Black Oak Farm

The Chestnuts are on the Way!

2011-09-02T11:17:00.001-05:00

We didn't fall off the earth (or the internet), just too busy to post. The chestnuts are really doing well this year. Trees are out of the tubes and many trees have several chestnuts on them. Today the chestnut outer shell is green, and over the next few weeks it will begin to turn brown and we'll have our first, very small, crop. I post a few photos when they begin.

Happy 2011

2011-03-08T14:25:00.004-05:00

We're back and ready for all that this new year has to offer. The chestnut trees are looking good and we are starting to work on the fields. This year we will try to get on top of the weeds before they choke out everything in their path. There seems to be a shortage of 10-10-10, so we're checking some other fertilizer options.

There has not been much loss of trees over the winter. The main problem has been the wind storms that cause the bamboo in the tree tubes to break and knock over the trees. That has an easy fix, just replacing the bamboo with rebar. The other problem is how the tube ties are breaking due to weather exposure. When the wind comes through, the ties are broken, leaving the rebar standing and the tree on the ground. Other than that, the majority of trees have exceeded the tree tube in growth (5 ft) and we are now hoping for a good number of those trees to produce chestnuts this year.

The other focus this year will be irrigation. In order to have a quality chestnut, it is necessary to insure that the trees have the correct amount of water. So we are working on the irrigation system in preparation for a dry summer.

That's all for now. If you have any suggestions on weed control, fertilizer or irrigation, let us know your thoughts. And as the leaves appear on the trees, we'll have more photos.

The Last Chestnut

2010-10-18T12:12:00.001-05:00

We carefully searched the orchard over the weekend for any remaining chestnuts. This one is still attached to the tree. I thought that I would pick it, but the shell is firmly attached. So we'll check it each day to see when it finally falls. The pod is not open, it may be a day or two.

Chestnut Trees

2010-10-18T12:07:00.003-05:00

It's amazing to me that the chestnut trees have been so drought resistant this year. As of today, they still have their leaves. Some appear to have stress, and those were primarily the ones that produced nuts this year. We have not yet measured the loss for the season, however, will post that information within the week.

Chestnut Management 2010

2010-10-11T20:42:00.004-05:00

This has been a year of maintenance for the orchard. We planted another 100 trees, some that were to replace the trees that we lost from last year's crop. We had a loss rate of about 5% or 50 trees. Our cost per tree for planting has been on average $12.00 per tree. That includes the cost of the tree, fertilizer, tree tube, tree ties and bamboo. The cost of the tree was actually increased this year with the purchase of rebar. Bamboo did not make a good stabilizer for the trees as it began to rot off about 6 months after the first trees were planted. After each heavy rain/wind storm, we have to replace the bamboo with rebar for 30-40 trees. Some trees are laying on the ground and we try to get to them within 24 hours so that the trunk does not snap and so that the leaves are not damaged. We have some loss due to the trees falling.

The main cause of loss this year has been due to drought and pests. Crickets, beatles and grass hoppers have been eating the foliage. A light application of Seven helped, but was probably a little too late. We used a 1 oz to 1 gallon of water mixture, trying not to damage the plant in the process. Next year we will move to a 2 oz to 1 gallon of water mixture, and will begin a regular spray season earlier in the year.

Other heavy maintenance has been weed control and mowing. Our orchard is rough and we are working the land to improve water management. Weeding has been done with the weed badger which has been great for the tree rows. Next season we are looking for a good herbicide that can be used closer to the trees, since this is the worst concentration of weeds. Mowing has helped stimulate grass growth. We also fertilized the grass rows with turkey litter this year and it has made a great difference. Where we were unable to grow anything, some grass is now growing. We will continue to use this method to build up the soil quality.

For the rest of the season, we just need some rain. The rest of the year will be spent on planning, budgeting and learning about chestnuts and chestnut processing. We are open to suggestions if you would like to share one with us.

How Chestnuts Fall

2010-10-11T20:32:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago we saw the chestnut shells beginning to form on the trees. This week, we noticed that the shells were turning from green to brown.

Yesterday the shells opened, revealing the chestnut. And today, the shell and the chestnut fell to the ground. Success, at least for today.

The Chestnuts are Here...

2010-10-11T20:29:00.003-05:00

Ok, only one chestnut has actually fallen. But still.

I've been very negligent on this blog, but now will be back with our updates. This summer has been extremely dry, even as I write this I am praying for some rain this week to finish up the season. The trees still have leaves and we're very grateful that they made it through the hot temps this summer.

Peace on Earth

2009-12-21T19:25:00.002-05:00

There are many reasons why we choose to farm. But at the end of the day, this is it. Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas from Black Oak Farm.

Chestnut Tree Season

2009-10-05T19:05:00.003-05:00

It looks like the new seedlings that were planted had a pretty good season. Last week we took a detailed look at the trees in order to mark the ones that did not make it. We had a 4% loss rate which was about expected. And we were very pleased to have such a mild summer with enough rain that irrigation was not necessary. I'll take some photos this week to show how far some of the seedlings have grown out of the tubes. We've been working on the fields this week with mowing and next we will be back to weeding carefully around each tree. In March 2010 we will replace the trees that did not make it and decide what needs to be done next.

One question we do have is about spraying. We did not worry about this too much because we did not anticipate much foliage on the trees. However, even the trees that did not exceed the height of the tubes have leaves on them. If anyone can give us some direction on a spray schedule and products it would be greatly appreciated. We have some general information on nut trees in general, but nothing specific to chestnuts. Thanks for your help.

Back to the Farm (ok, the Pool)

2009-09-29T19:21:00.005-05:00

I haven't given up on the farm blog, or the farm. We've been a little distracted this summer with something not entirely farm related. This summer we installed a pool. Literally. Ourselves. Although this is not complete, we have done a few things that hopefully will benefit the farm.

First, we installed irrigation pipe from our creek to the top of hill where the garden resides. Yes, we used the irrigation pump for the pool, but really, we will be using this for irrigation beginning in the spring. Then, we had a hydroseeder come and seed the banks around the pool. This lesson taught us to let the professionals just do their job. We have grass around the pool, in less than 7 days. We did plant our own grass on the outskirts of the hydroseed, and then blew straw on it. Maybe we'll have grass in those areas in 70 days. Finally, we installed snow fence, hence the redneck pool photo. Installing snow fence is much easier than installing wood plank fence and it comes already painted, orange. We did this mainly because of small children and safety. Maybe we'll keep it. Nah.

Orchard Weeds

2009-06-29T19:22:00.007-05:00

We had to do a little research to find out how we could efficiently weed the orchard without working 24/7. On-line we found an attachment for the Bobcat called a Weed Badger. Basically this is installed on the front of the skid-steer. It allows you to move the Weed Badger between the trees, without disturbing the trees. Sort of like a souped-up weed eater. You can see how clean the rows are.

