An Eggplant is born

Farm Dinner

Minimal preparation, just sliced tomatoes and basil, sliced cucumbers, steamed beans with thyme.

Farm renovation

There's been a lot of construction on the farm this season. The barn in the background is nearly complete. But the even bigger project has been to replace the crumbling concrete. We're laying down red brick (having it laid down is more accurate). It's been a few weeks of demolition and transporting 1400lbs of red bricks through the homestead. The upshot is that the brick will be stronger and taller than the concrete was. And it'll hold the dirt in. All the crops are doing well considering.

A very pregnant Farmer No. 1 surveying the land and harvesting.

Scaffolding

Since we excavated the old cucumber trellis to make room for the barn, we needed to build some new structures for the beans and the cucumbers. We choose bamboo because it's rot resistant and really strong.

The cucumber box is on the left, the heirloom beans on the right. Whoa! We need to cut these back a bit. They are getting unruly!

In Progress: The Barn

What we've really been missing is a barn. So Farmer No. 2's project of late has been barn construction. Well, truthfully, it'll be more like a shed. When it's done it'll be useful all around structure for farm tools… and maybe a bar.

More pictures to come.

Nick's Tricks

Nick the Farmer does not disappoint. Along our fence border he has been growing rows and rows of luscious scallions. He treated us to a bunch and told us that he was at the grocery store and saw a pile of wilted yellowing scallions and got them really cheap. He stuck them all in the ground and a few weeks later here we go. They were huge!

The grocery store rubber band is still on there. 

Cherry Hot Pepper

The Lettuce Bucket

We are putting to work a few extra pots that have just been laying around. Lettuce, beets, carrots.

Our Berry Situation

The farm has two types of berries growing along the Western perimeter; blackberries and raspberries. Both came from Nick the Farmer in the form of sticks with a little root ball at the bottom. We never thought they would thrive like this. 

You can see two shades of green in that bush. The darker green are the blackberries, the lighter leaves are members of the raspberry bush. Some of the raspberries are ripe. We had them for dinner last night with a salmon that was swimming in Alaska just a couple days ago.

Coming soon

History Beans

This year we ordered seeds from the Baker Creek outfit in Missouri. They've got a great selection of heirlooms like these beans that came over with the Mayflower in the 1620s. They've been in the ground for a few weeks now and we'll share the progress.

Also of note… these beans darkly named Cherokee Trail of Tears. Read more about these here.

What's Been Growing

Our most prolific crops so far are the diverse family known as weeds. We've been really behind this year so we are taming the beasts and finally getting the season underway. 

Nick's Secret

A month ago we spotted freshly turned soil in Nick the Farmer's plot of land. Looking closer we spotted feathers everywhere. This bag could be a secret of his success.

Spring Cleanup

Over the weekend, Farmer No. 2 excavated 6 months of cat nasty. Thank you NYC Department of Sanitation. We spent time turning and conditioning the soil… and of course covering it up again… all to get ready for the first planting later in the month. We are also redoing the weed cloth surrounding the boxes.

Plant Friends

We spotted a nice simple diagram that shows which plants grow well with each other.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19626352.600-family-trees-the-social-life-of-plants.html
Even more helpful would be a diagram that shows which plants DO NOT go well with each other.
Diagram by Nigel Hawtin

57" Snow vs Halloween Pumpkin

It was a brutal, record breaking winter. We surveyed the land this past weekend to see the damage and to start cleanup. A lot of pots broke and the halloween pumpkin deflated like a basketball.

We are really excited to get started. Unfortunately we might have to wait a little longer. More snow is in the forecast.