tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77462354755749301102012-02-16T12:41:59.119-05:00A tiny farm in Greenfield, NY.Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.comBlogger1551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-41680992117610637932011-10-21T21:45:00.001-04:002011-10-21T22:54:46.704-04:00

Somewhere between summer and fall our lives got plenty busy to keep me from wanting to write. I don't think of this blog at all anymore, now that I am not farming full time. I think of it more as an expression of the unimportant highlights of my life, which are mostly useless to everyone else now that I am not growing food for others. I do miss that role immensely, but my free time now is worth

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-5433634862126039152011-07-21T08:24:00.000-04:002011-07-21T08:24:29.927-04:00

I always thought this date seemed magical.... 7/21/77. I am 34 today. That is not so young and not so old. I am sure that I was aware when I was a child that I would grow up to be a woman, but it was only just a few years ago that I hated being called "Mam" or "Miss". I was a girl. Or rather just called "Girl" for a long time. Today is forecasted to be hot, in the high 90's with high humidity. It

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-16967922236307083042011-07-11T15:46:00.001-04:002011-07-11T16:00:46.313-04:00

Funny how when I stare at photos of the farm covered in snow, I can hardly imagine it was ever that cold. Today is 90 plus and humid and I am getting ready for a monster weeding project. I have been out and about, flitting around with some newly discovered free time, reading and knitting and swimming, and even going out for a brief jaunt on the Long Trail last week. I am truly blessed to have a

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-85914656792913425752011-06-08T16:19:00.000-04:002011-06-08T16:19:59.977-04:00

The heat wave of the past couple weeks has come as a shock to my body and my plants, which were accustomed to 2 months of rain almost every day. Everything is lush and green and now drying out very quickly. It was a great spring to establish trees and blueberries, since we didn't have to water yet! But it reminds me a bit of last season. We have had really hot weather really early. It is not even

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-7452404930601420602011-05-24T15:35:00.000-04:002011-05-24T15:35:48.244-04:00

So, now that I have time to notice the natural state of things around me in this world instead of fighting this state, I observe that during times with as much rain as we have had, everything wants to grow into a lush and tangled mat of green to cover up any bare spots I have attempted to keep bare. This solves many problems about what "I" am supposed to do with these scars on the land. The land

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-82436051286488014322011-05-17T15:46:00.000-04:002011-05-17T15:46:05.274-04:00

It was with great pride and a certain amount of joy that I strolled into the preschool today with 24 colorful eggs to begin the 21 day hatching process in the classroom. Pierre has another chance to father some chicks, which will come back to the farm and then be shared with my friends at Mayhem Hollow Farm. We showed the children the incubator, the eggs and told them about the process. We had

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-87813999742097966852011-05-13T16:34:00.001-04:002011-06-08T16:00:46.163-04:00

So, the hops tee pee of old has been well used for 3 seasons, but being made of trees, had degraded and began to rot. We went through a planning and invention phase with Chris and my dad present and decided an upgrade was needed. We have been drinking our own homebrew for a couple years now and we have a couple new kinds of hops we would like to incorporate into the new tee pee. The old tee pee

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-54601137266640667282011-05-01T16:46:00.001-04:002011-05-01T16:49:19.028-04:00

I am remembering a quote etched into my mind by a man named Frederick Frank. "Perhaps the poison must reach saturation point for the spirit to take wing?" At this point, the soil at Wing Road Farm is officially wetter than I have ever seen it. I can feel it rejecting more. I see standing water and sloshy grass. Even on a bright sunny day like today the ground cannot take any more. The water

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-56114338720325436502011-04-20T22:33:00.001-04:002011-04-20T22:36:19.348-04:00

It is hard to stop looking at the lovely wall. The boys worked ALL day on their knees in a pile of rocks last weekend to complete it. The mantle is not attached yet, but it is balancing perfectly on top. The work was long and hard and I was a horrible hostess to our friend Jimmy. All he ate was cupcakes and green tea and a few hardboiled eggs. I was out and about trying not to be in their way.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-42640283368936645762011-04-17T21:32:00.000-04:002011-04-17T21:32:45.037-04:00

Just spreading the word to any locals interested in agriculture, viticulture and other fine pursuits that the folks at Kayaderosseras Vineyard in Greenfield on Grange Road will be planting 500 vines on Saturday, April 30th between 9 AM and 4 PM. Free lunch and big bonfire that evening for those interested in making a day of it. For those of you who might be interested in small-scale wine

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-67716052224191628252011-04-16T10:38:00.002-04:002011-04-17T21:28:33.245-04:00

I am seeding arugula, asian greens, cilantro and carrots today. I have cut back the woody perennials- anise hyssop, korean mint, chocolate mint, mountain mint, spearmint, russian tarragon, melissa, oregano, sage. There are little tufts of living amongst the dead. The lawn is greening up with the help of the scratching chickens. We are about to move them to their outdoor pen to prevent them from

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-2438398954905421922011-04-12T15:31:00.000-04:002011-04-12T15:31:14.338-04:00

Snowdrops and peepers and bluebirds mean time to start seeding. The chorus of spring peepers in our little holler has been deafening the past few nights. They sing me to sleep. I have decided to list the things that I am seeding now to help gardeners or anyone interested in getting their garden going in a timely way. Outdoor Direct Seeding: Peas can go right in the ground, as well as arugula,