Chestnut Growth

2009-06-29T19:11:00.004-05:00

I haven't forgotten about the blog, we've just been pretty busy on the farm. Here are 2 pictures of the chestnut trees. We have a few that are actually growing out of the tube. Remember that the tubes are 5' tall. We were so fortunate to have all of the rain right after planting, and hopefully this will lead to strong growth for the rest.

Spring Rain

2009-05-04T07:39:00.003-05:00

When the weather gets hot and dry, it always seems, to me, that it may never rain again. But of course, that's not the case. We've had a great rain this weekend, almost 2 inches since Friday. The trees will be in good shape when the sun comes out again. And since I planted the garden last week, I'm thrilled that it got a good soaking.

90 Degrees

2009-04-27T09:02:00.002-05:00

We've had a pretty good stretch of very hot weather in April. It has been 90 degrees and hotter, Saturday through today, with temps beginning to lower by Wednesday. So how is this affecting the trees? Our concern about purchasing the tubes was about heat collection in the tube. However, although the tubes are called "grow tubes", they are ventilated. About 18" from the ground the ventilation begins and is about 12" from there. Hopefully this will be enough to allow heat to escape and prevent the tree from burning. We'll let you know in about a week how that is working out.

Fertilizer

2009-04-24T11:57:00.004-05:00

Generally we try to do all of our tree fertilization in early spring, but shipping schedules of our trees, the fertilizer and the rain put us off a few weeks. This weekend, we added fertilizer packages to our tree tubes. Because our soil is so poor and much rain was on the way, we dropped the packages into the tubes instead of planting them with the plants (and because the fertilizer did not arrive until a week after the tree planting was completed). Sometimes you just have to work within circumstances that are out of your control. Above is a photo of the fertilizer pack. And yes, it looks like a tea bag.

Tree Tubes

2009-04-23T20:45:00.004-05:00

Last year we lost the majority of our chestnut crop to deer pressure and drought. Not again. We decided to invest in tree tubes. There are orchards that choose to use these tubes to jump-start growth on their trees. Our primary goal was to protect them from the deer.

The trees that we planted are between 24-36" tall. The tree tubes are 5' tall. A 1/2 inch bamboo pole (6' tall) was installed next to each tree. The tube fits over the pole and the tree and then secured with 3 plastic ties. It was a very windy day when we installed the majority of the tubes, and they withstood the wind and heavy rains.

Without tree tubes, crop loss can be very great. With the tubes, we expect about a 4% loss due to weather and soil conditions annually.

Chestnut Trees Planted

2009-04-23T20:37:00.006-05:00

So I'm finally getting around to posting the pictures of our new orchard. Here are the before and after of the tubes. As you can see, it is almost impossible to determine where the trees are after they have been planted. But once the tubes are on, we'll be able to do an accurate count of trees in each field. We'll be evaluating the success rate of trees in each field so that we can prepare for next year.

Chestnuts

2009-04-08T13:17:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I wrote about the farm, but only because we've been busy planting chestnut trees. We have planted about 25 acres in Dunstan chestnut trees.

Step one was plowing and tilling. The earth is so rocky and grassy that tilling is the only way to make the soil workable and give us a good soil consistency in which to plant. Step two was planting (yes, with a shovel). We did auger a few holes for trees on a steep part of the farm where the soil is not in good shape. This was done mainly to prevent the erosion during heavy downpours.

We started planing trees last week, March 30 and finished this morning. The next step will be tree tubes. The chestnut seedlings are 24-36 inches tall. We have ordered tree tubes that are 5 feet tall and prevent deer and other animals from destroying our crop. I'll blog about our crop from last year on another day - it's a little sad. I will say that the trees that survived all had deer scare tape on them. So a thank-you to the scare tape folks.

I'll post some photos after the tubes have been installed. It's hard to see the seedlings from a distance of more than 2 feet. And hopefully we'll see some budding and leafing in the next few weeks.

The Farm House

2008-11-11T12:51:00.002-05:00

Ta-da! Ok, so we're about 95% finished the painting. Some touch-up work is needed on the roof and the back (and a little more on the front) and then we'll be done. Until a bird lands on the roof and paints a little more. That's Ok, goes with the weathering of the metal.

Roof Paint

2008-11-11T12:44:00.005-05:00

If you are reading this blog and are interested in the paint we used on the roof, here are the details. We purchased everything from Sherwin Williams. The primer was called Kem Kromic and the paint was Sher-Cryl. These were both tinted to give us the barn-red color on the roof, and to actually match the barn. I'm very pleased with the way these products went on and should last.

Roof Painting

2008-11-04T07:32:00.004-05:00

So I haven't posted any photos of our house, because after 3 1/2 years we are still working on it. This week we are painting the tin roof.

Tin has to age for a little while before being painted (probably not 3 1/2 years), but it was time. We rented a lift for the steep parts and to get us to the top roof. Most of the primer and paint have been sprayed on. Some of the smaller roof areas have been hand painted. I'll post more photos as we complete this project, another one checked off the list.

Before and After

2008-10-09T18:56:00.007-05:00

Well, we've been on the farm almost 5 years. And even though we've done a lot of work in those 5 years, there is still more to do. But it's time to start getting rid of equipment that we have finished using.

The caterpiller 955 has been restored and is ready for a new home. Above is the before picture. and below is the after.

Greenhouse Recommendations

2008-09-24T10:06:00.003-05:00

We are in search of a greenhouse that will extend our gardening season. Our goal is to grow basic plants, such as tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, etc. year-round if possible. We will also be using our greenhouse to experiment with our chestnut trees and seedlings. Any recommendations? There are many greenhouse distributors, but we want a quality product that will last many years. Any thoughts or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Steer Clear

2008-09-07T19:06:00.004-05:00

Here at wild kingdom, you never know what you'll find when you get up in the morning, get home from work, walk to grill in the backyard - you get the point. A few of our neighbor's Texas Longhorns have been making themselves home. They have enjoyed the grassy fields, almost all the plants in the garden and like the feel of tip-toeing through my flower beds. But best of all, the manure is free. Needless to say, we'll be working on our fence this week. Maybe the cows can visit from the other side.

August Rain

2008-08-28T08:36:00.002-05:00

I know that hurricanes are so very destructive, but without them, this part of the country receives very little and much needed rain. So on the back end of Fay, we did get about 2 1/2 inches of rain yesterday, and more on the way. This weekend we'll be working on fall planting for the garden and getting back to the chestnut trees. It's been a terribly dry summer, but hopefully some of the trees have made it.

It Rained, and then the Deer Came

2008-08-14T11:24:00.002-05:00

So, it finally did rain 2 nights ago, we got about 1/4 inch. I guess the deer were holding out for a nice, clean salad, because as soon as it rained, they took out all of my 2nd planting of green beans. I'm going to learn how to hunt and then I'm going to apply for a permit to hunt on my land out of deer season. Otherwise it will not be worth growing any crops.

Still No Rain

2008-08-07T11:10:00.001-05:00

We have not had rain in our part of the county since the first week in July. No point in looking at the rain gauge, I'm looking toward the sky. And no chance of rain in the forseeable future. We'll probably have to get moving on the irrigation soon.

