"It is solstice time now, with long days and strong sun. Last week, the forecast promised exactly what we were hoping for: a three-day window of no rain in which to get a huge load of hay mowed, tedded, raked, and baled. Courtney, Asa, and Chad each took a team of horses and a … [Read more...] about Essex Farm: Wet Hay Is Not Okay
Essex Farm: Chickens and the Fox
"We had an actual fox in the actual henhouse this week. He ran across the barnyard with a chicken in his mouth, and when Jenny came out of the milkhouse and scared him, he dropped it, but later returned to the scene of his crime. We found him tucked in a nestbox, his red head … [Read more...] about Essex Farm: Chickens and the Fox
Essex Farm: Chore-ing Marathon
"Mark pulled what passes for a farmer all-nighter last night, harrowing the upper field to get it ready for corn. He came home sometime after midnight. We have 20 acres of corn planted and starting to germinate now, and are aiming for another 10 in the next few … [Read more...] about Essex Farm: Chore-ing Marathon
Essex Farm: See Farmer->Give Hug
"The landscape has taken on that lush verdant look that means we are in the thick of it now. The farm is buoyed by the waxing force of life, the great flood tide of the sun. The summer solstice is just three weeks away, and everything with roots and leaves is pressing the … [Read more...] about Essex Farm: See Farmer->Give Hug
Avalanche Season at Essex Farm
"It’s avalanche season, work-wise [at Essex Farm]. As long as the weather holds we are all under pressure to get things plowed! composted! planted! weeded! fixed! moved! while simultaneously keeping up with all the quotidian work that the great living machine demands. This … [Read more...] about Avalanche Season at Essex Farm