Alive Again!

Today was a good day. A real good day. Learning seems to be the theme of many a my posts, but it actually happens. It's all a matter of whether you choose to let things be a learning experience.... Joe and I got all our carrot seed in the dirt today, consisting of atomic reds, cosmic purples, belgian whites(blanche a cole vert), and also amarillos. Also, things are starting to look good at the 37th spot. Seeing Maggy sit in the greenhouse, reading a book with classical music on, was a sign of progress. The air is so nice in there! Probably really good for you too... Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we'll see some flowers blooming besides tulips.. Cheers to all and have a lovely Thursday! Your friend, JR

Just Dropped A Beat

Beats on your head... ok not really but a lot of them in the dirt. Beanie has over five types of beets planted now. Carrots have also been sown, Four types so far. We are planting out way west and keeping crop rotation in mind. If the weather keeps us farmers in mind we should be almost planted be the end of the week. fingers crossed . Your buddy Till McGee.

Monday Funday

After we drove to and explored what I know now as Washington's tallest waterfall, we continued to play. Tried to get the Beauville stuck in the field, however jb tiller took the wheel and the honor of removing her from the sticky situation. We sorted a bit and racked what hearty starts we deem fit for outdoor living, and arranged a package for friends with a baby boy on the way. One of the more important details we need to think about right now is hinges. Sandwich board as advertising perhaps and foldout panels in the coupe boxes. Everyday the details.
Joe laid out more rows with beet seed this morning, which we hope to continue in the a.m. if weather allows. Today was a great day for rain! Enjoy! Your friend, jr

Feaster

I hope you all had a Happy Easter, and did things that made you feel good. It was almost like family visitation day on the farms. It was nice for people to meet each other for the first time and see new sights unfolding before them. We have most the beet seed in the dirt, and our newly planted onions and spinach are showing quite well. Our second tier of starts, mostly being tomatoes, are just about ready to share. I feel a lot of new life springing before us with much learning in store. Starting tomorrow, I will take a short drive with Maggy to Palouse Falls to see the heavy Spring flow, which should be a thrill. I might just have to jump in.. below the falls of course. Tuesday presents us with a possible visit to a local goat ranch, where some gals are rumored to have some great cheese. It's all in our backyard! Don't look to far y'all, now is all you have. A good week I wish to you all Sincerely, JR Tucker

Erf Day Foo!!!

Thank you Mother, we had a blast. Curation! Sunny day brought about the uncovering of much unkept beauty at the 37th spot. Flowers peeking out everywhere, starts boomin' in the greenhouse. Life is wonderful. Strive On. have a good weekend and stop by damnit! -JR

Late-ly

I know I know... The plants are thriving as we continue to find better and more efficient ways to work for them. Thanks to all who got starts, we truly appreciate the contributions to the farm. It was lovely to sit with the boss and discuss all the details of my new "curator" title as well. Once a slight joke, me becoming a gardener for life has finally manifested. I look forward to each day ahead of me to find ways I can learn and help. The dishes are never done. Dulces suenos, JR

Earth Day!

Thank your mother. Earth day is tomorrow. Its just a reminder that we owe it all to our perfect position. Give thanks for it all, leave no carbon footprint , and live happy. She would want no other way. Jb

Overload.

Today consisted mainly of order and details. we took a serious inventory of exactly what we're working with, and categorized according so. As of now, we're looking to start with about 50 tomato plants at the farm and an additional 300 plus for y'all. Thanks to have who have contributed thus far. We're dealing with about 25 varieties ranging from the hearty producer Kentucky Beefsteak to the delicate and ornate Ground Cherry(Husk Tomato)...
There are many decisions to be made in the weeks to come, and lots of work laid ahead. The key is to keep up with the times and do work until the work is done. Shown above is a small hot-house we've laid outside, which covers a row consisting of spinach sprouts and accompanying weeds. We'll probably be building a coupe tractor to drag through the field at the 37th place and have some free range birds to hang out there. Eggs are popular lately and we've got to keep up. happy mid-week to you all.
Salud, JR

Boom!