Barn Floors

2008-07-31T19:21:00.004-05:00

The barn completion is getting closer. In the last 3 weeks, the floors have been finished. An apoxy finish was applied along with flooring flakes that prevent slipping in the event of spills. Hopefully this will also protect the floors from damage once equipment is loaded back into the barn.

This week lights are being hung and the electrical connections will be completed.

More Rain

2008-07-09T10:40:00.003-05:00

It's really raining now. Since 7/4, we have had at least 3 inches of rain (in 4 days). The garden is looking much better. The insects are out, so I sprinkled Seven on the beans in hopes of saving them. I'll post pictures in another week when the 3rd planting of sweet corn has a chance to germinate.

A side note, we've really be struggling with pest control in the garden. The black birds and deer are constantly on the lookout for us to be away. But on Saturday, we woke up to our neighbor's cows in the garden. Thankfully we got out there in time. Some of my corn was eaten, but not enough to make a difference. If we get one ear of corn this year, it will be a real accomplishment.

A Little Rain

2008-06-27T12:15:00.003-05:00

We did receive a little rain this week, a total of 2/3". So we are watering the garden in sections in order to reserve our well water. The irrigation system will be installed in the next 2 weeks, in anticipation of the next group of chestnut trees to be planted.

One is the Loneliest Number...

2008-06-23T20:03:00.004-05:00

...when you're a corn stalk. Really rough start for the garden. But I'm persistent, so still planting seed until the guy at the Southern States Store cuts me off from more seed purchases. More corn going in this week. I just planted more green beans (roma) and black-eyed peas in the last few days. We did have about 2/3 inch of rain in the last 3 nights, so hoping the storms will continue. Our irrigation pump arrived today, so we'll be talking about that in the weeks to come.

Germination

2008-06-16T12:36:00.003-05:00

We're really struggling with the garden this year. I thought that the soil would be in better condition with all of the work that we put into it last year. Unfortunately the rainfall has been close to none, so we're irrigating a little. About 25% of our seeds have sprouted that were planted on memorial day. We will continue to plant through the month of July, to maximize our garden spot.

Barn Doors Completed

2008-05-29T18:36:00.004-05:00

The barn is really coming together. Structurally the barn is complete and we can now begin the cosmetic work. Last weekend my husband installed the final door, center of the barn. The birds that nested in the barn have now left. And now we can safely store our trash without fear of the bear. Unless the thing about his opposable thumbs is true. I guess my favorite part is the cuppola and the weather vane.

The next step on the barn will be painting. We are planning to paint the barn the same color as our house, a greyish green and ultimately paint our house roof to match the barn red. Now if we could only get the grass to grow.

We Have Fruit

2008-05-29T18:32:00.003-05:00

It's not much, but after one year of working the little orchard, we do have fruit. I took these photos and then immediately picked what fruit we had. Our goal is to strengthen the trees this year in hopes of a good fruit crop in the next few years. These photos are apples and one peach.

Scare Tape

2008-05-29T18:27:00.002-05:00

I bought this tape in the hopes of managing the deer. They have damaged at least 50% of our chestnut crop, so we are implementing a collection of techniques to keep them away from the new foliage. To test the tape, we installed fence posts around the garden so that I can tie the tape to each and watch the effectiveness. I was hoping this would help keep the birds from eating all of my berries this year, but my husband saw a bird actually sitting on the fence post while the tape tapped it on its' head. Oh well. Maybe it'll scare off the bear.

Garden 2008

2008-05-28T08:40:00.002-05:00

The garden is in, finally. We've been delayed by rain and equipment and time, but we finished up the last part last night. The garden is twice the size it was last year. With grocery costs on the rise, we're planting as much as we can, and will continue to plant until every last inch is growing something this season. I'll post a few pictures as soon as something germinates.

More Bears...

2008-05-22T09:30:00.002-05:00

The Nelson County Times yesterday had an article about the increase in the bear population in Central Virginia. So now what? There was no mention of how the bear population would be controlled, only advice about what to do in the event that you see a bear. Here are a few tips:

- do not make any sudden moves
- do not appear as if you are going to eat or take away the bear's food
- do not corner the bear
- do not approach any bear cubs

Personally I'm just going to play dead. Hopefully the bear will just pick up his picnic basket and walk away.

Bear Crazy

2008-05-13T08:14:00.004-05:00

So I'm not losing my mind. An article in our local paper this morning tells about the increase in the bear population in Central Virginia. Here's the story. I still prefer to live in a "bear free" zone. I wonder if there's a sign for that.

Preventing Erosion

2008-05-12T18:17:00.005-05:00

Since we cleared almost 30 acres of our land, erosion has been a major concern. In the last 3 years, although the fields are not in great condition, they are much better this year with more growth. The areas that we are concentrating on are around the driveway, which are mostly winding and steep areas, prone to soil erosion. This spring I have been planting grass (contractor's mix), granulated lime (for slow release) and then either mulch or straw on top. Straw has been very difficult to find, since the drought last summer caused a short growing season. Cattle operations had to begin feeding hay early fall and this lead to a shortage.

Grass that I planted in the last three is weeks is coming up sparingly. If we can encourage some growth this spring, it will give us something to build on in the fall. At that time I will add fertilizer designed to boost root growth during the winter. This photo is taken close to our house at the flatest spot on the driveway.

Chestnuts - Week 3

2008-05-12T17:43:00.007-05:00

The chestnuts seem to be coming along. We have had a good amount of rain in the last few weeks, but the trees seem to have pretty good folliage. However, we're really having a problem with deer. They like the tender foliage and to that end, have eaten between 15%-20% of the trees. The stems are still in place, we'll watch to see if those affected will survive.

Today I ordered "scare tape" from an orchard supply store. I've spoken with farmers that have used this in apple orchards with good success. Basically the tape is about 3" wide and then I'll cut it in 8' lengths. When one end of the tape is attached to a pole, something like a tomato stake, it flaps in the wind, acting as a deterrent to deer and birds. I'll let you know how this works out.

More Barn Doors

2008-05-12T17:33:00.009-05:00

The final doors are getting installed. Three roll-up doors were ordered and custom made for the openings. They took about 8 weeks to receive, from the order date, but finally arrived. The doors that lead into the central barn area are insulated. The one on the front and to the right is not insulated. We're hoping to finish the installation of the final door this weekend. It'll be great to get the birds out of the barn and also to protect us from the bear (see previous article).

The Bear

2008-05-08T10:19:00.003-05:00

It's true that when you get up in the morning, you really have no idea how your day is going to end up. And yesterday was no exception.

When I went to bed last night, I heard the dogs barking and figured that it must have been the oppossum or the raccoon that likes our cat food. I listened for a while, but when I heard the trashcan overturn, I angrilly went to the porch to see what was going on and shoo away whatever was causing this chaos. I flicked on the light and didn't see anything on the back porch. But when I leaned over the railing, the bear and I saw eye-to-eye, and I'm not sure who was more surprised. I called my husband.

