Spring is here in Texas! I am so excited that flowers are blooming, warmer weather is here, and time in the garden each day is a must! Just yesterday I got to enjoy a salad with lettuce from my own garden! Planting has started in our raised beds and I even have more garden space than plants, which is a first!
Spring on the farm is one of my favorite times of the year. I love to see the farm wake up from its winter slumber. The grasses are greener, cows are happier, and all the wild flowers are in bloom!
We even found some wild blackberry vines for future berry-picking fun!
During the long winter months I tend to get the itch to create long project lists that are now getting to come to fruition. Here is a snap shot of our spring projects.
My first spring project is my potato plants. I have been wanting to grow potatoes in a potato box but decided to use the concept of the box within the structure of my already built garden beds. Things have grown nicely so far as all the spuds have sent up green leaves and are growing well.
Another exciting project is that three beehives are on their way to Stoffels Family Farm. Beekeeping has been in my husband’s family for two generations now, and we hope to pass on the love for bees to our children through the adventures of beekeeping. I can’t wait to share the details with you. Some of the best resources we have used to get ready for bees have been You Tube videos so we have been studying away in front of the computer.
I have also been curious about growing my own meat birds especially after reading the article “Raising Chickens for Meat” by Gwen Roland in GRIT’s Guide to Backyard Chickens. So this March, I was able to purchase five straight run Cornish broilers from the local feed store to raise. I am amazed at how fast they grow. And can I say they LOVE to eat! These birds put away feed like nothing else. These birds are a test run to see if I can maneuver a plan to grow meat birds on a larger scale on our farm.
Overall spring means great weather, outside fun, and nature springing to life all around us. I love being in the blue bonnet capital of Texas.
