making hay

A friend cut a small field he owns for us to bale up just before more rain comes tomorrow.

Not a lot of bales, but a good start to our second cut.  

around the farm

For years, I have been using my old lenses (many from the 70s) with an adaptor on my digital camera.  I found a great deal on a used digital lens that actually allows me to use more features on my camera.  No more ultra manual everything-ha!  I realize now how I could never get a good, crisp focus (despite those high quality lenses) because of that adaptor.  

Anyway--busy, hot days on the farm!  Missing this past weekend when we got to spend every day at our favorite swimming hole while some dear friends were up visiting.

always helping Papa

Tulip

tomatoes and melons

hand plows (...and stroller)

selling so much corn at the farmstand

the barn

Becky (everyone's favorite)

learning to pump

grapes

corn!

overgrown flowers- 

(I don't have the heart to pull the morning glories that keep taking over)

overgrown ferns

'volunteer' sunflowers

fermenting cukes (and the great view from my pantry)

What's going on around your farm, garden or homestead?

pears

Our pear trees are loaded with fruit this year.  One of the two has more fruit than we've ever seen on it.  They are an old variety (seckel pears, we've been told) and have a very brief window when they are ready to harvest before falling from the tree right into the boar's pen.  

He doesn't mind one bit, of course.  

I have canned up some pears in vanilla syrup.  And this year, I'm cutting some up and sticking them in our freezer to add to smoothies this winter...an experiment.  

They don't get really tender, just go from firm to mealy texture, so they are a bit like apples to eat fresh.  Crisp and crunchy and delicious on these hot summer days.

markets

We do two small farmers' markets during the week.  Despite being quite small, they have been great for us this year.  And we've lucked out with pretty decent weather.  I enjoy doing markets and getting to see our regular customers and visiting with other vendors (and dear friends).

We also attended a local history day/farmers' market in our nearby town.  I went to sell crafts with a friend, but ended up selling mostly tomatoes and maple syrup... in fact, we sold out of our syrup for the year!  The kids enjoyed being next to the events tent where they got to hear our local bluegrass society, and of course, enjoyed some fried dough with maple cream from another local farm.

around the farm

So much going on around the farm.

harvesting

greens for fall and cutting flowers

moving chickens

beets and corn

the new baby- "tulip"
milking cows

muddy friends

What's going on around your farm, garden or homestead?

catching up

We arrived home Wednesday evening, just in time to harvest for farmers' market.  

It's a bit surreal harvesting on our farmstead in Vermont in the evening, when just that morning you were traveling on public transit through Chicago with four little ones.

Yesterday, I was back to work at our co-op and last night I attended a party for our outgoing general manager.

Today, a friend came over to help me catch up on blueberry picking and weeding.  We welcomed a new little heifer to our farm, moved the chickens, cooked and baked...

Tonight, the kids were running and biking through the yard while I weeded my herb garden...I think we're getting back into the groove here.