After closing (and locking) all the doors (although not sure why locking was going to help), my husband and I spent the next few hours watching the bear take full bags of trash out of the can. He (still not sure about bear gender) took some of the full bags to the woods and then returned. The next bag he broke open, ate a few things and then looked as if he was taking a little nap. Did I mention that this is all outside of our bedroom window, about 8 feet down and about 24 inches from the house? You would think that the bear would have been afraid of us, with all of the talking, lights, TV going and the photo taking (although no photos are available because apparently they cannot be taken through a screen).

I admit, I really do not know how to deal with bears. The only ones I've ever seen were at the zoo. And that got me thinking, could the bear get in the house, do they have opposable thumbs like humans, could he open the door, etc. I should have learned more about wild animals, I should have watched more Animal Planet, what would the Crocodile Hunter do? After I spoke with the game warden (who thinks that a bear eating trash is amusing, not threatening) I felt a little better. Evidently bears are not really preditors, and at this time of the year they are just looking for a good meal.

So tonight the trash can goes inside, the cat food no longer stays on the porch and I'll try to remove the screen to get a better photo. I'm sure that he'll be back for seconds.

Fruit Orchard

2008-05-06T18:02:00.003-05:00

The fruit trees planted last year have done pretty well. Out of 12 trees, we only lost one, a cherry tree. Here is a photo of one of the apple trees. Although we did not see many flowers on the trees this year, they are full of leaves. I did spray them with Liquid Fence to keep the deer away. We also removed the stakes and strings used to keep the trees upright during strong winds.

Back to the Garden

2008-05-06T06:41:00.009-05:00

It's that time of the year again, time to plant the garden. The clay soil is so hard and poor that we are always looking for new ways to improve it. This year we decided to plow the soil before tilling. Seen above, we used a plow that digs down into the soil about 16 inches. We only go through the garden once with the plow, but we will till the garden multiple times in order to achieve the proper soil texture. This year we are also doubling the size of the garden in order to accommodate for succession planting.

In order to improve the soil, I am adding lime, peat moss and some topsoil. The lime is pelleted which allows for slow release. The peat moss and topsoil will break down to help improve the condition of the soil. When seeds are planted, I will add 10-10-10 to increase the nitrogen content. This year I have also begun composting and hoping to have it ready in order to add to the garden this year.

Water Management

2008-05-06T06:39:00.010-05:00

A few months ago, I had a question on the blog about water management. Since our farm is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we have very hilly land. I never realized how important water management would be, especially since there is a creek running through our property that is shared with other farmers.

When our driveway was designed, my husband knew that water management would be key to managing erosion. It was also necessary for preventing our driveway from washing away (which has almost happened on several occasions). Our driveway is 4/10 of a mile long and is not flat in any one place. This has made it necessary for us to install pipes. The pipe in this photo is metal and 16" wide. We have tried plastic pipes, but they tend to collapse easier than the metal. When the trenches were dug on the side of the road, we added different types and sizes of rock. The rock in this photo is called 'rip rap', a rather large rock that generally does not wash away during those severe thunderstorms.

Occasionally the rocks cannot hold back the water and maintenance on pipe cleaning takes place. In the 3 years since we've been in our house, this will be the first year that pipe maintenance is necessary.

Chestnut Orchard Rows

2008-04-29T17:43:00.010-05:00

This is the first field where the 200 chestnut seedlings were planted a week ago. The seedlings are about 18 inches tall and planted 20 feet apart. This photo was taken yesterday. The next planting is in the fall, when we plant 300 grafted trees. We are ordering the Qing variety for the chestnut quality and resistance to blight. We will plant a few of the trees in this field, but the majority will be planted on the adjacent field, shown toward the top of the photo to the left.

Tree Progress

2008-04-29T10:44:00.003-05:00

Since we planted the chestnut trees last weekend, it has rained more than 6 inches in 8 days, and more is on the way. I was concerned about how this would affect our new seedlings. When we checked on the trees yesterday, more than 90% are already putting out their leaves. I'm very pleased with this progress and had no idea that we would see change so quickly.

Our next step is to work on the grassy areas between the rows and to plan for careful weed control and deer prevention.

Hobby Farms Magazine

2008-04-21T08:23:00.005-05:00

A quick shout out to Hobby Farms Magazine. We first read about chestnuts in an article published at the end of last year. So thank-you for your timely information about small farming operations. If you are interested in reading this article, here's the link.

Hobby Farms Magazine has been the best source of information about small farms. While the farm is currently not our primary source of income, we hope to change that in the coming years. The articles that we've read in Hobby Farms over the past few years have really been timely. We look forward to learning about new crops in the coming years. Thank-you Hobby Farms Magazine!

Chestnut Planting

2008-04-21T08:09:00.002-05:00

We are officially farming! Last week we received 200 chestnut seedlings for planting. The seedlings are 1-year plants, and were about 2-3 feet tall with a small root ball.

We first marked off rows that were 30 feet apart. Then we plowed 12-16 inches in each row for planting. On Saturday, we began by marking off tree locations with flags that were 20 feet apart. The soil was so soft that we were able to plant trees by hand. We estimated that 3 people were able to plant 40-45 trees per hour. So it made for quick work. In a few years we will remove every other tree, making rows with trees that are ultimately 40 feet apart. They are planted closer together at first to insure good pollination.

On Saturday and Sunday there has been significant rainfall here in Virginia (at least 2 inches in the last 2 days), so we'll be watching the trees closely to determine the effect.

In order to determine the best type of tree for our soil and climate, we are planting seedling trees now and then grafted trees in the fall and multiple varieties. We'll let you know how they compare next year. The types of seedlings planted at this time were primarily the Qing and Peach variety of chestnut, with multiple varieties used as pollinators. These seem to offer good quality fruit, which will take a few years for us to determine.

If there is anyone out there that has recommendations for chestnut tree growers, let us know what successes you have found.

And the 2008 Project of the Year is....

2008-04-09T13:09:00.002-05:00

Chestnuts! That's right. I have just placed an order for our first batch of bare-root chestnut seedlings. We have spent the last few months researching new crops and are feeling confident that this could be our future. Since we're on the 20-year plan to retirement, we have a little time to experiment. We'll be planting trees in the spring and in the fall, doing soil testing, and different planting methods. I'll post some photos as soon as we get started, which should be within the next 2 weeks, depending on the weather. So for anyone out there that knows anything about chestnuts or growing nuts in general, our ears are open.

April Showers

2008-04-08T08:38:00.001-05:00

It's been raining for the last few weeks. We really need the rain to increase the water tables. As a gardener who starts shopping the seed catalogs in January, I'm really anxious for the weather to clear so that I can get some plants in the ground. But we're thankful for the rain. As soon as the weather clears, I'll be posting info and photos about our next project.

