We’re in the last few weeks of the year, and although winter isn’t official yet, we’ve already experienced our first bitterly cold snap. Heated water buckets and stock tank heaters were hooked up. Hoses for cleaning chicken coops have frozen solid. And countless discussions have been held about the impossible dream of finding warm waterproofContinue reading “The (Holiday) Spirit of 61”
Tag Archives: farming
Fade to Brown
Fall’s first hard frost hit pretty much on schedule last week. Our garden manager Lisa described her view of our lovely little plot the day after nighttime temps had dipped into the 20s as “post-apocalyptic.” We knew that day of death was coming, and had prepared for it—somewhat. But we still can’t help feeling sad.Continue reading “Fade to Brown”
It’s Farmers Market Season!
At last it’s (almost) June, the first full month of Ohio’s growing season and the unofficial start of farmers market season in Ohio! The season is already well underway here in Sunbury, where the Sunbury Farmers Market runs in Sunbury Town Square, 51 E Cherry Street, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through SeptemberContinue reading “It’s Farmers Market Season!”
Be Vocal, Buy Local: Produce shouldn’t need a passport
It’s tough entering a grocery store produce section when you know too much. In some ways I miss the days when I could buy apples from New Zealand and grapes from Chile without a second thought—and inevitably, despite my best intentions, watch at least a few of them rot away weeks later in my refrigerator.Continue reading “Be Vocal, Buy Local: Produce shouldn’t need a passport”
April Showers Bring May Mud
April is here at last. No more excuses to put off outdoor chores. That is if you don’t mind getting your muck boots sucked off in mud. Most serious gardeners in the northern hemisphere sowed the season’s first seeds indoors weeks ago. Now temporary indoor growing spaces such as kitchens, crawlspaces, bonus rooms, bedrooms, bathroomsContinue reading “April Showers Bring May Mud”
Market on Your Calendar
Calling all farmers and crafters in the Sunbury, Ohio, area: It’s time to start planning for the 2024 Sunbury Farmer’s Market! If you grow produce or produce-producing plants (that’s a mouthful!), or are a local artisan or crafter who makes things by hand (except weapons and other illegal or non-family-friendly stuff), the Sunbury Farmer’s MarketContinue reading “Market on Your Calendar”
We’re So Egg-cited!
It’s the second week of January, and finally the hens have started laying again after months of channeling all their egg-laying energies into growing some of the loveliest feathers we’ve ever seen. Seriously, these hens (and rooster Speck, who, happily, seems to have gotten the hens’ message about nonconsensual sex, and has stopped mounting them)Continue reading “We’re So Egg-cited!”
CSA: Yay!
CSA, or community supported agriculture, is a way to get fresh local produce delivered to you throughout the growing season. If you’re lucky enough to have a CSA in your community, you can reap all the benefits of growing your own fruits and vegetables without all the time, effort and expense of large-scale gardening, andContinue reading “CSA: Yay!”
Sowing Daylight
With last week’s winter solstice came the long-awaited (but still painfully slow) return of longer days. Specifically, here in Sunbury, Ohio, the sun is now setting a full seven minutes later than it was for most of the first half of December, when, according to TimeAndDate.com, the Sunbury sun set at a dismal 5:05 p.m.Continue reading “Sowing Daylight”
Ranch 61 