Early Days of the rainless summer, 2016

The west coast is on fire.  The Mid- and Southwest are struggling with high temps.  The South and Southeast including Texas are struggling with flash floods.  Here in the Northeast, although temps continue to be relatively mild, we've received nearly half as much rain as we had by this time last year.  Spooky.

On the plus side, the late cold temps in Spring caused many of the blossom heads to drop making culling fruitlets a much simpler task.  The dry conditions add to the fruit drop.  Too much water stress however can cause fruit trees to not bear the following year, so we have to be vigilant.
It's easy to forget that trees need supplemental watering in warmer or dryer weather.  Setting up a sprinkler in the early evening may seem like a great idea however one needs to consider how much competition  for the water your tree may have.  Flowers, grasses, and other trees are all taking up the water being applied.  Additionally, the drier the ground, the more difficult it is for the soil to hold water and not allow it to merely run off.  At My Happy Acres, we start by moistening the soil around the tree before giving each one a long drink.
Determining how much water to apply to each tree is a simple calculation.  Begin by measuring the circumference of the trunk.  Divide this number by 3.14.  This will give you the diameter (D) of the trunk.  Multiply the diameter times ten to get the number of gallons needed (D x 10 = #gal).

Although there are gizmos out there that will allow a user to precisely me asure the amount of water flowing from one's hose, most households produce enough water pressure that using the calculation, diameter times five, will tell you how many minutes of water flow will provide your tree with its water needs.  (D x 5 = Minutes)
Remember that it's important to measure your trees.  Although many of our trees were planted four years ago, some are slow growing and others are more robust.  The Sansa for example are only 1.4" in diameter however the Northern Spy are nearly 3".  The difference is in the variety.  Some grow fast.  Some grow more slowly. 
Take care of your trees and you will be rewarded in the fall with some lovely fruit!

Apple Harvest, next round

You want to taste something amazing?  This morning we harvested our Jonagold apples.  The Jonagold is a cross between the Golden Delicious and the Jonathan apples.  This red apple has the crisp, sweet yet slightly tart flavor that is terrific to eat out of the hand or for caramel apples. 

For those that like the Honey Crisp but don't like the sky high prices that are usually associated with this specialty apple, the Jonagold may be just the right apple for you!  Try some today!  You may discover a new favorite.

Good stuff at My Happy Arces, August 2015

Late summer is a very busy time on the farm.  The apples are nearing the time to be picked.  The Blackberries are ripening.  The vegetables are at peak, looking good, and tasting like heaven! So let's take a walk:

 Mild, warm days have been perfect for our little orchard.  Although we culled heavily in late Spring, the trees are now heavy with fruit.  If conditions continue to be pleasant, we can safely assume that, come October, we will have a nice variety of apples to offer our customers.

Aren't these beautiful?

Speaking of beautiful, this is the first year we have been able to successfully bring cauliflower to full maturity.  As much as I'd like to say that it's due to the right seeds and careful management, I can only give full credit to following the instructions that were given to me by an elderly farmer I know.  The elderly have a lifetime of experience.  If one is respectful and patient, it's amazing what one can learn.  In this case, I learned why my broccoli and cauliflower bolted or just plain failed to thrive.

Members of the cabbage family are mostly cool weather plants.  They don't like the hot weather.  They don't like getting their roots too warm.  They don't like dry conditions.  His instructions were simple: water in the early morning and shade them when the temps are going over 90f.  That's it?  Water and shade?  No special compost mix/fertilizer/special cauliflower frisky blend?  nope.  keep em watered.  Keep em cool.

Isn't this pretty?  Most of the cauliflower heads are about these size of a soccer ball.  Although they are the color of good cheddar cheese, they still taste like cauliflower yet have a milder flavor than the white variety.  We like them.  It adds a nice splash of color to the salad or vegetable dish.
Summer is a wonderful time to try new things.  When visiting your local farmers' market or farm stand, taste and try new varieties of the foods you love.  Like tomatoes?  Try some low acid yellow tomatoes, or try a new variety of cherry tomato.  Some are sweet.   Some are tart.  Tomatoes come in a variety of colors, not just that slightly washed out red color that grocery store tomatoes all seem to have.  They also come in a variety of flavors.  Try something new today!