Spring Planting

2008-03-25T10:16:00.004-05:00

It looks like all the trees in the orchard have survived. So I ordered one more cherry tree and two more pecan trees as pollinators. I have been ordering seeds and plants from several companies for the past few years and have been pleased with their results. Guerneys, Stark Brothers and Harris Seeds are all good options for purchasing seeds and/or plants. We should receive our orders and begin planting in the next 2 weeks.

It's European

2008-03-24T18:23:00.003-05:00

In order to heat and cool the office section of the barn we opted for a mini-split. These are seen in many European buildings and are pretty efficient. The unit is actually installed on the back wall of the barn above the doors. Hopefully the workshop will be cool enough to work in the summer and warm enough to work on the coldest winter days.

Barn Workshop

2008-02-18T18:42:00.004-05:00

Now that the exterior is just about finished on the barn, work has begun on the interior. The left side of the barn is designed for a workshop. This has been insulated and will be heated as well as cooled. Here is a photo of the metal walls that have been installed. Safety is key, so these should help in fire prevention in the shop.

February

2008-02-09T21:21:00.000-05:00

This month I am focused on the orchard. We planted about a dozen fruit trees last spring and all seem to still be alive. So today I did a little pruning per the fruit tree books. I also fertilized the trees as well as the berry bushes with 10-10-10. We'll know in a few short weeks if this work is helping the plants.

Farm

2008-02-09T21:18:00.001-05:00

When the leaves are off the trees, we can get a pretty good view of the farm and can really have an overall view of what needs to be done. The barn is coming along and the house will get a little attention this year. But our big project is on the horizon and I'll be talking about that in April. And it has nothing to do with construction.

Barn Doors

2008-02-09T20:58:00.001-05:00

One of the things that I've been talking about lately is that farmers are great recyclers. That being said, when we needed interior doors for our barn, my husband turned to a restaurant supply company that sold used equipment and furniture. He came home with two, gently used restaurant doors that have been installed inside, leading into the workshop that will be heated.

Something else that farmers know a lot about is safety. So I was relieved when the doors came with safety and cleanliness signs attached.

Virginia Morning

2008-01-18T09:39:00.001-05:00

Farm in Winter

2008-01-18T09:36:00.000-05:00

Seeding Fields

2008-01-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

With a good rain and snow in the forecast, we decided to do a little seeinding in fields that were cleared in the last few months. I put out some annual rye to get the growing started and we'll try to seed again in the fall. That will be determined by the amount of rainfall that we receive next July and August.

2008 - Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T08:59:00.001-05:00

I'm really looking forward to this year as we complete some of our projects and move forward with some of the goals we've had from the beginning. So I'm making a little to-do list and we'll review this again at the end of the year. Here goes:

- complete barn #1 - we have a few more doors to put in, the sidiing is almost complete and then we can paint. The exterior should be finished by summer.
- complete fencing - the perimeter is just about finished, so now moving on to partitioning off our fields for our animals.
- purchase animals - we're hoping to have a few cows and goats on the property by summer.
- add to the orchard - we'll be planting more trees and berries this spring in hopes of harvest on the plants from last year.
- improve the fields - we are planning on fertilizing the fields to enrich the grasses for the animals.
- plan for barn #2 - this barn will be used primarily for hay storage and animal maintenance.

So check with me in December and I'll let you know if we met our goals.

2007 - Year in Review

2007-12-20T14:32:00.001-05:00

It's been a good year on the farm in 2007. We've worked on the land and finished clearing, were able to plant the orchard and berries, and even got a small pumpkin crop in the ground. The barn is almost finished and we're going to work on the fencing this winter.

I'm looking forward to 2008 and bringing some of the major projects to a close. Once the fencing is finished, we'll finally be able to bring some cattle and maybe a few goats to the farm. With the main barn finished, we'll start talking about the next barn on the front of the property. We also hope to work on the original tobacco barn that the property came with.

Hopefully we'll have some snow this winter, and I'll be posting some photos of the farm in winter. I wish everyone out there a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Barn Roof

2007-12-10T19:43:00.000-05:00

In the last 2 weeks, we have had the tin roof installed. Siding has begun and continues. And most of the doors have been installed. We are hoping to have the siding complete and all doors and windows installed by the end of the year. This winter we can then begin work on the inside.

A Good Rain

2007-10-26T09:34:00.000-05:00

Today is the third day in a row that it has been raining, and I couldn't be happier. I heard a news report that in Virginia this week more than 70 forest fires had been reported. It looks like the rain has covered the entire state during the last few days, and what a blessing that is. We are now planning on seeding our fields before the weather gets too cold. Hopefully we can save our fields before it is too late for next spring.

Farm Photos

2007-10-20T16:58:00.001-05:00

This is a quick photo from the front of the property, before the leaves fall. Our house will be visible from the road in about 2-3 weeks when all of the leaves have fallen. I'll post more photos in the days to come as the leaves continue to change.

Barn Foundation

2007-10-20T16:54:00.000-05:00

Quick update - the brick around the barn foundation has been added to match the brick on the house. Siding will begin this week and the tin roof is scheduled for installation next week. A cement slab was poured about 2 weeks ago in front of the barn.

It's Raining!

2007-10-19T08:01:00.001-05:00

It's raining, finally. We have not had rain in 52 days, and I've never been so happy to see a dark, gloomy day. Because the storm is moving through quickly, we probably will get less than 1/2 inch. But at least it will begin to add water to the dry creeks and streams. And today the fall colors seem brilliant, but maybe it just seems that way because of the drought.

Pasture

2007-10-11T09:49:00.000-05:00

Each fall our goal is to work on the pastures by fertilizing and seeding. Since there has been no significant rainfall since July, we will be unable to do any of this at this time. We will apply some organic fertilizer over the winter and will begin seeding and using other fertilizers to boost the pastures in the spring.

Barn Construction - Roofing

2007-10-02T20:30:00.000-05:00

Progress on the barn has slowed since summer, mainly due to our help returning to college. But we've moved forward and completed the sheeting and black paper on the roof to at least make it waterproof. Since the barn is close to our house, my husband wanted to make sure that it was functional, but also looked nice. So he has customized the entrances.

This week he is working on grading around the barn in preparation for a cement pad. This will be poured at the front of the barn, and then a narrow lane will be added around the exterior of the barn. It will help with support of the brick that will cover about 18" of the foundation. Once that is complete, soffets will be installed and the tin roof will be started. Finally we will add Hardy Plank siding, similar to the design used on our house and the barn and roof will be painted the same color as the house. Our goal is to have the roof and siding completed by Thanksgiving.

The Drought

2007-09-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

Not much to report on the farm in September. The drought has really hurt our pumpkin crop and now the fields are not growing either. Our creek has never stopped running, but it certainly has slowed down. We had planned to plant grass seed this month, but with no rain on the horizon, we'll have to postpone until October.

I did manage to pick a few pumpkins, however the dogs decided that they did not like them on the porch and have scattered them all over the front yard. It looks like a Halloween pumpkin/egg hunt.

