Month of May 2011 : Positive

Here is a photo of our Mallard ducks. We are so familiar with each other that even at a range of 20 feet, they dont even look sideways at me. The cover crop was flailed but plowing and shaping the beds is not happening any time soon.

Today (May 29) just annoyed me the wrong way. After months of cold and wet, the past few days were finally warming and the soil finally drying. The radar was clear. Time to change the "PAST DUE" status columns to "DONE".

The rotary plow was hooked up to the tractor. The engine was revving and together we worked over the fields. The fields were plowed. The transplants were outside on the greenhouse benches soaking up the heat and sun.

Another check of the radar. Still clear. Plenty of time to visit at the hospital and say HI to my dad before continuing with the work.

On the way home, though, the lightening light up the sky. Hmm. What? By the time we returned home 15 minutes later the storm had raged through. The transplants were bobbling in water. And the Mallards were very agitated with the whitecaps out in the fields.

We promised we would stay positive but that is effective only for the month of May.

Month of April 2011 : Blossoms

Here is a photo of the sweet corn field. The cover crop in the foreground was flailed April 24; the background was flailed May 8. The apple trees are in full bloom. I gauge my field operations by the first tree in the fourth row. It is always the first to green tip, to silver tip and to bloom. This year is 16 - 18 days behind last year.

Of course April was a busy month just like every other month. But it was the first month that my hands actually were dirty. The peppers, tomatoes and eggplants were started indoors first and are already outside in the greenhouse. The cantaloupes and watermelons were started next and are still being coddled in the basement. These are fickle plants and heat mats really make a difference. The fall crops like broccoli and cabbage will also be started indoors but not until June.

The weather conditions are delaying field operations but I dont anticipate significant impact on target harvest dates. Even though transplant setting and direct sowing operations will be later, were are not missing many growing degree days. A day in late April is very different than a day in late May.

OK who am I kidding? I admit, I really want to be out in the fields now!