Archive for March, 2006
March 31, 2006 – Jr. Beekeeper
Martin has shown a great affinity towards the bees and seems to understand and play out the different roles of the different kinds of bees in a hive. Grandma Jo wanted to make sure he was comfortable around the bees – here he is in his new beekeeper’s suit that arrived today.
I’m guessing he’ll ...Read more.
March 30, 2006 – Thingamajig Thursday #17
Here’s this week’s “Thingamajig Thursday” entry. Also check out last week’s answer.
As always, put your guess in a comment below.
Answer…
Waxed ends of logs in preparation for mushroom spawn.
March 29, 2006 – The Ultimate Pruning – A New View!
Today was the day two of the three old apple trees were cut down.
This is the view before the cutting.
After the cutting/Before the hauling.
This is the view after the cutting.
The apple trunks were cut into logs and ends sealed with wax to prepare for Shiitake mushroom spawn in a few weeks. The branches (all ...Read more.
March 28, 2006 – Off-Topic
Every day at High Hopes cannot be about the farm. Many news services have picked up on the story today of a Drake student who hung out in a Des Moines Wal-Mart for 41 hours without being detected over spring break.
I don’t think it’s THAT big of a story to warrant Letterman, Good Morning ...Read more.
March 27, 2006 – Destination Imagination
Today was a gloomy, brown, drizzly day. The kind of day to get inside work done. It was a good day to go watch Emma. This morning Emma’s Destination Imagination team competed in the State Finals at Grinnell College.
They have practiced for months after school and advanced from the regional competition in Ankeny while ...Read more.
March 26, 2006 – Goat-Proofing Barn
Ok, so “goat-proofing” may be too optimistic a term for what we did today, but it sure sounds hopeful! Every once in a while, the goats climb over the feed bunks in the barn and get in the main part of the barn. Today, we put up cattle panels above the bunks to ...Read more.
March 25, 2006 – Seeding the Universe With Chickens
Today we had a visit from the good people at Gracious Acres. They put up a brand new chicken coop in the past few days and were ready for some hens. Our hens have been outproducing our egg demand, so they came over to get a half dozen. That’s two more than we were seeded ...Read more.
March 24, 2006 – It’s Still Not Spring
As the snow s-l-o-w-l-y recedes with highs only in the upper 30’s, the garden springs to life in the basement.
A statice pokes its head out of the soil.
The wonderful starting stand we have was given to us by someone who was moving – it has some nice trays, fluorescent and incandescent lamps, and wheels. ...Read more.
March 23, 2006 – Thingamajig Thursday #16
Here’s this week’s “Thingamajig Thursday” entry. Also check out last week’s answer.
As always, put your guess in a comment below.
Answer…
This is part of the seed germination mat that is heated and we set the flats on – it really works fast.
March 22, 2006 – Barn Time
Today, a student from Iowa State came out to visit our barn. The class was doing a project and was looking at “Adaptive Reuse” of barns. She came out and asked some questions, took some pictures, and we lamented about the vanishing barns
Here is a collection of blog entries that show renovation in progress or ...Read more.
March 21, 2006 – Spring/Snow Arrives!
Last night was the 2nd biggest snowfall of the season, a measly 4 inches or so here. Even so, with a howling wind, it makes nice drifts Martin couldn’t wait to play in!
March 20, 2006 – Tree Cutting
This morning was a morning of efficient town trip. I ordered some mushroom spawn (shittake) and need some logs to inoculate with the spawn when it arrives. The three old apple trees near the driveway need to go away – they take so long to prune and only one produces decent apples. When ...Read more.
March 19, 2006 – Seed Starting
The last few days Linda and Martin started seeds in the basement – things like tomatoes, peppers, some cut flowers, and soybeans. Soybeans are for Martin. Last year after harvest we walked in the field adjacent to the farm and Martin picked up some seeds that the combine had missed. Unknown to ...Read more.
March 18, 2006 – Full Farm Press
This afternoon we engaged everybody in completing some tasks. Martin and Linda scrubbed the chicken waterers.
Claire and I destroyed the old composter, separated the composted from the uncomposted and put the new composter around the pile. Linda and Emma cleaned out chicken doo-doo from the hog barn.
Claire taking out the last of the rotted ...Read more.
