Author Archives: itfarmer

December Growth

Posted on December 20, 2011 by itfarmer

Most of the plants in my garden have long ago succumbed to the cold weather, but there are still a few hints of life around the farm if you know where to look. When I set out with my camera to … Continue reading →

Posted in Brussels Sprouts, Elderberries, Garlic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ladder and Lights

Posted on December 5, 2011 by itfarmer

I only have a few major components to finish before I can call my shed complete, but before I totally enclosed the second story, I figured it would be a good idea to add a ladder and some light.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Building and Construction, Shed | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spreading Manure

Posted on November 15, 2011 by itfarmer

Over the weekend, Rob and Maurice were cleaning up the horse pasture, and piling up the manure. After seeing the pile, I rushed off the get my tractor and connect the manure spreader. The manure spreader is a fancy wagon … Continue reading →

Posted in 8N Ford Tractor, Fertilizer, John Deere, Tools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Storage and Seeds

Posted on November 7, 2011 by itfarmer

While the warm season harvest may be over, there is lots of work pertaining to the warm season left to do. One of the biggest challenges is organizing all of the food that was packed away. The canned items should … Continue reading →

Posted in Beans, Canning, Lettuce, Pak Choi, Seeds, Tomatoes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Halloween; A Transition to Cool Crops

Posted on October 31, 2011 by itfarmer

As I observe more and more of the subtle hints of seasonal change, I’m starting to find dates on the calendar where changes become permanent transition points. Halloween has become my new marker on the calendar for the absolute end … Continue reading →

Posted in Bright Lights, Cauliflower, Climate, Cooking from the Garden, Endive, Growing Season, Opportunity Salad, pumpkins | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Warm Season Wrap-up

Posted on October 24, 2011 by itfarmer

The warm season is almost over, and I decided to mow down all of the nearly lifeless plants that remained. I used the 8N tractor and the finish mower to chop up all of the remaining plants so that they … Continue reading →

Posted in 8N Ford Tractor, Fall, Freezing, Growing Season, New Ideas, Peppers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Three Bean Story

Posted on October 20, 2011 by itfarmer

I set out to plant five different types of beans in the garden this year, after having a successfull year with Ying Yang beans in 2010. I’ve also been trying to mix up what crops are planted in which portion … Continue reading →

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A Good Year for Apples

Posted on October 13, 2011 by itfarmer

It’s been a great year for apples in Northwest Pennsylvania. Above is a selection of apples from a co-workers orchard. He’s got a real apple problem on his hands at the moment, with the potential to fill many, many 50 … Continue reading →

Posted in Apples, Nectarines, People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Celery and Peppers

Posted on October 4, 2011 by itfarmer

After a long summer of hot days, the clouds spread out their reach and allowed the cold air to descend. The weather man predicted frost, which is a last call of sorts for any gardener. The name of the game … Continue reading →

Posted in Celery, People, Peppers, Vegetable Storage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tis the Season for Picking

Posted on September 26, 2011 by itfarmer

I’ve been trying to keep up with the ripening tomatoes since the first red alert cherries appeared, but somewhere along that timeline I fell pretty far behind, and my garden that used to be a sea of green has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Bell, Chablis, Flexnum, Grapes, Purple Vienna, Tomatoes | Tagged , , | 2 Comments