A few days ago we thought we wouldn't work on Easter Sunday because it is a holiday for most people and we got so much done in the last few days, we could take a break. But then the weather forecast said that there was a lot of rain coming on Sunday night or Monday morning and it was unlikely to warm up and dry up for days. Okay, Jon and I would go out to Loudoun for a few hours in the middle of the day to work with Zach on some field preparation. We would be there from about noon to 4:00.
We didn't have a plan but we knew we hoped to get some carrots planted. And we knew there was some ground that needed to be prepared for plants sometime in the near future.
When we got there, Zach was already spreading compost and Samuel was about to spread some fertilizer. I could see that we needed to catch up to Zach and figure out our priorities.
Here is how our day unfolded:
Jon hooked up the fancy seeder to the Kubota.
I started disking.
Jon put the bedder on the tractor for me and then he took over the disking.
I bedded for carrots and turnips and brassicas.
Zach spaded.
Zach had to go do Easter with his family so he taught me to use his little tractor and cute spader (which is really our equipment now but it still feels like it is his). It goes about 0.00001 miles/hour.
When Jon finished disking we looked for the carrot seed that we had left on a shelf in the barn. We couldn't find it anywhere and we looked everywhere. So frustrating.
I texted Carrie, back home in Vienna on her day off with Kate and Zoey, to say that we couldn't find the seed and I was going nuts. She said she would bring some. I told her to bring a seeder while she was coming anyway. She got in the car with her whole family and started driving.
I kept spading.
While he waited, Jon hooked up the flail mower and mowed some cover crop down.
Then he hooked up the water wheel and filled the tank. I got some transplant sauce ready.
Stephen and Sophia and her friend came with plants from the greenhouse. They hadn't known they were invited to do this job until about an hour before, but they were willing and ready.
I kept spading.
Carrie arrived with the seeds so Jon could finally plant some carrots. While she was here, she planted radishes and mustards and turnips because she is the Queen of Seeding and her little seeder apparently works better than the big fancy one when it comes to tiny seeds. Zoey and Kate watched and waited.
I kept spading.
Eventually Carrie got to ride the transplanter for a while too, and then Julia got to plant.
I kept spading.
Everyone finished their tasks and went home. It was about 6:00.
Zach came back from Easter celebrating and got back on his little tractor to spade in one of the tunnels.
Jon hooked up the plastic layer and I went in search of another roll of drip tape.
We started laying plastic on the nice fluffy ground that I had just finished spading. It went beautifully. We kept going until it was too dark.
With no clear plan, but with plenty of options, Jon and I worked for eight hours without stopping. On our way home, we bought some snacks to keep us alive until dinner. It's Passover, so there are not so many choices when you stop at a gas station, but we survived on nuts and milk.
What a good day.
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