Wow what an interesting year so far, to say the least. It was going to be a year of change for us anyway, with Meg’s Bread opening this past March, but when the business opened at the same time as pandemic struck we had to react quickly.
We decided to make Meg’s Bread pre-order only, with no-contact pickup. Instead of going to the farmer’s market as planned, we began to market our produce alongside the bakery items. This made since in a couple of ways:
-We could sell produce without the risk of spreading or receiving the virus
-Both of us could focus our attention on the shop on saturdays instead of being spread apart at different locations
-We began to think of Meg’s Bread as an opportunity it showcase our farm. Not only are the farm ingredients used to make pies and pastries, this location can be our farm stand in town and a platform to interact with the public.
Managing orders and predicting harvest has been difficult, with more time spent on a computer than usual. But it is working and we have been happy to provide some of our usual customers with produce, and meet some new customers to add to our collection of quality produce enthusiasts.
The growing season so far has also had its share of ups and downs, as any normal year does when you are at the mercy of the weather. We have had some visits form the local hogs and crows that cut our sweet corn short, and even had a couple of sheep escapes where they mowed down the kale and cabbage. That was disappointing, but will make the lamb we eat this fall taste even better…
I had hip/leg strain that began in March and continued throughout the spring and summer. I kept working but it limited my ability to keep up in certain ways. However, I got with Ky Yu at Acu-athletics in Cookeville for some acupunture. It was my first exposure to acupuncture but after a couple appointments I have been able to heal and understand the mechanics of my body in new ways. I would highly recommend Ky! So I’m back in action.
Finally, we have added a sawmill to the property where we live and manage. This had been very fun to learn and finally get to sawing up a lot of logs that we have built up over the years of clearing, silvopasture establishment, and storm damage. Most of the lumber is being installed into farm buildings and additions. Its very cool to see logs turn to lumber, then to watch it be installed by professional builders who really understand how to work with our local materials. The sawmill is a new division of labor for me to figure out, but we have had some part time help start recently and its really helping me to keep it all rolling. 2-3 acres vegetables, 5 species of livestock, milling lumber, making and maintaining roads, clearing and establishing 20 acres of silvopasture from overgrown invasive species. The work is endless, so thankfully I love the work and I feel lucky for the opportunity to engage with my environment to create sustainable food and building materials.
As of early August, cucumbers are coming in hot and tomatoes are on their tail. The bulk of our tomato planting should be arriving in the next 2 weeks, then produce into the fall. Our delicata, butternut, and spqghetti squash plantings are close to harvest, and sweet potatoes are growing well. They have filled out and won’t need any more weeding, just will grow until the fall harvest.
We saw an opportunity last week to get in an early fall planting of greens, and went for it. The results were perfect germination. This cool spell is a good start for them but I know it will turn hot again and I will probably need to get some irrigation out to keep them growing nicely.