norseofcourse's journal - spring and show update

[norseofcourse]

Good plan on the submersible pump. I ASSUME the current one is a jet, I think the submersibles are better as they push the water up rather than having to "suck" it up. And since it is new, it will last a LONG time.

Yes, it had been a jet pump. I know they say submersibles are better, but the jet pump was still working fine, the only problem was the leak. Well, and the thing at the bottom of the pipes down in the well (that had the foot valve and other parts) was pretty corroded and would have failed sooner or later, too - probably sooner. Since the jet pump was still good, I kept it - never know when I or a friend might need one.

Not exactly what I was planning on right now, but part of owning a house...

 

[norseofcourse]

Winter and spring have been fighting for weeks now. Winter has won a couple of recent rounds. We had snow and lots of wind several days earlier this week, then it warmed up and the sun melted a lot of it. Then yesterday we had about 4 or 5 inches more of wet, heavy snow. Temps should be high enough to melt it over the next few days (ugh, more mud). But spring will get here!

The sheep are getting wider, although a lot of it's wool. I would like to shear them but with the temperature swings I have held off. I hope to at least crutch them (trim the wool from their hind ends and udders) next week. Monday the 27th is day 144, and I'm very likely to have lambs by then or within a couple days of. I think I'll start my lambing thread up again

 

[Baymule]

Lambing thread!

 

[Bruce]

Yep, no reason to toss the working jet pump. Might need it someday to move water.

 

[norseofcourse]

Been a busy time! Finally got the well all fixed and the hole filled back in, although it'll take awhile for the dirt to settle so I can put the fence back.Then I want to have something around that well pipe so it's less likely to get hit by anything. Without a fully fenced yard, I'm also taking my dog out on a leash, which has been a process because she wasn't leash trained (long story, I'll introduce her in another post).

Last weekend I went to the Ohio Small Farm Conference, and it was really good! I took classes on marketing, regulations and taxes. And as dry and boring as that sounds, it was anything but! It was mostly taught by people from different Extension Services offices, and these people know their stuff, and communicate very well. The tax guy had a great sense of humor and plenty of real-life knowledge and stories to go along with his tax information. His class ran over and nobody noticed till the next class was seen waiting at the door. Even then, many of the students were begging him to keep going!

I learned about the Cottage Food laws, and I am considering selling sheep's milk fudge at my booth at the Wooster fiber show. I need to get the recipe more consistent (sometimes it's more grainy, I'll need to use a thermometer instead of the drop-some-in-water test), and figure out packaging and labeling.

Spring has finally arrived, and with it the first lamb of the season. Still 4 more ewes left to lamb. I've got more in my lambing thread.

Spring also means gardens! I am starting tomato seeds for people, some who have got seeds from me before, and some new customers. It will count as farm income, to help towards what I need to get the ag exemption here. I went to the Tomatofest website and got some more varieties, I now have over 60 different ones, and I'll probably grow about 10 or 12 myself, some I already like, and some new ones. I'm also bagging up sheep manure and giving it away, which is helping clean out the sheep's run-in area.

Spring also means mud. We've had plenty of rain, and just when the mud starts to dry up, it rains again. Yesterday we had some storms with hail. I am tired of the mud, but I am thankful we haven't had the severe weather some parts of the country have been dealing with.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Sounds like you are a very Busy little beaver, up there and about the well pipe....what I did here was, I bought a plastic garbage can...a big round one, I forget the gallon size but was like 33-35, I think....cut the bottom out and dug out around the pipe about 1.5' deep, then put the can over the pipe and filled in the hole with plain sand, snapped the lid down on top and it works like a charm. Ours is in the shade so it isn't affected by the sun, but a blue barrel will work, or a larger piece of black culvert pipe would work too, but I would put a lid on it so trash would be kept out of it. The sand on the inside makes it easier to replace if needed and the can or cover allows for weed-eating around it easy.
Your fudge sounds really good, too. That is sure a bunch of different kinds of tomatoes, I wouldn't be able to keep up with that many kinds....

 

[Mike CHS]

We put one of those Faux boulders over our well head but it looks like a Faux Boulder.

 

[norseofcourse]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll get a pic once more of the dirt's back in the hole they dug for the well. It's near the house, and the back door that's used more than the front door, so I'd like something that looks kinda nice.

I've got a lot of tomato seeds planted, and I'm trying to narrow down the list so I can plant mine. I'm down to 20, but I should only have 12 in the area I have for them (6 on each cattle panel trellis). They just all sound so good!

Amish Gold, Amish Paste, Big Italian Plum, Red Brandywine, Carmello, Chinese, Debarao, Djena Lee's Golden Girl (oval), Eleanor, Golden Queen, Indian Moon, Martino's Roma, Moonglow, Opalka, Orange Strawberry, Polish Linguisa, Porter's Pride, Purple Russian, Rab Orjak, Roman Candle, Wapsipinicon Peach, and Yellow River is my 'short list' so far. A few I have grown before, but most are new to me.

More rain is in the forecast. The mud hasn't dried up yet from the last rains...

 

[CntryBoy777]

All those sound wonderful....be interesting to see what ya think about them too. As far back as I can remember, we always have a few Early Girls in the mix for ripe tomatoes in less time than the others...just to curb the Cravings for fresh tomatoes....

 

[CntryBoy777]

If ya wanted to have an early bed, ya could use a raised bed to get above the mud. Use 2"x6" with 2"x4" corners, use 3-4" deck screws and ya can put your dirt in and plant....come fall just unscrew and let it weather out, set it up in a different spot next spring. It might get ya started sooner, and have a head-start on the season.....just a thought.