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Humboldt |
Dragon Fly Farm Diary Sept 2010: I decided to move forward to convert the homestead/farm toward commercial certified organic commercial farm standards as per business plan developed January 2010. It is expected that all aspects of the farm from animal husbandry to field crops to be certified by end of the year 2012; pending local permits for new commercial buildings, which can require an expanse of time to be approved. So it's just one day at a time and not worry about it. It no doubt will take more time but I like to be optimistic. Sept 2010: New chicken coop started for the spring chickens.  March 26th 2011: The first round of baby chickens are delivered. 8 Buff Orfington’s, 8 Australian Blacks.  April 10th 2011: The second round of baby chickens are delivered. 25 Guinea Fowl.  April 18th 2011: The third round of baby chickens are delivered. 8 Red Leghorns.  01 May 2011: The first ½ acre field for the dry farm experiment for a variety of grains and a variety of vegetables is plowed for ready. All the while I do not believe dry farming will prove viable for commercial production I am willing to test it out.  02 May 2011: Young chickens are moved from temporary coop to the new coop that is not quite finished but livable and safe from foul weather and predators. Mid May 2011: Late spring snow and torrential rains prevent seeding of field for almost 3 weeks.  06 June 2011: 25# each Organic Quinoa and Millet seed order arrives. Quinoa $94.00, Millet $33.53 Germination tests positive within 72 hours 100%. 11 June 2011: A variety of vegetables are tested for viability; Organic Tomatoes of several varieties arrive and planted. 14 June 2011: Organic Ruby Crescent Fingerling Potatoes arrive and planted. Mid June 2011: The field had to dry out to continue the dry farm experiment. Consequently it has to be tilled again to break the dry crust, seeded 18 June 2011 with Quinoa, Millet, Milo, then watered with a fire hose pumped from the pond to germinate the new seed every day until germination.  20 June 2011: All vegetables planted are still alive with no sign of grain germination. Day time air temperature soars from low to mid 60’s to 90’s since seeding. Daily watering with the fire hose is still required to keep top crust of the grain field wet for germination. It is understood that dry farming the fields may not work here and future irrigation ponds and tanks are being implemented over time. 19 through 24 June 2011: Every morning by 6:30 a.m., afternoon by 4:30 p.m. and evening by 9p.m. the test field has been drenched with a fire hose and high pressure pump feeding water from the lower pond. 23 June 2011: Slight germination of Milo apparent in small 2 foot diameter patch where area is slightly shaded in late afternoon. Thad next to the new water installation for drip irrigation.   27 June 2011: At 10 p.m. a long standing rain system hovered soaking the heavily seeded field until the morning of 29 June 2011. 03 July 2011: The field tests begin to show results. The Guinea's developed strong and beautiful.  Test one - dry farm techniques on: Section One; seeded with Quinoa, Millet, Milo, Buck Wheat and Blue Corn without retilling after rain and snow indicates sporadic germination of less than 1% of combined grains. Zero germination of Quinoa and Blue Corn with Buck Wheat at 30%. Section Two; seeded with Quinoa, Millet Milo, Buck Wheat and Blue Corn after retilling after rain and snow indicates 70% germination of combined grains. Zero germination of Quinoa and Blue Corn with Buck Wheat at 100%. Section Three; Vegetable viability - Tomato starts planted after rain and snow in early June indicates life but not thriving. Cucumbers died. Section Four; assorted garden vegetables under drip 100% viability. 10 July 2011: A picture tells a thousand words: I have convinced me land partner Theodore Horner that the dry farm experiment although feasible is not sustainable or a viable method for a commercial crop of either grain or other produce. Having performed this experiment in prime dry farm conditions he has now realized the error of his ideology and moved forward with great vigor towards drip irrigation. The following photos show the success of the grain experiment for sustainable commercial application moves us into another step: The fencing and plowing of the rest of the top flat! I am so excited that me hairs are prickling!   16 July 2011: Under drip irrigation all area's are thriving. All grains several inches high. Buckwheat is a foot tall.  27 July 2011: Things are starting to look up!       01 August 2011: Today's farmer is organic and sustainable ~ \m/  20 August 2011: The field is 3 to 4 feet tall with much in blossom. The Buckwheat is in full flower for me to mill plenty of Buckwheat flour for waffles and such! The Millet and Quinois are in full seed tails like no body's business! Thank you! The Milo and late planted Hopi Blue Corn is tall and vigorous without sign of goodies but the harvest season has a long time to go~I am quite optimistic. The Amaranth is in full seed heads. Everything is spritely!   28 August 2011:        05 September 2011: Quinois is in full seed heads.  Millet in milk stage with full heads.  Buckwheat ready to harvest with full heads.  Bees on flowers bring smiles!  Amaranth filling out.  Milo in milk stage with full heads.  Hopi Blue Corn just starting to tassel.  13 September 2011: The Hopi Blue Corn is between 6 and 10 feet tall some in tassel and pollinating.  The Quinois and Millet are full heads and coming to term.  The Milo is between 4 and 6 feet tall, heads are large/full and in milk stage.  13 October 2011: The weather changed with 2 days of intense wind/rain and near freezing night temperatures leaving the field nearly unscathed with our only damage being a hand full of Hopi Blue Corn being up rooted. The Hopi Blue Corn is in it's milk stage without color.  The Millet is done and being eaten already.  The Milo is in it's milk stage. The Quinois is in it's milk stage.  The Amaranth is also in it's early stages still.  27 November 2011 FINAL HARVEST REPORT: I have finally harvested the Hopi Blue Corn and the late crop came out much better than I thought it would. Being a very late crop it did not make it all the way to seed but instead upon harvest it was in between various stages of milk to near seed. The corn upon shuck is fed directly to the farm animals without drying, but much of it will be dried for winter feed. Harsh weather has been sporadic with intermittent rains and winds gusting past 35 knots and occasionally at night with below freezing temperatures for the last 3 weeks, day time temps have continued to be summer like peaking to the mid 70's averaging in the mid 60's in between each storm. Late season garden vegetables of Snow Peas and various greens continue to thrive.   The Amaranth still is a wee bit to go to harvest and I don't know if it will make it before the next round of sever weather wipes it out. It is however very beautiful with over 6 foot stalks. The Quinois harvest was hand scythed in large seed heads, dried in 3 foot square screen trays stacked in racks with a propane heater heating the room. It is now in the pantry for winter food. The Millet was sun dried on the plant and eaten by the birds in mid fall. The colors of the seed heads pictured here in a picking tub are the variety of the rainbow!  |