April 24th Market; Farm Pictures

A successful market yesterday!!! The previous three of four Saturdays were pretty dismal weather, especially last weekend when NC was hit with the most tornadoes in recorded history in one day....something like 25. One came within two miles of our farm around 3ish last Saturday, but with minimal damage. We feel VERY lucky.
The strawberries are in, and we're having a slight gap with flowers. We're about to get iris, batchelor buttons, and sweet william from the field though, so it shouldn't be long. I will miss the ranunculus. The lemon and violet colors might just be my two new favorites this year. I did miss having a bright orange one though. Next spring.
Our farm is looking so good right now. We always have to take in as much as we can around late-April early May when the farm looks it's best. The weeds are still under control, crimson clover abounds with it's stunning red blooms covered with honeybees (not to mention it's nitrogen-fixing benefits), and things just look so healthy at this point.
This week we have LOTS of planting and direct seeding to do, and we kicked off our CSA this Saturday. Life just became a blur from now til' the first week of Sept. when CSA ends and baby is born. Hopefully we can find some time for ourselves amidst the chaos cause life can be so beautiful in the stillness.
Oh yeah, I bought a duck yesterday at market from Dave at Elodie Farm. Nice work Dave!!! I'm so excited because I've never cooked one but love duck meat. Let's hope I can find a good recipe this morning and make something worthwhile and memorable out of it.

Take me to the water

Moving on

We've been picking dinner from the garden lately and I must say it is one of the highlights of farming. To cook something that is still so alive and fresh; it makes such a difference with the taste. We have planted, staked, and trellised our big house, moving on to the summer crops already. Yesterday we started our melon seed and heat loving celosia. Stuart mowed down one of best cover crops to date, albeit a bit later than we like due to all the rain we've been having. It looks to rain Saturday, again. Not the best for selling flowers at market, but I shouldn't complain. Looks like just one more week with tulips. I love them while they are here, but I don't mind seeing them go. For everything there is a season.

Red ranunculus make my heart flutter

Show-n-tell

The belly is showing now and I've felt the baby move a couple times. We're at 18 weeks here so that means two weeks away from halfway. Amazing how time flies.

Yesterday I tried to save a swallowtail from our hoophouse; I think it may have been in there for too long cause it wouldn't fly away from me. I had it in my hair, on my back, in my hand for a while. I felt lucky to share some time with it.
Clover wanted to show-n-tell everyone about her new favorite ball from uncle Aubrey. She always has it close and if, by chance, you're around, she'll show off her amazing catching skills. And last but definitely not least, Stuart wants to show off the big hoophouse almost ready for tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Freshly amended, tilled, and ready for the coming heat, we'll be planting in here today.

Durham wedding at Duke Gardens

I want to get married at Duke Gardens in the springtime. It would almost make buying flowers for your wedding inconsequential. Thankfully our last bride didn't feel this way. I was lucky and got to arrange her bouquet while a friend did all their other arrangements with buckets of flowers from us. We has a great market yesterday but I failed to take any pictures. This week there is a tulip bonanza happening on the farm with almost all of our field tulips coloring up. My back is bemoaning its fate right now, thinking of all the bending, squatting, lifting and heaving involved with tulips. I'll be sure to get some pictures for everyone, especially of next week's market, cause it'll be quite the flower show.