Mary Lou

Mary Lou is our nickname for a truck we found in Kentucky.   We hope she is as nice in person as in the photos.  Of course we all know how photos over the interweb can be deceiving, but we really think this might be the real thing.  Mary Lou fits most of our specifications, including the fact that she is diesel and ready for biofuel.  Wish us luck on our first date with Mary Lou this Friday!
Our CSA is full and we are optimistic about the season.  It is hard not to sound cheesy when talking about the delights of spring and the sound of chirping birds, so I will leave the poetry to someone else.  It is enough to say that optimism abounds.
In the ground as seedlings: broccoli, lettuce, onions, kale and chard.  In the ground as seeds: spinach (just coming up), carrots, arugula, radishes, beets.  And 950 pounds of potatoes planted.   In a hoophouse (or coldframe) are tomato and pepper seedlings and more broccoli, leeks, chard, basil, more onions.  Under fluorescent lights inside are many more seedlings, mostly tomatoes, awaiting their time in the sun.
It seems like the most difficult part of putting up the new high tunnels is over, but there are several steps left.  The hoops are up on one (thanks to help from workshop participants in April) and purlins just finished.  Todd had to stand on a 12-ft ladder to drill and attach each purlin.
The farm crew is Joe, Meagan, Ryan, and a group of about 15 worker shareholders who will carpool out to us a few at a time twice a month.  Joe and Meagan live on the farm and help us out full time. They have had a huge impact on our rate of production already.  Ryan is a world-traveler who has logically ended up in Manteno on our farm part time.
As storms move across the south, keep us prairie dwellers in your minds and wish us free of tornados, free of hail.
Peasantly yours,
Julia