Expanding… again

Not getting bigger… just following up on our earlier attempt at expansion.

In June, when we rented the tractor, we figured we’d better get our money’s worth for the full day.  We tilled up an area that ended up being larger than we were able to deal with this season.  So, we had to revisit the +/-  quarter acre outside of the existing garden that we tilled during the summer.  It isn’t quite complete, but nearly is.  Matt started installing the deer fencing, while I used our Glaser wheel hoe to break up clods and loosen weeds for easy removal.  Then, I seeded with a cover crop, Peaceful Valley’s soil builder mix, which we used last year and had good success with.  We’ll leave it under cover crop this winter, then amend with finished compost (sourced locally) in the spring.

The chickens we raised this summer are now old enough to be housed with the existing flock… with one exception.  One of the chicks turned out to be a very handsome (golden-laced wyandotte) rooster.  Although he’s fine with us, he was too aggressive with the hens, so as a trial we put him in with the goats - where he seems to be getting along fine.  For now, until we decide what to do, the “bachelors” will all hang out together.