2004 RECAP

            It is so hard to believe that another season is almost past.  It seems like only yesterday that we were rushing around trying to get ready to open in March and now we are already starting to think about getting things going for next year.   We have had a very good season not only in the nursery business but in our produce division also.  We have told people that we grow about an acre of produce but I think our growing area has increased to more like 2 acres.  In the middle of August those rows of tomatoes and beans seem to get longer and longer with each passing week!  We were really lucky this year with some record cool temps in August and some nice steady rain showers.  It seems like just about the time we were starting to really need a rain one came and that is very unusual for Western Kentucky, especially in July and August. 

For that reason we had a bumper crop of tomatoes and green beans.  If you didn’t have a chance to see some of our awesome tomatoes either at the farm or the farmer’s market, you really missed something.  We weighed some of the larger ones and they weighed over 2 pounds.  It seems after 4 years in the business we would finally learn a lesson on successive plantings. But not us, we have to be knocked over the head a couple of times before it sinks in.  We planted all our tomatoes at one time and even though they had different maturity dates it seems they all came in at once and then they were gone.  We were smart enough to plant some late tomatoes but not near enough to supply those people who were counting on our heirloom tomatoes to last clear to frost.  We promise that next year we will definitely do a better job of spacing out our tomato plantings over an extended period of time.  We had a terrible time with cucumber beetles this year not just on cucumbers but also on everything!  They devastated our cucumber crop and also our watermelons.  What melons survived the coyote attacks were then chewed on by the beetles until finally we surrendered and let them have them.  On a positive note, once again our garlic was a big hit so we have already planted about twice as much as what we had this year.  There is no comparison to our garlic and what you buy in the store.  If you missed out this year be sure and try it next year and you will know what we are talking about.  We were really pleased with our new Slenderette green bean we grew this year.  They are a little smaller bean than our usual Contender but kept well on the vine and were easy to pick.  Speaking of picking, Suzanne didn’t get to complain as much this year about picking green beans because of our new helper named Jose’.

There is no way Lindy and Suzanne would have been able to pick all the veggies we had planted this year if it weren’t for his help.  We found Jose’ through a friend and he had no idea what he was getting into until he showed up the first day to help us.  We wish we knew how many bushels of green beans he picked for us this summer the two days a week he helped us.   Even though he kept saying he didn’t really mind picking beans, Suzanne would start feeling guilty and go help him.  He has worked out in California for some of the big strawberry producers, etc. but had never worked for anyone that grew organic.  We feel he learned quite a bit from us and we learned from him also.  He taught us an easy way to cook corn on the cob without removing shuck and silk.  Just remove a few of the shuck on the outside, then steam the corn for about 30 minutes.  Once done, the shuck and silk just fall off without any effort at all.   Remember that tip next year when sweet corn season comes in again. 

Everyone seemed to enjoy our hypertufa workshops we held this year.  We had from 7 to 13 people attend each one and everyone seemed to have fun and were very proud of the final result they took home with them.  We had several people tell us we should hold more workshops in the future.  If you have an idea of something you would like to see us teach at a workshop next year be sure and let us know.

            Steve has been in hog heaven the last couple of weeks as he now has a new tractor to play with.  The last 4 years we have done all the work in the garden by manual labor and a really hard-working Troy-Built tiller.  He has bush-hogged just about the whole farm from top to bottom and it looks better now than it ever has.  Trying to clean up the garden every fall has always been a slow, painstaking process but this year it has been a breeze.  We hope also this will help us get our garden ready in the Spring a little earlier than usual.  In the past we always had to depend on a neighbor to break the garden for us.  We were always grateful for his help but it will be nice to be able to take care of that ourselves next year.

 GET READY FOR FALL

Thanks to the help of floating row covers, we were able to harvest a fairly sizeable pumpkin and gourd crop.  In the past, squash bugs have been so bad that we were never able to get many pumpkins to a decent size.   We have everything you need for your fall decorating.  Pumpkins, Indian Corn, Corn Shocks, Mums, Pansies, Johnny Jump-ups and Gourds of all shapes and sizes.   Our Corn Shocks came from our Bloody Butcher corn we grew this year and they are really some of the biggest shocks you will find anywhere. 

            Once again, we want to emphasize that fall is the absolute best time to plant shrubs, roses, trees and perennials.  We know it is so hard to get away from that preconceived notion that spring is the time to plant but trust us, fall is much better.  And not only do your plants have a much better survival rate, but with our fall sale you can purchase so much more with your hard-earned money.  Shrubs, roses and trees are now 40% off, perennials and grasses are 25% off and herbs are 50% off.  