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-23073584399166608932011-04-04T16:16:00.001-04:002011-04-04T16:19:01.093-04:00

I have been enjoying making various flavors and colors of soap since my soap making workshop this winter. With just a few pure ingredients, I feel good about using this soap instead of body products with long and hard to pronounce names. My shampoo making experiment did not go as well as the soap and left my long locks greasy and slimy, so I am still looking for a good recipe for shampoo. I have

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-72206695242626599692011-03-28T15:45:00.001-04:002011-03-28T15:48:55.384-04:00

Kathe Kollwitz My day is now filled with squealing and tears and the occasional tantrum. I get up early to tend to my farm chores and quickly decide if the day will be warm enough to remove the cover over my seedstarting area, I scoop up about 20 chicken eggs and 4 duck eggs, let Stella run around, hurry her back inside, change out of my overalls and into somewhat casual teacher clothes and bust

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-26677197516378043962011-03-21T17:39:00.001-04:002011-03-22T20:07:00.879-04:00

Sump pump kicking on every 5-10 minutes for the past few days. I just lie in bed hoping to keep hearing it, which of course keeps me up. For all of you enjoying 3 inches of wet snow on the first day of spring, I just want you to know that we shall see dirt again! I hope everyone with a flooded basement is making it through. I delivered 5 carepackages of eggs, spinach and hard cider to 5

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-73160790629937609712011-03-17T23:01:00.001-04:002011-03-17T23:13:39.086-04:00

Can it be true? Did we actually manage to get something right this week? Both vehicles are dying, the dishwasher broke, I started a new job with 15 4 year olds buzzing around me, the bills are piling up, the bathroom ceiling began dripping furiously and we are STILL trying to expel the ghosts from the closets here but YES, sweet sweet victory is finally ours for the night. After evaporating for

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-70131421272597984962011-03-15T17:45:00.001-04:002011-03-17T22:27:58.137-04:00

After collecting 40 gallons of maple sap over the past couple weeks and storing it in a rubbermaid garbage pail inside an igloo, we were ready to try a couple ideas for boiling. I am familiar with long days and even longer nights waiting for the sap to evaporate. Many a kitchen wall has been left sticky by homesteaders trying their hand at maple syrup. The early season this year started off very

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-9271741545157109022011-03-04T11:54:00.001-05:002011-03-04T11:59:51.446-05:00

This is how I feel about GMO alfalfa. This is also how I feel in general. Kathe Kollwitz has always been a favorite visionary of mine. Her etchings and drawings are amazing. She focuses on the issues of poverty, class, and war and especially show the effect of hardship on women and children. They are dark and try to empower the tired, hungry, wortorn masses. You should check her out and check out

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-82688331158112884642011-02-28T15:09:00.002-05:002011-03-01T22:13:11.296-05:00

So I am applying to graduate school at the College of St. Rose. This is the only local college to offer a Masters in Science in Early Childhood. Pieces of the puzzle are starting to march into order, but as always with life, it seems sometimes random and vague. I wrote a statement of purpose today in about 10 minutes. It sounds like an idealistic English major wrote it, but damn, that is really

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-68803765439874408352011-02-21T17:29:00.000-05:002011-02-21T17:29:22.302-05:00

So I've pushed on through the hedge between one part of my life and the next and it wasn't actually that hard. I realize that I am looking forward to planting more than I have in a while. I am creating a little wishlist of seeds and plants to get our homestead to the next level. We've been avoiding planting perennials until we bought the farm, so this will be the year for: 20 blueberry bushes, 50

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-79121582595515453412011-02-10T14:07:00.000-05:002011-02-10T14:07:04.649-05:00

Chris and I have been diligently shoveling roofs and chiseling away at our ice dams. We had almost 4 feet of compressed snow on all roof pitches with NO sliding until this week. We were scared out of our wits and bolted upright in bed to hear one of our major roof pitches (still made of slate) slide into the silent night. It rumbled the house. I heard forks resting on dishes downstairs tinkling

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-83265929790295526132011-02-05T17:40:00.001-05:002011-02-05T17:56:21.072-05:00

It is so hard to get through the long winter in the northeast without resorting to some familiar friends.... Mi-Del Ginger Snaps, Bearitos, Nature Valley granola bars, Kashi Cereal. Spring, summer and fall I find it easier to be sure that what I grow and buy at a farmer's market is purely local and will fill the pockets of my brethren. For those of us who think we are eating well by buying

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-63520448233635809902011-02-04T12:32:00.000-05:002011-02-04T12:32:37.930-05:00

If I am going to go out with my faithful friend Stella, we needed to do something about her paws. Some say to spray Pam, but we got her some Granite Gear Booties instead. They fall off and are hard to hunt for in the snow, being now about 3 feet deep in places here, but they do seem to work at keeping her more comfortable for longer out there in the white stuff.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-38688566947824238892011-01-31T12:11:00.000-05:002011-01-31T12:11:13.069-05:00

My first lesson did not go very well. I was sick with a cold and I was clumsy and didn't know any terms or definitions and had never seen a how-to on drawing back or the sheep's gate or a drop spindle. I have really only seen a few ladies at farmer's markets or fairs spinning and it looked SO easy. I practiced treadling and I then grabbed one of my little hand carded rolags and started to try to

