Learnings

Being on the farm has been a greater educational learning experience than any learning experience I've endured with books, chairs, pencils, paper and a professional teacher.

This summer I learned:

- I need to water, water, water - especially new seed beds
- I must mark a bigger space around the hops so they are not accidentally mowed
- to plant peas as soon as you possibly can in the season
- that lettuce needs to be staggered every week
- to communicate clearly and daily - what you would like to do and what you have done
- to slow down
- to clear all the popple - there is a lot of baby oak trying to grow on the side of our hill
- to clear project decisions with all four in the house
- that slug-n-go is a great slug bait and to use it liberally...
- and that hot sauce kills slugs too
- that one does not plant tomatoes where the potatoes were and/or potatoes where the tomatoes were
- to activate your yeast two to three days before brewing beer
- to avoid testing the strength of the electric fence while it is raining
- to wear steel toed shoes when doing anything other than gardening
- that egg wash helps ravioli edges stick and adds nice color and texture to bread
- to cage non-pole tomatoes so they stay off the ground
- never underestimate the Red Cedar's current
- poison ivy is out in April

Jay