Farmer Bert

DEER

Bert — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:21:49 +0000

This is what’s cool about the country. Right outside my window.

Mom with fawns

Hot Chicks

Bert — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:53:37 +0000

That’s right, baby chicks need to be about 95 degrees up until they are a week old. Then you can reduce the heat by 5 degrees each week.

Our new chicks arrived Wednesday August 25th. We ordered 9 Barred Plymouth Rocks (straight run, means 50% chance you will get males) and 8 Rhode Island Reds all females.

Baby chicks eating

Mmm, chicken dinner

Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market

Bert — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:18:53 +0000

While interning at Downing Hollow Farm, I help at the Saturday market. It’s a great experience.

Read more here about Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market.

Is it hot?

bert — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:19:56 +0000

I have a few country sayings for how hot it is. But most are rated R. We have had heat indexes above 110 degrees. So I posted something to facebook about it and my eldest son Michael ask if I wanted to trade jobs with him. NO.

Farmers must spend the mornings and evenings doing outside chores. By 11:00 AM your clothes are soaking wet. So I come in and take a shower and changed clothes. Do some computer work and head back out around 6:00 PM until dark. Change clothes again.

Some days I need to do much more work so I take breaks ever hour to cool off and drink water.

Any way, wouldn’t trade this job for all the money in the world. Back outside, still light and I need to water cucumbers.

Interning at Downing Hollow Farm

bert — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:37:51 +0000

Today was the second time I worked at Alex and Lori Green’s farm. They are Downing Hollow Farm. It’s a great experience and I am learning a lot of great things. Today I worked with a young couple who are also interning. Ben and Monica. They are a great couple who work very hard. Makes this old man look weak. We had great conversations while planting seedlings.

The Green’s have a wonderful garden site and a spring feed creek. An Ideal country place. Downing Hollow Farm has had several articles written about their sustainable farming practices. Take a look at their web site and see.

Not sure yet if he will stay

bert — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 02:40:22 +0000

Okay, a dog showed up Sunday. Underfed, ticks, typical wild dog. Becky and Nicole feeds him and pull ticks out of his ears. She wants to keep him. I take him to the vet on Monday. No heart worms. Okay he lives. Cut his nuts, bath him, rabies shots, worm medicine. I pick him up Tuesday. He loves it here. Wants to come in the house, barks and barks. Follows me in the truck down the road. I put him in the truck. He throws up in the front and back seat. He howls and howls. I put him in a dog crate in my workshop. He is sorta like Carl in Sling Blade, loud voice but easy to love.

So I only got a picture of his body and not the face, In case I don’t keep him.

Petie

Okay, tomorrow will be a week. He didn’t run off when I left the other day. So here is a picture of Petie doing what he does best.

Porch Puppy

Becky with flowers in her hair and horses

bert — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 02:22:07 +0000

Well my camera phone did a great job of Becky petting the horses while she was holding some wild flowers. User error I am sure.

Hello Wilbur

Raised Beds

bert — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:21:23 +0000

We put in raised beds with cedar mulch in between. I had to get electric fencing to keep the deer out.

Raised beds

It’s all about the porch

bert — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:19:23 +0000

We really love the porch, when done it will be screened in.

Decking

Getting closer

Now these are some stairs

Got to stay cool

Bead Board ceiling

Completed Screened in porch. Now we paint.

“Is this heaven?”, “No, it’s Chester County”

bert — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:19:41 +0000

So I am using a “Field of Dreams” quote. Emily loves to run.