Still standing. That was our motto this week. This week was a doozy. We finished our newest high tunnel, installed some new micro-irrigation, did dozens of repairs and maintenance, and tackled one of our biggest early season problems. Quack grass.
We didn't get all of our timing right late last fall (mostly because of our building) to disrupt and freeze quack grass with good late fall preparations. We've spent all week removing quack grass from a few of our gardens, in dozens of 2 and 3 hour shifts, as we plant. We will tackle this problem with a rather large labor crew Sunday, in order to keep on schedule with plantings. We are striving hard to eliminate weeds and minimize hand weeding as much as possible on the farm this year, so we are getting ahead of it by planting in beds that are as free, as much as possible, of perennial quack grass. It's really enemy number one on our farm now. Mary and I talk about what to do about it, how to eliminate it, how we will cover crop new ground this summer, and how we will innovate our soil practices pretty much all the time this week.
And then there was one eagle too. I was moving chickens at dusk, and while the flock was a little dispersed, following the listing chicken coop to new pasture, and an eagle swooped down grabbed one of our laying hens. I jumped off the tractor and took one flying leap. And while I didn't manage to actually touch the eagle, I did grab the hen, and wrestled her to safety. Her wounds are healed, and while eggs are in rather short supply on the farm now, and typically only available in the farmstore, I'll bring eggs as a celebration of sorts, that after all this, we are still standing.
We are loaded with greens, and we'll have plenty at the first market this morning. We'll be at our usual spot at Bedford. For those members who cannot wait for our first Tuesday pickup at the farm, come fill up! You can use your old feedbag or we'll provide one. If you are considering a farm membership, we still have room for a few more spring season shares, and we still have room for about 15 summer and fall members. You can signup on our website, or come see us tomorrow, sign up for memberships, and load up on greens.
If you can't make it to market, and are a farm member, you'll get a formal announcement about the beginning of the season on Monday. We'll be polishing up the farmstore slowly near the end of this coming week, but greens will be in the cooler for those of who can't make the Saturday market.
Quack Grass Invasion and Wrestling an Eagle