We do have a small amount of produce available. If you are interested, please contact us directly. Nine One Zero - Four Three Nine - Four Eight Five Four or email hopefarms1890 at gmail dot com.
Best,
In a world traveling at a hundred miles per hour, we are determined to slow down one acre at a time. We can't claim to be 'certified' anything or 'organic' this or that, but what we know is that we do things like our great-grandparents, with humility, integrity and respect for the animals, land, and forthcoming generations. Join us on an authentic journey of connecting with our community, our food, and our future.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Hope Farms has not been to the Montgomery County Farmers' Market in several weeks now, and we apologize to anyone who has missed us.
We do have a small amount of produce available. If you are interested, please contact us directly. Nine One Zero - Four Three Nine - Four Eight Five Four or email hopefarms1890 at gmail dot com.
Best,
We do have a small amount of produce available. If you are interested, please contact us directly. Nine One Zero - Four Three Nine - Four Eight Five Four or email hopefarms1890 at gmail dot com.
Best,
Friday, August 17, 2012
Tomatoes.
I pulled almost 16 lbs of tomatoes this morning. Just thought somebody might want to know.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Back in Time, and Progress
Sitting under the maple tree with coffee and the sounds of the farm behind me; birds chirping and singing, cow-bell's ring-a-linging, and pigs squealing for their breakfast make the remembrance of city-life a long-ago memory.
While I always managed to hear the sounds of horses chewing hay, clip-clopping down the road, and the smell of leather close by, there were times when I longed to live in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of it all. Now a traffic jam consists of two bluebirds angling for the same nest location and maybe the rush of Sunday church-goers at 9:00am trying to get to Sunday school on time. These ARE the good old days, indeed.
My husband says "for every modern convenience one eliminates from their lives, a job (or two) is created." As an example, I haven't turned the knob on a dryer in about two years now. Out to the well-house goes the laundry baskets, to be thrown into the washing machine, and then to the well used three-strand clothes line they go. Taken down, sometimes folded - sometimes not, they go back into the house for the third round of processing; either to lay motionless on the spare bed in the front room waiting ever-so-patiently to be folded, or to be just as patient to stay there until someone says, "Mom, where's my camouflage pants?"
It's true also, what they say, about wood heating you twice, only I think it's double that. Cutting the tree down, to be loaded into the back of the back of the pick-up truck, then unloaded, to be split by the wood-splitter and then stacked, ready to be burned in the outdoor wood stove.
Just the random thoughts of a farmhousewife. Sitting under the maple tree. With coffee.
While I always managed to hear the sounds of horses chewing hay, clip-clopping down the road, and the smell of leather close by, there were times when I longed to live in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of it all. Now a traffic jam consists of two bluebirds angling for the same nest location and maybe the rush of Sunday church-goers at 9:00am trying to get to Sunday school on time. These ARE the good old days, indeed.
My husband says "for every modern convenience one eliminates from their lives, a job (or two) is created." As an example, I haven't turned the knob on a dryer in about two years now. Out to the well-house goes the laundry baskets, to be thrown into the washing machine, and then to the well used three-strand clothes line they go. Taken down, sometimes folded - sometimes not, they go back into the house for the third round of processing; either to lay motionless on the spare bed in the front room waiting ever-so-patiently to be folded, or to be just as patient to stay there until someone says, "Mom, where's my camouflage pants?"
It's true also, what they say, about wood heating you twice, only I think it's double that. Cutting the tree down, to be loaded into the back of the back of the pick-up truck, then unloaded, to be split by the wood-splitter and then stacked, ready to be burned in the outdoor wood stove.
Just the random thoughts of a farmhousewife. Sitting under the maple tree. With coffee.
When it's too hot to go outside.....
we stay inside and talk about......FooD. With lincoln logs and the assistance of the internet - we discuss digestion. Fun times, indeed!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Garden of Weedin'
At this point in the summer, as in years past, the weeds have nearly taken over the garden. The raised beds suffer less from the invasion of Mother Nature's misplaced flowers, although keeping them consistently watered has proved a challenge.
Every year we learn more about beneficial and unwanted pests, and continue the rather steep learning curve in regards to soil amendments, composting, and management of planting successive crops.
It seems as though we are in the mid-summer garden of weedin' blahs, though. Not much is producing well, and although we've had ample rain and sunshine, the heat has taken its toll on many of the plants we'd placed our hopes for bumpers crops upon, and alas, one cannot begin to sell a tomato at the farmers' market - so we have taken to giving them away.
I had to laugh when I came across a freecycle post offering "homegrown tomatoes," as it reaffirmed my saying of "you can't give 'em away."
New piglets were born about a month and a half ago, mama & babies are doing well. One piglet died, as this was mama's first litter, she inadvertently smothered him within the first hour of birth. Sigh.
Hattie the family milk cow is doing well as are "Red" and "Pete" the beef cows (yesterday Pete was referred to as a 'beefcake' by a dear friend of mine, and I believe that shall be one of his nicknames for sure - if the shoe fits...) and because of all the blessed rain and sunshine, the pastures are thriving.
Spencer, aka: the skinned horse and April, aka: pistol Annie are tolerating the summer well. What can we expect from 25 and 37 year old California-grown horses in this NC humidity? They like their salt rock which makes me happy, giving me peace of mind that they are keeping their electrolytes in balance, which is so important to avoid dehydration.
The farm dogs are hiding in the coolness of the damp earth beneath the old farmhouse and the barn cat makes an appearance after his daily nap, tired out from chasing mice all night (which hopefully keeps the snakes at bay, which will eat our eggs!).
In other news, my dad is here from California, and we are enjoying his visit.
.JPG) |
| One of the raised "beds" - complete with salvaged headboard. The pitchers hold water for various insects, hopefully mostly pollinators.... |
It seems as though we are in the mid-summer garden of weedin' blahs, though. Not much is producing well, and although we've had ample rain and sunshine, the heat has taken its toll on many of the plants we'd placed our hopes for bumpers crops upon, and alas, one cannot begin to sell a tomato at the farmers' market - so we have taken to giving them away.
I had to laugh when I came across a freecycle post offering "homegrown tomatoes," as it reaffirmed my saying of "you can't give 'em away."
New piglets were born about a month and a half ago, mama & babies are doing well. One piglet died, as this was mama's first litter, she inadvertently smothered him within the first hour of birth. Sigh.
Hattie the family milk cow is doing well as are "Red" and "Pete" the beef cows (yesterday Pete was referred to as a 'beefcake' by a dear friend of mine, and I believe that shall be one of his nicknames for sure - if the shoe fits...) and because of all the blessed rain and sunshine, the pastures are thriving.
Spencer, aka: the skinned horse and April, aka: pistol Annie are tolerating the summer well. What can we expect from 25 and 37 year old California-grown horses in this NC humidity? They like their salt rock which makes me happy, giving me peace of mind that they are keeping their electrolytes in balance, which is so important to avoid dehydration.
The farm dogs are hiding in the coolness of the damp earth beneath the old farmhouse and the barn cat makes an appearance after his daily nap, tired out from chasing mice all night (which hopefully keeps the snakes at bay, which will eat our eggs!).
In other news, my dad is here from California, and we are enjoying his visit.
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| Dad relaxes while Farmer Ed milks the cow, "Hattie." |
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