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-24844069126974940642011-01-25T10:38:00.004-05:002011-01-25T10:51:42.471-05:00

http://thegreenhorns.wordpress.com/ AND/OR http://www.ifc.com/portlandia/ Check out these two websites. The first is a group of young hipsters touring the country to try to help persuade young people that it is cool to become farmers again (which I have found to be sort of misleading in a way unless you are quite rich.) The second is a show now airing making fun of the way socially and

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-57173831200694160052011-01-24T11:32:00.000-05:002011-01-24T11:32:58.938-05:00

Dawn on the farm. There is a definite stillness on the farm. We woke up at dawn with the furnaces blazing and the woodstove going and turned on the electric heater in the kitchen. This is pipe bursting weather and I know we want to prevent that, even if it means turning up the thermostat to 62 for once! When we woke up it was -18 degrees F. We quickly boiled water in the kettle for the

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-91073779976618366552011-01-19T11:10:00.000-05:002011-01-19T11:10:53.085-05:00

Some women like diamonds. Others like silver or gold or cashmere. I dream of a powerful rear-tined tiller that can make perfect seed beds and chop up cover-crops. Strange. How did I end up perusing Craigslist for chickens and ducks and chisel plows and used greenhouse heaters? How did I end up with more seed catalogs than clothing catalogs? How is it that I measure my strength in buckets of

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-42427919867119812702011-01-16T09:29:00.000-05:002011-01-16T09:29:47.795-05:00

For those of you interested in my first little backcountry snowboarding expedition, yes, I went up Spruce Mt. alone with my snowboard boots strapped to my snowshoes carrying my board in a backpack. It took an hour to climb up and then about 20 minutes to get down, but that was because I got a bit turned around. There is a crazy system of groomed snowmobile trails up there that I was stuck on.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-6718923199874289632011-01-12T10:47:00.000-05:002011-01-12T10:47:56.656-05:00

Not too many people look forward to snow. I know that if there is a lot of snow, it can be stressful and dangerous to some. For all the people out there who fear it, I do apologize for being so joyful about it. I really need to get out and it is all the excuse I need. I went for a nice walk in the back woods yesterday and broke a sweat. The last storm was a good base, but today offers possibility

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-77838299981852280542011-01-07T16:04:00.000-05:002011-01-07T16:04:06.512-05:00

Goodness gracious why is the smoke alarm talking to us? We woke up to obvious electrical distress, our first as homeowners. It was a cold and snowy morning and we had no power or water, or rather, we were in a brown out with diminished power, bad for motors and things taking 240. Our house electrician went to work and decided it had nothing to do with us. Seeing the National Grid truck wander

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-48693221700959274172011-01-05T09:13:00.000-05:002011-01-05T09:13:06.251-05:00

It feels pretty strange, yet sort of noble in a Radical Homemaker kind of way that I am here at the farm alone while my housemates are all out earning their pennies. I keep the fire going, manage the chaos, clean up after the gang, and promise to make a mean dinner when they all return. My freetime is spent doing homesteady things- making soap, learning how to spin, knitting, making a plan for

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-8825481410570437112010-12-28T13:32:00.000-05:002010-12-28T13:32:36.306-05:00

After a lovely holiday in Cornwall, Chris and I made our way back to the airport and landed ourselves in Brussels, Belgium right during Snowmageddon in New York. They put us on our flight to Newark and we were about to set off, even though Newark was closed. Instead of taking off, they asked us to get off the plane, as the flight was cancelled. Now we are pretty much trying to make the most of it

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-77269209977701300062010-12-16T13:53:00.001-05:002010-12-16T14:01:43.161-05:00

Heading across the Atlantic tomorrow to Cornwall for Christmas. Chris has been given the ok by his doctors and is feeling much much better now. Thanks to everyone cheering him on. We will be gone only 10 days, but that is 10 days of quaint farm life I will miss in exchange for 10 days of VERY quaint English countryside.  The weather is not looking so great, so we may get stranded in Brussels or

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-77602057980241966752010-12-12T15:26:00.000-05:002010-12-12T15:26:59.556-05:00

We wake up to ice pellets coating everything outside. This means it is an inside Sunday. Coffee. I bottle the last of the late honey, always messy. Cinnamon raisin toast. Chris works on his home improvement project- building a stone wall behind the woodstove. David disarms an electrical outlet in the way of the project. I felt a potholder I knitted. I box up all the holiday gifts I have yet to

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-77044451498536987632010-12-09T10:44:00.000-05:002010-12-09T10:44:58.757-05:00

Come on. We have NO snow from the large storm system that passed through New England, yet have to deal with a low of 2 in early December? Wow. The chickens water fountain heater is all plugged in. I harvested a few pounds of spinach and covered it back up with row cover. I have stacked wood on the porch, but despite the woodstove, the furnace keeps kicking on this morning. The whole farm looked

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-33266110626261323102010-12-07T12:05:00.000-05:002010-12-07T12:05:14.488-05:00

It's official. The 2009 batches of hot sauce have officially been bottled. Aged in my refrigerator for a year, they have mellowed and blended themselves together. I added a bit more vinegar and used my hand blender to smooth them out a bit, as the texture was a bit chunky for some of them. This year's flavors are: Wing Road Sting Original, Habanero, Green Dragon, Green Gladness and Purple Nurple.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-42105865971815316272010-11-28T14:03:00.000-05:002010-11-28T14:03:21.350-05:00

