What’s been going on!

Dear Friends,

It has been far too long and although we have been slowly working away all summer and fall on the various projects around the farm we didn’t feel like we had enough progress to show until recently.  These early months of retirement have been glorious and just what we expected, a simple schedule that flows with our whims. 

We, like many of you, have not been able to travel as much as we would like but that time will come.  We have made a few, short, 3-4 day forays but are waiting on things to settle before committing to longer trips abroad.  We do have a two week trip to Norway planned for March but feel that will also have to be postponed for a year with the recent changes in the Covid situation.  Flexibility and adaptability is and has been, all our lives, our enduring motto.

Betsy has been working on a few pottery projects and cleaning out and organizing lots of our vast accumulated farm materials but mostly she has been having a great time with the “recreational” flower beds.  Rescuing, cleaning up, replanting, mulching and generally rethinking some of them.  Many trips to the plant nurseries for new material especially for the new 100’ X 16’ perennial border that flanks the new deer fence which we can use to grow climbing things on like roses and clematis.

Alex has been busy taking down the rest of the sliding tunnels, regrading and seeding the old production fields to grass and a wildflower/pollinator area.  Building the new, and final, deer fence and establishing the new gardens for food and cut flowers.  Plant materials have been ordered for spring planting of the new small fruits bed, the first time we have had raspberries and blackberries in nearly 30 years.  Maybe a little over the top but there will be 3 varieties each of raspberries and blackberries and some table grapes.  The new asparagus bed is ready too.  He has even slipped off for two long backpacking trips to Texas and a few shorter ones locally.

As many of you know we make almost weekly visits to the Farmers’ Market to check in and to get our people fix.  It has been great to run into many of our old friends and catch up some.  In this end of the year Holiday season we frequently think about how lucky we are to be in the place we are, in such fine fettle and with the luxury of doing what we dream of.  None of this would have been possible without all of you.

Pictures of the week

The before and after of the field transition from production to landscape

The new deer fence and perennial border

The before and after of the sliding tunnels to the food gardens, the small fruits bed in the foreground, mulched and ready to go.

Stay safe and well and we hope to see you all at the market or around town!

Alex and Betsy If you know folks who you think would be interested in news of the farm then please feel free to forward this to them and encourage them to sign up at the website.