13APR05

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms

Between spring having arrived and the time change, we now have the opportunity to get out on the farm in the afternoon's and early evening's. And now that the rain has finally stopped (even though it is just a temporary lull), Donald had the chance to get down to the production fields to assess their condition. The assessment - alotawater!

The production fields are essentially under water - except for the knolls, which are wet enough to sink in.

Plot 1D

The cabbage was planted in the north half of this plot (middle of picture between stake and fence). Between the rain right after it was planted, freezing temperatures, and all of the recent rain, we do not think that we will have cabbage this year. That is Headache Creek running through the middle of the plot, and yes, it is full of water.

Plot 1B

Plot 2C

Fortunately, nothing has been planted in plots 1B and 2C (or, for that matter, the south half of plot 1D). While you may not be able to see it, both plots are under water, unfortunately, we are not growing rice.

All plots will need to be tilled again. The pasture is starting to grow back quite well. We will also need to put down more fish meal in those areas where it was put down before, as it has most likely run off now.

Pond

Overflow Creek

As you can see, our pond has gone over the edge (of the pond, that is). This is fairly common in normal years, and it gets real slushy around the pond and the numerous creeks running through the property. The bottom picture is Overflow Creek, it is from the pond and runs to a larger creek to the east (left in the picture) of our test garden, which is most likely flooded at the moment (too sloppy to get over there today).

Beautiful country after a rain, but challenging country to be farming in.

This afternoon Donald got outside and was able to put in about three hours of work on the farm. Most of it was getting the chicken coop and henhouse ready. Temporary repairs have been made to the henhouse, their run has has been mowed, and he put more hog rings (these are hog nose rings we use to secure the fence to a wire that runs along the bottom to keep dogs out) along the bottom of the fence. We are having problems with domestic animals that our neighbors down the road neglect and let run wild. We are hoping the extra rings and some other preventive measures we are taking will keep them out of the chicken coop.

Donald also cleaned out the compost bin and started filling with some grass cuttings from last year that were left in the mower, table scrapes that one of our friends so graciously keeps us supplied with, and new grass cuttings and leaves from the chicken coop. The compost bin was donated by one of the ladies in our church adult Sunday School Class (the Seekers).

Compost Bin

You can see that there is a pile of compost to the right of the bin that was left in the bin over the winter. Donald took it out and it looks pretty good. We will most likely use it for our BBQ plantings (Debbie's responsibility).

We will be concentrating on enlarging our compost operations this year. Debbie will be attending a seminar on composting this month as a part of her Beginning Farmers and Ranchers class (Donald attended one last year). The nicest part of this operation is that there is no expense involved. We will be changing what we compost however. We will restrict composting to green items (table and garden scraps, grass clipping, leaves, etc.) to provide more compost in a shorter period of time.

We are not sure what is in store for tomorrow, probably clean up and maintenance around the barn and house. Will not be doing anything in the production fields for awhile, at least until we can get started tilling again.

Blessings to all,

Baker Heritage Farms

"And he said, 'So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;'" Mark 4:26

Rethinking Baker Heritage Farms

ReThinking Baker Heritage Farms

I like farming because it gives me quality time to think. While they are mostly good thoughts, sometimes they can be frightening.

Several weeks ago I was out preparing one of the plots for seeding (still have not been able to seed that particular plot) and I was thinking of our farming venture, the time and money we have already invested in the farm. Farming is not easy, it is a lot of work. I was prepared for the work, but as I was working on the plot, I had to wonder if we were taking the right approach.

Our mission is to use sustainable farming methods that respect ecosystems and promotes a livelihood for those that work the land. We believe in following a system that maintains and supports the natural fertility of the soil, promotes diversity of flora and fauna, and adapts to regional conditions, maintaining the natural ecological cycles, conserves energy, and reduces chemical input to a minimum.

Our goals include determining the best use of the land while maintaining good stewardship, gaining knowledge of agricultural principles through education, experimentation, and work experience and passing our experiences on to others with the same desires and goals, and being an integral part of the community. Our immediate goals also included determining the best produce and stock for improving health, decreasing expenses, and remaining sustainable and environmentally friendly.

