Winter Pork Sides

Planning 6 months to a year ahead has become our natural course around here. With the pork operation growing I am developing a waiting list for the batch to begin October 2012 and be harvested February 2013. The $50.00 deposit will not be collected until September 2012. I am developing the list so that I can reserve the proper amount of piglets and build more pens if necessary. So drop me a line at moonstruckfarms@verizon.net if you would like to reserve or side or just need full details. Moonstruck signing off!!

Progress at the Farm

While my head is not spinning I thought I would take a moment to sit down and update you to some changes.  Sales are climbing so we are only growing for the CSA at this time, and what a relief that is.  It was hard growing for the larger basket requirements for the co-ops and keeping up with a wide variety of plantings for the CSA.  It also allows us to make some changes that were needed.  When we started root crops in August last year outside they did not succeed.  It was not early enough so this year we are reserving a few rows outside to plant in the next couple of weeks of carrots and other root crops.  This way we will have a supply outside and inside the greenhouses hopefully fixing a long awaited problem of enough carrots for the year.  With sales up it looks like the large onion order I made is not going to be enough so we will have to rely on green onions through the winter though I am hoping the red onions will last until December.  I am also going to try Crystal Wax onions from seed in the greenhouses that are a small bulb like onion.  We will be taking the new greenhouse out of production in August clearing it for an September planting of greens, radishes, etc. thus allowing the old greenhouse to continue production of the summer crops until they die out in November/December.  We will then clear and reamend planting as soon as the day length starts to return towards the end of January leaving January for onion/garlic planting again for the next year.  In the meantime the poultry operation is well underway with Cornish growing like crazy and little tiny turkeys who are already spreading their wings and strutting their stuff saying "Yes, I am the man"....someone needs to tell them they are not even the size of a softball yet!!  Moonstruck signing off!

Some of My Favorite Things

Some of my favorite things....roses, fresh green beans, the first tomato of the season and Molly!!  She has truly been a blessing lately with babies everywhere and new pens going in and moving animals this way and that!!  Yes, if you don't close the door all the way those laying hen babies will squeeze through and run out!!! They are fast too!  Molly catches them, and waits for me to come and get them!!  It is awesome!  One she caught and it freaked her out by playing dead so she walked away, and I thought oh know she was too rough! I picked it up and put it in the coop and it ran away!!  The piglets she corralled with a few nips on the heels and back in the pen they went!  Now, when I go into the coop to feed the laying hen babies Molly stands guard at the door to make sure none get out.  The cows are pretty docile, but if they show any agitation at all a few quick barks and they are back in line.  She is by far one of the best additions to the farm in the last few years.  Of course, she is my constant companion also, and whines terribly if I waste anytime going outside once the overalls are on....as she is right now.  Have a good day everyone!! 

P.S.

We made fresh squeezed orange juice today and received 5 cups of juice from about 3 - 3.5 lb. oranges from Glen Cairn, and it was sooooooo good!!