Heirloom Tomatoes At Heritage Hill Farm

Another rainy day...
I can't complain because we had some nice, bright and sunny days. Our tomatoes that we've planted have almost doubled in size. This weekend we will see if we can get them staked, which may or may not happen depending on the weather. In the meantime, it is nice to have a little break from the farm.

I also was given a large number of other heirloom tomato plants that will have a long and happy life at Heritage Hill Farm. As you may know, I am an absolute nut about heirloom tomatoes. I can't wait until they are ready and they all seem to have their own personalities- interesting stories, flavors, and colors that really highlight certain dishes.

These are a handful of the ones we have planted this year...that we've never grown before.
I can't wait to can pizza sauces, salsa's, and enjoy cooking with these in general... I think you would too!

 

Silver Fir Tree- check out the foliage!

Wapsipinicon Peach- an Iowa heirloom

Black Sea Man 

 

Velvet Red- Interesting Foliage, from Seed Savers Exchange

Sweet Pea Currant- super small tomatoes

Amana Orange- another Iowa heirloom from the Amana Colonies 

Beauty King 

And maybe 60 more varieties!

Restless on a/ some Rainy Day(s)

Lately (as in the last couple of weeks) it has been raining and occasionally there has been chilly temps, some gusty winds, and thunderstorms. I was thinking that this long Memorial Day weekend would be ideal for working at the farm- finishing up the last of the staggered late season crops and adding flowers (yes, I keep asking Adam- the master plot planner- for more space for flowers and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't), weeding, and just tidying up.

That didn't pan out...

This is near the driveway where we have some pinto beans planted. 

At least a couple of ducks are enjoying the water. There are some wild Mallards that are calling our place home. As of today, we named them Puddles and Petunia. I'm sure they will leave us if the water ever goes down.

In the meantime, it's still too muddy to work out there and work has slowed down a bit. That is the perfect recipe for going stir crazy. Hence the restlessness.

So I guess that means cleaning, ironing, and all of that good inside work. 
Maybe that means trying out a new recipe or two.

Heritage Hill Farm Update

Lately, I have been a crazy person.

Between the rain and the cooler overnight temperatures, it has been a slow start at the farm compared to last year. We were able to plant the cool season crops (broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, peas, lettuce, potatoes, and much more) and they are all doing well.

Last night, we had to move out tomatoes and peppers inside because of the lows in the 30's. And get this, tomorrow it is going to be in the 90's. What in the world!?

This week our plan is to get everything in the ground and watch it grow, while hopefully catching some lucky breaks with rains (that is after our planting is complete- that's not asking for too much, right?). Soon enough we will be harvesting and cooking up a storm.

Here are some shots from around the farm.
Enjoy!

Adam is our onion head grower

French Fingerling potatoes from Seed Savers Exchange

Cabbages

Jacob's Cattle Bean- each bean is a little different. 

You can't beat our sunsets at the farm! 

Too Much of a Good Thing, Might Be a Bad Thing...

You can't always get what you want, and too much of a good thing might be a bad thing! That has definitely been the case with our weather so far this year.

Last summer we had our dry spell. In Iowa, we had a historic drought which severely affected the corn crops especially. We couldn't seem to catch a thunderstorm or light rain; every single time it seemed like it would miss us. It would skirt us or break apart almost right before our eyes.

So far, this year it has seemed to be a completely different situation as we've had rains and cooler temperatures almost constantly. Some nights, we've had temperatures as low as 24 degrees which has no doubt altered our planting plans. We have these short little, tiny windows in order to plant a lot of crops.
  

Last night we planted the sugar peas and I planted another 10 rows of lettuce- my French heirloom lettuce varieties. We finished just in time as a steady rain fell. We appreciated the watering in and the next ten days of the forecast (except for Tuesday overnight) look great!

In the meantime, our pepper and tomato transplants have been doing well, living in their posh cell packs. They are not going outside for a long time... especially if this weather continues.  Last year at this time, we had consistant 70+ degree temperatures and they were established the garden by this time. I'm pretty convinced I was pulling weeds.

Peppers

 

 

Adam's mom sent me this picture yesterday. I love it- it is of Adam gardening back in the day.
See, he was always cut out for this... little did he know, twenty years later he would be working hard on a much larger scale!

Next up, as soon as we can, we will have a potato planting adventure. We have approximately 200 lbs. that will be planted next weekend. Russets, Yukon Gold, Kennebec, French Fingerling, La Ratte Fingerling, and All Blue all need to be cut up and planted in the ground very asap. I had to buy potatoes at the grocery store yesterday and yes, it about killed me to do so!