As I await my free dinner, I say to you things are booming. We have many tomato starts you need to have! I had the day off from farming as I built a pallet fence for one of my dearest friends. Who knew pallets, free one at that, could look so sweet? I bet people would pay a grand for one of these puppies in an ikea catalog... Tiller and Mags, meanwhile, have gotten just a plethora of new seed trays started.. 18 to be exact. That's more than we originally started with! So tell your friends.. tell yourself to come get starts from us! As we approach last frost we are ever tempted to get thigs in the dirt, but patience pays. Root crops, such as beets, carrots and radishes, will see their seeds go in by weeks end. Very excited about the giant yellow echindorf beet and the mammouth red mangel beet. We would like to enter both in the fair for size, hoping to get 20 pounds plus out of the reds.. They used to be used for horse feed, but horses we have not. We'll find a use for sure. Anyhow, that is months away. Tonight we hunker down and embrace the late winter with hopes of warmth and more abundant sun to come. From me to you, I say goodnight. JR

Forward

breakfast. discussion. plan. action. we are pretty much sorting through and taking an inventory of our starts, deciding which and how many to keep... the rest are yours my friends! thank you to all who have already helped the cause by taking some starts off our hands. jb and I bulked up on feed for the birds today, along with a shiny new 5 gallon watering can for the meatbirds. all winged creatures seem to be loving life today! the laying hens took on a dose of scrap romaine from a weekend at the restaurant and seemed to love it.. watching them go crazy on lettuce after a light April snow is hilarious!
Speaking of, what a whirlwind of seasons today in Spokane.. I loved it for one. Hitting the freeway in a pseudo blizzard around noon and then transplanting in the solarium to a beautiful late day sun... very cool. Lettuce was a big part of the day, with many starts finding their way to a newly found shelf inside the solarium... stuff looks good. Several types of leafy greens and reds, along with dwarf pok choi, radicchio, and bak choi. Thanks to all who continue to support us in our attempt to provide community supported agriculture. Things are moving right along and I couldn't be more excited. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings! Salud, JR

Bedtime

Well, another weekend has come to a close... Sunday is technically my Friday with my true weekend coming in the next two days. We have dubbed Mondays as "do work" Mondays, where we will possibly set out to accomplish some of the more grueling tasks of the week. This is due to the fact JB and myself share only this day as a break from our "real" jobs. Today at the farm we sat in the warm sun and transplanted a bit more, and upon my leaving, several stayed behind to plant what awaits us in the morning. Zinnias! Creativity is growing again and again and everyday keeps bringing new insight of how to reach our full potential. Never stop. By the way, we considered setting out a sign on Glenrose to tell people we have tomato starts available.. just so you know. We are keeping about two plants of each variety and the rest is to share with y'all. Please let us know, and we'll be glad to get you some. Until today.. your friend, JR

Accountability

The only way I figure this will all work, is if I live on the farm. One of us has to. Is it a good idea, a dream, or a reality? I for one, say it's a manifestation finally coming true. Prairie, I can't wait to wake up to you... City life... no pun intended, is for the birds... I say sweet dreams, JR

Slacker!

Yep, I already missed a day.. no excuses. This will make me better. The solarium is filling up quite rapidly and the air is nice! I think we may have all our starts in 3 inch pots, with about six new full trays consisting of new seed. Never stop. JB really busted his ass yesterday and once again got us ahead in the game. We don't want to rush you mother nature, but we got some real treats for your soils when you're ready... Big thanks to Ross and Maggy for all their help recently. So sweet to be surrounded by such good people. Everybody have a great weekend. Cheers, JR

bird is the word...

Today was, is random. Running into old friends, trying to wrangle another wild turkey, etc... Clouds and afternoon rain have filled the skies, but we got a good clip of transplanting done and we are getting closer to having some of the starts available to the public. Mass tomatoes! All the plants made the transfer just fine, as I checked their progress through the night. The three baby turkeys will go to the barn tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited. We hope to have them ready for a nice feast to celebrate the summer solstice and the anniversary of the birth of young J.B. Tiller. What a party it should be. Join if you like. Lastly, it seems the more we network the more we are reminded that farming is coming back! We have a fairly large piece for only two guys to run, but people are gardening again! Young people! I love the stories, ideas and passion people have for this and it has me thinking things are getting back to what is right. Why pay when you can grow? Tomorrow I will till a spot for a co-worker, and it will be exciting to see what she has in store. I live in the heart of town, and my neighbors in the alley have chickens, just two. Its is so easy to be mindful and raise your own birds, and the reward is constant. Ramble on Tucker...
Cheers, JR

Transfer

Waking early, I managed to fit all 28 start trays in the Beauville, and make it to the solarium on the prairie. It took us a second to get the temps figured out and make the plants cozy, but I think we got it dialed in. I had to get this post in early, for I will be staying overnight with the plants to monitor their activity through a possibly stressful move. Now is not the time to be lazy.
Back at the farm, Maggy has done some nice work getting some fruit trees in the ground and the soil in the rows is looking good. Damn good! Hope you all enjoy a few new pictures and have a lovely evening. cheers, JR

New beginnings...

