March 2021

Lenton Rose

It’s wonderful to have spring here after a rough February. With all the ice we had to use a torch to melt enough ice just to get into the high tunnel. We had to break ice off gates and handles to get to our animals. Thankfully we didn’t have any damage and it just made the chores more difficult.

Our last two ewes lambed so our lambing season is over. Our first lambs were born in early December when we prefer to have our lambs. It seems like the lambs born earlier in the winter are healthier than those born in early spring.

There has been a lot going on in the greenhouse with seeding and transplanting.

tomato transplant in high tunnel

The first transplants are already in the ground and growing. The cool season crops are being planted out into our permanent beds and the heat loving plants are going into the high tunnel. The high tunnel looks very different now that we have pulled out all the lettuce and kale that grew over the winter.

Our chicks arrived in early March during a cold spell and spent a few days in our mudroom since we just couldn’t keep them warm enough in the barn with just the heat lamp. Both the chicks and my family were glad when the chicks could go out into the brooder and have more room.

The garlic we planted last fall is really growing. At the beginning of the month just little green shoots were showing and now the garlic leaves are three to four inches long.

Another new crop planted last fall, Anemone

We like to grow something new every year. This year one of our new crops is baby ginger. The ginger roots are on the heat mat presprouting until the soil temperature is warm enough in the high tunnel to plant the ginger.

honey bee on turnip flower

We are already seeing pollinators on the farm. I imagine they are as excited about spring as I am.