Archive for the ‘Crops - All’ Category

March 23, 2009 – Rhubarb Emerges

Posted by highhopesgardens | Filed under Crops - All, Farm - All | Mar 23, 2009 | No Comments

One of the sure signs of spring is the emergence of the rhubarb.

Here’s a particularly stunning photo of the wrinkly rhubarb – the leaves look suspiciously like the egg from yesterday’s entry!
one year ago…”Happy Easter”

February 12, 2009 – Thingamajig Thursday #153

Posted by highhopesgardens | Filed under Crops - All, Thinga-ma-jig | Feb 12, 2009 | 1 Comment

Here’s this week’s thingamajig Thursday.
Also check out the last thingamajig answer.

As always, put your guess in a comment below.
Hold mouse over this sentence to pop-up answer.
one year ago…”Mystery Package”

September 27, 2008 – Harvest Table

Posted by highhopesgardens | Filed under Crops - All, Farm - All | Sep 27, 2008 | No Comments

A few weeks ago a school tour came and I neglected to show the “harvest table” that shows some of the goods and products harvested from our farm.

This table, set September 14, shows apples, onions, potatoes, raspberries, blackberries, garlic, tomatoes, beans, shiitake mushrooms, eggs, watermelon, lambskin, peppers, flower bouquet, and a bunch of canned goods.  ...Read more.

August 22, 2008 – Late August Garden

Posted by highhopesgardens | Filed under Crops - All, Crops - Vegetables, Farm - All | Aug 22, 2008 | No Comments

The harvest, preserving, and selling season is in full swing and it is time for weeding to fall by the wayside.

This is our best looking garden – one weeding professional Linda has managed to keep in check. It’s hard to make the switch from tending to harvest, as it is hard to let go and ...Read more.

August 16, 2008 – Moldy Hay

Posted by highhopesgardens | Filed under Crops - All | Aug 16, 2008 | No Comments

I’ve finally looked at the local Craigslist ads and I think it will be a dangerous thing for me!

Our first purchase was about 50 bales of moldy hay for fifty cents a bale.  A storm a few weeks ago ripped a roof off a hay shed and soaked the hay – it started molding, so ...Read more.

August 5, 2008 – More Garden Space

Posted by highhopesgardens | Filed under Crops - All, Farm - All | Aug 5, 2008 | No Comments

It’s time to consider more garden space.  We are also looking at some less labor-intensive space.

Here’s our plan.  We mowed four foot wide strips with four foot wide grassy areas. The spacing is such that we’ll till up four foot strips and have grassy steps in between so we’ll be able to do tractor work ...Read more.

July 30, 2008 – New Aerial Applicator No Spray Signs

Posted by highhopesgardens | Filed under Crops - All, Farm - All | Jul 30, 2008 | No Comments

After the rash of organic and sensitive crops being mistakenly sprayed by aeriel spray planes (not to mention the large crew of field workers as well), IDALS, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, has implemented a sensitive crops directory that aeriel sprayers are asked to consult before spraying.

The department provides the signs at ...Read more.

December 31, 2007 – Oak Creek Canyon, Sunset Crater & Wupatki

The day dawned clear, crisp and cold.

The first stop was Slide Rock State Park in Oak Creek Canyon. A great natural playground of water, red rocks, deep pools, and smooth red rocks.

Another view of Oak Creek.

Fifteen miles upstream is the top of the canyon wall. Oak Creek is at the bottom of the canyon.

At ...Read more.

September 24, 2007 – Hops Harvest

Posted by highhopesgardens | Filed under Crops - All, Farm - All | Sep 24, 2007 | 1 Comment

The hops experiment has been somewhat successful.  The vines didn’t cover quite as much of the trellis as I’d hoped, but it did produce hops in year one!  Check out what it looked like on May 11 from the same vantage point.

So, now I’ve got to figure out what to do with them. (Actually I ...Read more.

July 23, 2007 – Hops Progress

Posted by highhopesgardens | Filed under Crops - All, Farm - All | Jul 23, 2007 | No Comments

The hops we planted this year are making a tentative start.

The experimental hops we planted this spring are making their way up the trellis.  I’ve been rather surprised that we are having a bit of a pest problem with these – as there are not many hops around to breed pests.  There are tent caterpillar-like ...Read more.

April 17, 2007 – Coming out the Deep Freeze

Posted by highhopesgardens | Filed under Crops - All, Farm - All | Apr 17, 2007 | No Comments

The last few days have been back in the 70s after the long early April cold snap. We still are not sure how far along the fruit tree blossoms were when the cold weather came (teens at night and 3 days without getting above freezing).  We should know in a few days to week or ...Read more.

January 9, 2007 – Pasture 2.0

Here’s a look at the furthest east side of our pasture. You can barely see the rows of Christmas trees on the far side and you can see the fencing of the hardwood trees on the left side. For now we’ve decided pasture is not the highest and best use of this ground since we ...Read more.

December 30, 2006 – Pulling Fence in December!

It’s not often December 30th brings 50 degrees – we used the opportunity to get a start on some work that is usually done in late March or early April – pulling up and putting in fence. We’re moving the entire line of fence on the north side out another 10 feet so we can ...Read more.

December 27, 2006 – Fencing Me In

Now that the cows are gone, the tree-destroying job has evidently been passed onto the rabbits. I noticed some chewing around the base of the trees, particularly the maples. So, now we are starting to put chicken wire around some of the trees.

Today the girls made the cages, pounded the stakes in, and protected 17 ...Read more.