Then find just the right task for them - not too hard, not too easy, and something they will enjoy eating later. They decided planting spuds was much more fun than filling the bucket with rocks!
They make a pretty good team! We really promote team work here on the farm...having five punks to divide up the tasks works well, and gives the adults an opportunity to grab those "teaching moments" with different workers.
The garden is an evolving, living entity. Each spring we rotate crops and planting patterns. This is one of several beds being planted in the "Square-foot garden" method. With a large garden area, it's fun and useful to be able to experiment each year. There is always something that can be improved.
This area was under black plastic covered with straw last season, where we planted the melons. Now it is essentially weed-free, and being prepared for strawberry beds. Lee was happy to hear, there be little weeding in the strawberries this summer! The semi-dwarf apple trees came through the winter unscathed - no deer or mice nibbles, and they are now leafing out.
After removing last year's dead canes, this bed of raspberries was mulched with goat-pen straw. These are prolific plants, we had berries until the first really hard fall freeze finally stopped them. There are six or eight times the number of canes coming up this spring, from the single skinny sticks planted last spring. They took right off, and we were enjoying berries by mid-summer from these everbearing raspberries. A second raspberry bed is on the opposite end of the garden, with different varieties. One type is a golden raspberry, sweet and glowing with flavor.
Collin's Cluckers enjoyed their comfy winter quarters bedded with straw and shavings. They rewarded us with dozens of eggs each week, all winter long. Collin has very happy customers!
After removing last year's dead canes, this bed of raspberries was mulched with goat-pen straw. These are prolific plants, we had berries until the first really hard fall freeze finally stopped them. There are six or eight times the number of canes coming up this spring, from the single skinny sticks planted last spring. They took right off, and we were enjoying berries by mid-summer from these everbearing raspberries. A second raspberry bed is on the opposite end of the garden, with different varieties. One type is a golden raspberry, sweet and glowing with flavor.
Collin's Cluckers enjoyed their comfy winter quarters bedded with straw and shavings. They rewarded us with dozens of eggs each week, all winter long. Collin has very happy customers! The only down side, is that the built-up litter, which the hens kept worked up and turned all winter as each new layer was added, must be removed in the spring. Carrie and her crew of two brought four hand-shoveled pick-up loads to the garden and unloaded them on the new melon/pumpkin bed.
Since those plants won't be going in the bed for another 3-4 weeks, there will be time to incorporate some of the fertilizer bounty into the bed, and stock pile the rest in a long mound down the center to continue composting. Garden Gold!
As usual, these two punks made the work fun, and worked hard for their chicken pot-pie dinner!
With lettuce, mesclun, spinach, and radishes already up and thriving, the garden is off to a good start. We can hardly wait to taste those first crispy salad greens!
As usual, these two punks made the work fun, and worked hard for their chicken pot-pie dinner! 
With lettuce, mesclun, spinach, and radishes already up and thriving, the garden is off to a good start. We can hardly wait to taste those first crispy salad greens! In the meantime, there are asparagus and rhubarb to enjoy - they have been growing on this farm for about 50 years, and just keep producing, without any help at all. A wonderful spring bonus.
I just found an enticing new recipe, for Big Crumb Coffee Cake with Rhubarb. I think that's going to be on the menu for Mother's Day!
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