing wire.
New bridge over creek made with steel girders and rot proof locust lumber from nearby sawmill
This spring I put in 100 asparagus crowns here at the farm. For those who have never grown asparagus, you ought to. I've had some beds bear for over 25 years! This photo shows what is probably the best way to plant them. I dug a trench about 10 inches deep and 12 inches wide and put a continuous ribbon of organic fertilizer in the bottom of the trench....soft rock phosphate, greensand, dolomite lime (contains magnesium), and feather or alfalfa meal. Every 18 inches to 2 feet, I made a little half mound of soil about like a half grapefruit, and spread the octopus like roots all around and over the mound, with the crown at the top. Then, I pulled a couple of inches of soil over the crowns, and watered in. Later in the summer, I will keep pulling more soil back in against the plant as it grows, until the trench is finally filled in. From then on, I will keep the bed under permanent straw mulch to keep it weed free, because they will choke out and kill the asparagus. You'll enjoy decades of fresh asparagus every spring! Good luck.
blueberries under winter blanket of snow
Next day after 14" snow
Green garlic shoots, now dormant, poking through the fresh blanket of snow.
Putting several inches of compost over the beds, and several inches of fresh sawdust from the local sawmill on the pathways. House and shop in background.
A 3 gallon bucket full of beautiful red jalapenos , just picked, and ready to “light you up”!
A truckload of compost, partially unloaded, with a brief pause to pick some fresh peppers and tomatoes
A great dinner of lean burger, a huge pile of fresh veggies, and 2 steaks cooking over my outdoor wood cooker on custom made stainless steel tray for me and my friends. See the outdoor cooker book authored by myself, and for sale ( $9.00 ) at the power hour book mall.
level, horizontal trenches are being dug by a backhoe. They are stair stepping up the steep mountainside. The dirt is being put on the lower side of the newly dug trenches, the trench is filled with anything available………old rotten logs, branches, etc.
The newly dug trenches, filled with old rotten logs, etc, are then filled with two feet of half broken down shredded chips from the utility company. They are then ready to plant with blackberries, elderberries, etc.
My latest rock wall with built in stone bench and winding steps
Another stone planter made with 3' tall limestone boulders
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