Green Farmers

2007-08-21T17:16:00.000-05:00

I think that farmers must have been the first recyclers. Farmers tend to use their resources until they can no longer be used, and with very little waste.

I was thinking about this the other day as I was helping my husband clean out our new barn. It's not finished yet, but I wanted to separate out the extra pieces of wood that are not being used from the sawdust. My plan is to take the sawdust to the orchard and use it for mulch. I actually learned this from another grower who was looking for a sawdust source. And I realized that everything that I need is right here.

Other ideas for recycling include composting and water recycling for irrigation. I'll add more as I come to learn more about recycling on the farm.

Barn Construction - Sheeting

2007-08-07T20:16:00.000-05:00

8/7/07 The barn is really coming along well. In July, the framing was completed and now the sheeting has begun. Below is a photo of the steel beams that were lifted in place to secure the second floor.
After the steel was set in place, framing for the sides was completed, and the second floor was added.

This week we began adding sheeting to the roofs and will end with the walls. Here are more photos about the progress. Next week will begin with installing the tin roof.

Barn Contruction - Framing

2007-06-30T19:41:00.002-05:00

Barn construction began this week with framing. The tip-up construction process uses 6x6 beams with brackets. Before the cement floor was poured, 36" holes were dug for cement piers that would later have brackets attached to them. The brackets were set in the wet cement for later attachment to the 6x6 beams.

The frames are constructed on the ground. Using the Extenda Boom attachment for the Bobcat, the frames were lifted in place and set into brackets.

Once the frames were set in place, 2x4's were nailed to the beams as temporary braces, until the side wall construction begins. The entire process occurs relatively quickly, and with the work of 3 men.

The Barn

2007-06-02T19:44:00.000-05:00

We have broken ground and are preparing for the construction of our first barn. While we are doing most of the work with help from friends, there are a few aspects where the professionals will take over.

Following are the first photos of the barn site preparation. We moved soil from another part of the farm in order to make a level surface. We are leveling the soil and adding stone in anticipation of concrete that will be poured in the next 4-5 days, depending on weather.

6/11/07 This past Friday, the foundation/floor for the barn was poured. The floor will set-up for a total of 10 days and then pier construction can begin. Here are a few updated photos:

Wildflowers

2007-05-29T20:01:00.000-05:00

I enjoy seeing all of the wild things that have been growing around the farm. Although my husband calls them weeds, I call these wildflowers. I am posting a few photos of the ones that I have seen recently and am hoping that someone can help me label them.

Pumpkins

2007-05-14T08:41:00.000-05:00

We are considering planting pumpkins for fall sale and are discussing the different varieties. I am thinking about varieties that are powdery mildew tolerant, primarily Iron Man, Super Herc and Aladdin. In order to do this properly, I'll need to do a little more research about soil preparation before planting. To have pumkins by the middle to end of September, we have to plant seeds in the next 2 weeks. I'll publish more information on this process as we move forward.

6/2/07 Today I planted the first 100 of 750 pumpkin seeds. We are hoping to have a small first crop for sale in the fall to local markets. This will be a good test of the different types of soil that we have around the farm. I will post photos as the pumpkins germinate and begin to grow.

6/11/07 Today I planted almost 500 pumpkin seeds. The Iron Man and Super Herc seeds were planted in a new garden spot I have established at the bottom of our land, next to the creek. We using this spot to test the differences between this soil and the soil for the main garden at the top of the hil. The seeds planted on 6/2 have already germinated. Since there has been a decent amount of rain, irrigation is not needed at this time.

8/22/07 Today I cry "uncle" and accept the agony of defeat. I predicted that the soil close to the creek and at the bottom of the hill would be rich. I know that I should have tested it, however, it looked good (I know, not good farming). The pumpkins did germinate and there were flowers, up until the unpredicted drought. And I did not have irrigation in place on that area of the farm. So, I move forward and plan better for next year.

Plants and Trees

2007-05-09T15:43:00.000-05:00

5/9/07 Over the past 2 weeks we have planted our garden and established our orchard. Here is a list of the plants, seed or plant and the variety. We'll also keep this up-to-date as to the progress of the plants.

Seeds:
corn - silver queen, golden queen. 5/14/07 good germination
green beans - slenderette. 5/14/07 no sign of plants
lima beans - ford hook. 5/14/07 no sign of plants

Plants:
tomatoes - big boy, whopper. 5/14/07 big boy plants are thriving, but whopper plants seem to be very fragile, and not surviving.

With the seeds and plants, we added fertilizer, peat moss and potting soil. Prior to tilling the garden, we amended the soil with compost from a paper plant. This did add some nitrogen to the soil. I have watered the seeds twice with soaker hoses in the last 2 weeks but am careful not to over-water with the rain that we have had. I'll add photos as the plants germinate.

Trees:
Apple - yellow delicious, red delicious, granny smith
Cherry - monmorency, bing, black tartanian
Peach - elberta
Pear - bartlett, orient
Pecan

Bushes:
Blackberry - apache, arapahoe 6/10/07 4 of 6 plants now have leaves
Blueberry - jersey 6/10/07 all plants now have leaves
Raspberry - reville. 5/14/07 putting out leaves and branches already. 6/10/07 2 of 3 plants with leaves are now flowering and could produce some fruit this season.

The trees and bushes also had peat moss and potting soil added to them. The tall trees have been staked up to prevent breaking during strong winds.

5/24/07 - the blueberry and raspberry plants seem to be doing well. I received them as bare root and soaked them for a few hours before planting. 3 of the 6 blackberry plants seem to be Ok, but are slower. Below are a few photos of growth to-date:

Farm Beauty Tips

2007-05-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

Over the years, I have found that while I love the outdoors, it has been kind of rough on my body. In the weeks to come, I will add tips as they come to mind. Here are a few to start:

1. Keep bubble bath and Motrin on hands at all times. After a day on the farm, my muscles ache and a warm bath coupled with muscle relaxers really help.

2. Self-tanning; a personal choice. Ok, I knew about the farmer tan on my arms and neck going into this lifestyle. What I didn't really consider were my legs and feet. And getting tanning lotion on my hands didn't seem to be an option either. So this year I found a self-tanning spray, and last night I experimented. I woke up to stripes on my feet and a self-inflicted skin disease appearance on my legs. Even my 2-year old pointed to my legs and said "Mama, eewww!" I considered posting the photos, but they are graphic in nature. If you would like to see the photo, please send me a comment. 5/10/07 update - I thought that the "more is better" philosphy would apply to my feet, but unfortunately it is not so. Let's just say that now it looks like I am wearing brown, ankle-high boots.

3. Hair - you may just want to buy a hat. For me it's a lost cause until garden season is over, but well worth it.

4. Perfume - skip it. You're probably going to smell a little like diesel or gas if working with equipment, and the truth is, men kind of like the smell of fuel. And don't underestimate the citrus fragrance of GoJo.