For me, my turkey is holy. A beast to be respected and admired. Considering the wild turkey was hunted to the point of being endangered and then brought back from the brink, I just think that it is so lovely to see the large flocks of wild turkey ranging about around the farm. My dad and I went out for a little hunt, but in the end, he only shot a rock. I was in the woods trying to flush the

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-34213193651275160342010-11-17T09:06:00.000-05:002010-11-17T09:06:56.892-05:00

Pleasant, but cold. Summit of Armstrong We decide to descend off the ridge in the col between Gothics and Armstrong Terrain- rock and ice covered in snow- yikes! Chris carrying Stella up a ladder. Back down below snow-line on our way out in the morning. It is possibly true that people who grow up hiking in the Adirondacks can hike pretty much anywhere. You never know what to expect, there is

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-56584095728906810562010-11-09T17:59:00.005-05:002010-12-07T12:22:45.003-05:00

The first snow thudded to the earth yesterday while I continued on my hunt for the history of this farm. It is not an easy thing to find, mind you, as no one thought the corner post, the limestone, or the hemlock sapling they used as property boundaries were going to ever fall down, erode or grow up. I am somehow able to read the legalese and the cursive, being the romantic english major I am.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-19403327332887281982010-11-07T10:02:00.001-05:002010-11-07T10:06:35.752-05:00

I have been anxiously waiting to take my first class at the new Adirondack Folk School in Lake Luzerne. My friend Chris Eberhardt of Joy of the Journey farm down the road is teaching a half-day soap making class there today. I am attending with my mom and friend Jess. I know, I know, soap is cheap and easy to procure at the Quick and Dirty (supermarket) but it is also absolutely curious that I

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-5586944589050180162010-10-29T09:15:00.000-04:002010-10-29T09:15:31.992-04:00

I am sad to say that Chris' beautiful 8 frame hive was left on the front porch too long without bees to protect it. Yesterday I was preparing for the final CSA when I went onto that rarely visited porch to grab the air conditioner we borrowed from a friend. I looked down at the hive and saw a pile a black dusty looking frass near the entrance. Crap! I brought it out onto the front lawn to inspect

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-3790642633642705952010-10-26T14:29:00.000-04:002010-10-26T14:29:56.533-04:00

This is week 20 out of 20 for the CSA and 25/25 for the market. What a feeling of bliss. It is harder and harder to get myself outside on the frosty mornings to dig in that dirt, I tell you. The garlic is cleaned, sorted and planted and the crops are mostly gone. The beets, leeks, celeriac and brussels sprouts are very small, I assume from lack of irrigation and poor nitrogen levels. Still,

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-72029095394869017832010-10-16T14:35:00.000-04:002010-10-16T14:35:44.783-04:00

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-70042125727224375212010-10-16T13:35:00.002-04:002010-10-16T13:43:55.123-04:00

The potluck was great fun. We ate delicious food, I got to catch up with all the people in my life, we carved pumpkins and stood in the frosty darkness around a big fire until we were cold. I played with all the children, as I usually do. Lots of great people in one place, that's for sure. I had yummy leftovers to eat for a week, that is a bonus! I felt really proud of my hard work and the work

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-27642562915427150812010-10-08T07:46:00.001-04:002010-10-08T07:49:41.946-04:00

There is a feeling inside a farmer or gardener every year about this time. The race is on. Can the sun ripen a few more peppers and tomatoes and eggplant before the ice comes to burst the cells within these summer fruits? The hardiness of all nightshades stops at 32 degrees. It is a magic number. Watch basil fall at 35, but the nightshades cling on. The prediction is for 31 on Saturday night

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-90587597168911044382010-10-04T16:11:00.001-04:002010-10-04T16:12:24.333-04:00

The tomato resin that coats a tomato picker's hands and arms and makes my eyelids itch has a name and a purpose other than soiling every towel in the house! http://www.growingformarket.com/articles/green-powder-on-tomato-plants

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-19570242899726182602010-10-01T17:40:00.001-04:002010-10-01T17:43:42.827-04:00

I am able to finally say I slept like a baby while 4 inches of rain fell on the farm last night. The buckets, wheelbarrows, duck ponds and rain barrels overfloweth. The dry and parched soil finally got a soaking. The well is silently recharging, all the veins and aquifers that feed it flushing themselves clean again. We needed this rain all summer. I waited. It is nice to wait for something so

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-28471916979457801772010-09-19T13:00:00.002-04:002010-09-19T13:30:58.801-04:00

Our trail was a trail of tears you could say, set to a soundtrack of oldies. Here is the story- We got on the trail late on Saturday because Tbird forgot to wake up. That put us behind in our plans, so the first day was sunny and only 6 miles, with Stella and Max both doing great. We camped behind a giant boulder and heard moose footsteps in the night. The second day was cloudy and then rainy.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-23340211839656791852010-09-10T21:46:00.000-04:002010-09-10T21:46:58.323-04:00

Leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for the dusty trail. I am mostly packed. I harvested most of the tomatoes. I built a fence around my fall crops. I seeded 6 more flats of lettuce and 6 more flats of spinach. I picked tomatoes for 3 hours with Roz and Gordon of Team Skiddie. I tidied up and packed my pack. The night is clear and the stars are bright. Stella is sleeping soundly and won't

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-16794087803093073962010-09-03T23:22:00.003-04:002010-09-04T08:28:44.912-04:00

