Posted March 11th, 2011 by Pawel
It might not look like it outside, but the farming season is just about to start for us. Next week we will seed leeks, onions and some herbs in flats. Daily, I am hanging in the apple trees, pruning, sawing, clipping, eating wood chips—which is hard to avoid in this wind.
I am also hunting for some tillage equipment, looking for auctions which are always fun to go to. I don’t necessary think people spend less money there than in the store buying brand new stuff, but this is a tribute you have to pay for a pleasure of bidding.
Spring tillage is getting more important for us since we bought a small Allis Chalmers G cultivating tractor. In order to use it in the summer to control weeds, our beds and rows have to be pretty straight and leveled. Small scale equipment pulled behind a rented tractor will do the job for us for that reason.
This year we’re also trying to be a more interactive farm, using twitter and facebook. It is amazing that you can keep your friends up to date on your doings with just a normal cell phone and text messaging. But don’t worry, we won’t post pictures of every single lady bug we will see in our fields. Unless it will be doing something amazing, like fighting a cucumber beetle!
We will also rent 8 new acres on the south of our farm, to transition it to organic land. In this first season most of it will be seeded with—most likely—alfalfa with spring oats. I am saying most likely, because we are still researching what would be the best cover crop sequence for that land for next couple of years. Cover cropping is a branch of a long learning process for us, containing also “tillage with purpose” (this is a quote from a tillage guru Gary Zimmer), fertility plan and crop rotation, a process that all together could be called soil health.
We’re staying busy!
Posted February 25th, 2011 by Pawel
MOSES Conference exhibit hall
Originally uploaded by delablu
Over 2,500 attendees this year. Organic movement is growing, while growing healthy food.
Posted February 12th, 2011 by Pawel
Hoop houses
Originally uploaded by delablu
Checking on hoop houses. We can look into them from the bird’s eye view in this snow.
Posted January 14th, 2011 by Pawel
Keynote at the Conference
Originally uploaded by delablu
At the MN Organic Conference!
Posted January 13th, 2011 by Pawel
Caught by sunrise
Originally uploaded by delablu
Shoveling sow can be full of surprises.
Posted December 19th, 2010 by Kelly
We know you’ve been bummed that you can’t find DelaBlu Button Jewelry during the winter months…well, worry no longer! You can now get your button cravings satisfied while drinking hot chocolate and eating Lisa’s signature raspberry bread pudding at The Amboy Cottage Cafe!
Posted December 12th, 2010 by Pawel
Washing station in the background
Originally uploaded by delablu
Our old apple tree in winter fashion, with a washing station in the background. That’s what we saw today after last 24 hours of winter storm. Our yard is a totally new world.
Posted December 11th, 2010 by Pawel
Winter storm
Originally uploaded by delablu
It is good to get some fresh air! Even hi-speed air with snow flakes.
Posted November 14th, 2010 by Pawel
We have some fresh spinach, kale and delicious collards for sale! Let us know if you need anything, to keep your table green in the winter!
Posted September 10th, 2010 by Pawel
At the end of August, on a warm Saturday afternoon we hosted a potluck for our CSA members. It was a great occasion to get to know each other, walk around the farm, talk about food and taste a lot of good stuff our members brought. We loaded plenty of colorful vegetable salads on our plates, dipped chips in oriental baba ganoush and humus, bit into hot dogs, licked our fingers after trying peach crisp and cooled ourselves with a Polish homemade apple drink. How good to eat outside on the summer day!
Thanks for coming everybody! It was a pleasure to have you on our farm!
