tractor lessons

it's been an exciting month on the farm and off the farm. this month i've visited some family in the twin cities area (got a manicure and pedicure! wow did it feel good!), a bunch of my family came up to the farm, and just recently i've learned to drive the farm tractor!
the tractor lesson just happened yesterday and yes, it was quite the adventure. farmer dan had me plant some cover crops in two fields. cover crops are planted in fields that won't be used for vegetables and their job is to bind up the soil so it doesn't run off during rains or snow melts and to keep the weeds from growing. they look like green carpets. i did pretty well. i tend to go a little too fast or really really slow. at one point i popped a wheely twice with the tractor! talk about heart stopping! i had stopped to get instructions on the next field to plant. when i started up again the grain drill, the thing that was doing the actual planting of the seed, had dropped it's blades into the ground, which was unknown to me. i slowly let out the clutch and the tractor reared. instantly i put the clutch back in. i tried releasing the clutch a little slower and again the tractor reared but also started to move forward a little so i let out the clutch comletely and drove up the hill i was on. once i reached the top i turned off the tractor and turned, wide-eyed to farmer dan. he very calmly explained what had happened. i was impressed at his calmness. my heart was racing. i was sitting about 8ft off the ground in that beast!
after my heart slowed down a little i went back to work driving the tractor and planting the cover crops. there was a little damage to the grain drill but farmer dan didn't bat and eye and commented he could fix it. he didn't seem sorry that he had taught me to drive the tractor. in fact, i'm scheduled to do more tractor work in a few weeks! hopefully my tractor aerobatics are over. :)
by the way, the county fair was fun. i'm considering entering something next time it comes around!

so this is rain

Thursday, July 26, 2007

It’s raining! It’s been a long while since we’ve had a good rain. Today that changed. It was so hot and humid the past few days. Bad sleeping weather. The change in temperature is a amazing. It’s so cool now. I think I will take a nap soon. The past two days I’ve gotten off early due to the heat. Yesterday I went swimming in the St. Croix River. Oh man, did it feel good. I could swear I heard a sizzling sound as I entered the water.
So what do I do on a rainy day with my extra hours? Well, being the nerd that I am, I have a tendency to put my nose in a book. I found a German language textbook at a garage sale this summer. So I’ve started brushing up on my German! I also have checked out books from the library on home orchards and making cheese (two different books). Alexis, the other intern here, has a book on home made fermented foods, from saurkraut to yogurt to ginger beer! Oh, the ideas that are tumbling through my head.
So I definitely have a range of books to choose from. Being my father’s daughter I also have plenty of projects waiting for the inspiration/drive to strike me. There are a few belated birthday presents that need finishing. Though I may not be the most social this summer I am not lacking in things to do.
This week I’m planning on going to the county fair. I’m terribly excited. Like I said, I’m a nerd. But I’m embracing and enjoying my nerdiness!

Heat Waves and Zucchini

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Life at the farm is continuing its frantic pace. Farmer Dan often jokes that he sleeps in November. I’m beginning to believe him. Thankfully the lettuce is done and so he can sleep in to 4 am on harvest days! I, however, do not start until 7, although there have been times when a 6 am start has been necessary. We are harvesting on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and a little on Thursday morning just before the delivery van leaves.
Harvesting still amazes me. I am struck by the beauty of the vegetables we grow. There is one exception. Zucchini. I don’t think it’s that beautiful. Perhaps I once thought different. Now I do not care for it. What caused such a change of heart? I think it is the millions, perhaps, billions, of scrapes I get from harvesting zucchini and summer squash (a yellow version of zucchini). The plants have tiny spines that cut and poke and make washing legs and arms slightly painful. Stupid vegetable.
Today I harvested purple cabbage for the first time. It’s gorgeous. Even the scallions and leeks are beautiful with their green tops and white heads. Often during harvest days I have strains of songs from Veggie Tales going through my head. I pick cucumbers and laugh at the thought of dancing cucumbers. I pick the scallions and think of all the devious people they have played in all the Veggie Tale shows. Mostly though I hum the theme song. Then I laugh. The others around me shake their heads at this crazy girl with whom they are working.
It has gotten sultry hot here. I’m not sure how I’m going to sleep tonight. I have a cement floor and I’m tempted to sleep on it. The crickets have started singing, which is a welcome change from all the tree frogs calling at night. They have such a loud chirp that is nice when you’re sitting and enjoying the evening. It turns obnoxious when you want to sleep though.

long time, no blog

Well, it's been a while. I've been traveling a little on the weekends, and since that's usually when I update this page I've missed a few weeks. Then i wonder if anyone is really reading this. Oh well, I know there are a few of you out there. I was hoping my entries would be more exciting than they have turned out to be. But then again, life here isn't terribly exciting.
I am still enjoying myself. We've gotten rain last weekend and so we haven't irrigated for the last week. That was a nice break. We've sold two of our piglets, which was nice because they are getting huge. It's so funny that something that compact can weigh 100 lbs. The momma sow is the size of a german shepherd (not as tall) and weighs 350lbs! crazy! did i mention that pigs blow bubbles when they drink? well, they do. I laugh everytime and think of how I was scolded for blowing bubbles in my milk.
We have zuchinni coming out our ears. Those plants just don't stop. The pig pen is lined with over ripe zuchinni. I think the pigs are even getting sick of it. :) I must say though every week I'm struck by the beauty of the vegetables, not just the zuchinni. Harvesting is definitely my favorite thing to do. I love seeing all these things my hands have helped to grow. Vegetables really are beautiful! It's strange to think that I've been a part of planting almost everything on the farm. If my hands didn't actually plant them, I've still spent time watering them and weeding them. I've spent time in many fields crawling on my knees either weeding or harvesting. I've walked other fields multiple times. The tomatoes and I are old aquaintances and they aren't even ripe yet! Tomatoes are high maintainence!
I've visited a few other farms this past week. It was great to see other farms and how they are set up and to meet other people that are excited about small farming. It was very encouraging. A dairy was one of the farms I visited. It was very interesting. I got to feed the calves and I saw a calf that was born just a couple of hours before I got there! The rest of the time I just watched what was going on. I decided I don't want to have a dairy, but maybe one milking cow. That's a possibility. mmmh . . . anyway, with only spending an hour and a half in the dairy barn I smelled of cow and my clothes still smelled the next day. :)
Thanks for checking in with me and I hope I'll get better at updating this. :)