Stella, ready for a long walk. It is a nice feeling to pack a pack. I have done it more than a couple thousand times. I estimate my hands and arms almost do it without looking. I know how to feel for lumps and dead air and bulges. I like the feeling of knowing I am going somewhere where I only move forward, not knowing what is beyond each rise or corner. Hopefully we will have a lovely week on

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-28920611881620131992010-08-28T08:48:00.002-04:002010-09-03T22:48:05.819-04:00

I don't prepare meat but twice or three times per year. Once for a summer treat and once for thanksgiving. I have no idea what cuts of meat are best, how to best cook them or how not to. Good thing Chris, the vegetarian, invited his colleagues over for a barbeque. So off I go on my bike down to the Farmer's Market to ask for some help. I am looking for a pound of sirloin to slice thin and

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-74625793940375405352010-08-18T21:58:00.000-04:002010-08-18T21:58:47.316-04:00

Proud to say I felt proud today to stand behind my colorful vegetables and have a record day. It is eat or be eaten in this big market where I am just a small fish. My tomato situation is: sell or rot. I'm pleasantly surprised that I have done well and my efforts since March have not gone unnoticed. A customer even told me my stand looked like art.... which is sort of how I see it. I am going to

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-64257080142274571882010-08-16T19:10:00.002-04:002011-06-08T16:03:12.258-04:00

  The week has flown by with lots of interesting experiences and my personal wrangling record of 6 roosters and 1 pig. I have also killed, by fly swatter, perhaps 300 flies. It's a long story, like all of my stories, but I feel if I don't tell it, I will forget. Got some free manure from Glen of Muck Movers. In the same period, we began knocking down the shed and we experienced a very strong

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-63822552331184416872010-08-10T22:02:00.000-04:002010-08-10T22:02:08.870-04:00

I am posting this little lesson on my market stand tomorrow in hopes that my ugly, huge, blemished and delicious heirloom tomatoes will be accepted and loved. Many of the varieties of veg I grow are heirlooms. Most people gawk and ask me why my carrots are purple, why my beans are purple, why my peppers are purple, why my radishes are black.... and I don't exactly have time to give them the

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-24851839640370242252010-08-08T14:09:00.002-04:002010-08-16T18:10:18.544-04:00

She won't budge. We win. Cleansing the area with a little bit of fire. It is hard to believe that a building that stood at least 100 years would be so hard to take down. It is a true testament to square nails and post and beam construction. We rented a dumpster from our friend Jimmy and started working early in the AM with my mom and dad showing up a bit later. We first removed the old painted

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-81087332153746187352010-08-05T07:40:00.001-04:002010-08-05T07:41:56.668-04:00

Front page photo of me in the Life and Arts section of the Schenectady Gazette yesterday, Wednesday, August 4th. The article was about lettuce and the reporter asked me to pose naturally with a basket of greens at the Saratoga Farmer's Market last week. It was a nice way to wake up in the morning to see my own smiling face linked to lettuce. Since I plant anywhere from 400 to 600 lettuce plants a

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-82121453992478929342010-08-03T08:11:00.001-04:002010-08-03T08:14:39.804-04:00

Apparently, we have until the end of the month to remove or rebuild the old work shed at the edge of the woods and the same goes for the pedestal chimney in the kitchen. We don't have the money to rebuild the shed and the chimney will always be illegal to use, so it is moot. It looks like it will be demo day at the farm. Our insurance company, Nationwide, sent an inspector to the property and

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-1376303958398923512010-07-31T08:45:00.001-04:002010-07-31T08:50:19.168-04:00

The farm has a bit of a makeover in mind. It needs some old wood, wicker, some prints that have been laying around for years professionally framed, some new kitchen chairs, and a homemade farmhouse table. Since I was practically raised by gay antique dealers, I am in luck and have all the help a young girl on a tight budget could need. First we are looking to turn my dad's old barn door into our

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-74445089092711986962010-07-27T22:17:00.001-04:002010-07-27T22:17:54.992-04:00

So I jumped the gun. It is unknown exactly what was happening to kill my potatoes, since I burned them BUT my tomatoes have zonate leaf spot. See below. Severe defoliation, fruit rot, and premature abscission of fruit occurred in two commercial fields (38 acres) of processing tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in Southport, NY, in the summer of 1994. Yield reduction due to zonate leaf spot

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-12279197280392477952010-07-26T22:04:00.000-04:002010-07-26T22:04:57.385-04:00

So this morning we had a visitor from Cornell Coop Extension named Laura. She was quite knowledgeable and walked the fields, heard our story, and took our samples. She was definitely concerned about the tomato leaves that we first pruned. She took a whole garbage bag of prunings out of the 5 we laid to waste in the trash. She looked at the photos of the potato crop. She was doubtful it was blight

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-16978383841127841122010-07-26T08:11:00.001-04:002010-07-26T08:14:41.246-04:00

Really sad potato vine. Looks like white spores on the margins. Crap. Burn baby burn. Spraying copper hydroxide on the tomatoes. There is a sort of resilience in me from farming, but it is hard to isolate that from a hardening as well. It is hard to describe the feeling when you lose a crop. Or two. I feel embarrassment and a sense of failure, as well as a feeling of injustice, but I also

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-30431745813920180992010-07-25T08:02:00.001-04:002010-07-25T08:11:57.554-04:00

