Tim proudly surveying the new pond

This summer we took some time to step back and envision the next chapter of the farm- what it might look like, how it should run, what we’d like to . . . → Read More: Alexor Moore: Taproot’s Farm Apprentice]]> Taproot Farm is almost 5 years old. We have learned so much about growing plants and animals and made lots of mistakes along the way.

This summer we took some time to step back and envision the next chapter of the farm- what it might look like, how it should run, what we’d like to grow, how we’d like to balance our time. Clear that we are not into growing for growth’s sake, we’d rather put our energy into tightening up our farm systems and deepening our knowledge about what we already do here. Quality, not quantity is our interest.

T.J the ram joining the ewes

Having farmed through enough seasons now to get a feel for what a natural farm “flow” feels like, we’d like to spend the next few years really buttoning-up the seasonal routines. To create a healthy, sustainable small farm it’s time to create reliable systems for when to breed, immunize and process the animals; when to plant, fertilize, harvest and preserve the crops; and when to work, when to rest. No more just wingin’ it!

Of course, we’ll never perfect this farm life. And more and more surprises in weather and animal antics will catch us unprepared.  But it is satisfying taking time to connect with our intention and staying true to it as we make our daily and seasonal plans. We feel lucky to be in this creative partnership together- after decades of having separate careers out in the world-we are now on the same page about what we want the Taproot Farm experience to be. This really is our first shared creative venture (besides raising a family) and we’re having a blast.

Joelle, Alexor and Tim building the pasture fence.

To turn our dream of a well-run small-scale farm into reality, we realized we’ll need some more help.

Taproot has been blessed over the years by lots of young people – helping us build fences, construct the cob cottage, lay out the garden from scratch.  Our own children had a hand in every phase, nieces and nephews visited to pitch in, and several Wwoof interns, staying for a month at a time, have been invaluable in helping at all levels of our farm’s development.

We love the energy and enthusiasm of young people. We love their resourcefulness, creativity and hope for the future.  Taproot Farm will always make a place for them on our team.

Soooo… we’d like to introduce you to our new Farm Apprentice, Alexor Moore.

Joelle (Allen) and Alexor worked last year completing our cob cottage. They are both amazingly gifted and hard-working young adults. We just couldn’t have finished that masterpiece without them.

Alexor’s dream is to one day find a piece of land of his own and create a healthy, happy, self-sufficient life. He hopes to inspire and teach others who would like to do the same. And one of our aspirations is to “grow” more young farmers- offering real-life experiences on our farm. So, we offered him a position as our Farm Apprentice and he enthusiastically accepted.

To introduce you to our new farm apprentice, it is best to hear it in his own words.  His essence shines through:

The Fix-it Wizard

Tell a little about where you grew up …

What are some dreams you have for your future?

Ready to farm!

Well, welcome aboard Lex!

Keeping the larder full

Today, as we enter our 4th spring, our farm vision . . . → Read More: Taproot is 3 Years Old]]> At Taproot our calendar year starts on March 9. Why? Because that is our farm anniversary! 3 years ago we began this adventure- the house was almost finished, but we really had no idea where this would all lead us.

Keeping the larder full

Today, as we enter our 4th spring, our farm vision is becoming much more clear.We moved out here thinking it would be a place simply for relaxation and recreation, but very quickly that part-time idea evaporated and we decided to make it our permanent home.

Our dream is to create a more self-sufficient homestead- providing almost all the food we eat;  a good portion of our household energy, all the while being much better stewards of the environment. A bonus has been discovering a vibrant community of like-minded people who share our passion for a sustainable life- we are learning so much from them!  We feel lucky to be part of a community that works hard, questions conventional assumptions and doesn’t take itself too seriously (we laugh a lot!)

The warm winter gave us a jump-start on this year’s farm plans:

Setting the posts

Tim finished fencing 1/2 of our front hayfield. We are going to start a rotational pasture system where we move the animals from paddock to paddock in order to keep them on fresh grass and allow the grasses to recover between grazings.  Click here for the before and after photos.

Baby Mamie's first day on the farm

We introduced a new ram to our ewes in December and we are pretty confident that all 3 are pregnant which would mean baby lambs in May! The ram’s name is G.W. (after the 1st president- not the 43rd), but we call him “little man”.  With all the new fenced-in pasture we decided to add one more ewe lamb to the flock. We picked her up from Church View farm in early March- just 8 weeks old. She’ll be called Mamie to continue the First Lady theme. She’s a beauty!

