On Friday our spring ran dry. We cobbled together a makeshift water system for ourselves and the animals—siphoning out of the pond and trucking tanks of water down from the neighbors—interjecting short-term disaster control with long-term planning. Tuesday and Wednesday we buried … [Read more...] about Full and By Farm: Water Issues
Full and By Farm: We Need a Drink
The scant quarter inchof rain we finally collected this week was not enough to make much of a dent in the dry soil. The vegetables and pastures are hurting badly for it with stunted vegetative growth and poor yields. Many of the crops that are starting to come in are coming with … [Read more...] about Full and By Farm: We Need a Drink
Full and By Farm: Adages to Live By
In the early days—before the arrival of the horses—lifting, pulling, dragging, and cultivating were all done by hand, and shoulder, back, and leg. James coined our first farm motto then "putting the arm back in farming." Lightning and Thunder arrived just in time, as … [Read more...] about Full and By Farm: Adages to Live By
Full and By Farm: Water from the Sky and Boquet
The pale, parched soil gladly accepted a little rain yesterday. We are still sorely dry around here but the established vegetables are still dark and lush and fruiting out. It's a little harder on the newly seeded and transplanted crops with their short, thin roots, reaching just … [Read more...] about Full and By Farm: Water from the Sky and Boquet
Full and By Farm: Good Things to Come
Thigh-high by the 28th of June doesn't have quite the ring to it, but it sure looks nice. Our first ever planting of sweet corn is a tall, lush deep green. The adjacent cabbages are the size of softballs and the zucchini plants have thin, long fruits already on the … [Read more...] about Full and By Farm: Good Things to Come