Mornings like this I go grabbing my book of poems by the great Sufi master Hafiz. Seems like every time I need to be spoken to or shaken, this book works. It is called The Gift and it is just that. This great gift of rain came on Friday to wet my parched crops. But on the rain as well and in the storms of the week were more phytopthera infestans spores as well. Or, maybe I have had it on the

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-66145803183045755592010-07-21T08:03:00.001-04:002010-07-21T08:06:06.536-04:00

Yes, folks. Today is my 33rd birthday. I am ready to harvest today, with my ragtag crew of women at my side. Today is a special day because 3 is my favorite number, so 33 is bound to be a glorious age. Here's a photo of me at 3 on my grandpa's farm. I've come a long way.  My birthday wish for today is to go to market and come home with an empty truck. I remember fondly my time at New Minglewood

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-48040863980307849062010-07-16T13:59:00.000-04:002010-07-16T13:59:38.155-04:00

I have spent most of today preparing the house for grandma and grandpa Harris from across the pond, as they say. The house is relatively clean, hot and humid, with cut flowers in every room and most of Stella's hair vacuumed right up with ease. We look forward to long visits from Chris' parents a few times per year, as now that they are to be grandparents and Chris is gainfully employed, we won't

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-9273408442610293972010-07-12T22:20:00.000-04:002010-07-12T22:20:11.422-04:00

When the farm gets this dry, there is nothing left to do but leave things alone. Too hot to plant, too hot to weed, too hot and dry to water during the day. Our pump is a bit loud for the evening hours, so I have been reluctant to turn it on, but all these forecasted thunderstorms have just blown right over us and left us with just a few sprinkles. The farm is parched. For the first time, I am

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-8223813739725502222010-07-09T08:12:00.000-04:002010-07-09T08:12:07.767-04:00

I have to admit, even though I am tough and can usually take the sun and heat like a camel, this week has me beat. Temps in the upper 90s for 6 days in a row now have left my loam fried. Our soil drains really well, but it also dries up quickly and I can't water crops that are about to be harvested with pond water as I don't want to make anyone sick. It seems most of the crops recover over night,

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-1304941929566265652010-07-05T11:22:00.000-04:002010-07-05T11:22:55.687-04:00

When it is too hot to work, I dream of fall and crisp, icy mornings. I know I have to work, but today is a national holiday. We plan to mow the lawn, pick black raspberries, locate the secret swimming hole we've been told of down the road, and maybe put the tiller on the tractor. Fall crops need to go in soon. Lots of room, once the garlic is harvested. It seems to be almost ready. I wait for

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-57801524952826791782010-07-01T08:12:00.000-04:002010-07-01T08:12:59.294-04:00

We slept in our house in our bed with our cat on our farm last night. It was pure joy. I had my best farmer's market ever in the history of my 3 years worth of markets and I stumbled into the nightshade garden to find these.... I have my 3rd CSA pick up today and I am swimming in vegetables. I have to think of ways to use all of these vegetables for woodfired pizza tonight. No

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-90237749166095825482010-06-30T06:45:00.000-04:002010-06-30T06:45:05.978-04:00

A cold front has moved in on the wind and the air is clean and crisp. I was wrapped up in my blankets trying to forget the mad world outside the boundaries of this farm. Here, I grow pink, red and black radishes just to see how they will look together in my hand. I hold food from the ground in those same hands that used to be a tiny speck of seed. And random people work for this goal without pay

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-80133268363838608172010-06-28T13:41:00.000-04:002010-06-28T13:41:59.608-04:00

It took Chris and his brother Matthew an hour to harvest all the zucchini this morning. I harvested my first cukes as well. Chris and Matt took turns banging my 7 foot rebar stakes in to support the tomatoes, now loaded with their first sets of fruit. I will spend the rest of the gray afternoon tying up and pruning. I think I've decided to spray my first round of copper. I will try to minimize

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-34099179321373049812010-06-26T13:09:00.002-04:002010-06-26T13:13:27.261-04:00

"The sun's gonna shine through my backdoor someday." After mulling it all over, Chris and I and our families are fully embracing our choice to stay on here. We will most likely close next Wednesday. We've put things into perspective and we've seen the sun through the back door. I've listened to the final movement of Copland's Appalachian Spring a hundred times in the past few days and I've calmed

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-20611741131082973262010-06-23T22:20:00.001-04:002010-06-23T22:27:38.014-04:00

After more negotiations on the contract with our landlord, more long chats with our parents, more late night pros and cons in the stuffy, hot bedroom, more concessions, more compromises, we've come up with a final, addendum-free contract. We have roughly a week to close to get our rebate. We are going to try this again. This time, without lawyers putting us in separate corners at each other's

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-9796522973791558772010-06-18T21:45:00.002-04:002010-06-18T21:45:39.935-04:00

It didn't happen. We are all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-14569203992296125632010-06-17T06:46:00.000-04:002010-06-17T06:46:33.502-04:00

There have been ravens at the farm the past few days, along with a red breasted grosbeak, warblers, hummingbirds, wrens, phoebes, starlings, thrushes, herons, finches, chickadees. The farm is alive with birds. Of all birds, ravens are significant for me. At many times in my life when I need a sign I am going in the right direction, ravens come to point me home. They are known to be an ominous

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-67248658647594962822010-06-10T23:27:00.002-04:002010-06-10T23:42:14.600-04:00

Ok, so for once this farm is looking pretty together. There have been 9 women on the farm the past couple weeks- Kaitlyn, Mom, Jess, Kim, Me, Jen, T-Bird, Nicole and Draco. Poor weeds, they have no chance! We've finished mulching and thousands of seedlings have been placed in the ground. Planting is almost coming to a manageable level again. Once I've filled up the 50 100' beds across the street,

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-36729578677985573052010-05-28T11:45:00.000-04:002010-05-28T11:45:49.761-04:00

We've been approved!!!!! Closing is perhaps a week away! Thanks to Adirondack Trust for giving a farmer a mortgage when no other bank would even speak with us! All the longing in my heart has turned to joy! Sweet cheeses, we are home!