More sheep shots.

Last year’s big project was our straw bale and cob artist cottage, Querencia, and we’re happy to say it is about 85% complete.  With a water-proof lime exterior and cute little woodstove, it weathered the winter beautifully. Some of Beth’s talented friends are giving the cottage personality by sewing cushions, arranging furniture and painting the cupola.  Just a couple more workshops to go- Natural Interior Paints on Saturday, April 28 and Finish Adobe Floor on Saturday June 9. Come join us for the fun!

Click here for some photos of the most recent cottage updates.

Querencia with her healthy green roof

Join me one recent morning as the farm woke up:

Mary Todd is looking for a handout

. . . → Read More: Reveille!]]> Here we are, back to our Taproot blog, after a wonderful, muddy, and exhausting summer working on the straw-bale artist cottage. More on the cottage progress later but, first, let’s get reacquainted with the farm!

Join me one recent morning as the farm woke up:

Mary Todd is looking for a handout

Good Morning! The sound of Reveille is bleated by the sheep. As soon as the sun rises, they stare intently at the front door, looking for the first signs of life inside. I don’t dare turn on the lights in the studio when I go in for morning meditation- even the lighting of a candle can trip off a loud ‘MAAAA”  “MAAAA” alarm from begging sheep. I laugh because if we forget, and open the front door too early to get something , it sounds like a car alarm- door opens and MAAA, MAAA!  from the field. Happens everytime.

Okay, I’m coming. ..

Boots on, hot tea and egg basket in hand, the first stop, has to be the sheep barn (they insist!). The first ladies (Eleanor, Jackie and Mary Todd) greet you at the gate to escort you to the sweet feed can under lock and key. On the way we open up the brown coop full of our cackling Wellsummer and Golden Buff laying chickens.

First chicken up and out

So cute how they tumble out of the door, like a crowd in an elevator stopping on your floor. None of them run off right away- they hang around the food trough hoping the sheep will share their crumbs. We check the nesting boxes for morning eggs.

Sweet feed and hay are safely stored in a food closet Tim built on the little barn. Sheep would literally eat themselves to death if allowed free access to their high calorie grain. We only give 1/2 c. sweet feed to the flock twice a day. Like gifting children with  M & M’s- a little goes a long way.

Waiting in line for sweet feed.

It is helpful to have trained the animals to be comfortable with hand feeding- they will follow us anywhere and morning treats are a time for us to look closely over the sheep- rubbing their bodies, looking in their eyes, and observing their behavior.  We caught a nasty mastitis in Jackie’s inflamed teat during one of these morning “check-in” visits.

On to the second coop- a mobile “chicken tractor” that we can move anywhere the pasture might need a boost of nutrition.  The older chickens wait, peering out their window for us to slide open the door.

Good morning girls!

They look like ladies on a tour bus, leaning close to each other, beaks pressed against the pane to get a good look at what’s going on. Chickens really have a lot of personality- they crack us up constantly!

We check the laying boxes here too, expecting much fewer eggs from these girls. This flock has diminished in size since a summer fox attack plus they are a year older, no longer in their prime laying stage (fyi- the first year is their egg laying peak, diminishing with each year. Summer is the prime laying season). When needed, we refill their grain feeder and refresh the water trough. Cooler weather means less water consumption but more grain feeding as the free-range insect and seed source disappears.

Next stop, the pig pen! (since this blog was written, the pigs were taken to the butcher, but I wanted to include their photos in the morning lineup because they were such important members of our farm).

Yum!

As soon as they hear footsteps on the driveway, the pigs begin their own reveille song of snorts and grunts.  Pigs are very smart and supposedly have a wide repertoire of sounds meaning different things. I wonder if they are saying “Oh good morning, so happy to see you!”  or “Holy cow, we’ve been waiting for hours for you to get your butt out of bed and feed us!” We’ll assume it’s the first.

As hogs grow, you increase the quantity of their mash. There is a tool you can buy that measures and predicts their weight from girth size, but we prefer a more low-tech method, which is to feed them an amount that they gobble up in no less than 10 minutes and no more than 30 minutes. That works for us since our walk with the dogs leads us back to the pigs in about 25 minutes and we can check their bowl. As predicted, it is licked clean every time! Throughout the day we supplement with goodies from the kitchen compost bin and any veggie leftovers from the garden. They are fat and seem very content in their playpen of slushy mud under the big, wide, West Virginia sky.

