Unity Farm Journal - 4th week of June 2014

Last weekend, we had two days of clear, warm weather, perfect for harvesting vegetables, inoculating mushrooms, and caring for bees.

We received 40 pounds of mushroom spawn from our supplier, Field and Forest, and we created two new mushroom areas - 4 raised beds of compost with Agaricus (almond mushroom) and 12 new stacks of logs with Oysters.    The Golden Oysters are beginning to fruit in the warm humidity of summer afternoons.

Eating on the farm can be as simple as taking a basket to the hoop house and gathering a potpourri of delectable vegetables.    Sunday’s brunch was a bowl of fresh strawberries, handfuls of snap peas and tender zucchini pancakes.

We’re at the height of nectar production on the 15 acres of the farm and our 12 bee hives are storing away honey at a rapid clip.   At this point, we’ve done our best to gives the bees their best chance to build up brood and food stores for the winter ahead (yes, Christmas is 6 months from now).   When nectar flows stop in July, all the food reserves until next Spring will have been stored.    Here’s what the bee yard looks like as of this morning.    Plants like borage, chamomile, and clethra line the bee yard, while salt marsh hay keeps the weeds to a minimum.

This weekend includes many animal care tasks, updating immunizations, ensuring that our pregnant alpaca are healthy for their upcoming late July deliveries, and moving the keets (baby guinea fowl) that were hatched by the ducks to the coop.     On a farm, you never know what each day will bring, so I look forward to the 12 hours a day of joyful work that awaits.