like peas in a pod

There once was a fellow named Lance,
Who decided to give peas a chance.
But with nary the space
Of a gardening place,
The vines grew right from his pants. 


Sno-Peas are on! 

Froggie Went a Courtin'

This garden toad was hanging out with me at Hattie's while I sowed some seeds of TOADily cool veggies.  I couldn't resist whipping out my camera & chasing him around the bed. I am sure I was stressing him out, but he lived to croak another day.

The toad lived in harmony and mutual benefit with the gardener for hundreds of years.  Changes in gardening have been at the expense of the toads. Not only with machinery but also from chemicals, such as  atrazine, banned in Europe, but widely used in the US, is an endocrine disruptor and can cause toads to be hermaphrodites among other things.

Toads serve as indicators of environmental health. They are natural predators of bugs and are a food source for birds and mammals. It is our duty as humans to protect these small creatures.

This guy has some interesting color & markings, I was unable to make an ID, but generically I think garden toad with cool marks, works. Check in if you have knowledge of what he is.

My friend JenZ, had some ideas for a caption contest....

‎"Go ahead, kiss me. But I ain't makin' no promises." 

"I'm an Aquarius...you?"

This time its on my mind, yes it is.

Get your soil ready because our beautiful transplants are looking for a home. We had our first official sale Saturday, and it was a success! MANY plants found new homes.  No delivery next weekend so we can get the garden planted up, but we will have the 2nd plant sale.  You can check out our offerings here:  Plant List

The rain came just in time Sunday, Its been so dry even irrigating was not doing the job. Powder keg dry. Got about 3 inches! We love you Motha Nature!

This rain will make next weeks transplants happy, wet soil=happy plants. We just might be doing it right this year, or getting lucky with some skilz.

The winter rye is mowed down, the pea tendrils are trying to bloom. The snow/snap peas are reachin for the sky, tomatoes are snug in the hooper, lettuce & radishes & turnips are poppin, The garden looks pretty nice, maybe you should come over next weekend for the sale & visit!!

Austrian Winter Pea Bloom...

We barely knew ye....

Not much to look at from this angle but the tomato plants are GOIN IN! This will be the 3rd turnover in the hooper. and now will be all maters all the time until October.

What a winter its been. If you blinked you missed it. Enjoyable it was to harvest & deliver all through it. Its just turned spring officially and I've seen the dreaded needle head skeeter.

That my friends will be the payback for the mild winter, but I will keep the groanin to a min.
( no I won't ).

We are already plantin the outside up with arugula & lettuce & sugah snaps & snow peas & carrots and and and we are off to a good start.

Keep yer eyeballs peeled for our upcoming plant sales at the farm, we'll sell produce too. And on those days the delivery will not happen, After all it's just the 2 of us, and the clone machine is on backorder.

enjoy the weather!

because yer werth it

I honestly have been kinda mute lately, nothing much is exciting me. "They" tell me it's winter and that's why I'm slothy. I never buy that, it's just an excuse if you ask me. Not that I do anything to prove them wrong. I'm a pisces, waddaaya want?

I am excited about the new tables Andy built. Thanks Andy! We are using them a lil bit so far. Aint they purdy? They will be in full swing in about a month or so.


So here are a couple blogs / websites / whatnots that have caught my eye. And sointantly not ALL. maybe I'll use this blog entry as the link page... maybe.

Carrot Pie - I heard about this from Mary Janes farm we will have them again...

'Cause we ALL need a little more flexibility and I just want to do yoga all the time.... Garden Yoga

Growing in winter is a new concept for many. This is what we been trying to manage all winter... because Fresher is Better. And local beats supermarket organic anyday. Don't get me started.

I am incredibly intrigued by this man's legacy... farmer & philosopher

There are lotsa things going on in the activist realm... Specifically 'they who shall not be named' there are steps being made in the courts, and I think the cloak is slowly being dissolved. If they can't be squashed permanently, then level the field. Label it.

