THIS LAST MONTH WAS A FUN ONE. DESPITE ALL THE MUD WE ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED A TON OF SPRING CLEANING! WE ARE EXPECTING NEW BABY COWS TO JOIN THE FARM FAMILY IN A FEW WEEKS SO WE DUG RIGHT IN AND DID A MUCH NEEDED DEEP CLEAN IN THEIR FUTURE HOME. WE ALSO BUILT SOME INDIVIDUAL STALLS TO MAKE SURE THE LITTLE ONES ARE SAFE AND COZY AT NIGHT AND FEEDING TIME IS EASY.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT PROJECT COMPLETED IN MARCH WAS CREATING A WHOLE NEW PASTURE! A FIELD THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY ONLY USED FOR HAY CAN NOW BE USED AS A PASTURE FOR ANIMALS TO GRAZE. ROTATIONAL GRAZING IS A HUGE STEP TOWARDS OUR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS AND ENSURING WE KEEP OUR SOIL FERTILE AND HEALTHY. WITH NEW FIELDS FOR GRAZING WE ARE ABLE TO ROTATE AND GIVE OTHER PASTURES A MUCH NEEDED BREAK. THE OG FENCES AKA ROCK WALLS HAVE SERVED DUTIFULLY FOR OVER A CENTURY HOLDING IN ANIMALS, BUT NOT WITHOUT SOME CRUMBLING HERE AND THERE. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE MAINTAIN THESE GORGEOUS WALLS AND WE WERE ABLE TO MEND SOME ALONG THE WAY!
THE ABUNDANCE OF BEAUTIFUL MARCH DAYS HELPED US FINISH UP PRUNING AND START TYING OUR GRAPES. I (EMILY) ALSO LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE THE TRACTOR SO ABBY AND I COULD DO MOST OF THE GRAPE POST WORK. WE DUG NEW HOLES AND BEGAN REPLACING THE POSTS THAT HAD SEEN BETTER DAYS. THE LOCUST POSTS LOOK BEAUTIFUL BUT DANG ARE THEY HARD TO GET A NAIL INTO, SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO AVOIDING WITH OUR NEWER POSTS.
FOLLOWING IN POPPY HOWARD’S FOOTSTEPS WE PLANTED SOME AWESOME NEW (TO US) NY HERITAGE GRAPE VARIETIES! THANKS TO THE AMAZING STEVE CASSCLES WE PLANTED A FEW HUNDRED DIFFERENT CUTTINGS AND VINES. CHECK OUT HUDSONHERITAGEWINES.COM TO SEE THE INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT WORK HE HAS DONE WITH NY HERITAGE GRAPES. WE PLANTED EVERYTHING FROM JEFFERSON, LEON MILLOT, BACO NOIR TO BLACK EAGLES, DUTCHESS, AND VALERIAN.
CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE REST OF SPRING HOLDS FOR US UP ON QUIMBY FARM!
Quimby Farm 