Well after weeks of painstaking labor and many late nights we have finished planting about 40,000 strawberry plants, now expanding into the back fields. We have set up new irrigation lines running around the farm and spent quite bit of time planting grasses and digging gardens for the upcoming year. The one thing you truly come to appreciate living here is just how back-breaking farming really is...
Things however, are going fantastically! The animals are all in good health and the crops are looking exceptional. The warm weather has given us a head start on the growing season meaning our plants will have extra time to develop a higher quality produce. Also I have an exciting new addition to tell you all about! Some of you who may have visited the farm last year may have come across our heifer(a cow that has yet to give birth) Poppy. Well just under a week ago she gave birth to a lively new bull; bringing the total cow count to four!
It was quite the experience, certainly not for the faint of heart! It was my first time seeing any large animal being born and despite the blood, it was incredible! Must have been an interesting day at work for all the farmhands hanging around(all of whom came and watched...). All in all the early season has gone quite well, we are on top of all the work that needs to be done and the field is looking good for 2010!
To give the reader a little insight into the importance of this time of year; the early stages of the growing season are some of the most important in production. This is because they influence the way the plant matures and produces for the rest of the year. Ideally at this time of year you would see warm temperatures and lots of rain. While we certainly have the heat; rain seems to be an issue and this could be a big problem for Ontario farmers. The dry conditions expected this year will cause lots of damage to almost all crops this year and unless your farmer is constantly irrigating odds are the fruit could be a lot smaller this season.
So how as a gardener can you prevent this kind of damage? Well the most important step is to keep an eye on your garden. Water it as necessary, especially when the plants are young. Don't forget the temperature at this time of year can change on a dime and it is important to know when it will go below freezing. Plants should be kept in heat boxes of some kind overnight, to protect them from frost damage. For the bigger plots many people will choose to irrigate, the water will prevent frost damage from freezing up until -2 degrees.
Other then worrying about freezing the only other real concern now is planting. While this may be a very large job here on the farm, it is much more manageable in a backyard garden. Home growers should check seed packets and growing books for the approximate time to plant and follow the instructions for raising seedlings. As a farmer it is less off the package and more based on experience. You want to have your plants spread out the harvest as long as possible, as opposed to having all your produce come in one giant wave. One way of doing this is by planting seeds a few weeks apart, this will ensure that you always have plants producing at different times and a lot less produce is wasted(of course you also have to consider when plants pack it in or you might not get anything!).
Now things are beginning to slow down so I do hope to have a few posts up here over the next month but I will do my best! I hope everyone has stayed in good health, and that things are going well and I look forward to seeing some of you again as the season approaches! The weather is beautiful, so no excuses get around to going outside its good for ya! Who knows, you might even end up starting up a garden of your own! Alright well I have rambled enough, until the next time everyone;
Good Health & Good Eating!