LOOKING AHEAD

            We are excited about our 4^th Annual Fall Celebration coming up on Sunday, October 10^th from 2-4 p.m.  We will again have pony rides, petting zoo, games, door prizes and this year we are adding a scavenger hunt for older children and adults.  We provide this free of charge to anyone who wants to come.  It is sort of our last hurrah of the season and a thank you to our customers for supporting us these last 4 years.  We hope you will come and bring a child with you to enjoy an afternoon of good family fun.  One reason we started this business was to educate the public on the value of keeping the family farm alive.  We want our farm to be “family friendly” so we keep adding different items for adults and children alike to enjoy.  We have expanded our collection of animals now to include two goats named Sid and Nero.  Chickens, bunnies and goats are all a new experience for us and we definitely have a lot to learn.  For one thing, we didn’t realize that for everything that goes in their mouth, twice as much comes out the other end and you have to deal with that somehow or another. HA!  We still don’t know what we are going to do with all this manure but be reassured that we will not be using any of this manure in our produce operation.  We have ended up with about twice as many roosters as we need.  We learned after the fact that if you want the right amount of hens to roosters you have to pay more money to specify how many of each you want.  Now that the roosters are getting bigger they are starting to fight to establish the “pecking order”.  Suzanne says they growl at her even though Steve says chickens don’t growl!!  We got the Brown Leghorns about a month later than the Plymouth Rock and so they are smaller.  In order for them to get any feed at all Suzanne has to take the Leghorns down to the other end of the fence and keep the other chickens away while they eat.  That is when the growling starts.  We also wonder if these chickens will ever lay enough eggs to offset what we have spent on feed, the chicken house, bedding, etc.  Then if you count the time it takes to feed and water them a person would have to ask $5.00 a dozen to recapture the expense we have been out!  On the subject of bunnies, Steve’s plan was to have baby bunnies and sell them.  Most people that raise rabbits end up with an overabundance if you know what we mean.  Well, it turns out we think we were sold some old and tired adults bunnies so the female is having a hard time getting pregnant.  She has had only one litter of babies and then there were only 2.  Granted those 2 little bunnies with flop-ears are as cute as can be but we were thinking we would have more like 10 or 12!  Last but not least, on the subject of goats.  Have you ever heard the expression “He smells like a goat”? Well, believe us, there is not a human being on this earth that could smell as bad as these goats do.  The first day we had them, all you had to do was pull up in the driveway and you could smell them.  Supposedly, this is their way to attract females but that must be one sick nanny to be attracted to that odor! HA!  There is no way these goats could be used in a petting zoo.  We have a hard time getting close enough to feed them much less pet them!

            To wrap up for this year, we will again be participating in the Murray Art Guild’s Holiday Sale on November 5^th and 6^th.  We have already started putting together some neat items that would make great Christmas gifts.  Lindy has put together some beautiful mixed herb pots in our own handmade hypertufa pots.  We also have been drying a lot of flowers to put together in some wreaths and other floral projects.  A new item for us this year is going to be some dried pepper wreaths and swags using Thai Hot peppers.  Suzanne had a hard time keeping Lindy from picking those bright red peppers this summer but we grew a couple of rows just strictly for that reason.  We once again will have our dried herbal blends, herbal soap and some fall mixed containers.

            We are already planning what we will offer new for 2005.  Some items in the works are a much larger collection of plants for shade to part-shade.  Steve is getting some ideas for constructing a new shade house just for these plants.  We will have a much larger selection of antique roses than ever before along with some new carpet roses.  We are planning on expanding our cut flower operation.  With our growing cut flower subscription service and trying to supply bouquets for the farmer’s market it seems we never have enough flowers at the business for those people needing a bouquet during the week.  Our field grown daylilies really went over big this year so we are going to be putting in some more varieties to choose from.  That is just the beginning.  No telling what we will come up with between now and next March.  If there is anything you would like to see us carry next year be sure and let us know.  

We would like to pursue some more extensive advertising next year including radio and possibly some television spots.  The one comment we heard over and over this year was from new customers saying they had no idea we were even open.  For that reason we are considering sending our newsletter out by e-mail only.  Those people currently receiving it by mail can just pick one up at the farm or the Farmer’s Market.   This will free up some money in the advertising budget and allow us to reach even more people.  If you currently are on the snail mail list and have a valid e-mail address be sure and send it to us soon!!!