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-3373364922657971782010-05-22T13:49:00.003-04:002010-05-22T16:12:10.383-04:00

I understand that nothing is in stone, so spring doesn't necessarily have to be wet, cool and mild, but this is ridiculous. April and May had many many dry days in the 80s, making establishing cool weather crops very difficult. Now, the question is, do I risk it with 8 days left in the month of May and plant all the nightshades and basil and tender crops? Last spring the last frost was May 28th,

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-27128727958275332482010-05-18T14:34:00.001-04:002010-05-18T14:37:56.637-04:00

Today was a momentous day on the farm. We have finally said goodbye to the two remaining male guinea hens that have been wreaking havoc in the flock for a couple months now. Their attitude toward the flock seemed to change from deep love and admiration to that of dominance. The reign of terror is over, with many plucked-out feathers left as a reminder. Basically, the boys have been frustrated.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-2166548211625315842010-05-11T21:01:00.000-04:002010-05-11T21:01:46.324-04:00

It is mid May. I know it seems like I am sort of on task right now according to the Master Plan, but I know better. I am waiting for the onslaught. There are nights that I am so dirty and stinky and tired that I literally crawl into bed and lie in twigs and dust and dirt and don't care. Tonight I had the pleasure of a shower and read a bit of a cookbook after dinner. What luxury! Basically, there

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-68775117691525140012010-05-02T12:28:00.001-04:002010-05-02T12:31:23.047-04:00

So much has happened in the past few weeks that the timeline is blurred. We anxiously prepared for our landlord's 60th birthday at the farm on May 1st, which would hopefully include a signed contract and a signed conservation easement on Wing Road Farm to preserve the farm in perpetuity with Saratoga PLAN. There were some complicated kinks in the contract to work through, adding to the stress of

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-62993083882359759152010-04-12T10:35:00.001-04:002010-04-12T10:47:40.738-04:00

Chris' parents were just visiting for 2 weeks, so I went underground into the world of hard work and menu planning. Plus I had my good friends Dave and Kate staying with us for a week or so to prepare for their PCT hike. Watching them walk out the door with their packs on was tough the other day. Pouch and I both burst into tears. We know what kind of beauty they will see. We miss that kind, even

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-9559324501326982912010-03-27T20:09:00.001-04:002010-04-12T10:38:55.827-04:00

I sit here in the warm living room, my dog Stella at my side restraining herself with all her might from sauntering over to the 3 brooders full of various poultry that have been born or arrived last night. Chris' parents Marlene and Roger are reading and we are amusing ourselves by attempting to keep the ducklings waterer full. We have 3 Welsh Harlequin Pekin crosses at 3-4 weeks guzzling it down

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-91632372307274736912010-03-22T11:06:00.002-04:002010-04-12T10:40:06.273-04:00

Again I attempt to do my own taxes, and again I go crawling to my accountant with my tail between my legs. I know it is not that complicated, but it is getting more and more complicated as I buy more equipment, and work on buying this farm. I bow down to the man in his button down and tie who sits at his desk and reads tax code for a living. Let me be good at planting and seeding and hoeing and

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-82543401422906692922010-03-18T08:46:00.002-04:002010-03-18T08:48:27.741-04:00

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-77020445591618751122010-03-14T15:38:00.001-04:002010-03-14T15:48:59.267-04:00

After one week of living solo here at the farm, I am missing my man. The bed is colder, so it is easier to rise but my morning coffee is never just right like the way he makes it. I feed the cat, turn the eggs, feed the dog, feed the fish, stoke the fire, feed and water the chickens, check my onion sprouts, stack some firewood for the day, watch Pierre and his ladies scratching outside. The

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-10385938729896933912010-03-08T21:37:00.001-05:002010-03-14T15:16:26.535-04:00

For 21 days Christopher will be in training at his new job. For 21 days I will be incubating our chicks. They are due to hatch when Marlene and Roger come for a visit. During that time, our friends Kate and Dave will be moving in for a week to prepare for their hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. We have 48 eggs in various states in the incubator. Who knows how many are viable? Should I candle?

