Missed writing last week! The girls and I were crazy busy. We produced a show that consumed most of our time this past month. We raised funds for the Société franco-ontarienne de l’autisme. It’s a great cause and the show was a success. But it did mean that Unruffled Farms took a backseat.
We made up for it though. This week has been hectic but very productive. Work at Opus Academy has not let up as we are in recital season, but we still managed to get lots done on the farm.
We planted and planted and then planted some more. It will be interesting to see what comes out of all the planting as the quality of the earth differs quite a bit. Some areas contain rich loam while directly over, it can be very sandy. So in the same bed, some plants are thriving while others seem slower to progress. I have yet to add any vitamins but I have added 30-30-30 garden soil to every bed.
Because of the slow start to the season, Katie and I decided it was wise to purchase some of our plants this year. So off the our favourite nursery, Laporte Flowers and Nurseries on Old Montreal Road, east of Orleans. We spent a pretty penny on herbs, onions, peppers, berry bushes and so much more. Then just as we were about to turn off the highway, a car veered in front of us. All the plants went skidding forward, some falling in between seats, others tipping over and breaking. NOT HAPPY!!!
So when we got home we evaluated the damage. Lots of broken branches which will slow the growth and productivity of the plants, but there is nothing for it but hope the weather will be good and the plants will recuperate.
The week was spent trying to find spare moments to put all our new acquisitions in the ground.
Before 
A little while later
So in the bed I ‘found’ under the deck we used for the chicken coop, I planted all the seeds I had no room for in my pasture beds. Against the wall will be the beans and peas. Turnips, radishes and beets are also here. The plants that you see are all purchased except for the little Swiss chard plants on the bottom left.
Potatoes 
Lots of greens 
Expanding 
Tilled and ready for corn? 
Feeling productive
Once again, friends came to my rescue! I just couldn’t seem to get ahead on preparing the pasture for more planting. Francine, one of my choir members, lent me her tiller! What a great tool. I turned enough ground to plant all my potatoes and then some! Great few hours of work before heading into to town to teach. But boy, my body is feeling old.
Yesterday was an incredibly beautiful day. I will not say it was TOO warm. It was perfect. But the work we were all doing required lots of hydration. We are all desperate to have the chickens outside to ‘free range’. They are old enough and getting a little cramped in the barn stall. So with the help of all our boys, Alex, Zach and Brian, we have spent the last few weekends trying to build the chicken coop. Again, we are all limited for time so it’s taking a bit longer than we hoped. BUT! We have been able to acquire so much of the material for free! It’s good to know people who know people who know people…
First day 
Team work 
Figuring things out 
Already a roof! 
Second day, wrapping it up 
So cute!
So the plan is for me to get the fencing done this week. Well, at least get the posts aligned. I have dug up a trench so that the poultry netting will be underground. This protects the chickens from getting critters into the coop. We have never had an animal get through this simple but effective system of fencing in the past, so let’s hope we keep that track record.
We use Yardgard Poultry Netting. I like the rolls that come in 4 feet height by 50 feet long. I run one roll parallel to the ground and the other on top of that one. That way, I will have 1 foot of netting buried, use 1 foot to weave together with another layer and staple the upper edge to the frame. That will leave me with about a 6 foot tall enclosure.
Summer feels like it’s arrived. We are busy, our bodies are adjusting to this new life, and the farm makes us happy. Walking about the ground after dinner is my favourite thing. I’ve discovered a few Common Lilacs, tons of Lilies of the Valley, rhubarb bushes, a pretty Magnolia tree and a few apple trees further away. Lots of daffodils and tulips of varied colours. The trees are filling up with greenery. The view from any angle is lush and rich. The earth smells moist and once in a while we hear a young rooster trying out his songs.
That was the dream. It’s hard work but it’s worth every moment.
Unruffled Farms 