Lights, Camera, Action!

Local radio celebrity Ron Upshaw from the Ron and Don Show on KIRO news radio came to the farm a few weekends ago.  They were shooting a follow up to his beginner beekeeper video with David from Colonial Honey Farm, who  keeps bees on our farm.  What a perfect backdrop for a video! 

The Planet Jr

Pieter is modeling one of the two Planet Jr. wheel hoes.  They are really efficient tools under the right soil conditions.  These hoes are antiques but a bunch of them were manufactured in the early to mid 1900's and you can buy new ones made from the same design.  We found two of them over the last couple of years and I asked Reef Morales at The Wooden Horse make up some beautiful new handles for these.

There is an art to using these to get the most out of them, I haven't mastered it yet but there are a lot of rows left to cultivate.

Kiwi Trellis

Grandma and Pap pap came to visit their new granddaughter and I took advantage of their visit.  We planted kiwi two years ago and they are finally at the right height to start to trellis them. When brother Nick was out in the spring we built three supports and now they are ready for some wire and anchors.

With the anchors and wire trellis in place we pruned the plants to train them to the trellis.  I have visions of relaxing under a canopy of kiwi vines enjoying a cold drink.

Hoophouses

With the arrival of our daughter Julia, Anna and I have been busier than in springs of the past.  The wet weather delayed any field work so we built two more hoophouses. 

We worked in the mud putting up this structure.  It was very hard on the soil and it will take a lot of compost and rest to restore the soil condition.

The wind was constantly tearing at the plastic until we constructed the framework for the end wall. We will need to install some type of doors before the fall fog starts moving in. The fogs that roll in spread blight that ruin my tomatoes every year.