Some garlic varieties sprout early

In late November, the Thai Fire was sprouted. Duly noted for next year's planting plan.

3 Flat Acres is officially certified organic! Our certifier is MOSA.

Our relocate to Wisconsin date is getting closer - we anticipate moving in mid to late March. I've started packing!

New slow zone on Buckwheat Ridge Road

Yep, Judy, we got a crane! Bill emailed me these photos and noted that traffic on our already very quiet rural road sure has slowed while he's been working.

More Shop Photos

We continue to make progress on the shop. The end walls are framed out and is ready for the roof trusses, which get delivered this week. Bill plans to continue construction this upcoming week.

The black tube sticking up is the new electric that Bill trenched ~350 feet from the barn

The large opening on the right side is for the large windows

this is a mostly passive solar building

Shop is going up!

Photos from straw mulching and repairing fences

These photos are delayed - they are from planting in October. 4 large bales from a farmer in Darlington.

Mulch is approximately 5 inches

We broke up the bales and brought large sections into the fields

Bill rigged up a fence fix-it kit for the back of the ATV - has fence poles, barbed wire, post driver and tools, Easy way to check the fences without having to carry the wire

Garlic planting begins!

We are in Wisconsin. I've spent the past two days popping cloves (breaking open the bulbs into individual cloves). I clocked in 11 hours while Bill was tilling the fields, picking up the tractor and fixing fences since the neighbor's cattle have been discovering that the grass is indeed greener on our side of the fence.

Music - a Porcelain variety

Spanish Roja - a Rocambole

Simonetti - an Artichoke

Bai Pi Suan - an Marbled Purple Stripe

look at that beautiful toffee marbling!

Various varieties in netting

And then today, Thurs, 10/6/11, after 6 years of planning and 5 years of farm ownership, we finally planted a crop! (I'm not counting the farm garden which was for personal use.)

Field #1 - before planting

Varieties all organized by type

tools include clipboard, tapemeasure, scale

7 hole dibbler - homemade by Bill out of Black Locust

(even our lumber is local!)

Dibbler in Action!

3 rows / bed. 39" wide bed. 12" between rows. 8" between plants.

Planting on the grid - it makes life easier!

We each have carpenter's aprons to carry the cloves down the rows

Me putting garlic to bed

After Day #1. We have more garlic than will fit Field #1;

looks as if we'll be tilling up part or most of Field #2.

As we were leaving the farm, my cellphone rang and now we have an appointment with our organic certifier for Saturday!

Parade of Peppers III - Beaver Dam

The Beaver Dam peppers is a Hungarian heirloom which was grown and cultivated by a family in Beaver Dam WI.

This is a sweet pepper that is mildly hot. It is large and great for stuffing. It turns from green to yellow to red. Small plants with a few large peppers - not very prolific but worth it because the result is so tasty and beautiful.