Triple A Produce

Thanks to some internet sleuthing, book reading, and general word of mouth, our orchard is beginning its new life as an organic orchard. Obviously it will be several years before we can officially be considered organic but we are on our way. I say we very lightly because so far “the boss” has done all the work.

Last year the orchard was in need of pruning, having been untended for a while. Cosmetically the trees look much better and have better access to light and air movement. This year we will address pests and other problems that cause the fruit to not look its best. Did you know that apples are one of the top pesticide laced fruits our children come in contact with? That is one of the many reasons we have decided to give organic a try.

Thanks to some very productive hens we have eggs available. They are really very pretty eggs, with their shades of brown and flecks of red. Every egg is unique though I am starting to see a trend in their shapes and hues. Each day we get at least one nicely speckled egg, a few oblong shaped eggs, and a whole bunch of more regularly shaped and colored eggs.  I almost feel just a little guilty cracking them open. Of course then my stomach growls and my guilt goes away. The insides are almost as pretty as the outsides, with their golden orange colored yolks and creamy whites. Yummy! Sorry no pictures, our camera is on the fritz. Anyway, our local customers can purchase eggs from our home and we will also have them available at the farmers markets.

It is a challenge to keep our greenhouse at the right temperature. We are using a wood stove to heat it. Yesterday it reached a balmy 100 degrees even with the door propped open. Today at noon the temperature was 65 degrees with the door only slightly open. Needless to say the door is closed now. Let’s hope for no snow over the weekend.

Over the winter we have been planning for the coming season, adding a small greenhouse, an orchard, and some new planting space. Along with attending the Amana Farmers Market again this year (in it’s new local in Homestead at Henry’s Village Market), we also plan to attend the Vinton, Coralville, and Williamsburg Markets. Look for the addition of farm fresh eggs (from Happy Chickens!), apples in the fall, and several other new vegetables. Hope to see you all at the market.