Spring slowly turns to Summer, 2015

The chicks are loaded in their carrier and ready for a new day out in the garden.  Provided that the weather stays mild, we'll head out.  Then, while Mom does her weeding, the chicks can explore and, hopefully, stay out of trouble. 

We're not troublesome...

Getting a snack before going outside.

 And weeding needs to be done.  With all the good rain we've had lately, the garden is lush but the weeds have also had a nice deep drink.  As the unwanted seedlings are removed, I drop them into a bucket and tote them out to Chickenland to provide the Ameraucanas with some extra treats.  They get plenty of greens, but everyone knows the stuff in the bucket always tastes so much better!

Don't think of them as weeds.  Think of them as chicken snacks.

Speaking of snacks, I am periodically reminded that we live in the country and all sorts of wild things creep and crawl around us.  Many people have a fear of snakes but I count my blessings that they help keep the mice at bay and help take care of an abundance of frogs this Spring has brought us.

The orchards are doing well this year.  We've carefully culled the apples and other fruit trees to encourage healthy growth of the remaining fruits.  Those trees that are contained within protective fencing, continue to grow tall and strong.  Unfortunately, those trees that are not fenced have been subjected to heavy browsing by our deer population.  This little cherry tree, for example, the day before was full and lush.  It had all the appearances that we would have some nice sweet cherries in a few more weeks.  Last night, the deer came.  In what only took a few minutes, left the little tree nearly leafless.  I don't know if it will ever recover or suffer from the shock causing it to either die or not produce fruit for a few years.

 Culling apples takes a long time.  We have nearly 100 trees.  Each one is carefully reviewed.  Variety and when planted is taken into account.  When an apple tree flowers, each five flower cluster can produce five apples.  If left alone, the tree will attempt to feed each of these fruitlets leading to stress on the developing tree and small uneven apples at harvest time. 

 By removing four of the five smaller fruitlets, the fruit tree focuses its energies on the single fruit and growth of the tree.  This leads to a healthier tree and larger, more uniform apples.

A lot can happen between now and harvest time.  For now we hope and pray for this year's crop.

Out in the orchard and down the hill

There is always something to do on the farm.  Surprisingly enough, most of the tasks are not manual labor but rather planning and evaluating for the future.

The Brookfield Gala and Gold Rush apples are all doing extraordinarily well.  We've been keeping a close watch for trouble this year.  Trees are individually inspected for signs of insect activity as well as any disease such as mildew or fire blight.  It is unfortunate that some people believe that not spraying their trees is healthier than taking preventive measures.  What happens is that their trees become hosts and sources of disease that ends up spreading to their neighbors' trees.  Organic does not mean not spraying.  Organic means using methods that are gentle on the environment and meet the EPA/FDA standards for Organic growing.
There are many excellent resources available for those who wish to follow organic guidelines when taking care of their fruit trees.  One of my favorites is by Cornell University: A Growers Guide to Organic Apples.
Provided that we can keep both the deer and the bunnies at bay, we may have some new varieties of apples this year.  Fingers crossed...

Octoberfest: apple time in New York

September swept by with never a moment's peace to sit quiet and tell you the news!  The first week we were busy making peach jam from the bounty presented from our neighbor's orchard.  All the while, we did our best to stay ahead of the tide of tomatoes that were now presenting themselves.  Bushels and buckets of these red beauties were harvested as quickly as possible but I would be the first to admit that it was had to stay ahead. 

The Beefsteak tomatoes all ripened within the first two weeks of September.  It was hard to resist the temptation to pick them early.  By leaving these to ripen on the plant, the beefsteak develops an indescribable rich full flavor that compliments nearly any food it's paired with.  It was a perfect summer for growing tomatoes: hot enough to encourage growth, wet enough to make luscious fruit,  steady weather without too many extremes which cause the fruit to split or get yucky in other ways.

After one of the more severe late summer storms, we found that many of the plum tomatoes had literally been blown from their attachments.  Plum tomatoes were scattered clear to the garden fence line!  Fortunately this is a type of tomato that will continue to ripen and keep its flavor after being removed from the plant.

Apricots, peaches, then plums all ripened and were ready by the early weeks in September.  The first apples, mostly the yellow varieties, began making their appearances at the market by the second week.  The area orchards are now busy picking the crops that will appear in supermarkets within the next week or so.  What doesn't end up in a pie today, is being prepared and froze for later this winter when a cortland tart or turnover is just the treat to warm up with.

