Re-cap fall and winter 2015

Well, obviously, I have been so enthralled with the ease of posting on Instagram that I've ignored my good ol' blog. So, for those of you who don't follow me on Instagram, here's a recap of the last months of 2015.

My time was taken up by continuing the development of the native and edible plant gardens through the rest of the summer. (I enjoyed the "fruits" of my labor A LOT)

Our raspberry hedge was a big producer and picking was enjoyed by all of us.

Aronia berry scones. The Aronia (chokeberry) bushes were also producing in their first year and are super-easy to grow.
We were happy to discover that, when cooked, they taste just like blueberries.

I also expanded the chicken coop to aid in amiable chicken relationships through the winter. Our two roosters and 12 hens seem to be making it work in their new space. But Donny, our head rooster, developed a very protective attitude while we were away on our late summer trip to Italy (yes, it was a blast!).

Construction of the coop addition required a rooster barricade!

Brent devised a portable solar charging station that houses the inverter, charge controller and battery. We are still working on right-sizing our systems. But it will certainly be handy for keeping water thawed in the winter and running the small pumps for the cisterns in the summer.

Portable solar battery charging system. Notice the expanded coop in the background.

The biggest accomplishment: The Greenhouse! It's done :-)

Figuring out the windows/framing walls

Brent on the roof matching up the peaks/creating flashing

All closed up!

Of course, there was a TON more to it than these pictures show. Brent worked every spare minute and even took time off of his full-time day job to make sure the space was done before the cold set in. And I couldn't be more pleased to have this invaluable part of our farm infrastructure functioning. It's been an awesome place to work.

My own big accomplishment last fall was the establishment of the first of our vegetable plots. It's a small space, as market gardens go, but I didn't want to bite off too much more than I could handle for our first year.

Two feet deep mulch to start our no-till garden system. My hands are still recovering from all the raking!

I also readied a space using the same deep mulch system for the 20'X40' high tunnel that we will erect prior to fall 2016.

There's so much more that's happened. Hopefully, this little recap gives you a taste of where we ended the season last year.

Next up, the beginnings of our first season farming!

Greenhouse progress

Remember "Backhoe Brent"? Well, he has been working hard to build a sturdy greenhouse for the farm. The project has come a long way since the last post about it! And, thankfully, Brent had some help to move things along.

Blaine and all the boys helped build the foundation.

Brent and all the boys helped move those cinder blocks Brent salvaged from the old house. It took a lot of those to build the foundation walls. They also dug an additional trench that serves to drain water from around that foundation. Gravel has been added to the bottom to support and level the cinder blocks.

Brent's brother Bryan helped install the post brackets
and bolts that will hold the framing.

Brent used mortar to hold the cinder blocks together. Then, with help from his brother Bryan, he installed brackets and bolts set with concrete that will hold the posts and framing. In addition, rebar was passed down through the blocks to the ground and held in place with cement. This will insure the walls resist bowing (unlike the walls of the old garage which are bowed terribly).

Here's a photo of the "finished" foundation.

Outside of the foundation walls Brent added perforated pipe and covered that with gravel. He also filled inside the walls with gravel, making sure there was a good amount in the corner near that drainage trench. He left a couple of small gaps in the cinder blocks in that corner so that, should a significant amount of water get inside the structure, it will have a place to drain.

Next, the dirt inside the greenhouse needed to be leveled out to see if we would need more fill. But, as you can see in the photo below, it looks like we already have the perfect amount inside the structure.

My handsome husband surveying the greenhouse "floor"

The next step is framing the walls. It will start to take shape quickly now!

What a big project! And this is what he does to relax on the weekends.

Backhoe Brent has been making progress

Brent by the earth from the greenhouse foundation excavation

That's a lot of shoveling! Brent has completed excavating both the west and east sides of the foundation. He digs a very neat trench and has a pretty detailed plan for using the salvaged cinder blocks from the house as the base of this greenhouse. It will be the first of the working structures on the farm - and my home-away-from (but still very close to) - home.

South side of garage showing "door" to greenhouse and foundation

I love being able to visualize the size of the space now that both sides are in. Brent has actually started the trench for the south wall of the greenhouse too. Lucky for me, he loves spending time out at the farm. And the fact that he also likes being productive - and is capable of designing and building - is about the most awesome thing ever! (Yes, I have to pinch myself often.)

So, even though the construction of the house is moving kind of slowly right now, rest assured that there are still things happening and growing at our little farm :-)

Starting the greenhouse

Standing by while the house is being built is a very anxious time. We have a ton of faith in our builder, Rick Robson of Robson Custom Homes. Yet, it all takes time, and we can't wait to be out there!

For me, it's sometimes just best to keep my mind on other things - like plans for a barn and chicken coop, learning about alpacas and fiber, going to horticulture conferences and reading about perennial propagation. For Brent, it's good to have a different project to act on. 

Brent has started a BIG project that has me very excited - the greenhouse! 

This will be a roughly 16'X16' space on the south side of the old cinderblock garage. The two spaces (garage and greenhouse) will be connected by a small doorway that already exists in the middle of the south wall of the garage. The peak of the greenhouse roof will run south (perpendicular to) and level with the garage roof.

Here's my guy "Backhoe Brent" digging the trench for a foundation:

Brent sitting in the trench for the west side of greenhouse.

 He has finished the trench for the west wall. The dirt from the trench is piled to the left in these photos.

finished trench for west wall
and line marking the south wall of greenhouse

As much as possible Brent is building the structure with salvaged materials. The lumber he and our sons salvaged from the old house. He purchased a few large windows on Craigslist from a remodel and we have one salvaged sliding glass door from the old house. As the walls take shape, the remaining spaces will be filled by other various windows we salvaged from the old house. The big purchase for this project will be the transparent panels for the roof. We are hoping we can keep that price under $500.

We feel pretty good about using recycled materials for the majority of the project. And I can't wait to see it! This will be my sunny home away from home :-)