City Kids - Week 9

"April showers bring May flowers"

It is almost May and all the rain and snow from the beginning of April mixing with the sunshine is making some of the flowers start to pop.

This week farmer's spotted Trout Lily's, 

Wild Leeks, Colts Foot, Daffodils and 

Trillium sprouting in the woods.

Daffodils blooming by Sugar House

  Colts Foot….one of CKAL's wild edibles              

Trillium found blooming on Thursday hike

Everything is become green.

All the trees have their buds and sprouting

little leaflets.

Students marveling at the new buds on the tree.

While the natural world is changing into spring before our eyes, the farm had it's own new arrivals.

Pigs!!  6 Berkshire pigs, about 5 months old.

Chicks came on Thursday!!

Also meat chicks arrived!! 

(Replacing our recently processed birds.)

And a Belted Galloway heifer calf, named Luna, joined the Small Animal Barn.

So cute, with the puppy dog eyes.

Since I was in the Small Animal Barn, the others also wanted their photo taken, so here is a photo update of all the animals in the Small Animal Barn.

Springberry now about 1 month old

Jewel resting in the warm weather!!

Pilot….still asking for more milk please :)

Wink and Jelly, no longer camera shy, enjoying hanging out together as weaned heifers.

City Kids - Week 8

The world is waking up!

This week we heard, saw, and caught Wood Frogs; 

we found and left in peace a Red Eft and a Spotted Salamander 

(which, by the way, is the adult version of a Red Eft); 

and a Broad-winged Hawk was heard by students up in the garden and later seen spying on the ducks in the pond. 

Just look at the green grass!

As the world around the farm shakes her pretty tail feathers, 

so does the farm and garden.

Handsome Little Dipper

Milkyway calved this weekend--a handsome boy named Dipper. 

Not only was he born this week, he was also bucket broken by our city kids.

Coming into their teenage phase
has made the girls camera-shy this week,
so they have asked that I put this
fabulous photo of Boise and Braid
up, instead.

Lovely ladies Wink and Jelly were weaned this week.

They are now, officially, heifers. 

Big, strong cabbage sprouts.

"Broccoli Fields Forever"

Meanwhile, back in the garden some serious work was underway! Peas were planted in the ground (first seeds in the garden plots!), cherry tomatoes sprouted,

Manure collection for tomato pots.

Removing retired raspberries.

Adding the manure to tomato pots.

manure was added to the tomato pots, and some out-of-control raspberries were removed.

City Kids - Week 7

And then the clouds parted and the sun shined through!

Last week, it rained and we had hope 

that Spring was really here…

This week, the sun shined and in marched the warmth. 

It appears (for now) that Spring has decided to stay.

The last week of boiling for 2017.

With the melting of the snow and the warming weather

comes the end of the sugaring season.

These city kids were the last to collect sap for 2017.

And as the sap stops running, the birds keep returning. 

This week, a couple pair of ducks payed a visit to our now thawed pond,

robins scratched for worms,

and Canada geese not only flew overhead, but…

Those specks all over the field are our resting goose friends.

they decided to stay in our field!

Much like last week, action in the barns was fairly minimal (we are still waiting for Milkyway to calf!)

but the Greenhouse was a different story.

More seeds sprouted (celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and romanesco),

more seedlings were moved to the Greenhouse (herbs, celery, and watermelon),

and city kids dug their hands in the dirt!

Filling beds with fresh
potting soil.

Spreading out the
new soil.

These hard workers earned a break in the sun!

Balancing around the last of the snow.

In the woods where it is cool and shaded,

 there is still a little snow.

Out in the wide open, sunny fields, 

the Daffodils are reaching for the sun.

The darkest green sprouts are
Daffodils!

City Kids - Week 6

"April showers bring May flowers"

Despite all the rain this week, the farm work and sap collecting still continued!!

And our farmers persevered.

Famers sticking it out sap collecting

Thank you amazing helpers!!!

Later in the week when sap had to be

collected again we had two amazing 

volunteers go and help Niles and Rob!

Farmer's driving Andy's tractor away

           

Even with all the snow we saw our first Killdeer fly by this week and heard Nuthatches singing.  Giving us more hope that Spring is really on its way.

We said goodbye to Aaverson and Ashton this week and are hoping to welcome in Milkyway's calf soon.

While not much happened in our barns this week, the garden had a lot of action.  

The greenhouse got a makeover and farmers planted: more spinach, lettuce, and melons.  Also broccoli, romanesco, cauliflower, honey-du, and brussels sprouts were planted.

Doesn't the greenhouse look great?!?!!

Watermelon growing in Greenhouse

April's Photos

April is started out with a snow storm,

 so though it is a month later, there is more snow on the ground

 than with the March photos.

Farm 4-1-17

Apple Orchard 4-1-17

Garden 4-1-17

Woods 4-1-17

Meditation Path 4-1-17

City Kids - Week 5

Instead of March ending like a lamb it is still roaring strong like a lion.  

Keeping all kids, staff, and teachers on their toes.

Shimmering Trees

This week started with ice covering all the trees 

giving the farm a sparkling look for the

 new farmers arriving.

Over the weekend our spinach, herbs, and radishes sprouted.

Chamomile sprouting

Spinach and lettuce sprouting!!

To add to our garden collection the farmers this week planted Dill and Celery Seeds.  It was also warm enough that our gardeners moved some watermelon, cabbage, and radishes up to the greenhouse to start experiencing the great outdoors!

Wednesday morning we all awoke to a new calf!!  Addison had a bull calf, which the farmers named Aaverson.

Aaverson Wednesday morning

Farmers teaching Aaverson to drink milk from a bucket

Come Thursday afternoon Aaverson was learning how to drink his milk from a bucket.  And by Friday he was doing it all by himself.

Friday as the farmers were leaving it started to snow and snowed all day leaving the last day of March covered in white wet snow (Check out the monthly photos for April to see all the snow that came!!)

With all the snow also came another bull calf.  Athena gave birth to Ashton.

Ashton drinking his first bottle