Jones Family Farm Blog

Okay, so we have had a very busy and great past two weeks. Delivered 1st and 2nd CSA boxes. The hay for our livestock is looking really good. We planted the corn field that will be the corn maze this year. Picked the 1st pickings of yellow and zucchini squash on Sunday. Had one ripe yellow cherry tomatoe and everything else is in full bloom. We are now receiving some very nice soaking rain. So thankful we are!

Memorial Day Weekend was awesome. We were at Carolina Beach Farmers Market on Saturday and Wrightsville Beach Farmers Market on Monday. Had a great time and we are so appreciative of all our customers!! Thank you to all the men and women who serve or have served our Country!

So, blogging is a bit harder to keep up than I thought. So, I will do my best.

Tomorrow is the first day of CSA delivery, Box #1. We have honestly had a bit of a rought time this spring. No (or very little) rain = no seed germination. We have replanted several varieties of greens 3 to 4 times, with unsatisfactory results for the amount of time and seed involved.

However on a more positive side, the tomatoes, squash, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, cucumbers, watermelons look beautiful. We are well please with a lot of the other vegetables as well. Our first planting of sweet corn was doing quite well until last week. The lack of rain did seem to stress it out a bit. I am hoping with the rain we received Monday and hopeful for a shower today maybe it will be okay.

We just planted some hay today for the goats and cow, come on rain, bring us a shower or two. Oh, I think it is sprinkling now!! Yaaaaaaa!!!

Sorry for the delay in posting, so many things to do and the office work is behind. So much has been planted; tomatoes, eggplants, many kinds of peppers, 2nd & 3rd crops of sweet corn, cucumbers, watermelons, cantalops, many kinds of squash, some the 2nd & 3rd plantings.

Today we planted peanuts, patty squash and more. Having to fight with the potatoe bugs. We use fish & seasome oil to detere the pest. Most of the time soap & water does it.

Potatoes are blooming and we even have little tomatoes on the yellow cherries. Not quite ready yet of course. But definetly on the way!

Jones Family Farm will be at the Carolina Beach Farmers Market this year. Opening day is Saturday, April 24th from 8:00-1:00. Pastured Raised Pork, Free Range chicken (whole and cut up), Free Range Brown eggs, and produce when available. Come out and buy direct!

Okay, so today we put in our second crop of sweet corn. We also planted only 1 kind of eggplant and about 5 different types of tomatoes. We have a ton more to plant and will get all that in the next few days. Water, water, water is the problem. That takes so much time.

Come out and see us tomorrow at Burgaw Milling Co. for Chick Day. Saturday, April 17th from 9-12. See you there!

Just wanted to announce we will be at two markets this year.

Carolina Beach Farmers Market starting Saturday, April 24th from 8:00-1:00.

and

Wrightsville Beach Farmers Market starting, Monday, May 3rd from 8:00-1:00.

We are very excited about this season, please come out and support your local family farms!

Okay, so maybe we have the water issue under control for now. We have added a sprinkler to one of the smaller fields. We are looking at possible having to pump water into the large fields. Let’s hope it does not get that bad. It is so disappointing how dry we are now considering how wet and flooded we were this winter. But, that is how it works sometime.

Anyway, we transplanted some squash and cucumbers plants from the greenhouse. First year I have ever started them in the greenhouse. Then we will fill in with seeds in the next day or two. We planted Pac Choi, swiss chard, salad mix, more kale, spinach. Tomorrow we plan to start setting out the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and more. Then we will start back in to seeds again. Lets hope for a little rain!

Jones Family Farm will be having Chick Day @ Burgaw Milling Co. this Saturday, April 17th from 9:00 am until 12:00pm. We will have Rhode Island Red pullets, Barred Rock pullets, and white leghorn pullets. Come out and see us!

So, it’s been another beautiful week. We started out Sunday morning, Easter morning, with a sow having piglets. Monday, Jeremiah went down to our processor in SC. Yes, that’s right, more fresh pasture raised pork and free range chicken on the way!

Mid-week plenty of chicks hatching, some ducklings. We set out more lettuce transplants from the greenhouse. Due to the lack of rain, we had to replant one of the smaller fields with seed again. It is always interesting to me, we had to much rain in the winter and here comes spring when we need steady off and on rain to germinate the seed and none for about 3 to 4 weeks. The seeds have to stay moist in order for them to germinate. So we have spent quite a few hours this week watering by hand. We are very thankful for the little rain we received last night.

Doing some finishing tilling on the fields in the next day or two and we will be ready to set out most all the plants for the summer. Yah, hopefully any frost danger has past??!! Looking forward to fresh vegetables!

Oh, what a beautiful start to the day we had. Awakening to find a sow bringing baby piglets into the world. Mother nature always amazes me when a 600-800lb sow gives birth to piglets weighing only 2-4lbs each. It is wonderful how careful some mama sows can be. Looking and talking to the babies to make sure they are not under foot when she stands. It’s amazing!

Well, most of my day was spent with her. We really try to get the critical couple of days to pass well. Then the piglets really have a faster reaction to to mama standing and moving. They learn so quickly.

Now off to finish my little ones birthday cake and dinner. Our youngest daughter is 3 year old today. Happy Birthday JennaLee!