Over the last couple of years we have started raising some crops for seed production.  We have raised Cosmic Purple Carrot,  King of the North Bell Pepper, Crimson Sprinter Tomato, Purple Beauty Bell Pepper, Hadatsa Winter Squash, Garlic Chives, Beardtongue (Penstmon barbatus), Blanket Flower (Gallardia Millifolium), and Daisy (Leucanthemum).  We will also have garlic seed in the fall in small quantities, Purple Glazer, Silver White, and Inchelum Red.  Please contact us for the flower seeds or garlic.  

Our seed is available throught Farm Direct Seeds - Hobbs Family Farms (much thanks for all your help!) the website is www.farmdirectseeds.com  There is a lot of variety that is grown right here in Colorado.  

In 2012 we plan on raising several more seed varieties including peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, peas, different varieties of squash and more!

Canon City Farmers Market : Wednesdays from June through October, 4-7 at the Royal Gorge Train Depot Parking Lot.

Westcliffe Farmers Market :  Thursdays, 2-5 Jess Price Memorial Park, Mainstreet.   

Jolene is a 1940's Alice Chalmers G.  We spend a lot of time together and I have expecially have gotten to know her this year better than in the past.  We make ditches, cultivate, hill potatoes, disk things, and plant seed together.  We really have the fields looking great this season.  Here are some shots of Jolene at work.

The onions are looking great thanks to the WWOOFers.  We are now a WWOOF pack of 5.  Bryan and Sean have been here for a while and we now have 3 French WWOOFers that are doing an internship for college here for 6 weeks.  There is a little language barrier but we are making it work.  I admire them.  I cant imagine setting out to do something like this not really knowing the language well.  Maybe someday in life I can do some world traveling via the WWOOF program.  

We have about 100 tomato plants in the greenhouse and I figure about 400 in the field.  Unless something crazy happens, I foresee a great number of tomatoes in the near future.  We have picked the first cherry tomatoes that are ripening up in the greenhouse.  Many varieties to choose from.  We have back cherry, sun cherry, sun gold, Wendy, pear, jelly bean and Juliette.  All the cherry varieties are in the greenhouse.  They are easier to manage and keep pruned to have easy access for picking.  We also have Money Makers, (come on money maker!) which are a smaller slicing tomato, pink icicle, striped roman, striped german and brandywines in the greenhouse.

I still always notice new things at the farm.  The tractor tire above has a tin can and duct tape for a hub!  Oh Alice, you are the best!

Back to the flea beetles,  I was very selective in what I planted in the fields this spring.  I thought I was going to outsmart those little buggers and plant only what I have found them to not like, with the exception of 200 red cabbages, some kohlrabi and a very few radishes.  Well call me smart, I have not had any flea beetle problems on any of the crops except the tomatoes in the greenhouse!  That had to be the most unpredictable thing this spring.  

Element 2: bring in the animals.  There isn't much new here.  I have found that sharing with the deer and other animals is my best bet, I always plant a little extra.  They sure do love the green butter lettuce and have been hard at it.  One year they ate all my winter squash!  Well I take that back, they took a bite out of each squash!  The coons I havent had  much trouble with, sweet corn is just destined to be shared.  We have a friend that comes down and traps them to relocate.  Last year he got 75 coons in one season or some crazy number like that!  In addition the coyotes are many at the farm.  I have heard that to tell when the watermelons are ready, you just wait for the coyotes to start eating them.  I have never had good luck with melons, so I cant say first hand.

All in all so far this season has been great.  I feel like the fields are not quite as full but much more manegmable. Things are hoed and looking great.  The photo above is our potato patch.  It is just beautiful.  

Moral of the story is that when a farmer, you never know what to expect other than the unexpected and to be prepared for anything!                                                                                                                  

Strawberry Moon – June This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. Also because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June . . . so the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!  (http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names/)

We have been snacking on some of the trial beds of Strawberries.  We spent all day today planting the new berry plants and will continue tomorrow!  Next year we should have some to sell!

Major props to the 2011 WWOOF pack!  A great big thanks to those of you who have been here and to Brian, Shawn and Michael who are here now.  

I am really excited about how this season has started out.  The first harvest for market and CSA was a great one and I foresee many more to come.