Monday brought on a day lacking of a plan, but things still happened. The cat came back, with serious hunger. Some say she's too cute to be a barn cat... I'm not swayed. She's a cat. More transplanting filled our late morning, mostly tomatoes. I'd say 60 percent of the starts are now in 3-inch pots, mostly consisting of tomatoes. We will be selling some of the tomato starts, so let us know if you're interested. Tomorrow is the day all plants go to the solarium on the prairie. Its been a good five weeks and I'm excited to see them grow up even more. Patti, the boss, was going to Davenport today to peek at a baby goat, so who knows if we'll have a surprise in the morning... chicks seem to be growing by the hour, and their appetite is fierce, which in turn makes mine the same. So cheers to new things and new beginnings. Hope y'all had a good monday. Keep it up, never stop. JR

Thanks and Praises

Checking on the ladies and the babies was the only real task we achieved today. Lazy however, we don't feel. It was a good week of re-designing, creating, and maintaining. The ladies are very happy, one of which is shown contemplating which of her new laying boxes to lay in. Quite cozy their coupe has become, which makes for a happy farm. The lillies are coming up outside their run, and the deer haven't attacked them too much yet. Before I forget I'd like to thank the Bryant clan for their donation of feed to the farm this weekend. And also to the Robbins clan for the use of a vehicle for a month plus. Now that my mother and father are both officially retired and home from vacation, they'll have plenty of time to head South to pull weeds... the work never stops. However, I feel the golf course will sway my father's interest much more.
This week the starts head south to adjust to the sun and kick it in the solarium. I'll miss having them at my place on the north side, but it will also be nice to have a home again. So, with this being said, I hope everyone is well rested and has a productive and creative week. Stay tuned, be proud. Your friend, JR

Old McDonald Had A Farm

...and on his farm he had a chick

Random acts...

What a run-a-round its been lately... good though. My friend Dan trapped a wild turkey in his back yard right on Rowan and Wall, allowing me to decide where to take it.. funny what raising birds can get you into. No real significant news from the farm today as I took the day of and J Tiller took care of the birds. Our Cornish Cross chicks are getting close to being fully feathered and ready for the field tractor, most likely creating more space for a new batch of chicks to go under the lights. Also thank you to followers who found there way to this site via facebook, I appreciate all your interest in what we're doing. Until tomorrow, never stop, be proud. Your friend, JR

D Spot

The sun today is amazing. From waking to late day it has been inspiring, and just feels good on the face. Today was about control. The rows on the northeast plot were dialed in and got a fresh batch of straw do to the help of one Fluff Daniels aka Fluffy D. We truly appreciate all his help. We also cleaned up the fence lines of the newest 3,000 sq. ft. further northeast plot to let the sun in and get good walking paths between the rows. Things are picking up and people are feeling good. Thank your mother today! Hope you all have a lovely weekend and continue to create. Sincerely, JR

Snow!

I'm not one of those people who complain about the weather, so the title isn't very fitting. Slightly puzzling it was, however, to find myself waking to a small cover of snow today. Not enough to stop us from, turning that sausage (soil) a little more. New section is looking pretty good and the ladies got a nice remodel in the coupe today as well. Hope y'all in Spokane enjoy the late day sun and have an easy night. Salud, JR

Hump Day Humus

Nursing possible hangovers, we dusted off the cobwebs with a theraputic transplanting session. Joe once again proved to be a proven facilitator of tomato health and strength. I for one, was lost in leeks today.. All in all I feel we did good work, and discussed important and creative details. What to do next? Never stop. Speaking of.. I have vowed to post a blog for 365 consecutive days with news from the farm, and general positive news for all... let yesterday be day 1 with 363 to go. Always being inspired, mostly by beautiful people around me and all their insight. As for starts, we have roughly 1,100 of them going strong now, resting on a platform which used to serve as my bed frame. Being pseudo-homeless isn't bad if you're doing what you love. Many of these starts will soon be taking a journey south to the prairie for more spring sunshine, leaving room hopefully for more starts. Until then, Cheers friends! Sincerely, JR Tucker

Well.. we maintained more tedious work, consisting of thinning one-inch-tall tomato starts and transplanting so.. Roughly 3,000 more square feet of ground have been added due to the hard work of one J.B. Tiller. Warmer weather has us staying busy, and hope to be planting soon.. We're sitting around 700 total vegetable plant starts as of today, but the number seems to growing weekly, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as I remember to water them.. cheers, J.R. Tucker

Picture Update !

Here is a quick glance at our basil and tomato starts. They will soon be making the trip southbound to the newly acquired solarium on 37th.
"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." Ralph Waldo Emerson