As I said earlier, I started to think about what we were doing as I prepared the plot for planting. This lead to me wondering why we were doing what we were doing, when it would be so much easier to simply go to the farm store, buy commercial seed, use machines to prepare the land, input chemicals to ensure our crops grow, and obtain seed that pretty much guarantees success (Genetically Modified, with insecticides and pesticides included). How much easier we would have it. Just think, an instant farm.

Then I got to thinking about why we were really farming. It was not for the money, in fact, that is not even in our short term goals. The primary purpose was really to promote the health advantages (for us and others) of naturally grown crops while providing sufficient on-farm income to support our family. We started Baker Heritage Farms to provide healthy and wholesome food products using traditional, non-mechanical equipment in respect of the land we worked.

Yes, buying Hybrid seed that has been genetically modified would provide more assurance of successful growth, and would be easier than trying to find heirloom seeds that are certified organic (as well as substantially less expensive). Using commercial pesticides and insecticides (or even buying seed where these are already imbedded) and commercial fertilizers would further reduce the manpower necessary to maintain our crops until our cover crops become effective. And there is little question that exclusive use of mechanized equipment would make our job much easier and allow us to get the job done quicker. But ...

How would all of that affect our real mission? It would not maintain or support the natural fertility of the soil, nor would it promote diversity of flora and fauna. It would disturb the natural ecological cycle while increasing chemical input substantially. Most of all, we might as well continue to buy our food from the grocery store as it would then be just as healthy (unhealthy?) as what we would be growing.

But how do we get our farm up and running quickly when we find ourselves short of time, low on finances, and just worn out? Then the lightbulb lit up - RETHINK BAKER HERITAGE FARMS!

Once I grasped the concept of rethinking the farm, I quickly realized that it was not the idea that was wrong, it was our approach - we were not following our own plans!

We got greedy. The success of our test garden was the jumping off point of our greed. We learned from the test garden, which was planted late on ground that was not properly prepared, that we could be successful farmers with proper planning and execution of the plan.

We spent a good deal of the winter planning, and as the plan came together, it became evident that we could farm, and, with the help of our faith in the Lord, we could be successful. And then we really started farming. We fenced off our three plus fields and started to prepare the plots.

Having owned several businesses in the past, I knew that a successful business (yes, a farm is a business) needs a plan, funding, and time. The plan is the first, and most important part of any business. Funding is also important, but funding can be controlled with a proper plan. Time is an absolute necessity to be successful, but must also be a part of the plan. We had a plan. We thought we could fund the plan through cash flow. We had the time. We were ready to go. We were going to have a fully operational farm in 2013 ... and then disaster struck.

For the past several months, it seems we suffered one set-back after another, our mental and physical health being challenged with each set-back.

And now, we are suffering what all farmers do, weather. While the rain is a blessing and much needed here in draught country, it is also a curse. It has now rained long enough that I pray the draught is over, but planting will be further delayed until the ground can be worked. In addition, we have poultry that will not wait until things dry out, so we need to concentrate our energy in that direction temporarily. The positive side - historically, weather of this type at this time of the year, in this area, usually means a mild summer (we hope).

In preparing to rethink Baker Heritage Farms I soon realized that we were trying to do to much at one time. In farming, the old saying, "In the business of farming, it is not so important who gets there first as who gets there at all," is very true. So what did we need to do to ensure a viable farming operation - stop, look, and listen, and do it right the first time.

Yes, we are taking the right approach with the farm, and that is why we are Rethinking Baker Heritage Farms.

And we want you to join us for the ride. While having a backyard garden is one thing, small acreage farming is another, and we want to do it right, for you, for us, and for future generations.

I hope to be providing more frequent updates to this blog as we go through the process of reviewing our plans, adjusting our schedule, better controlling finances, and improving management of our time.

Stay tuned for updates. We will even be posting our "To Do" list on the blog so that everyone can see what our priorities are and how well we are meeting them. Please feel free to add your comments, suggestions, and recommendations. This will be a community effort, and hopefully everyone will learn and be a better farmer for it.

Blessings,

Donald Baker

"So God Made a Farmer" - Paul Harvey

I listened to Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story" for many years and always looked forward to his newest one. This one, however, I missed.

We are not professional football fans, and, except for David, do not generally watch the Super Bowl. In fact, Super Bowl Sunday is just another day in our house. However, apparently this year's Super Bowl made quite a bit of splash. The splash did not involve two brothers, or fictitious girl friends, it involved the farmer.

