February is my least favorite month, dreary and cold. Things haven't changed at the farm site since the last post, but we've made some decisions and purchases. It doesn't seem like much, now as March is on its way, but it will make the whole process easier when we do get to it.
First of all, we've decided against a tractor. Even used, they are a big expense, not to mention the cost of the attachments that do the actual work. The space needed to house it all, the fuel issues, the maintenance, it was too much. But what decided me was the actual plan for the farm. Willow beds, once in, don't get turned over regularly like vegetable beds. My plan was to slowly build up the planting area until +/- half acre is planted. That will take a couple of years, then the tractor will be overkill.
We could rent a tractor each year for the next year's plantings, but again, it's overkill. We will be improving nothing larger than a 20' x 40' plot each time, something a tiller can actually handle easily. Smaller, cheaper, easier to handle and store. We're going to rent a similar model first to be sure, but we're looking at a DP rear-tine tiller.
The weather has been veering from perfect to horrible, and other variables kick in to make hitting the right day harder - health problems, truck problems, other outside scheduling problems. But, we did manage to acquire a utility trailer, which will solve our delivery problems.
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About a week and a half later:
We went yesterday to Asheville Tool Library, an amazing service that should be copied everywhere. For a reasonable membership fee, we can borrow whatever we need for a week, with no additional charge, just like a library. They had the exact rear tine tiller I looked to buy, so it's a perfect opportunity to test before buying. (The hours are odd, it's volunteer staffed, and there are no manuals, explanations, or help loading so be aware, Asheville peeps.)
So we now have a trailer, a tiller in hand, and warm spring-like weather. What don't we have? Bounce-back. Or timing. Yesterday was pretty taxing for both of us, including my stubborn insistence on planting three hazelnut bare-root trees that just arrived (I got two in, and a third hole dug) in the hot sun and a truck on the fritz. Both of us suffer from bad backs as well, so... could we go out again today to till, the last dry day before rain sets in? Hell, no. Two days in a row doesn't work for us anymore. So, we are punting. Next update, hopefully, will be photos of stalks in rows!
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Nearly a week later:
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| Rain is imminent, even on a sunny day |
We've had on-off weather all week - hard rains followed by hot sunny days that are typical for spring. I just have to make excuses for trying to work the ground in the wet season - I started in November but it took til January just to get truck access to the property. By then, the monsoons had started already. To make it harder, there's the added burden of digging to replant my willow starts currently in pots. So I'm regretting my impatience. But everything is trial and error with this property.
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| Could we take anymore mud back with us? |
We had a chance to try out the tiller on a non-rainy day, even though the dirt was pretty wet. I thought we could at least play around with it and if the plot got tilled in the process, it was gravy. While my partner, with the mechanical brain, tinkered with the tiller controls, I got one more willow pot in the front plot and the last hazelnut tree in along the creek (where the dirt is much better - hint, hint). It was a beautiful day. We found out there's a donkey of some variety on the farm across the creek, his braying echoed across the valley.
We actually got to enjoy the day on the property a bit this time, since we remembered to bring chairs and an umbrella for rest breaks. And we really appreciated it, the sun is hot out on the field!
Mistakes were made - I raked up the straw on the plot beforehand, but not all, and it got tangled up in the tiller. We discovered what a drag bar did (stabilized it so it didn't buck) And it was still too wet. We got 6 inches tilled, but until it dries up, that's it for now. Maybe next week. Kicking the ball back to the weather. (It poured rain today.)
Mixed reviews on the tiller. That's mostly due to our annoyance at obscure directions on the manual we downloaded from DR's website. It pulled really well, most energy required was just keeping it on course. We're not sure how the reverse tine action works, or if it did anything on the wet ground, so more research and another try may be needed. Unfortunately, that tiller is booked up at the Tool Library now, so we looked at a Gravely walking tractor with a tiller attachment they have available. Another learning curve, not sure either of us are enthusiastic about that.
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| This oh-so-handy section of the property has the worst dirt. Who knew? |
So we had a talk last night. I am seeing that the convenience of starting to plant next to the driveway, and the assumption that the ground would drain better on that upward slope were both wrong directions. It appears that over the last 10+ years at least, all the topsoil has washed down the slope and left just clay behind. There is better dirt elsewhere on the property, I just didn't do some digging to test that out. As I think back on why not, I remember that I put it off til the driveway was being put in, and by then the rains had started. I should have done that in the dry season, in the fall.
Anyway, as I said, mistakes were made. I'll be better prepared next year.
And for now, an alternative was discussed. There is standing water next to the driveway that needs to go somewhere else. I am thinking in terms of a runoff pond behind the drive. We are now looking into ponds, and maybe we could get some better area plowed for new willow beds along with the pond grading. Just an idea. Not sure if there's time to get someone with equipment out there in the planting season, but maybe enough. I hate to spend the money, but...
Trial and error. Punting.
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