The Surprising Nature of Growth

There is a screech overhead, and with a quick glance up from harvesting peas I am just in time to see an adult and several fledgling hawks disappear into the cover of forest surrounding the garden. My familiarity with the general appearance of hawks allowed me to make the distinction, but I would have to converse with Chris about the detailed coloring of the birds in order to identify the species. So, intrigued at the sighting, and admittedly a bit worried about our chickens and turkeys, I make a mental note to check up later on the species, and return to the work in the garden.

With the recent heat we’ve getting, and the coming of the heart of summer, the growth of the plants has seemed exponential. Although I’m in the field every day for hours and have a mental image of how things look, I am continually surprised by the bountiful growth all around me. Some crops’ perseverance is more noticeable in vertical dimensions--in mind I’ve got tomatoes, sunflowers, corn, beans, basil, and seedlings--while others, such as squashes, strawberries, and rhubarb, give the majority of their energy to their leaves and expand horizontally. Of course, plants grow in both dimensions simultaneously, but each does so in its own proportions. In addition to healthy growth, the plants are relatively free of pests (KNOCK ON WOOD), producing well, and make a beautiful spread for us at the farmers markets.

After discussing with Chris the aforementioned hawk, and with the additional consultation of a field guide I come to an at least somewhat confident conclusion that it was a Cooper’s Hawk that screeched above me. I have always been fascinated by birds of prey because they are exceptionally adapted to their distinct abilities: with strong feet for taking off, landing, and holding prey, curved talons for catching and killing, excellent eyesight, and a sharp beak for tearing through flesh, this highly specialized anatomy relates to such a particular life mission. The heart of a bird of prey must be the color of Amaranth, the deepest of purples rich with the strongest sinew. I have not seen the Cooper’s Hawk since that first sighting, but I know she is around, looking out for her fledglings as they learn the skills of their mother. In their mixed habitat of farmland and forest, the presence of humans and our livestock is taken in stride by the undiscerning nature of these animals using their abilities to survive, while we do the same.

The goats, the chickens, the turkeys, they have a home here because we are caring for them in the best way we know how, but we must remember that if predator or pest compromises our animals and plants it is acceptable, because we can never eliminate a threat entirely. We must learn to live with these threats and to minimize their impact; if we can do this, and I believe we have been, they are diminished from threats to annoyances, which are easier to deal with. Hey California Potato Beetle! Don’t get comfortable.

- Matt

First Impressions

Greetings! My name is Matt Didisheim and I am the apprentice at Side Track Farm in Hartland, Vermont. This will be my first entry, and as such I will focus on first impressions. I believe strongly in the significance of first impressions because they are instinctual observations that stem from our raw imagination and immediate existence, giving the observer primary source material that provides a starting point from which to expand upon retrospectively. Every day I tell myself that I’ve come here to learn, as a reminder and a re-dedication of purpose, and although it’s a voice in my head that comes as a relative whisper to the clamorous life lived on a farm, I hear it more as an echo that reverberates and never quite disappears. I am glad that voice is there, because it is the reason why I came here, and the reason why I remain. At the onset of my fourth week on the farm, as the daily tasks have grown familiar and my proficiency improved, I am able to take a breath and describe some of the thoughts I’ve been having about life on the farm.

As I crouch between rows of crops ecstatic that I am plucking away the weeds, or sit beside an impatient goat who wishes my milking efficiency would improve already, or reach my hand beneath an indignant hen in hopes of finding an egg, I am struck by the variety of attitudes to be found here among the flora and fauna. The goats are placid, most of the time, and after they have had their allotment of grain and their fill of grass they do not complain much. They can be found laying on the grass in the heat, the kids nestled up against one another, or roaming their pens in search of a snack, a sparring partner (for the fun of it), or an udder to suckle. The kids are growing up, becoming faster and abler, and the adults seem to show a rarefied contentment at the way things are going. The chickens waddle around in silly maneuvers, bobbing their heads and shaking their bodies, with the simple desires of scrounging food and laying eggs on their minds. Nearby, the young turkeys negotiate social cues and get to know each other, looking out from their covered pen at the chickens with jealousy at their freedom to wander, and the two species at times stare at each other as if resistant to the other’s existence. The crops survived a period of intense heat and are now happily soaked in what seems to be a very appropriate amount of moisture. Newly planted beans are shooting up, cabbages are forming promisingly, tomato stalks are reaching higher and higher, and squash leaves are multiplying. Amidst all this growth and change in its many forms, I am left astounded at the resiliency of life here, and as I go about my daily tasks I cannot help but gather from the flourishing life around me the willpower and motivation to strengthen my own existence.

The Latest and Last



Andy's baby buck born Friday 20

  Last two births gave us boys. We will raise them up together and use one or both for breeding. Andy's kid has genetics from outside our animals so we are anxious to use him to get some separation within the herd.



Butch, son of Amos, born Friday 13


Soon we will have pics of piles of baby goats. They will be together until the bucklings are about two months old. Then we will separate them out to prevent unwanted accidental pregnancies. Believe it or not the fellas are able and certainly willing at that age. The boys also start to become more rough and dominant. If we were to castrate in order to keep a wether, this would be the latest we would want to do that. The young females would surely suffer from a premature pregnancy at that age.

Butch trying to greet his new cousin and companion.

 I managed to miss every birth this year arriving on the scene within the hour of the events. Regardless I am relieved that kidding season is over. We had no major complications and all the animals seem healthy and robust.

Total of 4 kids from three births. Two females, two male. Pretty ideal numbers.

Everything's a-poppin' and a-hoppin'!



The early daffs.




Catmint.




Chives




Rhubarb




Frog Prince.



New Kids on the Farm

Born Easter Sunday at 2 a.m. Both are female and oh so cuter by the day. Sparky is a great mom and had impressive delivery with no intervention.

