Monday Farm Happenings

Today's a busy day at The Simple Farm. Suzanne has already worked up a morning sweat  in The Garden Center at the farm. She's building a few more start racks, planting gallon size containers of Sweet Annie Artemisa (heirloom seeds of course).

I'm not sure if you know this - but this particular kind of artemsia has successfully been used to cure malaria, certain leukemia and certain breast cancers.  One of our farm goals is to grow every kind of medicinal herb possible to become a natural supplier of our local naturopathic doctors who understand the value of such herbs. For a few years, Michael's had it in his heart that we grow herbs - culinary and medicinal and a few weeks ago, Suzanne was approached by a Scottsdale Naturopathic doctor to begin to grow herbs that she wants to use for her practice.

Other beautiful activity in The Garden Center will be more starts of heirloom tomatoes and a whole batch of other heirloom seeds for our winter gourmet Le Menu at the farm.

Darling hubs is pumping up tractor tires to bring that little orange gift over to the big barn - lovely birds got into baby chicken feed and have had a party with the seeds. That will get cleaned out and then we'll both work on the Red Coop and the Blue Coop - cleaning them out to get ready for todays deliver of fifty new baby chicks - a gift from Michael Shoenfeld. A sweet gift, indeed. He intends to be here when the mail arrives with 'his' new farm babies. Thanks again Michael.

In the meantime, I've been busy prepping another raised bed for seeding. My bed preparation includes moving all the irrigation hoses, pulling any stinking weeds, pulling out all unwanted plants and then raking all the debris.  Later today, I'll start incorporating my soil amendments of humic acid, potash and another goody I was just introduced to (more on that later).

We're hoping to attack some areas on the field - to get ready to seeding out there. But, we'll see how long we hold up with the heat.

Also, on my agenda for this afternoon is to start a second batch of The Simple Farm Goat Milk Soap. This one is for the babies in my life - three baby boys - Boone, Keane and Major. Each mom has an assignment to come up with a special name for the soap for their boys. So far we have "Boones Baby Butter" and I can't wait to see what the other two moms come up with.  Of course, all these baby goat soaps will be available (when they're done curing in about 6+ weeks) for your purchase at The Simple Farm Mercantile and perhaps at other places in the valley as well.