Its official, Spring is definitely here. The last week of 12 - 15 degree days, above freezing nights and occasional rain has melted the snow from the fields, allowing the first grass shoots to spring up. 
The ground is super saturated with runoff, in places its like walking on a giant sponge. Although the gardens are on a gentle slope, the water still tends to pool up in spots when its this soggy, so we've helped it find its way down the hill a little faster with a shallow ditch. This will help dry things up a little faster. Its still much too wet to get into the garden, but thats okay there are plenty of other things to do around the farm. First off we need to finish up our pasture expansion project in the North field, piling the rest of the brush, splitting and stacking the firewood and cutting the stumps off level with the ground so that we can mow this area with the tractor this summer.
The ground is super saturated with runoff, in places its like walking on a giant sponge. Although the gardens are on a gentle slope, the water still tends to pool up in spots when its this soggy, so we've helped it find its way down the hill a little faster with a shallow ditch. This will help dry things up a little faster. Its still much too wet to get into the garden, but thats okay there are plenty of other things to do around the farm. First off we need to finish up our pasture expansion project in the North field, piling the rest of the brush, splitting and stacking the firewood and cutting the stumps off level with the ground so that we can mow this area with the tractor this summer.
Its best to do this sort of work before the heat of the summer comes on, right now its the perfect time. So much of farming depends on an understanding of timing. When to plant, when to harvest, move animals to new ground, cut poles, cut firewood, cut handles for shovels and axes, set fence posts, build shelters, mow pastures, peel trees, plan gardens....It puts me in mind of a good line from a great old book, "Five Acres and Independance" by W. Kains,
"One of the most profitable habits you can form is systematically , every day, to go over at least a part of your premises in a leisurely, scrutinizingly thoughtful way, and fill the granary of your mind with knowledge of the habits of helpful and harmful animals, birds and insects: to observe and understand the characteristic of plant growth from the sprouting of the seed though all stages of stem, leaf, flower, fruit, and seed development: to note and interpret the behavior of plants, poultry, and animals under varying conditions of heat and cold, sunshine and shade, drought and wetness, fair weather and foul, rich and poor feeding. Here is not only the best farm school in which to learn the duties you owe to your dependents (plants and animals) and yourself for your own best interests, but in which to enjoy the most delightful compensations of farm life: for it gives the thinking observer mastery over his business, brings him en rapport with his environment and in tune with The Infinite.”
