Contemplating the arrival of Spring

As I type this, we are experiencing yet another day in the lower 40's.  It actually sleeted and snowed a little this morning as we were working in the garden.  Spring has been a long time coming this year.   It should be just around the corner.  Our average final frost is April 15 around here, only 11 days away...

Daniel was our photographer last week before we started break.  Enjoy!

 The Bradford pear doesn't care how cold it's been.  Time to bloom!

 Pascal pauses to reflect while edging a bed.

 Water drops.

 Leland tosses some soil.

Carrots!

At long last, the carrots that third grade planted last fall were ready for harvest.  Everyone dug in and savored every last bite of rich, carroty goodness.  Carrots fresh out of the ground are definitely not the same as carrots from the grocery store!

A Series of Portraits

Our garden is in a constant state of preparation for spring now which means weeding, prepping beds and planting.  We've also temporarily lost our irrigation system so we are lugging water from the rain catchment system to the beds in wheelbarrows and watering by hand.  The third grade team assigned to the task loved it, but it's a tough task for a lone adult on the weekends!

Leland was our 7th grade photographer this week.  He took some really nice "portraits" of his classmates.  Enjoy!

Alex

Camilla

 Carter

 Sarah Sophia

 Sarah Grace

Batian loves weeding!

And the artichokes love him for doing it.

Noah found a stick!

MacKenzie and Noah discuss life after death.  Do you go to heaven?  Simply cease to exist?  Get reincarnated?  If there is a heaven, what's it like and where is it?  The questions are endless!  The conversations that get started while weeding can get pretty deep.

Meanwhile, Pascal suspects the approach of pirates.

Maybe they are hiding under the chicken coop?

 Natty with purple dead nettle.

And purple dead nettle with Winter.

Prepping beds means adding the rich compost that's been digesting all year.

Finigan

Bug tunnels on firewood.

Getting Ready for Spring

It's still chilly, but we've got carrots, onions and peas in the ground already.  I fully expect to see the peas peeking out by Monday.  At this time of year we can always use help preparing beds, planting and weeding.  Come join us on:

Mondays  11:00 to 3:00
Tuesdays  1:00 to 3:00
Thursdays  12:00 to 3:00

Note that Wednesday morning hours have been cancelled for the time being.

Our photographer this week was MacKenzie Jones.  She captured some of 7th grade prepping a bed for new plantings on Monday.

Emerson Farm Giving "Garden Dollars" to Spend at Tuesday Markets!

Spring is on its way!  On some of the colder February days, it's been hard to tell, but the garden is definitely waking up and becoming more beautiful every day.  If you would like to spend some time outdoors helping to grow delicious vegetables and beautiful flowers with a group of folks who love to be outside and feel the earth with their hands, come join us on:

Mondays any time between 11:00 and 3:15
Wednesday mornings 8:30 to 10:30 (starting March 13)
Thursdays any time between noon and 3:00

No need to call ahead.  Someone will be on site during those hours every week to help you get started and share information.  If you spend an hour or more helping out in the garden, you will receive three "garden dollars"  each time you show up, redeemable at the Tuesday Market each week.  Hope to see you there!

6th Grade Chooses Emerson Farm to Model T-shirts

Mr. Wiley's 6th grade class came out to the farm earlier this week to take photos of the lovely t-shirts they are making and selling as part of learning business math by actually starting a business.  Check them out and if you like what you see, find yourself a 6th grader on campus and place an order.

 On the troll bridge.

 At the broccoli bed.

 While eating sorrel.

 Hanging out with friends.

Admiring peach blossoms.

These versatile shirts can fit in everywhere.  Find a 6th grader at EWS and order yours today!

The Farm in Winter

Some of seventh grade continued work on the chicken tractors this week.  Third grade was unable to come out because we had a deluge just as class was supposed to start and many boots and raincoats were still at home for the Holiday Break.

Sarah, Winter and Camilla discuss what to do next on the chicken tractors with Ms. Miller

Mia, Carter, Noah and Batian prepare to sift compost for planting artichoke and tomato seeds in flats for the greenhouse.

Noah, Carter and Batian wait, with their full wheelbarrow, for me to find the flats.

Batian takes a break.

 

 Our photographer this week is MacKenzie.

 She took a lot of lovely shots of the farm...

 Cabbages

 Kale

These are cedar poles waiting for their next task.  We use them to make trellises, hold down tarps, prop things up, you name it.

The chicken coop and hay bales as seen from the meeting spot.

Oreo, our lead bantam hen. 

Elephant (white hen) and an as yet unnamed hen.  Elephant was named for her size.  Someone had a sense of humor.  I doubt she weighs more than a pound.

 

Some of the horse pasture.

An unclaimed flow form hiding in the leaves.