Spring at the Bridge Farm

A lot has changed since the last post.  Kate and I are leasing Bridge Farm in Dresden for a couple of years.  We will be growing organic vegetables, herbs, flowers, seedlings, eggs, and pigs.  There are two barns on the 28 acre property right on the Eastern River.  Since we have been here, it's been busy.

Kate's been working at Johnny's part time, I've been doing some carpentry part time, and in between we've been planting lots of seedlings and tending to them.  The greenhouse (and our house!) is full of seedlings already and the cold frames are also almost maxed out with seedlings hardening off for transplant.  We're realizing how much time is actually devoted to greenhouse management and planning; necessitating leaving a portion of the day in the morning and night to water, cover, move, and monitor seedlings.

We also have a few new additions to the farm, a new horse named Tony.  We got him from a horse trader in Vermont at the beginning of April.  In a way it was a birthday present to ourselves, mostly due to timing.  He is getting used to the new farm and horses, and is great when in harness.  Hopefully he will continue to get along with Jess as they will likely be workmates for a while as Molly remains as our backup.

Tony after his arrival.

The other new addition(s) are 50 Barred Rock laying chicks.  They are tiny, and very cute.  Especially when they run around their brooder.

I have also been busy moving our equipment over here in a piecemeal fashion.  Some of it I've worked on and tuned up, most still needs some attention, and I've acquired more as the season starts gearing up.  This year we have acquired a new John Deere #4 mower as of yesterday, a single-row potato digger, a John Deere side delivery rake, and a single gang horsedrawn disc that is in much better shape than the one we had before.

It's overall been a late spring with it being cold so late into the year (lows in the low 30s last week) and now it's been rainy.  Every time it rains, the timing for plowing, harrowing, and planting gets pushed back a little further.