Dropstone Farms

… but we got to stretch two days’ worth of work out over three days, and a good thing too — it was too hot to work outside between 12 and 4ish every day this weekend, so we got to take breaks and drink gins and tonic and read our books. But all the same, we got a lot done and of course there is a lot left to do. We are at least six weeks behind the season, I feel like, which is especially sad since it has been super sunny and warm here for about that long.

The various (50+) squashes and pumpkins just got in the ground at Johnson Farm on Friday and Saturday. They have been living in the greenhouse in gallon pots. Many of them have several blossoms. I don’t know if that’s good (yay fruits) or bad (plant growth is now stunted?).

Today we cleared out our bolted radishes, chicken-pecked and side-shoot-producing broccoli, and crowded lettuces (destined for lettuce kraut) finally, and fertilized, composted, and got 21 tomatoes, also in gallon pots, into the ground at home. There are probably 80+ plants waiting to go in at Johnson Farm and at our New New Farm (which Garth has referenced but we haven’t yet introduced properly — that’s on my list). Tomatillos and eggplants and peppers are in the same boat.

I shall stop now lest I fall asleep at the keyboard, but suffice it to say, we are feeling pleased and optimistic with FINALLY making progress … and there is more to come.

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Folks who are local to us, come on out on Saturday to our new farm and help us install some irrigation! We’ll be there early in the morning on Saturday, so come on by anytime, and we’ll put you to work!

Johnson Farm is on the west side of Fletcher Bay Road, just south of where it meets High School Road. There is a stylish new red and white sign so you can find us more easily.

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The new farm, originally uploaded by laurenipsum.

Last weekend we went up to the new farm to see where we could start tilling. It’s hard to get a coherent picture of an expanse of grass that’s this big, but for reference, I am standing at the southwest corner of the plot. The post on the ground in front of me is the southwest corner post. The plot is about 100×200, with the long side to my right — Garth is walking the length of the 200′ side — and the short side to my left. The bottom border is in line with the flowering plum tree (though that is not the corner; it’s about 3/4 of the way across).

Since then, Garth has tilled up an area from the corner to the pile of mulch on the left, and over about 80 feet beyond him, to make a semi-triangular plot that follows the contours of the hill. Not sure yet what will go in it — he’ll be putting in some hoophouses this week to get the soil warmed up in preparation for planting … something! Not sure yet. Any ideas?

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