The Grafted Branch Farm

Now that the poultry are in their homes for the winter, I'm free to do garden prep with our new toy/tool from @treadlitebroadfork. Let me just say, this is a workout. We have really heavy, rocky soil here (hince why we went with a solid steel model) and I'm not really sure if this patch of ground has ever been broken up. Despite the rocks and clay, there is an abundance of earthworms! Each pass with the broadfork unearthed at least a dozen (that I could see) so I am hopeful t...hat with a little coaxing, we can transform the soil and make it rich and productive for our vegetables, herbs and flowers. These beds will be for garlic, which I'm in less of a rush to get in the ground than I was because it has been in the 70s this week. A strange start to November, to say the least. I want to set this garden up right. This ground will feed us and our family for generations.

What a lovely surprise to find today during chores. Finally! After five long months, we have chicken eggs! Little baby teenage eggs but eggs nonetheless. It's like they were waiting to start laying until they were more settled. I can understand that feeling!

My parents came down for an overnight and to drop off my mama's old blue Farm-all tractor for us to borrow so we can drag some logs, scoop some gravel--you know, farm stuff. Well they showed up with other gifts too (as parents are apt to do). Not pictured is an old used spinnet piano. It needs tuning and at least one key sticks but Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" comes back like they say riding a bike does.... My mama also came in with what can only be described as a bushel of sage from this year's gangbuster garden. It is a smell that I could stick my nose in forever. I wrapped these smudge sticks to dry over the next few weeks to be used for future cleaning. I reluctantly washed my hands afterward to prepare sourdough pancakes for dinner. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm grateful. This, this is why we moved. Not to be blessed with gifts from my family, but to be blessed with their presence. To feel their support and encouragement in their hug instead of just over the phone. In a world so saturated with isolation, doubt and fear, I pray that you see the value in community. That you seek it and cultivate it, whether it is biological or otherwise. We were created to hold each other up. We are stronger that way.

Another dismally cold and rainy day, just downright hypothermic out there, so we are inside working on getting the books situated. My job was the food shelf first. Jeremiah is working on religion, nature/farming, and health in the living room. Next we're going to hang some shelves in the diner and [hopefully] not max out our capacity because if I know us (and I know us) we will only be accumulating more books as time goes on. ... What's one book (cookbook or otherwise) that you just can't live without?

Progress on the "hoop coop", a dual purpose mobile hoop house we're building to keep our layer hens in the winter and as a season extender for garden veggies spring to fall. Grateful that chickens and tomatoes don't care if a few corners aren't perfectly square. As long as it keeps the predators out and the heat in, I'm happy.