After feeding and watering the pigs, we rinse and drop the eggs off in our “Honesty Store” refrigerator where our egg customers can pick them up anytime and leave cash in the jar.

"Time for a walk?!"

Next stop is the dog “apartment” in Tim’s workshop.  Banjo and Pick stay in bed until they hear us coming. Then they shoot out of the dog door, tails wagging, Pick doing Snoopy spiral leaps.  They LOVE their morning walk! It tickles us that, although these dogs have the run of our 20 acres all day, they wait for us to say “Wanna go on a walk?!” to take off down the mowed path in to the other fields. Tim reminds them “you know you guys, you can take this walk anytime you want…” but they prefer to wait for us all to go as a family.

Banjo is the nose-to-ground hunter, picking up scents of tiny furry things like voles and mice. Pick, on the other hand, likes to keep his eye on the horizon and sky- bolting after deer or birds.  They are a balanced team.  Luckily their batting record is low, so most creatures great and small are safe at Taproot.

Humming bee hives.

The morning stroll gives us an opportunity to survey our property- checking on deer damage to trees, if the bee hives need more sugar water, effects of heavy rains, and signs of new life.

There is nothing like that view rounding the corner and heading back down the drive. Bear Garden Mountain and the tall grasses are washed with early morning color. It’s worth getting up just for that picture.

fall colors

Last stop, the garden. This time we pick lettuce for lunch, but each season offers up its own basket of goodies. The dogs take this as serious hunting time ever since they flushed out and caught a rabbit in the carrot patch.

Our favorite fall-winter lettuce mix.

They do have permission to catch any critters stealing the crops.  I think the rabbits have started spreading  the word, though, because Banjo and Pick have come up empty-handed recently.

Once we get to the house, our faithful farm dogs get breakfast on the front porch.

Sitting on the front steps, looking back over the farm,  you can sense the wide-awake energy not present an hour ago. Bug-chasing chickens, grazing sheep , and playful, muddy pigs all now in motion!

Daughter Jenny is far from the farm this year.motion.

While we think about those family members ready to close their eyes for the night on the other side of the world, this farm is  ready for a new day!

Here are more photos from the morning walk- enjoy! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2644830127481.2144807.1457463116&type=1&l=329c9cfa70

]]> http://taprootfarm.info/2011/11/26/reveille/feed/ 6 http://taprootfarm.info/2011/05/10/cobbin-fun/ http://taprootfarm.info/2011/05/10/cobbin-fun/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 15:30:34 +0000 beth http://taprootfarm.info/?p=2868 The farm is quiet now after a fun-filled, cob-stomping, very productive weekend at our Cob Oven workshop.

Friends in Mud

We never expected so many interesting, eager people to show up. There is no doubt we’ve just met some long-term friends. It seems that the kind of people willing to try their hand at . . . → Read More: Cobbin’ Fun]]> The farm is quiet now after a fun-filled, cob-stomping, very productive weekend at our Cob Oven workshop.

Friends in Mud

We never expected so many interesting, eager people to show up. There is no doubt we’ve just met some long-term friends. It seems that the kind of people willing to try their hand at natural building all care about many of the same things- health, caring for the earth, friends, family, and keeping that “kid inside” alive!

Since a picture says a thousand words, you can enjoy all the workshop photos here.

Many hands make light work

Talking, drinking a cup of coffee and cob dancing- now that's a multi-tasker!

All ages and abilities were right in there mixing, throwing cob balls up to the sculptors, digging sand, screening clay…  It was nice to know there is no pressure to be a workhorse. Some liked to keep a steady pace going, others preferred the sprint and rest method. It was important to us that people listened to their bodies- some of us need to sit more often than lift (could it be the over 50 factor?).

Taking a break and sharing stories.

We all took notes or photos throughout, so we wouldn’t forget the fascinating science involved- how clay, water and straw become a concrete-strong building medium; how the fire in a clay oven heats the thermal mass and the insulating layer with straw holds the heat in; how the shape and size effect efficiency and durability, etc..