Sunday evening Danielle brought her computer down to our house and showed me the Super Bowl Dodge Ram commercial. It was already on YouTube and other places on the internet. Today, as I checked into my hotel, I picked up today's edition of USA Today, and the front page consisted of ... an advertisement. Four full pages of Paul Harvey's "So God Made a Farmer".

I do not know how many Dodge Ram pickups will be sold off of the ad (we have Fords and are quite happy), but the ad definitely gave credence to the American farmer. In many ways, it reminded me of my paternal grandfather, who ran a small dairy farm while he was a full-time trucker for a gasoline company. I just could not neglect to post this on this farm blog - and hope that I can someday live up to these words.

Donald Baker

Here's the text of Paul Harvey's 1978 'So God Made a Farmer' Speech, which inspired the Ram Trucks Super Bowl ad that has resonated with so many Americans:


And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So God made a farmer.

"I need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle a calf and yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild. Somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry, have to wait lunch until his wife's done feeding visiting ladies and tell the ladies to be sure and come back real soon -- and mean it." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt. And watch it die. Then dry his eyes and say, 'Maybe next year.' I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from a persimmon sprout, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire, who can make harness out of haywire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. And who, planting time and harvest season, will finish his forty-hour week by Tuesday noon, then, pain'n from 'tractor back,' put in another seventy-two hours." So God made a farmer.

God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor's place. So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bails, yet gentle enough to tame lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-combed pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadow lark. It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed and rake and disc and plow and plant and tie the fleece and strain the milk and replenish the self-feeder and finish a hard week's work with a five-mile drive to church.

"Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh and then sigh, and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to spend his life 'doing what dad does.'" So God made a farmer.

God Bless Farmers!

13FEB03

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

Another week has gone by and we are getting closer to planting season (and more behind). Started working on the seed order this past Saturday and had an issue come up that took priority. For us part-time farmers, timing is of the utmost importance.

This past week David worked on the road back to the pasture, clearing it out so that we could get the trucks down there without scratching them up.

David also put together some old cribs that our church had to remove and replace, and we will be using these for growing transplants (tomatoes and peppers). It appears that these will be very good for growing the transplants.

Saturday, David and Donald went out to get more fencing material. Picked up 8 more corner posts and 100 T-posts. We use corner posts for line posts as well, as they are much sturdier than line posts. We are placing the T-posts every 10 - 11 feet. Our purpose is merely to discourage wild (and domestic) animals from getting into the production fields. While we know we will not keep the deer out, we can at least discourage them (along with other methods we use, such as stringing old CD's along yellow caution tape throughout the fields).

While digging post-holes, we struck water. We hit water at about 2 feet, unfortunately, we have no way of knowing how deep the water is but at least we have a place where we can start looking at digging a well.

We hope to have our seed order placed by next weekend so we can plant somewhat on schedule. The weather has been ideal for planting.

Until next week,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

Isaiah 5:2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

13JAN27

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

Monday David had the opportunity to burn a brush pile that was on one of the production plots. While the pile was burning, he was able to put in all of the T-posts we had on hand. Time to buy more posts, T-posts and two gates so we can get our fence up.

Thursday we were visited by representatives from the Natural Conservation Service. We provided them with a tour of the farm and they looked at where we are considering building a hoop house.

Also on Thursday, the John Deere 5103 was picked up by the Dealer for it's annual service.

Due to other commitments, we were unable to do any other work on the farm this week.

Until next week,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

"You don't get to choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." Desmond Tutu

13JAN13

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

It is a New Year and Baker Heritage Farms is hoping for a good farming year.

Debbie and Donald have been "off the farm" for the past week and a half, and Debbie will be away from the farm until probably mid-February, so David has been left to manage the operation. Due to weather there has not been a lot to do.

The seeder and sprayer were delivered and David assembled both. Once the weather clears we will put the Fish Powder down on plots 1D and re-till plots 1D, 1B and 2C. We will also be ordering Cabbage, Onion, Carrot, and Lettuce seed for direct seeding and Tomato and Pepper seed for seed beds. Donald and David set up the first seed bed table in the barn this past weekend and all that needs to be added are the lights and seed trays.

While most people have tax filing deadlines to deal with the first of the year, many farmers have additional paperwork that needs to be completed. If you are a backyard farmer, you will not have to deal with paperwork, except for preparing seed, supply, and equipment orders for the planting season. Those who have small acreage farms may have additional paperwork.

