Farmer's Market Update *Pics*


Jeramie

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So im running late on getting stuff in the ground thanks to Al Gore. If it really were getting hotter I would have lettuce, onions, cabbage, and a few other things in the ground...

Regardless, here is my update.

Here is the patch. Its just shy of 1-acre. If this takes off this year I am fencing another area about the same size and adding blackberry, rasberry, kiwi, and probably a few other things. I am also trying to buy 8 acres of bottom land directly behind me. If I can get that it will be 8 acres of sweet corn or other acreage crops.

The spot. I have since finished the fence. Its all bottom land. No rocks at all.

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Using the tiller. I bought a 6' commercial tiller. I am pushing it with a 45hp Massey. Works real well with this soil. Im trying to keep the work load to a min. This could turn into a monster if I let it. Therefore im buying what I can to simplify the job.

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Tilled Ground. Finished product. This is the first time this ground has been worked in 60+ years. It may have been far more than that. I just know the people who owned it before me never used it and they lived there that long. Im hooking up my drip irrigation to a hand dug well this is well over 100 years old. It has hand laid rocks supporting the walls. Really a neat deal.

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The plant starts. Here is 220 plant starts begging to be put into the ground. Its a mixture of Cucumbers, lettuce (various types), Cabbage (various types), and peppers (again various). I hoped spring was really here. The fish are running and the fescue is turning. However we have about 8" of snow on top of the spot right now. It was 75deg on Friday and all total we got over 12" of snow between Friday night and Sunday morning. A lot melted so we have standing water everywhere. I cant get anything in the ground and im afraid im going to miss out on early crops this year.

On the plus side I did order roughly 500 tomato plants! They will be ready to pickup at the end of April.

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You could be right Chris. I planted them according to date but havent been able to set them out to "harden." Its been far to wet and recently cold. The wind has been HORRIBLE too. I may end up buying plants if I get a chance to get them in before late planting.

If this works ill likely end up getting a small green house in the future and hopefully that will help with the starts.

As far as the tiller, they are the berries. I bought a 6' so I wouldnt have to offset the tiller and make two passes at the same row. Its roughly as wide as the back of my tractor so one pass gets the entire row! They are a life saver. I also have a walk behind, rear tine. There is no way I could have done a job this size with that thing....

Btw, thats a Hawkline. They sale for around $1,800 for the 6'. I picked up a Demo for $1400.

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You could be right Chris. I planted them according to date but havent been able to set them out to "harden." Its been far to wet and recently cold. The wind has been HORRIBLE too.

Yep, it's always a risky affair if you don't have a greenhouse. I've tried starting cucubrits early in the house, but they never do very good. I've always been better off just waiting, but it's so tough to wait. :D

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