5. Ladies over 40 - if you are going to be mowing grass or operating heavy equipment, do yourself a favor and invest in a sports bra. It'll save you a trip to the eye doctor.

The Orchard

2007-05-02T07:57:00.001-05:00

Once the garden has been planted and everything in place, we are ready to move to the orchard. We have just purchased about a dozen fruit and nut trees for planting. Although we have used soaker hoses in the garden, irrigation is going to be our greatest hurdle in the orchard. Trees will be spaced about 20 feet apart with rows spaced wide enough for a tracktor to pass for spraying and grass mowing.

First we measured each row 30 feet apart. We used string and stakes to insure straight rows when we began digging holes. Next we used an auger attachment for our Bobcat and dug the initial hole for each tree.

Then using a post digger, we made each hole at least twice the diameter of the root ball. While planting the trees, we added peat moss and top soil.

Following is a photo of the orchard, week 1.

5/14/07 update. The trees seem to be doing Ok, although some have a few dried leaves on them, even though we have watered and had a good amount of rainfall in the last week. Also, since we have planted the berries, the raspberries have started putting out stems already, so I am hopefull.

Technorati Profile

2007-04-26T08:13:00.001-05:00

Technorati Profile

Liquid Fence

2007-04-25T20:57:00.001-05:00

A short story here, some friends told me about a spray that I could put on my plants, completely organic, didn't wash off in the rain and really kept the deer away. It's call "Liquid Fence". So I tried it and it worked! However there was one downside that they failed to mention. It stinks to high heaven - and water does NOT remove it from your hands. To give you an idea, the product is made with egg by-product (whatever that is, but imagine raw eggs sitting out in the blazing sun, not cooking, just rotting and you can only begin to think of the aroma/scent/stink). Of course, when I used it for the first time, it was late afternoon before going to a church dinner. I kept smelling my hands to see if they were still stinky, and of course there was staring. The point of this story is wear rubber gloves when applying the Liquid Fence. I have learned my lesson.

The Garden

2007-04-25T20:41:00.000-05:00

The thing that I like the most about farming is gardening, watching things grow. There is certainly something romantic about living off the land. So last year, we tilled, planted, watered, put up deer fencing, etc., etc., etc. I think we harvested 2 tomatoes and a very small radish. And the year before that we all enjoyed one very small watermelon. Basically the best thing to gain from clay soil is, well, bricks (which is next on my list if I can't get anything to grow this year).

Each year, I have new optimism. So this year I have gotten off to a good start. We purchased compost from a paper company (very green and clean) and put a thick coat on the garden spot. In the last few days, I tilled the soil 3 times, in 3 different directions. I'm hopeful. In the days and weeks to come, I'll add photos as changes in the garden occur.

4/25/07 The next step is plant selection. I'll purchase some seeds and fertilizer locally and then some fruit trees and bushes by catalog. My plan is to begin planting this weekend. Once the planting begins, I'll install the deer fencing. Ok, don't laugh, but I'm doing my best to live with these woodland creatures. They really are pretty and also destructive.

4/28/07 Today we planted our garden. First we started by measuring between the rows and then tied string along the rows so that they will be straight when planting. This is the best way to optimize your garden space and at the same time spacing plants for optimum growth. Then we hoed each row and planted.

Since we are working with clay soil, we added fertilizer (10-10-10) as well as Miracle Grow potting soil to each row. When we cleared the land, the soil was full of pine trees. While this situation was great for the trees, it has not been good for new plants.

Once the plants and seeds were added, we placed soaker hoses on each row for irrigation. This has proven to be the most efficient form of irrigation for the hobby farmer. I try to only water 1-2 times per week, since we are watering from our home well. And the soaker hose places the water exactly where you need it, without waisting the water.

5/14/07 - update. We now have 3 rows of corn that have germinated well. However the lima beans and string beans are not doing well at all. Any thoughts? I plan to plant more corn this week, staggering my planting to lengthen the season.

5/23/07 I'm really disappointed with the plants that have just not germinated. Corn seems to be doing Ok and the tomato plants that I purchased are robust. I'm going to plant corn again in a different area on the farm, primarily to test the soil in different areas. Below is a photo of the corn growth to-date.

6/2/07 Today I planted the last of the silver queen corn and then planted 3 rows of golden queen corn. These have both been planted in another garden that we tilled near the creek. The soil is darker and has grown grass well in the past, compared to the soil in the first garden which is red clay. The new garden spot is also bottom land and hopefully will be rich in nutrients.

8/7/07 Well, the garden is done for now. We did harvest tomatoes, corn, string beans and watermelons. Although the crop was not large, I did find that corn did the best and the key was the soaker hoses, at least for this year. Below is a photo of my crop and my farm help.

Land Clearing

2007-04-25T19:56:00.001-05:00

We have been clearing our land since we bought the farm. The trees on the land were so thick, that from the road, we didn't even realize that there was a trailer on the property. We actually picked our house site without really being able to visualize the layout of the land.

Our goal is to have pasture land for cattle. So the first step was logging. We hired a logging company to come in and cut down the trees on some of the property. The worked for about 4 months and cleared at least 20 acres. Most of the wood that they cut was pine, some oak and poplar. They used heavy equipment to cut down the trees, skidders to drag the trees out of the woods, a large saw to cut the trees to a consistent size and then log trucks to transport the wood to the wood yard for sale. The sale of lumber and fire wood have been the primary revenue source for the farm to date.

Once the logging was finished, the next step was to clear the land. When loggers cut trees, the stumps are left. So we purchased a heavy piece of equipment to dig the stumps out of the ground. Here is a photo of our caterpillar 955. The C955 was also used for grading the land, smoothing out areas where the stump and roots made a hole the size of a small swimming pool.

After the stumps were removed, we used our Bobcat skid-steer to move the stumps, sticks, limbs, etc. into a large pile for burning. (Burning brush is legal in our county during certain times of the day, and safe during certain times of the year. On another project we burned an acre of bamboo in the middle of town, but that's a story for another blog). The best investment we made was a grapple attachment for the Bobcat (see photo). The grapple allowed us to lift stumps that we as large as the Bobcat and slowly move them to the pile. It also turned out to be a great tool for raking sticks and other small debris into rows.

The final tool that we used for the farm was another attachment for the Bobcat, a rock-picker. This tool picks up very small pieces of debris, without dropping it on the way to it's destination.

The Internet

2007-04-23T10:15:00.000-05:00

High-speed internet access and availability has really freed us to live a rural lifestyle in a very technical world. Our software development company is dependent on the internet for marketing, sales and product support. Our T-1 line is our primary link to our prospects, customers and others in our industry, without being dependent on geography.

The same is true of our farm. Internet access has increased the amount of time that we can spend on our farm. And UPS/FedEx is our distribution channel. We have tested several internet technologies and found that internet access through our cellular telephones is the best for our personal use. To date, the internet has been a great resource for farm research, purchasing, agricultural law, etc. We have even bought the majority of our large equipment over the internet (fortunately for the UPS man, equipment is delivered by other means).

