Happy Spring! We thought we would write a quick blog post to give an update on what is new at Stone Farm. Yes we are alive, well, and excited for a 2019 season! We have been very busy with projects around the farm to increase efficiency and the quality of vegetables we produce.
Here is a brief update on new happenings around the farm:
We got a tractor! We are committed to utilizing the tractor very sparingly in the garden (we are moving more and more towards low-till methods), but it will be a huge help with general property maintenance (mowing fields, clearing snow during winter, maintaining driveway etc.). Hydraulics make everything SO much easier.
We added another member to the family- Hadlee a two year-old Goldendoodle! She came to us as a rescue from NH- very friendly and still a bit rowdy (although she is getting much better as we continue to enforce ‘manners’). You will often see her barking at the moon, chasing ducks, digging mammoth holes in random places, rolling in poop, and searching the property endless for nasty dead animals.
Our search for fresh water continues (the new well we drilled when renovating the house is salty…joy). Here is one of three, 20 foot+ holes Mark Welch & Sons, Inc. dug to try (<key word) to find water for a dug well. Sigh…. For now, we are lucky enough to use the property’s original 100 year old dug well.
We are currently working on renovating a corner of our barn to create a centralized, high efficiency washing/packing area for produce with sinks, permanent plumbing/tables, a 300 gallon stainless steel tank for washing bulk greens, and a homemade commercial salad spinner.
Lastly, we are putting the finishing touches on our new microgreens/seedling greenhouse compete with a potting bench, heat, and water! We hope to begin growing microgreens/seedlings in a couple short weeks. Microgreens should be available almost year-round from this space.
Be sure to continue to check this blog for future farm/farm stand updates! Farm stand should be back open with produce and local products May/early June.
Happy Spring- Mike and rest of the Stone Farm family