But our salmon, roasted potatoes with garlic, and spinach seemed to have to us ancier than ever!

Spring At Heritage Hill Farm... We've been busy!

We have been so busy lately and time is flying by!
Even though it is officially Spring, that groundhog was way off. It has been one of the coldest and wettest April's for decades. I have to admit, every Sunday I watch the US Farm Report because I find it interesting and I (possibly) bore Adam with my little juicy tidbits I learn, ranging from such topics as farmers in the South planting more corn that cotton, honeybees in California for pollinating crops- you name it, I'm probably fascinated. Its my tradition. Actually I used to watch that show when I was growing up with my dad, while he made the world's best fried egg sandwich.

Spring also happens to be my busy time with work. That means many phone calls and visits to customers, and late nights working on orders. We are shipping orders throughout the Midwest, but even my poor Minnesota customers can't seem to get out of winter so many of them have wanted to delay until it finally acts a little more like Spring. On the weekends, I spend time at the farm to unwind.

Here are some highlights...

This weekend, Adam and I planted over 800 onions and almost all of our cool season crops, such as the broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and cauliflower. All of our plants (except the onions) were started from seed under grow lights, quite an undertaking for our very limited space. We were CAKED in mud and worked while it was sprinkling. I'm sure the plants loved it.

Here are some fun pics that I thought I would share...

We planted approximately 5 flats of cole crops- the ones that love the cool temperatures! 

 

January King Cabbage- these are actually a blue- green color and stunning! 

Our onion plants came from a grower in Texas- Adam is the onion expert! 

But the nice and tidy, evenly spaced plots would not be possible without the help (ok, directorship basically) of Adam. He's known as 'Mr. Details'.
As you know, I'm not the most patient person and if I had the chance I would go rogue and plant everything everywhere. He does a good job of reigning me in... or he likes to think he does. I'm sure I will find some places to squeeze in a few plants....

The plots are located in second year corn- I spend forever picking up corn that's been left by from the combine.

Also, I've added lots of goodies to my Etsy shop. I bombarded my friend Jenny with quilts and she has done such an amazing job.

Here's the link....this is just one listing, but I have lots of others up under my shop. I've shipped my first order to Arkansas and it was really a great experience.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/128227227/oh-deer-quilt-made-with-modas-oh-deer?


More interesting updates to come.... stay tuned!
I guess the moss doesn't grow on me, I'm not one to sit still.

Home in the Heartland- labels

Here's a little something I was going back and forth on...

I wanted to have some sort of way, to attach my shop name onto my Etsy projects and gifts.

I connected with a fellow Etsier and we worked together. I came up with the design and she printed my custom design on twill in a buff tape. I will sew these into my quilt bindings.

I think these turned out great.... and my friend Jenny, finished quilting 5 quilts of mine that were in a stash. Some of these are sold and others I will list on Etsy. All in all, they will have Home in the Heartland labels!

Finding the Perfect Treasures

One of my favorite 'off season' hobbies -if there is such a thing- is searching for perfect treasures either for our home or the farm. Adam and I are both on the same page of design (for the most part, I think), so it is always nice to look for pieces for the future home.

When I was younger, I used to go to antique stores and flea markets with my grandmas and that's when I realized, that I liked the look of combining vintage with modern- my own, unique style.

Several weeks ago, I was in Le Mars (my hometown) attending my friend's baby shower. Her family is very involved with the auctioneering business and actually is more like a second family to me. As you can imagine, they see it all- all sorts of great things.

While there, I went to one of their auctions and came back with some great pieces for our home. I bought some vintage 1914 original photos of racehorses in addition to some antique snowshoes with the poles. My plans for these are to go in the bar room once we build...to complement the lodge look and feel.

Today, I decided to take a break from the hustle and bustle of early Spring. I went to Kathy's Barn in Tama and it was amazing. What a great little shop, filled with what I was looking for- display pieces for the Farmer's Markets. I found some great wooden pop crates and a chair for the farm.

Below is an oil painting that I found on another expedition. I think it's a scene from France, where I was during college. There are herds of sheep and I like the looks of the guilded frame.  

All in all, I'm a very picky and choosy person. I usually have a pretty good idea of what I'm looking for and sometimes I go into stores with my blinders on. I can drive myself crazy sometimes, but I guess that is the thrill of the perfect find!