It's Springtime at Badger Rock Farm!

A great deal has been happening at the farm over the last number of weeks. It must be springtime once again! It hardly feels like an entire season has passed since winter's frosts put last year's garden to bed, but pass it has. Growing, green things are peeking out of the ground at me, trying to decide if they're brave enough to make their appearances yet. Here are some pictures that show what's been happening here lately:

Here is the "greenhouse" in our basement, where the earliest seedlings (onions and leeks, for example) get their start at the end of February. It is still potentially too cold outside to keep the real greenhouse at the farm above freezing. Everything stays nice and cozy here, with the basement woodstove not far away.

The real greenhouse, up at the farm, got a new door this spring. Last May, a major windstorm ripped the old doors off, and even though Jim re-hung them, they were never the same after that. This screendoor will be just the thing for the job, I think!

Jim also built new shelves for it (please excuse the disarray leftover from winter disuse). These replace my rigged up cinderblock and metal grating system from last year. This will be a much more efficient use of space. (And believe me, this little greenhouse needs to eventually contain MANY seedlings, so an efficient use of space becomes important quite early in the spring).

I love the cheerful face of the intrepid Johnny-Jump-Up. There's nothing like this surprise of color when so much of the surrounding foliage is still winter-brown.

The garlic, which was planted last fall, knows that it is spring.

Several trays of onions on their way up to the farm, after being evicted from the "basement greenhouse." The space there was needed for other things (like tomatoes, peppers and basil!)

Baby tomatoes coming up in the "basement greenhouse!" These are Cosmonaut Volkov's.

Future chard, seeded in the "corral garden." Also already seeded outside are some cutting lettuce, some heading lettuce, cilantro, arugula, beets, carrots, peas, radishes, spinach and scallions. Here's hoping they all decide to come up.

Another ongoing farm project is the removal of decades worth of accumulated scrap iron, old broken down trucks and other detritus left behind by the previous owner of the property. Slowly (very, very slowly) we are reclaiming areas that were previously messy piles of junk. Here, a truck is dropping off a dumpster that will be filled with scrap metal.

Today's happy event: The arrival of 3 huge loads of beautiful, 15 year old, chemical-free manure from the Charter Ranch. Each vegetable picked for market, or for the farm's new CSA, or for my own dinner plate, will be in memorial to Jeanne Charter and all that she did to inspire those that knew her. Thank you so much to Steve Charter, and her entire family for still being willing to allow me to have this. It is going to make EVERY difference in my garden this season!