The Cherry Tree at the End of the Drive

Last summer this cherry table was a tree. We had to take the tree down to get our certificate of occupancy because it was blocking a safe view distance for getting out of the drive. We took the tree to Lathrop's in Bristal, to turn the tree into boards. Then we took the boards to Vermont Furniture in Salsbury to make it into a table. The table now sits in our entry way.

Water to the Garden

The garden is located over in the west field, hundreds of feet away from any water. But Don, the engineer, devised the beginning of an irrigation system, starting with laying tubing through the woods and across the field, and connecting it up with hoses and valves to the house outdoor faucet so that we now have running water at the garden. What a time saver and back saver. Soon we will have irrigation to all the rows, with valves to regulate each one. This is the best way to water efficiently and only where you need it.

Meet Tom, Tetrazzini, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Meatball, and Noodle Soup

Six little guys arrived today. I fear naming them since, #1 I may get attached, and #2 There's a good chance they won't all survive. They are having a hard time figuring out the eating/drinking part of staying alive and need lots of coaxing. I really think they need their mama. But, hopefully they will all make it till the holidays.

Here's the Dirt

Just in time for planting....Don gets

a spot tilled up for the garden. The soil looks perfect in structure....crumbly but moist. With a little lime added, it should be perfect.

Meet Melanie, Lucille, Harriet, Velma, Beverly, Bertie, Becky, Elsie, Audrey and Sally

Not sure who's who, but here they are, sure to make their namesake proud. Wanna bet the pecking order that will develop?

Pick Your Own

Want some fresh dandelion greens? We've got lots. They're organic, and they're delicious.

Please release me...

The tree experts call it 'releasing' when you try to reclaim old, overgrown apple trees. We have at least a dozen old, fruit bearing apple trees that we are starting to release. I've pruned out old wood, overlapping branches and other tree growth that is interferring with the apple tree getting adequate light. It will take several years to get them back, doing a little bit more each year. We don't want to shock them by doing it all at once!

We Got Our Tests Back

Seven different soil samples were sent in to the UVM soil lab to test for nutrients and pH, and to see what condition are soils is in. I had to take 10 samples from each 7 areas, composite them and measure out a cup to send in. Turns out almost all samples have a very low pH, so I think we'll be applying lots of lime. The test results will help us to decide what to plant where on the property, and how to amend the soil to make it fertile.

Migrant Workers

Our bees are being prepped to go over to Adams Apple Orchards to join the other migrant workers doing some seasonal pollination. Don and Scott opened the hives to check and see if they all had their green cards. They were all abuzz in the hive!

We're Expecting!

Baby chicks that is....

Flower Farm

The exact same day that Maurine picked out 2000 bulbs for her planned Flower CSA, she got a message from an old colleague asking if she's be interested in applying for a position in an advertising firm in NYC. Which she did, and which she got. So, now here I am, it's spring, some days, and those 2000 bulbs are starting to come up. And they are beautiful.

I may just have to take on a little flower business myself until Mo returns from the city to be a country girl again, and open her flower shop.

Vacuuming Sap

At one o'clock this afternoon, Don turned the switch on the new vacuum pump/tubing system for collecting sap. And it worked! and tonight he's already transferring over a hundred gallons out of the collection tank and onto the truck for delivery to the boiling house. I won't miss the back breaking work of trudging through heavy snow with buckets full of sap hanging from my arms. But we still do have 50 buckets hung on the west side of the house where the vacuum system couldn't reach, so there will still be some old fashioned work to be done.

Shed Progress

It was a late Sunday of work...but the shed got finished. Almost. It does still need a few finishing bits, like paint, roof shingles, and a hole on the street side for running the sap tube out to the collection tank on the truck or tractor.

Sap Pump Gets a Shed

No sap pump ever had it so good....a shed of it's own with it's own private power supply. Today Pat Reed and Don assembled the shed that Don had pre-fabbed in the barn. Tomorrow some trees will begin to be tapped and attached to the tubing collections system. Nick of time!

Tying up Tubing

Less buckets + more tubing = more sap = more syrup. So, Sherman Hollow Organic Farm is replacing some of its traditional taps and maple sap buckets with tubing and vacuum pumps. Research has shown a more consistent and higher output of sap if it's done that way. One things for sure, it's not as pretty in the woods. The up side...less work to empty sap buckets and more syrup. Less work and more syrup???? sounds like a good deal.