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-78487358886801649522010-03-02T20:59:00.000-05:002010-03-02T20:59:07.032-05:00

Busy busy busy. Early to bed and early to rise. Chris has had his first 2 days at Global Foundries and is settling into his cubicle, getting up on the software he will be writing for and filling out forms. He booked travel for 3 weeks to Austin. Luckily, it coincides with the music festival South by Southwest, which will make the evenings fun. I have been bustling around the farm trying to tie up

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-89284097169099250802010-02-26T10:12:00.002-05:002010-03-03T10:23:32.242-05:00

After a lovely but tiring trip out west to see the other side of our dreams and visit with the volcanoes of our past, we are back home and mortgage shopping. We arrived in Portland, OR on Mardi Gras and were swooped up by our loving friend She-ra to visit our friend Trey at his food cart "The Swamp Shack" which features Creole food. We  hiked a bunch with him on the CDT and he is just a swell guy

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-54644137822167280322010-02-11T22:48:00.002-05:002010-03-03T10:18:59.998-05:00

Chris and I have been working on our first home improvement project. Though nothing is even in stone yet, I couldn't help but go forward with the vibe. We have tidied up the sturdy 4' wide rock wall buried by scrub, a red cedar, brambles, a choked spruce being maimed by Bittersweet, honeysuckle and a couple old mini-sheds. All went up in a giant ball of fire. The wall behind it is exquisite.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-76989244713449569262010-02-02T11:47:00.000-05:002010-02-02T11:47:10.701-05:00

I have always believed that it is better to have too many options than not enough. In my past, I have found decision making very difficult because of this, but I have always felt lucky. Today is a big day for us, the farm, our future, its future and I am trying to enjoy this moment to the fullest. We have finally gotten our big break. As Chris and I both found ourselves unemployed all winter,

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-88894388724973847552010-01-24T22:05:00.000-05:002010-01-24T22:05:59.867-05:00

Having attended my second NOFA-NY Conference this weekend, I am full of ideas and passion and vigor for farming again. The gathering was over 1,000 strong and sold out the Hilton Hotel in Saratoga. The meals were mostly donated items by farmers attending. I was able to donate 25 loaves of woodfired Ciabatta bread and 10# of spanish roja garlic in return for the conference. I love trading, as it

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-21481046262521003562010-01-13T23:20:00.002-05:002010-01-13T23:29:00.922-05:00

 I have been so crafty lately, even starting my own little Etsy shop www.aarenemo.etsy.com and actually selling my first hand made item. I have had a lot of time to myself to enjoy the day as I like. This comes at a price, however, so with some anxiety, but in general, I feel I have had time to learn things and do things that I enjoy but usually put off during the season. Etsy is new to me. I had

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-71026715642029913552010-01-07T21:04:00.001-05:002010-01-07T21:07:06.231-05:00

For some time now I have felt guilt every time I drink milk from the store, knowing that a dairy farmer's cows are mooing in the distance around the corner from the farm. So finally, after making a sort of resolution, I called up said farmer, Mr. Arnold, who has of late become an acquaintance, and I asked him how to get into his milk club. Similarly to a CSA, there are times when there is a lot

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-4229194224346576782009-12-31T19:47:00.002-05:002010-01-07T21:09:21.307-05:00

It is that time again to review the year behind me in hopes of moving forward into the next year with a clean slate. I have ritually done this in my journals since I was 10 and I am still just as pensive and unclear as ever. Today, I embrace this as being the lesson of this year: One does not need to know where one is headed to fully appreciate the learning opportunities of the now. It is New

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-3186982182121433012009-12-17T11:25:00.000-05:002009-12-17T11:25:06.866-05:00

I have knitted hats and neck warmers, sewn an apron, 2 vertical prayer flags with my own prayers and images on them, 2 rope flags, and I have made hand dipped beeswax candles for the first time last night with our friends J'Mae and Alan. There are little bottles of Wing Road Sting Hot Sauce, bottles of farmhouse ale, jars of pickles, homemade sponges, and a couple gag gifts for a Yankee swap too.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-13029478702727377232009-12-09T00:36:00.000-05:002009-12-09T00:36:58.953-05:00

After the holiday, we were invited to spend a weekend in Portland, ME with one of my oldest friends, TBird. I wondered if Stella could handle the 5 hour ride and worried about the coming cold weather and how the animals would be looked after. Leaving a farm is never an easy undertaking. We decided that it was time to move the chickens and ducks to Kokomo. That meant creating a wooden framed in

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-22213230201187044622009-11-25T17:53:00.001-05:002010-01-07T21:10:34.664-05:00

In case you are wondering, yes, it is intimidating to have now taken over Thanksgiving from my chef mother. It is not stressful or bothersome though, I love it. I love knowing that she doesn't have to worry about preparing for it all. Plus, our family used to be 22 people strong, and we are down to 13 tomorrow. I am fully confident in my abilities, after training under my calm and collected

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-88245087265712936282009-11-21T20:05:00.002-05:002010-01-07T21:11:35.624-05:00

Tonight I feel like the batch of Kombucha I have just set to brew... a little fermenty. I feel a bit old and tired, like I need a bit of sweetening. I don't know if Kombucha will cure cancer or prevent it, or if it is actually good for a body in any way, shape or form, but I feel like it is just another new thing I need to learn. It hasn't been studied enough to know exactly what it does to the

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-67955210909430716722009-11-14T22:30:00.003-05:002010-01-07T21:11:58.470-05:00

This is one of the things I read late at night when I am sadly, sort of lonely. www.coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com Enjoy Jenna and her writing and her hard work.

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7746235475574930110.post-66495749988543908832009-11-14T22:00:00.002-05:002009-11-21T20:26:01.041-05:00

The farm is now officially almost entirely clean,weeded, tidied and ready for winter. Ok, never ready for the heavy blanket of snow, the sleet and ice and frozen nostrils, but willing to dare it to come. The orchard signs are complete, though I still have a couple questions marks. I am confident the dahlias will have a nice new space next year in a cleaned out herbaceous border along the Green

Aarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05677616028263143840noreply@blogger.com0