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New Additions!

So I am back from roguing corn in Iowa, and I am back to growing pumpkins. Both jobs are a bit difficult in a very dry summer. Because it has been so dry and brown here, it is fun to see new life at the farm! We have several new additions to introduce to you. First, Grammy and Papa have brought some new “ladies” to the farm–guinea hens. There are 10 new guineas that are getting familiar to the coop and us. The darker ones are the same variety that we have had in the past. They are Helmeted Guineas, and they will look like the older guineas in the last picture in a few months. The four lighter ones are called Lavender Guineas (I think). I will have to do some more research to find out. My kids are trying to befriend the new “ladies” with oatmeal and millet. So far they are still pretty flighty and timid. Am I crazy to think that they are kind of cute? By the way if you see the birds that don’t look like either type of guinea, those are the quail that Papa hatched (again, don’t ask).

Speaking of cute, we also found a new litter of kittens in the shed yesterday. I didn’t take a picture because they are so young, and last time that mommy cat moved her litter after we found them. We couldn’t find them after that, so we are hoping that bringing her a cozy bed and some milk will help her keep them around. They are so cute! My kids can’t wait to be able to play with them.

And last, but not least, are the new laying hens. We have replaced our chickens that were lost in the “Great Chicken Massacre” of 2012. Grammy and Papa chose some different varieties (all Heritage Birds). I can’t remember them all, but I’ll check. Right now they are molting (not super pretty), so they won’t lay for a couple of weeks, and then we will be back in the egg business!

Grammy’s Pumpkin Patch 2012

Pumpkin Planting

14 Jun

How did it get to be June again??? June, of course, to pumpkin farmers means planting time. We planted three different patches this year. The method to our madness is to better manage watering, weeding, and bugs. I hope our experimenting pays off. Our fields are separated into conventionally-tilled, strip-tilled, and no-till patches.

We used a cover crop of radishes (with some volunteer triticale) this year for our no-till and strip-till patches. The idea with no-till farming is conservation of the soil and its nutrients, bug and weed control. We chose radishes as a cover crop because they have been somewhat effective in squash bug control. Our timing in planting the radishes was a bit of an experiment as well. Normally, they would have been planted in September and died off already, but pumpkins are still in the field in September, so our cover crop was planted late. It had not died off when we planted the pumpkins. Half of the main patch is planted no-till and half of it is planted as a strip-till patch. I am a believer in no-till farming, but I have to admit that it makes me nervous not to see a freshly plowed and tilled field with neat furrows!

We planted another patch with mainly minis, giants, and gourds. This is our school and train patch. We did plant this patch with conventional tilling. We plan to use weed block and irrigation in this patch as it is smaller.

Around the house, we have experimented with some straw bale planting as well. The popcorn is also planted. We are looking forward to some great popped corn on the cob!

So with almost everything planted, we now have to pray that our experimenting will pay off and that the rains will come! This waiting part is not my specialty, but it is always a great reminder to me that God is the ultimate gardener, and He will provide all our needs.

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Posted by johnstownfarm on June 14, 2012 in Grammy's Pumpkin Patch

Tags: farm, grammy's pumpkin patch, johnstown farm, patch, pumpkin, pumpkin patch, pumpkins

Johnstown Farm Great Pumpkin Contest

11 Oct

We just had an amazing “postcard” perfect evening here at the farm. Kola Johnson was the official judge for our Johnstown Great Pumpkin Contest. The entries were weighed and measured. The biggest pumpkin has a circumference of 6 1/2 feet and weighed 122 pounds! Ken and Diane Cummings grew that giant. Other entries were by Billy Berg, Zeke Flippo, Judah Flippo, Charis Mourn, and Benjamin Mourn. We all decided that was excellent for a drought year. Kola had prizes ready for all the entries. We had a chili feed complete with stories from the Johnstown glory days. Leland Nelson brought his guitar out and sang some good old songs as the sun went down. This was a great night to create new traditions and memories while learning about the traditions and memories of the past.