Late Spring on the Farmstead. -Vasalisa
lettuce, arugula, spinach, carrot, radish in the unheated high tunnel

It has been a slow, yet busy spring so far. With the Covid-19 situation and everything closed down, there has been a quiet and almost stillness to life that has contributed to peacefulness at the farm, despite the uneasiness and frustration with the larger issues in the world. The busyness is the constant this time of year on any farmstead as the chores increase with the warming of the weather. Regardless of the state of things we remain inspired and as always, deeply focused on the children and our place in this beautiful valley.
In March we picked up several baby chicks from the store. Most Rural King locations were sold out or nearly sold out of baby chicks. They clearly had an unexpected number of new customers searching for an addition to their backyard that might contribute to some semblance of resiliency in the wake of job losses and economic crisis. 
As the girls have grown we are gradually introducing them to the rest of the flock and the outdoors. The rooster and mother hens seem to be taking to them surprisingly well. We have to watch for pecking as it can sometimes be deadly if gone unnoticed. 
All of the mother hens fight over the same nesting box each day. There are multiple other nesting boxes identical and adjacent to each other which sit empty day after day. In the evenings we collect a dozen eggs which are all in the same box. 



8 week old baby chicks experiencing the wide world

The hay is getting high and I assume it will be mowed as soon as the weather dries a bit. I am patiently waiting for the red clover to bloom so that I may gather the flowers for drying; they make an excellent tea. They are said to be quite medicinal as well, offering immune boosting and anti-cancer qualities.
The cold weather was prolonged as we saw frosts as late as Mother's Day, which is nearly unheard of in all the years we've been gardening. In some ways this has set back some of the summer crops, but it has benefitted the spring crops immensely as they do love the cool weather. The Brassicas (kale, collards and broccoli) are jumbo sized and the lettuce, spinach and radishes had an extended harvest. 

snap peas and dill

The snap peas are racing up the trellis. We interplanted them with dill to save space but had forgotten momentarily that dill is not a companion to anyone in the garden accept the hungry gardener looking for an addition to a potato dish or a thirsty butterfly seeking the flowers or a place to lay eggs. Nevertheless, the peas don't seem to mind and it looks as though we will be picking in about two weeks. 



heirloom tomatoes beginning to bloom

We are tucking in tomatoes where the spring crops are now. Gradually the spring crops are being harvested out of the beds and the tomatoes are getting a breath of fresh air after nearly getting smothered by some of the lettuces and radishes. I imagine they feel as we do when finally getting to take off our "mask" after being in the grocery store for an hour or so.
The mornings are for reading, copious amounts of coffee and cream and growing boys eating large piles of scrambled eggs. In the evenings we have been drinking plenty of Chaga mushroom tea, a family favorite. It is an amazing immune boosting wild mushroom which grows in cold northern climates, usually on Birch trees. 
The early spring wildflowers have come and gone and now the creek is full and rushing with the spring rains. We sought the elusive and delectable Morel mushrooms several times but did not find any this year. The adventures in the Indiana woodlands are always worth the time though. The children especially thrive with such activities.

"the root children" -elsa beskow

We are wrapping up our homeschool year and I am already making plans for next. The children are hoping for the zoo to re-open for a long overdue and heavily anticipated first time trip. 
I truly hope that you are finding peace and way to have a positive effect in your own personal life. Now is the time to start a garden, get your hands in the good earth, connect with nature and create those "slow" moments wherever possible.