I am back!!!!

So, I go back and forth about blogging this day or that day and then I settle on a day and then vanish into thin air! Yeah, I did that! Don't worry, it probably won't be the last time... I will do my best though to not let it happen for so long! I have been busy though so at least I was productive somewhere during my blog abandonment time! 

*Update* 

We have been running a contest on our FB page, that I have been struggling to get people interested in it, but hopefully after they see a winner happen this time people will be more interested in joining in next time. Also, we are looking for farmers market incentives... Like, spend x get ___ free or maybe a card that gets hole punched and every certain amount gets you something free... Any comments or suggestions would be awesome!!! 

*What I have learned*

Oh, this list!! It could consist of 100 things at least! But, I will list just a few... 

Let me start out with this one... I hate weeding more than I thought I did lol. I can and will do it, and we have tools to help make it go by faster... But if I can sit in the shade and blog instead... Well, you're reading my choice! 

I've also learned that in order to keep up with demand, sometimes you have to plan things out better! So now, we have a schedule and a plan that's written out and goals that have been written down and a better laid out plan of attack for every week, month, season and year! YAY go us!!! 

Another thing I learned recently is this... Even the most seasoned farmer is learning new things. We were talking to a fairly successful farmer the other day and Dylan taught them about two different tools that we use often! That surprised me because these aren't extremely new tools... These are things that other farmers with books and websites and YouTube channels have been using for years, and they hadn't even heard of them. It was just nice to see that I am not the only one learning here! 

Alright one more for the learning and then I get to brag a little bit... We got over run by weeds this year. A little bit of really good tilling and bringing those weed seeds to the surface and BOOM! But, I have learned a pretty cool trick! Tarping! Take some of that thick black plastic/tarps and cover the weeds with it. Depending on how tall your weeds have gotten, you may have to cut them down some with a hoe, but that's it... Cover the section with the tarp and wait 2-3 weeks... (Yes, of course you can wait longer) that hot sun on that black plastic will fry those weeds! All we do after that is use Dylan's favorite new tool, the stirrup hoe and cut those weeds heads off and clean up the spot! Not only does it make the job so much easier, it also helps reduce the amount coming back to very little! 

Now for my bragging rights! So, I told my husband before we ever even officially started dating... I am not a farmer and I have a black thumb! He, since we moved in together, has made every attempt to prove me wrong. While starting lettuce starts a few months ago he asked me to help him by dropping seeds into tiny holes... Well how hard can that be? And the next time he put the dirt in them, showed me how deep to make the holes and had me also drop seeds again... Little did I realize, I was being set up! Then he asked me to do them... By. My. Self... I had never put soil in them before... I was just left to my own devices... what was he thinking????? So... I watched some YouTube videos and learned how others did it and tried to remeber how he did it... and then  decided to try it two different ways... Dylan's way and a VERY successful farmers way... Dylan's way, was way more successful! And I had pretty good germination too (that means a pretty good amount of the seeds I planted, grew!) The next time we did it together... quickly and his way... But he was trying things a little different... and the germination was barely half... Not sure what happened exactly but he decided then that from now on, this job was all on my shoulders! I was the new farm seed starter... At least for the lettuce! And now, for my bragging rights... This last round that I started... 123 total pods and ALL but one sprouted! That's like a 99.7% germination rate!!!! I am smashing this new role!!!! *Takes a bow* I will wait for you to quit clapping and cheering for me...  thank you, thank you!!! Hahaha well we will see how my next round goes... I have to start them this week! Maybe by Sunday I will be able to tell you how many popped up! 

Thank you as always for your time! I enjoy sharing this adventure with you! Please leave any questions or comments below!! Bye for now!!!!