I can't help but promote Marc Steiner and his NPR show On Delmarva , when I am late to work, which is absolutely NEVER! ahem.. anywho... I catch him interviewing and presenting stories that are important to us here in this wunnerful place we call delmarvalous. And when I miss it of course there is always the podcasts.
The website says it best : "On Delmarva will showcase the multitude of voices that call this land home. It will tell their stories and tackle the issues. It will bring together individuals that may disagree on many points yet are united around one point – their passion about our Peninsula."

Our Faithfuls:

We'd also like to thank you all for supporting our delivery service all winter with your orders. The local farmers and vendors we present weekly on the off season certainly would thank you too.

Other thank yous & misc. whatnots

There has been some 'organization' goin on at the farm. It's put a few years back on my life. Knowing where things are & having a place for everything feels good. It's an endless battle, but I started the fight... I'd like to thank all the hoes for hangin 'round.

Boxing Octopus... AKA, coat rack. I call this carpentry.

One thing I am not so thankful for: A BUSTED PUMP HEAD. We had a freeze maybe once or twice so far this winter, and one of 'em I was the shutter downer, and big FAIL, lawd bee. I hear a Good Samaritan farmer pal might give us a hand to fix it. Lesson learned.



And when you are done with this blog please compost or recycle it.
A fav blog of mine with some tips .

Here's hopin the arugula grows and we get no snows.

what is winter for?

Dreaming of pest free farming
Dreaming of the seed order
Dreaming of planning sessions
Sleeping and dreaming
Sleeping and eating
Eating and feeding
Oh yeah! wake up & harvest!!

We have had a very mild winter thus far. We are prepared with plastic & hoops & all manner of protection. Up until this week the cold came & went. Replaced by temps that belong in the spring.
I am not complainin mind you. I'm enjoying harvesting without the fingers going numb. And there it is! we still have food we are harvesting! And the people are hungry! For that we are grateful. Its been steady cold for a few days now and we are okay with that too. The sun seems to come out just as we need it.

The not farming part of farming
There is time for a few other things, such as, a new email system, so everyone gets the winter delivery email, and its fancied up with pics and links. Overall it is more friendly to the user. Nice goin Hattie! And I was able to fancy up the old website template with some new photos and hopefully more useful information, check it out.

Returnin' Super Special Guest
We were lucky to enlist a real live master to handle a few of the pesky tasks we didn't know how to tackle.

Andy Shaw, master rot chaser, who usually works with an ever-rotting wooden boat, came by & chased some away from our outdoor shed/ veggie cooling unit. He knows what he is doing.


Then we had a return visit , when he made 3 amazing & spectacular tables for the hoophouse.
No more ( well, less) back breaking bending while we grow the bedding plants! Super Special!


Thanks Andy for your much needed work and your charming presence on the farm.

Since my extent of 'carpentry' is hammering a few nails into the wall...
It was for a good cause to get the tools organized. Added a few years to my life.
Thing of beauty, ain? I like it.
There is a lot more to do than we have done thus far. But that's another day. Time to sleep & dream.

Cat is Lion at Home

ROAR! Bubba loves his Hattie's Garden Grass



Yes, we did get the plastic back on the hoophouse. Thanks to a couple Freemans, and a calm warm day this fall. We planted it up & I'd have to 'check our records' to tell you when we planted, but I tell you it grew so fast & furious, the produce is a little ahead of schedule. Well a lil bit maybe who knows. But I do know it has been a gracious fall as far as temps go. And since it all grew & is near done I think we are going to try some replanting. crazy tawk!


Who you ask is that person in the background? Well, I know its my signature color, but its not me, I'm not that graceful. Its DEB! and next time I will ask her permission and actually put a pic of her face in the blog if she lets me....She is our SUPER VOLUNTEER!

And this is the AMAZING VEG of the week. so sweet & tender. Kinda seems like a cross between Pak/Bok Choi and Broc Raab. You will not be disappointed if you got in under the wire to order this lil guy. Well, what was left after the harvest snacking.....



MERRY HOLIDAY TO YA'LL. HAPPY SOLSTICE....