Now we have started our farm blog. We hope that this may be a good resource for other hobby farmers, as well as a source of entertainment as we continue our agricultural learning.

Cows Are Funny

2007-04-23T09:57:00.000-05:00

Living in an agricultural community has really been fun. I enjoy driving the kids to school and seeing the crops growing and cattle grazing. One spring afternoon, I was driving my youngest daughter home from school. As we rode by one of the larger cattle farms, my daughter looked out the window at the cows. "Look at that Mama", she said, "one of those cows is giving the other cow a piggy-back ride". Needless to say, there are many miracles of life that we are witnessing first hand.

Cows are funny animals. And they seem to get out of their fenced-in areas often. Last year when my parents came to visit, Mom looked out the window and said that I had company. Down the driveway came someone's longhorn cows. They circled the house, had a bite to eat and then headed home. A few days later when the kids and I got home from school, my youngest said "they're under the porch". I thought she was talking about our cats. But sure enough, the cows had been hanging around in the cool shade. I shooed them away, and reluctantly, they went home.

From time-to-time, we work with my husband's family on their farm. A few years ago, we were helping move cattle from one field to another, and the distance was far enough that we had to use a cattle trailer. We all got into a a big semi-circle around the cows and herded them toward the pen. Once they were loaded onto the trailer and then delivered to the new field, we went for the next load. When we returned to the new field, the first group of cows were walking back on the street, parade style (I guess they weren't happy with their new home). The girls and I got of the truck and herded them back in the right direction. I wish someone could have video taped us running down the street, chasing the cows with the truck right behind us. It's one of those things that you don't really picture yourself doing.

Fencing

2007-04-21T19:51:00.000-05:00

We are fencing. This is a massive undertaking that could not have gotten this far without the help of friends and workers. We began our fencing project in December 2006. It's a great winter project because of the hard work and the fact that the leaves are off the trees. In order to clearly define the property line the first step has been to clear the perimeter of the property.

There are two types of fence that we are using, board fence, and netwire. The board fence is more decorative, but will be effective in keeping in large animals, such as cows and possibly horses. Netwire is not very decorative, but very effective in managing small cattle such as goats and sheep. The photo shown here is taken from the front of the property, at the entrance to the farm.

We started with the board fence, using an auger to dig holes and manually tamping each fence post (see photo auger). The auger was an attachment for the Bobcat.

As we progressed with the fence, we switched to the post driver and this helped the process to move quicker. The we switched to the netwire, which does not require as many wooden fence posts, as metal posts are used in between.

4/21/07 - Currently the fencing on the perimeter of the property is completed. However, with a recent windstorm we have some repair to do as about 2 dozen trees either fell on the fence or lifted the fence posts out of the ground. Once the fence is repaired, we will install electric fence to create multiple paddocks. This allows cattle to feed on certain fields while the others have time to recover.

Farming and Family

2007-04-21T19:40:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to live on a farm for as long as I can remember. Even in 1st grade, I had a lunchbox in the shape of a red barn. My family used to visit friends of my parents in South Carolina, and I just fell in love with their farm.

Farming, for me now, is really a great family experience. My husband grew up on a farm, and I am always amazed at the knowledge he gained from his family about plants, animals, equipment, soil, etc. He has spent a lot of time passing this on to me and our children.

Raising children here is already proving to be a fulfilling experience. When we work on projects, from clearing land to cutting grass, we do it together. Since we have spent the majority of our time here clearning land, our children have learned much about equipment and have had experiences that I hope that they will remember for a long time. My oldest daughter learned how to drive a truck on the farm. My middle daughter is learning how to operate multiple types of driving lawn mowers. And our son has found that he will fall asleep almost at the sound of the equipment starting up.

Our best days are when we are working on a project. Don't misunderstand, the kids are not always excited about picking up sticks or rocks, but somehow, we usually end up having a good chuckle about something. My hope is that good memories will be made here that the children will, in their adult lives, look back on fondly.

Wild Kingdom

2007-04-20T08:21:00.000-05:00

Animals are an integral part of our farm plan. We're planning on having cows, goats, dogs, maybe a llama. The fun and unexpected part are the wild animals. Deer and groundhogs are pretty common in Virginia. What I didn't plan on are some animals that can be a bit of a nuisance.

Take mice, for example. When we moved to the farm. we decided to live in the single-wide trailer that came with the land while our house was being built. Evidently the mice had been taking shelter there before we moved in, so much cleaning had to be done to make the trailer people-safe. What I overlooked was the oven. Our first night in the trailer, I decided to bake cookies, so that when my husband came home and the kids were getting ready for dinner, the house would really smell like home. What they got instead, was "baked mouse", one of the worst smells that you can imagine. It was so bad that we had to take the oven outside and put it on the front deck. At that point I had to ask myself, how did I arrive at the point in my life where I was living in a trailer with an appliance on the front porch?

The wild turkeys are nice. Driving my children to school one day, down the driveway, I saw 2 adult turkeys crossings the road. When we stopped, something fluttered on one side of the driveway...it was 5 little turkeys. The entire family still hangs around the farm.

And finally the opossum. He/she has been eating my cat food, and I should add, is much larger than my cats. The opossum comes up on the porch at night, and when I flick the light on, we look directly into each other's eyes. He could definately win a staring contest. When I shoo him away or slam the door, he give's me the "give me a break" look and continues eating. Needless to say, I am now in search of a slighshot. 4/29/07 update - Forgot about the cat food, so he's back.

5/3/07 Ok, so now I'm open to suggestions on getting rid of the opossum before I invest in a large water-balloon slingshot that I saw advertised yesterday. I have received one recommendation for a product called "Shake Away" that consists of dried fox urine. That's right. (Of course now I'm a little pre-occupied with how in the world it's collected.)

History

2007-04-18T13:01:00.001-05:00

2003 - 46 acres of land for Black Oak Farm was purchased in October. A logging company was hired and began clearing trees. Driveway construction for the new house site began.

2004 - We purchased equipment to begin the clearing of the land, which included stump removal, land cleaning and soil grading. House construction began in July.

2005 - House construction ended in January. Land clearing continued.

2006 - Land clearing neared completion on the final 7 acres toward the front of the property. Fence construction began in December.

2007 - Fence construction continues. Plan for first barn construction complete. Barn construction is scheduled to begin this summer.

2008 - Barn construction completed.

2009 - Chestnut orchard established.

2010 - Chestnut orchard maintained and land maintenance continues.

Welcome to Black Oak Farm

2007-04-18T12:52:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Black Oak Farm blog. In our excitement about establishing a new farm, we want to share our experience with you. Over the next few months, we'll post articles, photos, and farm experiences etc. to show you the transformation that has been made on our land. Please visit from time-to-time to see what's new.

We purchased our land in 2003 in Central Virginia. At that time it was 46 acres of wooded land and an abandoned tobacco barn. Today the farm consists of at least 30 acres of cleared land with a stream, farm house and 1 out building.