Sigi explaining how to cut out the door

Sigi was an amazing teacher. Participants said- “Wonderful teacher. Easy to understand”, “Total hands-on and every question answered”, and “I appreciated how very knowledgeable she was and her relaxed, easy-going style”.  Sigi’s motto “no worries” was a keeper. Even as fissures appeared in the side of the wet oven, she smiled and said “No worries! It’s clay. We can fix it!’  We think we might need some “no worries” tee shirts next time- ha!

Chefs Extraordinairre

And, just when the cobbers were losing energy, Leenie and son Aren rang the dinner bell. What a treat! Everything homemade and local;  artisan breads, Amish wedding soup, salsa, apple pies, Greek roasted chicken, Wild Herb Spanakopita, Venison barbeque, wild flower teas, homemade Chai tea….   and on and on it went. A feast for the mud gods! The magic in the kitchen was just as amazing as the creative sculpting going on outside.

Pickin on the porch

Tired, satisfied cobbers relaxed on the porch or by the river listening to the wonderful impromtu “pickin” session by Pete and Andy. Nothing finer after a day in the sun and mud.

So what's the inside of a cob oven look like?

We’ll spend the next few weeks getting back to the garden to put in warm weather veggies, build the pig pen, welcome son Allen home from college and set up for the next workshop- ADOBE FLOOR on June 4-5.

Hope you’ll help us spread the word- we’ll need lots of feet and hands for that one.

Come meet new friends, enjoy the satisfaction of learning some sustainable-living skills, and have a bit of “inner child” fun!

Here’s the rest of the workshop schedule.

Well, we love potatoes! This year we wanted to grow lots more and to try some different varieties, but we just don’t have anymore space to devote (and potatoes need space!). Plus, as we try to practice companion planting, we . . . → Read More: Tater Towers]]>

Tim watering down the center of a finished tater tower, dreaming of roasted potatoes.

Well, we love potatoes! This year we wanted to grow lots more and to try some different varieties, but we just don’t have anymore space to devote (and potatoes need space!). Plus, as we try to practice companion planting, we find that not many other vegetables like to share their bed with potatoes. So a potato farmer really needs to segregate the spud in the rotation plan. Wow- what a real estate hog this veggie is!

Kate filling the bin with compost

This winter we stumbled upon a new concept in potato growing- Go Vertical. We thought this was a wonderful idea because it allows you to grow 50 lbs in just 9 sq. feet of space. AND harvesting doesn’t require back-breaking digging!

We are not sure it will work, but we are experimenting this spring with four “eye-rise” potato bins. (high-rise, get it?

Here’s the basic set up from a great article by Fred Davis.

In our bins, Tim modified the design by adding a drain pipe in the middle- advice from a veteran gardener he met at the WV Small Farm conference this year. Since this vertical garden can dry out more quickly, we’ll put the hose into the drain pipe and let water seep to the roots- from the center out.

Adding some straw lightens up the soil and prevents it from washing out the side holes.

1. Cut a 10′ length of hardware cloth. Use wire cutters to cut holes about 3″ x 4″. Lace together the ends of to create a cylinder 3′ diameter. (more details in Fred’s article).

2. Place a length of drain tube in the center so it peeks out the top.

3. Fill it with light compost and straw.

4. Wet it down to help soil settle.

5. Plant potato pieces- 1 each in the side holes.

6. Water through the center drain tube.

Ready to plant the pieces of potatoes that have been dried out to prevent rotting- each with 1 or 2 "eyes" on them.

In vertical gardens it is best to use late-season varieties like Russian Fingerlings, Yellow Finn and Beauregard Sweet Potatoes . Early (or short) season potatoes only set tiny tubers once.  Late-season plants set tubers many times along the way from different sections of their growing stem.  Our question is- if in this design the potatoes are planted into the side of the bin, are late season potatoes necessary since their stem will not be covered with soil and straw as in traditional potato planting? We’ll plant one bin with early-season potatoes as an experiment to compare results!

Planting 1 potato piece in each side hole. Leaving the slightest bit exposed so it can find the light sideways.

But since we do love potatoes, we are not willing to put all our “spuds in one basket”. As insurance in case this new method fails, we planted some early-season potatoes like Sangre, Red Gold and Yukon Gold in the ground using the traditional method.

