On the Farm This Week – May 6, 2024

Author – Katie Neal

It’s been the loudest weekend of the year on the farm, but it’s starting to get a little quieter today. And no, it’s not my kids yelling about having to finish the last few weeks of school, not this time at least. This time, it’s all the mama ewes and young lambs being separated for the first time. It’s the only time of year that any of the animals make more of a racket than the duck hens.

We’re also engaged in the much more quiet and peaceful activity of garden planting right now. We have corn and beans popping up in their rows, sweet potato slips settling into their hills, and numerous seed starter trays in various stages of germination. It’s the time of year when gardening is all the hopes and dreams that lay in those tiny little seeds. Spring planting is peaceful because it’s before the struggles of weeds and briars spring up. Here’s hoping that our garden and yours both stay peaceful because we get ahead of all of those struggles while they are little struggles, before they become big scary jungles. *fingers crossed*

Our first batch of replacement baby chicks has grown up big enough to move out into their pullet tractor and they are adjusting to this “green stuff” that they get to spend their life on. They were just in time for the next batch to come in and take over the brooder box. Spring time is always an amazing reminder to see how fast the chicks and other babies grow and change, time goes by so quickly!

The honeybees are grateful that all of the privet the farm is infested with has burst into bloom. We currently have 6 hives that are all thriving, with plans to make splits off of at least one or two hives. It does smell very lovely on the farm even if the privet is terribly invasive and it does make for some wonderful honey. Fighting the privet and other invasive species from completely taking over the farm is a long ongoing process that has been going on for the entirety of my life and will probably continue for the rest of my life as well. We’re also robbing and processing honey later this week.

Other exciting news for us to announce this week is that we will be a vendor at a brand new market this season! Just down the road from us at 8008 Liberty Hwy will be The Market on 178. Check them out on Facebook to see all of the other vendors and activities they have planned! https://www.facebook.com/marketon178 Opening Day is this Saturday, May 11, 2024 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM Hope to see you there!!