July 20, 2008
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This week my little sister Phoebe (age 14) came and helped out at the farm. We needed some extra help getting the garlic weeded because we want to harvest soon. Phoebe was quite the trooper–even when we spent seven hours in the heat and humidty weeding garlic beds! She also helped with eggs, starting seeds for our fall crops, and harvesting and washing all the veggies for the farmer’s market this weekend. To top it off, she volunteered to help me out at my first “solo” market this weekend (Kristianna didn’t come this time). She was a great help and quite the saleswoman! Thanks little sis! You’re quite the young farmer!
sisters at work on the farm
This weekend’s market went very well. Despite some early rain, the sunshine prevailed. This was the first market we had some extra “events,” and we enjoyed live music, an SDSU food preservation demonstration, and an appearance of the Homegrown Prosperity Tour Bio-Diesel Bus.
A great week on the farm!
July 11, 2008
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The last several weeks we’ve been focusing on weeding, weeding, weeding. The garden weeds are exploding at the same time all of our garlic is needing to be weeded. This means there’s an acre and a half of weeds needing to pulled. *sigh*
Weeding is hard work, but can be a “zen-like” experience. It’s just you, the sun, the fields, and the weeds. The task at hand is straight-forward and once you’ve found your rhythm the zen-state comes on naturally. Plus, there’s a certain level of satisfaction that comes when you find those larger-than-life thistles and yank them–roots ‘n’ all– right out of the ground.
I guess you can call this experience, “Zen and the Art of Weeding.”
June 28, 2008
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First Farmer’s Market today!
Arrived in Brookings around 7 am and started setting up. The weather for our first market was not ideal…40 mph winds and 55 degree temps. Yikes! We tethered our canopy to some weights but it still nearly blew away several times. Despite the weather, we had dedicated customers showing up early and braving the wind and cold to buy veggies.
Our first market
for sale: gorgeous and delicious produce
a farm intern's first market
It was understandably a slow day, but we still sold most of our produce and came home with just a few items (mostly herbs). First market down, many more to come!
June 27, 2008
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Today we did our first harvest in preparation for our first farmer’s market tommorow. Got out to the field bright and early at 6am. Woo hoo!
We harvested head lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, green onions, radishes, green garlic, oregano, cilantro, sage, and dill. It’s a small harvest, but enough to fill several tables with beautiful veggies.
picking peas
first harvest
After harvesting the veggies we took them all to the barn to be weighed, washed, bagged, and bundled.
Kristianna washing spinach
Greens on the wash table
After everything was ready for market we spent the rest of the afternoon gathering all of our market supplies and setup items. I’m so excited for the first market!
June 17, 2008
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A daily part of my work here at the farm involves eggs. This includes taking care of the chickens who lay eggs, collecting eggs, washing eggs, candling eggs, and packaging eggs. The eggs here come from free-ranging hens fed with a special non-GMO organic feed that contains flax. These Omega-3 rich eggs are sold at the local grocery as well as through the Birds of a Feather egg cooperative. The Prairie Coteau Farm hens always have access to fresh air and green grass. The chicken coop is mobile and every month or so we hitch it to a truck and move it to fresh pasture. These chickens are happy and healthy and produce delicious and nutritious eggs!
Here’s a photo journey of Prairie Coteau Farm egg production:
eggs are collected from the chicken coop
they are washed and dried
then candled
and packaged
and labeled and boxed.
Now they’re ready to be sold.
And that’s how our eggs come from the farm to you!
June 12, 2008
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The weather has been dictating our work schedule lately. We’ve been trying to get our tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants transplanted but the rain and thunderstorms have cut some of that work short. As of today, they are finally all in the ground. It took an entire day to mulch our two tomato beds. Each bed is about 130′ long, and all the mulch had to be picked up with a pitch fork and loaded into a truck, driven over to the tomato beds, unloaded and spread down the rows. An entire day with a pitchfork in a hand! My arms never ached so much! (But I’m sure my biceps will be spectacular by the end of the summer
)
We’re growing peppers and melons in the greenhouse this year. Planting in the greenhouse required using a broadfork–a large tool used to break up the soil in preparation for planting. In order to use a broadfork one must actually jump on the tool and rock it back and forth in the soil. It’s kind of like being a kid again! Who says farming is all work?
Using the broadfork before planting in the greenhouse
Today the rainy/stormy streak we’ve been seeing finally yeilded to the sun. All of this rain is making the weeds go crazy! Much of my time is being devoted to using the wheel hoe to try to curb the weed growth.
rainboots and an onion row needing weeding
The garden is starting to look good! Veggies are popping up everywhere!
Garden Veggies!
May 30, 2008
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The first couple of weeks at the farm have been busy!
We’ve been making beds, planting, transplanting, weeding, hardening off plants, pulling and pounding posts, and basically trying to keep up with the craziness of spring farm work!
transplanting eggplant in the greenhouse
Much of the garden was started before I arrived on the farm. Peas, beets, carrots, and other early starters were already in the ground, and many of the other veggies were started as seed under the grow lights in the basement. Now that spring is in full swing, It seems there is so much do to and it all needs to be done now!
seedlings hardening off in the greenhouse
I’ve been enjoying the long hours outdoors in the sun, the dirt under my fingernails, and the satisfaction of physical work. The spring sunshine is a welcome sight and the warm air feels wonderful on my skin after such a long, drawn-out winter (we recieved our last snow just a month ago!).
Today I had a close encounter. While clearing tomato trash (the dead plants and vines left in the field from last year) from a row we planned to till, I caught a glimpse of something in the trash I was clearing. As I peered down, the tan and brown shape burst out of the trash and into the air–it was a mother pheasant! The hen had been using the tomato trash to nest in. We left the nest undisturbed in hope that the mother hen comes back for her eggs.
It’s spring on the prairie and life is good
May 13, 2008
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Hi everybody!
Heidi here. Thought I’d take a moment to introduce myself. After spending four years away from South Dakota earning my degree at the University of Montana and working for a year in Minneapolis, I’ve returned to my rural South Dakota roots. I’ve seized the opportunity to return to my home state and become involved in the good work of sustainable farming. During my apprenticeship here at Prairie Coteau Farm I’ll be learning the ins and outs of market gardening, raising chickens, and operating a small-scale organic farm.
Today was the long-awaited First Farm Day. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t as upbeat as I, and the rain and cold forced us to spend the day inside starting seeds under the grow lights and putting tomatoes and peppers to pot. The inside work gave Kristianna and I a chance to get acquainted and to chat about what the farm season will look like this year.
First farm day accomplished, many more to come!
May 13, 2008
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Prairie Coteau Farm
Hello from the farm!
Prairie Coteau Farm is 40 acres of rolling prairie, trees, fields and wetlands where wildlife abounds, located on the Buffalo Ridge in northeastern South Dakota. This is our fifth year of operation, and after several years of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), we’ve decided to shift gears and grow for the local farmer’s market. We produce a wide range of vegetables, melons and herbs. Heirloom varieties are a focus, as are specific crops such as melons and gourmet garlic. About 50 laying hens freely roam our pastures, and we sell their eggs through a small co-op. We’re committed to sustainable, organic growing methods that preserve the ecological health of our farm as we strive to be good stewards of the land.
tractor and farm dog
greenhouse and moveable chicken coop
This blog is authored by Heidi (The Intern) and occassionally by Kristianna (The Farmer). We hope to share our experiences in small-scale organic farming and give people a window into life on the farm.
Enjoy and stop back often!
