When construction meets farming

Okay you guys, this weekend was pretty huge in farm land. First, we met the chicks on Friday night! We have twenty of them, a mix of Rhode Island Reds, Aracaunas, and Barred Rocks. They're extremely fluffy, chirpy, and adorable, although if you hold one for too long, you will get pooped on. They can't really help it. Taperman has them all set up in the basement, and they seem very happy. I spent a while just watching them. They'll hop around the box between the water and food, and have a tendency to abruptly fall asleep while standing. They also hop all over each other, and have been pecking at the thermometer. On Saturday Taperman expanded their condo, as they're already growing pretty quickly. We convinced the whole family to head back to the farm on Saturday, ostensibly for family bonding, but really just because we were looking for cheap labor to help build the raised beds for the farm. Luckily, they all fell for it.

We had made tentative plans to have the area where the garden is going tilled on Friday, so on Saturday when we arrived we were crossing our fingers that it would be done. And it was! The Danishes and Stoney greatly appreciated the tilled dirt. Winston decided that an especially fun game involved running through the small pond, and then tearing through the dirt (and later, the living room...).

On Sunday morning, Mike and Taperman headed off to procure lumber for the raised beds. We had previously planned out the layout of the garden, and had decided to go with a total of twenty beds - eight 12 x 4 beds, and 12 10 x 4 beds. Have I mentioned that we're not starting small? Clearly, this necessitated quite a bit of lumber, so it was a job for the man truck. For wood, we used pine 2x8s. I know that they'll only last for a few years, but didn't want to go with pressure treated. Hopefully by the time they rot, I can upgrade to cedar.

First, we had to cut down some of the lumber to make the four foot sides of the beds, so we arranged ourselves in a very efficient assembly line of measuring, cutting, and stacking. Then, it was time to start putting the beds together. We decided to put a 2 x 2 angled stake in each corner, to be driven down into the dirt when we place the beds. This should let us square them, and should keep them anchored in the ground.

While Mike, Mame and my mother worked on measuring and pre-drilling holes, my dad and I screwed the frames together.

As you can see, I took a few turns with the drill myself. I think it's important to know how to fix/create the things that I'm going to need, so I tried to learn as much as I could. Taperman was a carpenter in a past career, so it was tremendously helpful to have him for the bed building! Winston also really enjoyed the process, although he may have been confused about what kind of beds we were building.....

While we were working in the garage. Danish was also helping with the garden. Last weekend, I had opened up my perennial bed and added mulch. Apparently, though, I hadn't added quite enough mulch, so Danish decided to assist. I hope these perennials are hardy....

We worked through the morning, and were able to get all twenty beds finished on Sunday! Mame and I were especially relieved, because we didn't want to try to finish them by ourselves today.

I'm so happy with how much we got done this weekend. Meeting the chicks, and seeing the stack of completed beds and the tilled fields makes this whole venture seem much more real. This weekend, we're renting a tractor to smooth out the area where we're planting the squash, and to fill the beds with dirt and compost. Before then, we have to get in touch with our neighbor, so that he can put us in touch with his compost guy. It's good to know people who have compost guys. And to have family members who are willing to help with farm construction! Thanks family!