How does your garden grow?

In a little less than a week, the seeds that were put in the ground are now bursting forth!  This year we've planted both yellow and green beans in the same plot that had been used for squash last year.

After hoeing in some compost to add rich organic matter to the soil, and, of course, removing as much rock as we could, the plot was leveled out and planted.  Just a reminder: those silly Popsicle sticks and string to mark your rows with be a godsend to you when starting to weed or til.  Whereas beans are fairly easy to discern from weed seeds, other seedlings, such as carrots, are not.

Over in the orchard, the apple trees continue to bloom.  It appears that the late frost may have effected the Jonnagolds, however the late blooming Honey Crisp are still going strong.

The sweet cherry trees are also doing well this year.  We may see a small crop from the trees planted just last year!  Provided, of course, that we can keep the birds off.  Never a dull moment.  Further adventures to come!

 

A time to plant

Although many people seem to believe that managing an orchard begins and ends with picking the fruit, there is more to it than that.  Farming, as with all projects that are worth doing, is a job that requires planning for the future.  Some plans are short term such as weeding, watering, cleaning, and mowing.  Others are longer term such as laying out the garden (three to four months), building and preparing the animal barn for its occupants (six to eight months), and planting and caring for the trees (two to ten years).

Every day we walk the orchard and examine the trees.  Other than deer and other varmints looking for snacks, we watch for signs of disease or other issues so that they can be taken care of promptly.  Think of it this way: when do you take care of a cold?  If you take care of yourself when you only have the sniffles, you'll recover faster.  If you wait until it has turned into pneumonia, you may be in store for a much longer recovery (not to mention all the folks you've now spread the germs to). 

Crab Apple blossoms

At My Happy Acres, we offer a  wide variety of apples and cherries.  As we plant we consider when each of these varieties will be at their best when picked.  We also think about which varieties may need a little help to pollinate.  Not all fruit trees are self pollinating but need another variety to help them along in the process.  Some orchards take the extra step and plant crab apple trees to aide in pollination.  We're fortunate that we have enough flowering varieties at this time that crab apple trees are not necessary.  That said, I still feel that crab apple trees can be quite pretty.  I also have fond childhood memories of candied crab apples on the Thanksgiving table.

News from Chickenland: As the weather warms, we've been thinking about the best way to put the girls out to graze and at the same time, keep them safe from preditors.  Rat snakes are good to keep the rodent population in check, however wouldn't hesitate if a tasty chick blundered into them.  A passing hawk may be on the watch for rabbit, but a hen will do if spotted. 

The girls in the yard are safe for now, but stay tuned!  A chicken adventure is on the horizon.

Spring planting

For those of us who are fortunate enough to live in an area that is well drained and enjoying moderate temperatures, this is the time of year where we can be found out in our fields and orchards, preparing for another season.

Cherry blossoms

The fruit trees are all coming to blossom.  As one walks along the lane, the air is full of its delicate fragrance.  The cherry trees are a-buzz with all sorts of different types of bees.  I'm going to keep my eyes open this summer and see how many different varieties I can identify.

Apple blossom

The new apple trees fared pretty well this last winter with only a minor amount of deer damage.  In order to deter them from nibbling the new buds, we've found that hanging bars of perfumed soap or suspending fresh dryer sheets from the limbs works remarkably well.  To discourage the rabbits and voles from eating the bark around the trunks of the trees, spiral plastic shields wrap and protect each sapling.

We're continuing to plant more trees.  Over the next few days we're expecting to plant 40 more saplings.  It's remarkably satisfying to help things grow.  Whether we're talking about fruit trees, the garden, or the little chicks each has its own needs to grow big and strong.  With a little care and attention, everyone grows happy and healthy.

Speaking of chicks, everyone was transferred out to the nursery box in the mudroom yesterday afternoon.  Dingy has taken on the big sister role and seems to appreciate the company.  Soon after the little chicks arrived, I peaked in on them to see how everyone was getting along.  I was happy to see that Dingy had gathered up the chicks under her wings, pulling them close and safe as they turned in for the night.

Moma Dingy and one of the fuzzyballs