So it's a rainy, miserable day outside. Bad for moving forward on the many projects still left to do, but good for getting time to do some administrative work!
Since I last posted an update we've accomplished quite a lot. The entry trellis is built and the directional signs for around the property are posted. We prepared the beds for the front and back shade gardens and planted them. We planted what can currently be planted weather-wise of the Medicine Wheel and the Kitchen Herb Garden. We prepared the bed, built the brick crescent middle and planted everything in the moon garden except the three plants I'm starting with seed. We tilled up the goat garden and in accordance with biodynamic principles, we also tilled all the other harvesting beds including our garden. This was done on Friday under a Leo Moon Ascending.... we'll wait until we are in Moon descending (about 10-14 days from Friday) to re-cultivate and begin to plant out our garden and that for the sheep and goat. The reason this is done is that when the Moon is in Leo this is a very encouraging time for seed germination, thus you turn the soil over and get the weed seed to expend its energy. Then you come along and rip it up again- this helps you have a much lower weed issue going forward. We've planted all the trees and shrubs that were ready to go in the ground with the exception of 4 trees. I hope to get these done in the next day or so if we don't wind up with too much rain!!! We also finished out the orchard, both with trees and comfrey, and planted all the other fruit types.
So, we're down to the Labyrinth and the Children's Garden for major bed preparation and planting. We got the sprayer ready, so the next thing is to find a good time to put the biodynamic preps down and start up the compost tea blends for the year. This week-end is our first chance at a volunteer week-end and we have a few folks planning to come. I hope to get the Children's Garden beds ready, maybe work on some weeding around the pond and help Carson build the Grape-Room Trellis and the permanent hammock arbor in back. It's not a favorable time to be planting anything pretty much all week-end, so we'll have to build, mulch and weed instead. I'm hoping that someone who comes is artistic as well and may be interested in painting the quotes on the store wall finally! I'd love to get some solid time in with the bees this week!!
In other farm news, we have two chickens sitting a crazy amount of eggs and they are both getting hatchlings. When we go out to the coop now we visit these two broody girls who have been separated out and are greeted with tiny, fuzzy yellow creatures that pop out from underneath them to say hello- too cute!! There are a few duck eggs under there as well- which is good because sadly we no longer have any ducks. The neighborhood duck that stays with us quite a bit taught our ducks to cross the road. The other morning while Carson was out preparing things for my outside workshop, they all got hit by a car right in front of him. A REALLY bad start to the morning!
We are now officially working with an Otterbein professor and his students as a class project in creating a media and PR package. We're so excited to see what ideas they will come up with for us!! This week as I do some inside things I'm looking toward what needs to be done to tighten up our website and get some changes made in the way we're telling our story. Market season starts the week-end after next!!! I have new signs to make, flyers to print, honey to pour, jars to label, products to make... etc., etc.... Oh yeah, I also have Aidan who would like a spare moment of my time.... pshew! Gonna get busy! One of my main missions in the short term is to connect up with someone who might enlighten me on Native American ceremony that might be appropriate for our Medicine Wheel dedication due to take place in the end of May.... I was told there is a Native American society headquarters in downtown Columbus, I'm going to follow up on that, but if anyone reading has any personal connections or knowledge, please let me know!!
I will post an album to our Facebook page of all the new gardens and resting areas around the property as soon as Carson gets a chance to mow. Here's a couple for now: