First Year and Next…

Final Harvest: green tomatoes, late peppers and a couple of Black Krim for seed

Thanksgiving weekend was a pleasant time. The garden yielded its last tomatoes, peppers and beans for shelling. Only the Jerusalem Artichokes are left to dig, probably in November before the ground freezes solid. Missing windows in the barn were replaced. It’s now completely snug and tight, waiting for the first snow. And Bill the Pasture Guy removed the last bales of hay that have been sitting in the field since July.

The weekend was also an opportunity to take stock of this first year on the farm: a few false starts, some lessons learned, and a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction in the successes. This next year will be equally busy and satisfying. Before the winter, the fence around the pasture will be mended. At some point too the barn floor needs to be built and the henhouse made mink-proof. When the snow sets in, there’ll be the fun of researching sheep breeds, attending meetings of the local Spinners and Weavers Guild and planning next year’s garden.

And perhaps next spring another farm stay, this time during the lambing season.

Lots to do and lots to look forward to!