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
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Essex Farm: Beware the Swarm
Draft horses are stoic beasts. They can work through heat, dust, discomfort and fatigue. But, like Gulliver, they are tormented beyond their limits by hordes of little things. The face flies that mass around their eyes and nose, the green-headed flies that bite the belly, neck … [Read more...] about Essex Farm: Beware the Swarm
Adirondack Bats: Defending Bats
Bats are very misunderstood animals. Usually when someone is asked to name creepy creatures, bats are somewhere near the top of their list. That creepy reputation makes many people ignore or not realize the importance that bats play in the world. Though if you don't care about … [Read more...] about Adirondack Bats: Defending Bats
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
Essex Farm: Wet Hay Is Not Okay
"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