June 2000 News from the Farm

June is a very busy month here at Lone Tree Farm. We're working long days in the garden, digging, planting, and harvesting. Keeping everything watered has been a challenge in the recent 100 degree heat wave. The heat has been hard on plants, people, and livestock--such an abrupt change from frost and rain in early June!

Thank you to all who've visited the farm and helped us so far this season; Lydia, Tamara, Janneke, Austin, Emily, and especially Kate, who spent almost 3 months working here!
 

All the additional help this year has made it possible for us to sell at more Farmer's Markets than we've ever done before. You can find us and our produce at the Mendocino Market on Fridays, Noon-2 P.M., Boonville on Saturdays, 9:45A.M.-Noon, and Gualala on most Saturdays, 3-5P.M.  Currently we're harvesting potatoes, peas, carrots, onions, chinese cabbage, lettuce, radishes, kale, and raspberries.

July found us frantically busy with Farmer's Markets and struggling with a dwindling water supply. The unusual heat in June and early July left us with a smaller than normal water flow from the spring, but with careful planning we were able to keep everything we had planted adequately watered until harvest. However, not knowing what the water situation would be like by fall, we decided not to risk planting additional market crops for later harvest.

So early August was the end of our Farmer's Market season for this year. We are still selling our herbal soaps and salves by mail order and will have U-pick walnuts available in late October. We're not too disappointed by the water induced reprieve from the market garden, as three markets per week was more than we had attempted in past years, and the schedule was hectic to say the least.

Now that we've finally had some time available, August and September have been devoted primarily to horse training.

Ceilidh is making good progress; ground driving nicely and dragging a tire around in the arena. She should soon be ready to start working with the cart. She has filled out quite a bit in the past two months and I have now started working with her under saddle.

She has accepted this calmly and cheerfully, and since she already understands steering, whoa, and backing up from ground driving, she is very responsive to cues from a rider. However, because she is not a large pony, and not fully mature, carrying a rider is physically an effort for her at this stage. Therefore we're limiting her ridden work to very short sessions of gentle walking and occaisional trotting. Cantering with a rider will have to wait until she's a bit stronger.
 

She now is started under saddle and making phenomenal progress. We were already aware of Skye's exceptional intelligence, and that she doesn't like being bored.  She has been needing a job to keep her challenged and interested. Now that we are riding her she just can't wait for her daily lesson and tries her heart out.  In spite of being green she is a joy to ride.  Her gaits are smooth and balanced and she is very responsive.

Quartz has been enjoying the easy life out in the pasture while we've been focusing on training Skye and Ceilidh.  Ladybug, our Haflinger cross mare is looking quite pregnant now. Her foal will be the first one due next spring, in early March. It seems like such a long time to wait!