This Is One HOT Cold House!

Alex helping with the hoop house

Preparing to install the doors

Doors

Preparing to put the sheeting up

Our Finished Hoop House

Inside - that's sheep manure

"Wiggle Wire"  - A must to have when installing a hoop house.  Keeps the sheeting in place.

Snow Day

Birds eating from the feeder

The hoop house is complete.  It is really considered a "cold frame" because no 'artificial' heat or cooling source can be used.  Just the sun and the wind.  We thought getting the sheeting around the long portion of the hoop house would be very difficult but it turned out to be very workable once we got the first section started.  Three of us worked on the hoop house and I must say, we did a great job. 

It was about 45 degrees out yesterday when we installed the sheeting and within 20 minutes, that hoop house was up to 75 degrees and humid.  The ground inside is currently covered in sheep manure to assist in preparing the ground....and let me tell you, 75 degree, humid sheep manure stinks! I can see us planting in the hoop house in February without any problem...once the ground warms up, we are good to go.  Irrigation will be easy enough.  We are going to install water lines that will run along the ceiling portion and attach sprinkler nozzles then use the pond water and a water pump to water the plants. 

We spent the night on the farm Saturday night thanks to the kerosene heater Cris purchased.  Poor Alex used a sleeping bag and slept on the floor while Cris and I had the double bed.  Even the dogs didn't want to sleep on the floor so they climbed into bed with us.  I think I will invest in a raised camping cot for Alex so he doesn't have to sleep on the floor.

We attended our monthly sustainable farming at our friend's dairy Saturday night.  I sat down and talked shop with one of the members who is a master gardener.  She gave me some wonderful advice on planting and what to plant with what, when to plant and how to plant.  She swears by the Farmer's Almanac and planting by the moon phases, which is also detailed in the Farmer's Almanac.  She must be doing something right, she wins prizes every year for her peppers, flowers and other vegies.  Cris brought his Scythe to the meeting and explained the uses and why he loves using it much more than a gas powered weed whacker. We talked to an older farmer about his bees and he mentioned that he is having trouble keeping his bees alive.  He speculated that it is because he lives near alot of row farms that grow corn, Cotton and soybeans.  He believes that the bees collect pollen from these row crops that have been covered in pesticides and end up dieing from the pesticides.  He made a very valid point.  We are not near row crop farms so hopefully our bees will stay away from that stuff.  We are trying to keep our bees close to home by offering them plenty of pollen filled goodies on our land.

We picked up our beef from the butcher a couple weeks ago.  We have ordered a side of beef the last two years from a farmer who raises grass fed beef.  They only eat grass .... no grain.... cows were not meant to eat grain but many farmers and beef lots feed them grain to fatten them up for quick sale.  It's all about the money.... but don't get me started!  Anyway, we really enjoy the grass fed beef.  I am getting used to eating deer meat too. 

Speaking of deer.... Alex and I were headed to our farm and darn if a deer didn't run out in front of me.  She was too close for me to stop in time and I broad-sided her.  I was able to brake so the impact was not as bad as it could have been.  She bounced off my car, fell in the ditch, rolled head over rear a couple times then got up and ran off.  We watched her run in the field to make sure she didn't have any broken legs but she seemed fine.  My car was fine too except for the deer hair in my Volkswagen emblem.  One the way home, darn if 4 deer didn't run out in front of us but they were far enough that we could stop this time....same street, same area.  Funny thing is, 3 of the deer ran across and one deer decided to turn back and head back to where she started....must of been the one I hit...she wised up. 

Next weekend we are staying home in Memphis to start work on a mini greenhouse for the back yard.  I need something to start the seedlings in here.  It is easier to have the seedlings growing at our home than the farm since I need to keep an eye on them and water them everyday. 

January 27-29 we will be in Murfreesboro, Tn for the High School State Bowling Championship.  Alex was 6th overall for our region in bowling so he will be trying for individual championship and he will also be playing with his team for the team championship as they were undefeated on our region.  I am looking forward to the mini vacation and also, there is a REALLY good German restaurant near Mufreesboro that we like to eat at!