5th week of March 2009

Seedlings on light table As promised, I'll start by sharing the name for our Jersey heifer calf - she is dubbed "Button" and is now frolicking all over the pasture with occasional snack breaks with mama. We are celebrating having abundant milk again by enjoying large bowls of tapioca pudding, unlimited yogurt and breakfast smoothies. Another Hereford calf was also born last week and took off running through the neighbors' woods. After many hours of searching and hiking through brush we were grateful that a neighbor found him behind the Amish sawmill just before dusk. We didn't get much accomplished from the job list that day but did enjoy stopping to talk to several neighbors during the search.

Seedlings are starting to fill up our living room window, the flourescent light table and the greenhouse shelves. Here is a picture from the light table with an onion flat and my early tomatoes. This year I'm trying a different plant food - a concoction of beet juice, kelp, seaweed and other goodies. It really is making a difference in plant health and growth. Today we planted lettuce seedlings in a bed covered by my "new" low tunnel constructed from old trampoline legs on skids and covered with a salvaged piece of plastic. Over 100 little lettuces are tucked in from the wind and cold. Low TunnelI tried a watering experiment on half of them by using diluted skim milk - the milk sugars are supposed to wake up and help feed the soil microbes. Hopefully lettuce heads will be ready to harvest early May along with the radishes I sprinkled along the sides. Talking about tunnels, we went high tunnel shopping last week at CVS Supply near Mt. Eaton. This Amishman has a wonderful selection of sizes that he bends and builds right on his farm and his business is truly hopping as more folks look to extend produce growing seasons. We have our eye on a 21x60 tunnel that hopefully my summer veggie money will help purchase for the fall.

It's interesting reading about all the press gardening is receiving this year. Burpee reports increased seed sales of 30% and claims investing in seeds gives a 1:25 return (some say that is a bit inflated), the Obamas break ground for a White House kitchen garden in the South Lawn and first-time gardeners are a surging group. In light of this, Lehmans store is working on their demonstration schedule and asked if I would be available again. I told them if I could bring along the baby I'd give it a try. I'll be in the Buggy Barn with gardening goodies the last three Thursdays in April to visit with customers and hopefully encourage a few folks in their gardening and eating endeavors. See my Events page for the schedule.

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