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!
The garden is looking especially gorgeous
this year,
thanks to all the help from our WWOOFers. Willing Workers On Organic
Farms
is a wonderful organization, maintaining a list of host farms around
the
world which provide room and board, and an educational farm experience
in exchange for help with the farm work. We are really enjoying the
opportunity
to meet new people and share with them this beautiful corner of the
world
that we call home, and pass on information about organic farming
techniques.
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.
Our handmade herbal soaps and salves
continue to
be very popular at the Farmer's Markets. You can also order them from
us
by mail--call or email for current prices and availability.
In our few spare moments we're squeezing in
some
time with the horses. Three of our pony mares, Ladybug, Morag, and
Skye,
have been bred to Quartz. Quartz is progressing well with driving
training,
and we continue to be amazed by his wonderful disposition. He is the
calmest,
sweetest horse we've ever owned--not exactly typical for a 4 year old
stallion!
We are starting 3 year old Ceilidh in harness as well, and we think
she'll
make a super driving pony.
July/August/September 2000 News from the Farm
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.
Skye has had a lot of ground work time in the last two
months.
|
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!
|