What we're hoping our bin will look like in a few weeks

The great benefits with the tater towers are in harvesting- you just untie and let the potatoes fall out. (that’s the idea- stay tuned! )

Golden Buff

Tim has been busy working on an addition to the lamb barn- a second coop for the last of our layers. We are trying two . . . → Read More: Coming Soon!]]> Today is the second anniversary of Taproot Farm. We spent it making final preparations for all the new arrivals expected in late April and early May.

Chickens:

Golden Buff

Tim has been busy working on an addition to the lamb barn- a second coop for the last of our layers. We are trying two new chicken breeds from Meyer Hatchery. Half of them will be Welsummers, a beautiful brownish-red hen that’s known for its chocolate brown eggs often adorned with speckles. We expect them to continue laying well in the cold months, a good thing since our current “girls” tend to go on strike in the winter.

We also ordered Golden Buffs which is a hybrid strain that is very productive and lays a large, light brown egg.

The coop addition in process...

Demand for Taproot eggs from friends is outstripping our supply so we are doing our part to “employ” more workers. If you can lay an egg- you’re hired!

Pigs:

Mama and baby Large Black hogs

We were referred to a wonderful source for feeder pigs. Bob Harrod in nearby Paw Paw, WV raises “Large Black” hogs. After a fascinating question/answer session on the phone, Bob tagged two piglets for us- a gilt (female that has yet to bear young) and a barrow (castrated male). Their mother is a 50/50 Berkshire/Hampshire mix and the father boar is 100% pedigreed Large Black.  We are really excited about this breed, because we’ve heard it is the tastiest and tenderest pork. Why? Because the fat is marbelized, not just layered in each cut.

Bees:

After talking with WVU’s apiarist specialist, Paul Poling, we’ve determined that mites did-in last year’s hives. Bees can tolerate some infestation, but too many can overwhelm the hive. We expect Varrola mites were our problem- attaching to the bees and also feeding on pupa. They say that if a honey bee was the size of a person- it would be like carrying around a parasitic watermelon on your back.

So, this year we’ll start with a clean slate of four hives! And we’ve planned to treat the hives to control mites periodically through the summer. Tim and Brandon (our niece’s fiance) have been building bee boxes in preparation for the 40,000 bees arriving on April 28. Things will be buzzing here!

Playtime! One of the lambs in the center is soon to be ours.

Lambs:

We can’t wait to have another baby lamb around! In June, the new Katahdins at Churchview Farm will be weaned and we’ll get to bring one of the little girls home. Eleanor and Jackie will love having another “first lady” in their club since, sadly, our original third lamb died from an accident last fall. Lambs are very curious and not always the sharpest. She got her head tangled in a rope hay feeder and strangled before I found her early in the morning.  Our experienced farmer friends comforted us with their own sad stories and the wisdom gained from such experiences.

This fall our plan is to breed Eleanor and Jackie. Lambing will be an amazing experience- we should have 3 or 4 Taproot lambs next February!

The Orchard:

Yesterday the UPS truck delivered 24, 8′ trees- the foundation of our new nuttery and apple orchard.

Osage Pecan tree

When you are farmers over 50 like us, you don’t waste precious time with 3′ whips. These grafted trees should bear nuts in 10+ years and apples in 3-5 years.

We chose Northern Pecan and English Walnut varieties from Willis Orchards. We are interested in growing nuts as a healthy protein source and cash crop.  A 3-acre field on east side of the stream will be dedicated to this edible forest- delicious, profitable and serving as a carbon sink by storing carbon dioxide in it’s fiber. Also, as the U.S. Dollar drops in value, we think investing in Walnut “futures” is not such a nutty idea.

As the nightly news gets worse and worse, we also thought that having a little hard cider in the pantry might help. Six Orleans apple trees and six Cox’s Pippin apple trees will pollinate each other nicely. The Orleans is a classic yellow English apple that ripens mid to late September. The Cox’s is a medium reddish-purple apple developed in Geneva, New York, so it is well suited for our cold winters. Apple cider is one of our favorite drinks whether on ice, in a hot mug or fermented for a festive Saturday night!

Kate:

The most anticipated new arrival at Taproot is our delicious daughter, Kate. Kate has been working for the past 2 years on a charter dive boat off the coast of Mexico. She’s decided she’d like to trade in her fins (temporarily) for muck boots and we need the help! She’s a hard worker with an upbeat attitude and has a million ways to crack us up. Kate will be part of the staff through September.

All these new arrivals will bring fresh, spring energy to the farm. We’ve had a good rest- now we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work!