Sunday, January 24, 2016

very early spring training

very busy with seed planting right now.  green house is loaded.  new greenhouse hoop set up for install next week.  that should allow us an extra few months for spring and fall plants.  the residents of the wintering green house have done very well.  we have had some chills out here this winter but all still look healthy.  doing triple gardens this year and sowing some alfalfa for the sheep.  we hope to add some new livestock this spring as well.  maybe a couple goats again, and turkeys.  we are even looking at maybe a calf.  should be a great learning year for all of us.

the aquaponics are rebuilt and planted.  spring greens doing well.  we have decided to do a massive upgrade to the aquaponics.  the additional system will use a great deal of the remaining room in the building.  we will run companion planting in that set of beds to coordinate with the plants in outside gardens.  we had a large vegetable loss last year do to freaky Arizona summer weather, this year we hope to head that off, in spite of El Nino.

this week was manure week.  some disking to do and then just waiting on spring.  several of the trees that have been growing in the greenhouses and nurseries are transplanting to the great outdoors this week.  with any luck we might make shade yet.

spring isn't here yet, but it takes a lot of work to get ready for it.   we have had some temperature spikes in the 50 and 60's the last couple weeks.  made it great to be outside.  still cold at night but nothing the wood stove can't handle.

the catfish pond is looking good,  we will stock later in the spring.  a couple that came out and stayed for the winter added another dog to the mix.  he is a young German Shepard and a sweet puppy,  he was afraid of everything when he got here.  now he has made friends and they all love to play.  i believe that brings the total to seven.  oh my.  i wouldn't want to be a burglar.

drop a line and let me know how your winter is going.  doesn't sound very nice in parts of the country right now.  try not to wear out those snow shovels.