Farm-Work on

Water, farming, dandelions.

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Water access and rights inhabit more farming conversations than just about any other topic. This weekend and last the TWL installed a new irrigation system for the orchard, p-patches, horses and farms at Johnson Farm – the water is pumped from the pond and makes it way through underground pipes. Yesterday we finished laying the pipe and backfilled the majority of the trench.

flowers in the trench

My daughter added her manpower: picking up rocks, backfilling with her very own rake and sprucing up the scar while it heals.

TWL, alders, timber!

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The latest edition in the TWL work party series removed a number of alders growing on the Crawford property which, in full leaf, significantly shade the grapes on Day Road Farm – on the last farm walk I noticed while elsewhere on the farm the full sun had melted the morning frost this section of the farm still remained white late in the day.

I had never participated in the felling of trees so tall so I watched and learned, fortunately most of the volunteers have years of experience. I think the combination of tree-felling and bring-your-own-chainsaw greatly increased the usual attendance – we had enough volunteers for two separate teams of ropers, pullers and fellers.

Invasives, chipper, farm work.

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Throughout high school I worked for the city in the landscape crew fixing front lawns ruined by snow plows or sewer renovations. One of the primary, and more memorable, experiences from that job was walking the streets behind a chipper and loading all the residents’ brush through rotating drums ready to suck in your arm as easily as the maple branches ripping at your legs – it was stressful and exhausting.