 

Especially cute when yawning...

You can already tell this one is going to be a little trouble maker.

We are happy that the babes are well. We have two more does due in May so there should be some more kid pics to come.

Meanwhile in the garden things are really popping. The heat accompanying all this rain has given everything a boost. The peas have just breached the earth in the upper and lower gardens. I've got perennial herbs and walking onions that are starting to grow gang-busters. It's the time of renewal and a quickening. I'm really excited for the season.

Meet the New Logo!

It only took me ALL winter to use a part of an image I carved in 2005!

Good grief.

Winter is finally losing grip.

As of April 7 the soil in the backfield was still pretty saturated. I did a tour and discovered some herbs looking snug under the receding snow. I also found tons of vole damage to our blueberries. VERY DISAPPOINTING! We won't use poison so I guess this will be an annual swear-fest around here. I am grateful the fruit trees were unscathed but now have learned my lessson and will use guards on them ASAP. 

 The ladies are producing at least a dozen eggs a day, fluctuating to as many as 19. We are in the yolk!!

Our beloved Little, the first goat born on our farm is moving on to greener pastures. he yielded over 80 pounds of meat and 8 pints of rendered lard with which we'll make true goat soap in the coming months. He was sweet but getting really big and pushy. He consumed a great amount of hay and we had to make the choice, given six does to keep healthy and happy. I feel great that already his "parts" are being consumed by friends and farm alike. Litlle lives on in the energy of the farm.



Bunching onions wintered over fine

These onions will produce seed for me again this year giving me a huge stash should I need it or want to share. I'll be growing out some shallot as well for seed...just for kicks.

As I prepare for the onslaught of planting that will come soon I have to get clever with my seedlings. I've taken to using my studio as a cold frame. It's helping out and doing a fine job with the cold hardys like leeks and brassicas. The chill keeps the growing slow despite the sunlight. This checks the growth enough to keep the plants sturdy and compact. Nothin' worse than a leggy, thin bit of succulent green to harden off carefully for days before planting the sorry sight. I'm happy to have my cabbages a stone's throw from the garden deep once they're to size.

We also got the pepper hoop house up. I just sowed some early hardy's in there today. These plants: lettuce, turnips, spinach will be out in time before I plant the pepps in mid June.

So we've been busy. I've got my peas in. Trying wheat and barley this year. They are in as well. I sowed a number of other things today, transplanted some lettuce and alliums. It now becomes a paced race. I will leave you with some food for thought, in pictures.

Rhubarb crowning

Getting Robin's attention

Johnny Jump Up's: First Up and Last Down

The ever reliable Chive

Sorrel peeking before division

Catnip that I couldn't bear to compost. A few for a friend.

Wintering Over

Rosemary in Bloom

One technique I employ as space allows is to bring in some of the tender perennial plants to winter over. If I can in fact, keep them alive all winter, I'll be somewhat ahead of the game in the next season. It also livens up the indoor "garden" throughout the coldest season. This rosemary is a pleasant companion as it blooms in my cool dining room, several times over the winter months.

Joe's Long Cayenne

Peppers are able to keep plugging along if you decrease the water and treat them a bit like they are dormant over the winter. If you keep watering deeply the plants will continue to put on new green tender growth and the aphids and other indoor gang beasties will go to town and really make the plants suffer by spring. Even without the various indoor plagues, the plants sometimes die back. I have found that as long as the roots remain unfrozen and viable the plant will regenerate as the sun gets stronger and longer in presence. By May I am moving these buckets out to the porch and back as the weather requires. In June I pop them back in the ground for a thorough rejuevenation. This puts me ahead with their production as they are sizable and have a huge root system to grow from quickly.

Nothing beats a fruiting plant in the middle of the winter.

The First of the Year.

And the winner is...

Rossa di Milano Onions. These babies were the first to stand up and be counted. This is a mid-size red italian storage onion with medium hot flavor. I grew it last year and was really pleased with it's performance. It grew consistantly even after being rescued from agressive and out-of control weeds in late June. I will plant these out in April depending on how fast we melt out in the field.

I set up the seed nursery in my dining room where the light is best and the space is greatest. Of course this means that we will gradually lose access to the room for "dining" as it becomes chock full of seedlings. We hope to remedy this in the next few years with a three season green house to get our plants off and running. We grow all our vegetables from seed here at Side Track Farm.

Come May I'll rotate the starts out to the front porch during the mildest days. All the in and out hardens off the plants gradually. It's a great day on the farm when the dining room is empty and the porch is spilling over with the next set of transplants.

But I get ahead of myself.

Something to wet your whistle...

Spring WILL come again. We have to believe that the sun will return once more and grant us the warmth necessary to jump start the gardens. Here's to another spin around the block!

It's about that time...

Time to make the donuts? A matter of time? Wasting time? Daylight savings time? Which cycle am I speaking of? Why, time to get down to business with the new growing season, of course.

I've mapped my garden, planning out rotation. Saved seeds are sorted. I've researched my new varieties. Orders are in the mail. We use locals when possible. I order from Solstice Seeds, High Mowing, Johnny's, and FEDCO for the most part. There are a few others I use, though somewhat less frequently.

I've received some of the seeds and made sense of the seeds I have saved. I compile them by planting time and location. Then I start the early indoor process of germination which is generally some sort of allium. This year it is an assortment of red and yellow storage onions, bunching onions and leeks. I also have a few egyptian walking onions potted up for sale or transplant as the season progresses.

There's an abundance of paperwork and literature to compile still. I am finishing my latest draft of our brochure to send out to potential CSA members. Next up: Complete applications for the three farmers' markets we intend to vend at this year: Hanover, Hartland and Windsor.

There is much to do. I will endeavor to keep you posted!