Welcome Nicky and Nick!

Nick and Nicky came to us a couple of weeks ago from Southern California. They are staying on the farm in their own luxurious motor home.  Their positive attitudes and energy are great additions to the Midwestern prairie.  If the wind doesn't chase them away, they plan on working the whole season with us. If you come to the farm, you will get the pleasure of meeting them and their 140-lb Great Pyrenees dog named appropriately Girlie.

Swampy swamp.

Tomatoes growing in the shop, swampy fields, garlic coming up.  We are definitely ready for the rain to stop.  Thankfully, Todd did most of the plowing early in April before the rain came so that we don't have to do any "questionable tilling," as another farmer friend put it.  After speaking with a number of worker shareholders today, I have a great feeling about this season and the bounty in store.  No matter what the weather brings.

Spinach, plowing, potatoes, smile.

On the Plot this week, Todd is working with our newly-arrived interns Nick and Nicky to continue the soil blocking madness.  Last week, before the rain, Todd was able to plow the potato field and has prepared the seed potatoes for planting.  This just requires cutting the potatoes into smaller pieces, halves or quarters, so that each piece has one or two sprouts ready to go.  We get our seed potatoes mostly from an organic Wisconsin farm mysteriously named Vermont Valley.  Some potatoes are arriving from Maine from our favorite organic seed source High Mowing.  
We are enjoying the greens that are just coming up, overwintered spinach (above) and, of course, our endless supply of dandelion greens.  Next up, "wild spinach" otherwise known as lambsquarter.
New cultivating tractor and seeders have been ordered and are on their way!  Thank you, Frontera Foundation for the funds to improve our infrastructure!
Above, worker shareholder Dani smiles for me.  Can't wait for market in June.
-Julia