Guest Post from my Mom at Crossbuck Farm

Farm Journal: May 2012

Welcome back!  So far, we have noticed that nothing has changed with our fruit orchard… our two pecan trees are still in bud, but our two dogwood trees look as if their flower blossoms are damaged: browned from the frosts we would surmise.  Still no growth seen on the grapes… maybe later yet. We keep our fingers crossed…

Seedlings are getting restless and waiting on bended knees to get into that garden!  This weekend, (Mother’s Day), we will plant in the “viney garden”: Corn, Squash, Pumpkins, and the Melons.  We have enlarged this garden to 55′ x  145′ to accomodate the tractor better, and yes, to give us more growing room! Although, when the viney plants start getting underway, we begin to weed them by hand, as toooooo many vines are present for the cultivator, which is pulled by the tractor.

We have our usual seedlings started:  Roma Tomatoes, Rainbow Bells, (cocktail tomatoes in yellow, orange and red: which bring excellent color and flavor to tomato salads),  Cayenne Peppers, Hot Pepper Blends, and the “Hot Pepper” Mix, (great for salsa and my paste hot pepper blend!)  We are also trying out a new eggplant called Fingerling Mix.  They are eggplants with smaller seeds, the size of a small summer squash, and in 3-4 different colors.  I thought this would look wonderful in some tomato dishes, and it was recommended by one of the Italian Chefs on TV as being the ultimate eggplant!  So, we will try it out and see how “ultimate” it really is!

We have enlarged the regular garden and the salad gardens as well:  They are now 105′ x 155′.  Once again, we are trying to “let” the cultivator and the tractor, help us out more this year with the garden weeding.  Jim is working on the cultivator he found in the high field grass here.  It was there resting and retired, looking sad… so, Jim decided to bring it back to life…. new this and new that. Presto-Chango just like a new haircut and facelift…. ready to be appreciated again!

This is also the time for new kittens to be found on the farm…  The kids (and me), enjoy searching all the nooks and crannies trying to locate them, and see what color combinations are out there. We put a sign out on the road for them, if we are able to catch and domesticate them, as they are wild and do not like to be found by us!

Lots of dandylions to be cut down…. Bees are out looking for flowers. We are still supplementing their sugar syrup, as there are not too many flowers available yet. The maple trees will begin flowering and you will hear all the honeybees buzzing in the trees around here!  What a hum they make when there are thousands in the trees above us!

So, I think it is time for us to go.  I have new soap available at the craft shows, and have to make the labels for them, and get the other products ready too. Feel free to check out our online store: www.crossbuckfarmcountrycrafts.com

I still have to add the two new soaps to the store. There is plenty here to keep me busy. Catch you next time we’re in!

Read more Crossbuck Farm Blog Entries at: http://crossbuckfarmcountrycrafts.annesimon.com/