So, once again, this moment arrives. Do I,... or don't I? That is, follow thru on those resolutions I made just scant weeks ago.

Well, what have I accomplished so far...

​1. get 140 running                                                   [done]
​2. new tires for  H                                                    [done]         
3. get H running                                                     [pending]
3. keep appt. w/ farmers market manager               [done]
4. complete seed inventory                                    [pending]
5. collect soil samples for testing                            [too wet]
​6. prepare site for high tunnel #2                         [in progress]
​7. finish write-up for 2018 CSA                               [pending]
.
...& about 20+ other things? Perhaps, I was a tad overly ambitious this year. 

Hmm,....

  Me and my brother, Glenn,  have grown more confident using our sawmill. We've done a few jobs for others. Brother plans on building a roof over the saw. I've still a lot of my own logs to saw. And some of that green lumber will be for sale this year.
.

  I've settled on 5 styles of chicken coops to build and sell. Right now, I'm thinking local pickup, but might deliver if buyer is close by.; haven't decided how far, "close" is.

  Bee hives bodies will be offered for sale by March. I'm going with 8 frame hives [easier to handle] and some Top Bars.To make it easier [on me] and cheaper for buyers - choice between painted and unpainted.

  My sister is having her timber l[next door] logged this Spring? There'll be lots of logging trucks going up and down the road.

  Right now, it's off-season and as such we are closed to the public. But, it's still best to call ahead or email me so I can better be available once weather gets warmer. Remember, this is a working farm...and there'll be those logging trucks - but maybe not? on weekends.

  Glenn is planning on getting goats...this will be interesting [for me]. My sister-in-law milking a goat for the first time? That;ll be worth the price of admission. I can still remember, years ago, my Uncle Ben chasing  a goat after it slipped its tether. After it took off into the woods, we never saw it again  Let the "comedy of errors" begin...

  Here it is the start of August. Was an interesting summer. .Mostly, little rain. which affected the corn greatly. As in, little growth. It took forever for the corn to sprout and when it finally did, it hardly grows. The ground is parched. Oddly enough the corn did tassel, but produced few ears. and such small ears.     No pond to irrigate from and I just can't see pulling from a well just yet - too expensive.  But other farms in area that also depend on rain, are having similar problems.
It's been raining now for a couple of days. But it may be too late for my corn.

  Peas did really well early on. Lots of blueberries, as always. 
And again, for, some of the labor intensive crops, a few folks picked their own. Thanks!  Potatoes didn't fair too well. I don't spray, so the beetles really were a problem. Fortunately, I'd planted enough.
  For once in a long while, deer weren't that much of a problem. And I may have trapped the last? groundhog on this farm. so, things are looking up.

  The summer CSA  this year?  I received a fair amount of initial calls...but few follow-up inquiries. Some  questions were rather strange. Seems there are a great many who'd yet to sign with a CSA and have, [unfortunately] unrealistic expectations of what one is all about.
 This was the first time I'd offered eggs. When I lost a whole coop to coyotes, and I chose not to restock -  there was some grumbling. Just too $$$ that late in season.

Now that the summer session has concluded, I've decided to drop the Fall CSA session from my schedule and do something else in its place.
  Folks can still look forward to finding me and my produce at the Piedmont Triad Farmers' market later this Fall. 

So, the new year starts and all ready my work load increases. Last week's cold and BREEZY weather ripped the film off my high tunnel. My roosters got frostbite, and my basement flooded - because the sump pump went out.

I've been persuaded to start up another CSA, come spring. Been thinking of doing a 10 week format. My major complaint from the 3 previous tries, was TOO much. A farmer tries to please his shareholders and they complain of recieving way too much produce. Go figure. 

I'm going to implement a different strategy this 2014. It'll be more of a pay-as-you go setup, for those who want and in-full, upfront for the others. Haven't set my deadline  yet or contact info. Will have something up by February.

Managed to sprain my ankle couple of days ago. That old "no good deed goes unpunished" was the cause of my little calamity. Brother's pipes froze under his house. He has the flu; so, I had to crawl under house and wrap heating cable around his pipes. Last thing to do was plug it in and that was when I either stepped into a hole off his porch - or missed a step. I thought I'd broke it. Fortunately, the pain didn't last too long; it's still swollen and I hobble about - but there are still chores on a farm to do. So, no taking it easy.