Baker Heritage Farms maintains an Agricultural Exemption Permit with the Oklahoma Tax Commission. In Oklahoma, you must have at least 20 acres and be involved in farming operations in order to qualify for the permit. Periodically we receive a U.S. Census of Agriculture form that must be completed. It is embarrassing this year as we only had 1/2 acre in production, and the crops were not even market crops; however, we still need to complete the form. As the form is quite extensive, Donald is still working on it (it also requires financial information that is not yet compiled for 2012).

In addition, Baker Heritage Farms is registered with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and forms need to be filed annually. Again, Donald is currently working on this form and will need to go to the local NRCS office to complete and file it.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is an excellent resource for farming of any size. You can review their services on the internet at: www.nrcs.usda.gov.

While the farm has been neglected the past several weeks, it has not been forgotten, and work goes on.

Until next week,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

"It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all seeds on earth ..." Mark 4:31

12DEC02

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

Our 2013 field planning is well underway. In reality, our production fields will all be "test" gardens in 2013, as we have never tried growing many of the vegetables we are planning to plant, and those we have tried were not necessarily successful. We are planning to plant 12 plots of 1/8 acre each (55'x100'). The planting dates are tentative and actual planting will depend on weather and soil conditions.

We hope to direct seed cabbage, lettuce, and onions in February, followed by beans, beets, and radish in March. There are mixed reviews on direct seeding versus transplanting for cabbage and beets, so we will try direct seeding in 2013. If weather does not cooperate, we can extend our February seeding into March. We also have an opportunity to plant cabbage and lettuce latter in the fall if the spring planting does not work.

We will start our pepper and tomato seeds in February for later transplanting.

In April we plan on direct seeding corn, cucumber, gourds, muskmelon, okra, squash, and watermelon. We will also begin transplanting peppers and tomatoes in April.

At this time we are planning on having 4 plots in cover crops. In February we will be planting sweet clover cover crop in one plot. In March we will plant Buckwheat cover crop in one plot, and in April we will plant Cow Peas cover crop in one plot, and a mixture of Red Clover and Australian Winter Peas in one plot. The type of cover crop, and the number of plots in cover crop may change as we get closer to planting. We plant to have at least 3 plots (1 in each field) in cover crop at all times.

We will be double-cropping/companion planting cabbage and onions; lettuce and radish; and carrots and tomatoes. We will be companion planting corn, beans and cucumber using a modified three-sisters method.

Watermelon and squash will most likely be planted in separate areas as they will require complete rotation each year (watermelon and squash will not follow each other, which will somewhat restrict where they can be planted). It is possible that the watermelon may be planted in one of the cover crop plots, however, that is yet to be determined.

By May we should have our spring crops all planted.

Our next step is to plan the purchase of seeds. While this may seem an easy task, we have already learned that it will not be so easy. Our intention is to plant non-hybrid, non-GMO, non-treated, and non-patented heirloom production crops. In addition, all of our crops will be "certified" organic. While it can be presumed that heirloom seeds would be organic, we have found that this is not the case. If you intend to have organic heirloom crops, take heed. Many heirloom gardeners use herbicides and pesticides to reduce potential damage to crops. Unless the products they use are "certified" organic, you will not be able to represent your crops as organic. While we are not pursuing organic certification, it is important that we still follow all "certified" organic standards. Then we can represent our crops as organic until we reach $5,000 in gross sales. In addition, our crops will be grown "all-natural", which, to us, means even more stringent growing habits then just organic. This will be very important for our marketing strategy. We also need to be good stewards of the land and provide healthy products.

Once we determine what type of seed we will be purchasing, we can complete the planning stage, which will include determining how much seed for each crop/plot based on seed/plant spacing and row spacing, which will allow us to order the proper number of seed.

We will also need to start planning for irrigation. At this time, we are planning to use soaker hoses, but may also use some drip irrigation. Once we determine the number of rows for each plot (as well as the direction of the rows) we will be able to better plan our irrigation needs.

In addition to the planning, work continues on the turkey run and chicken coop fences. Sanitizing the brooder equipment will be completed prior to the first arrivals, and then will have to be re-santized for the next batch. The parameter fence around the production fields needs to be installed and also around the area where we plan to plant the squash and/or watermelon.

There is still a lot of work to be done before planting season starts. If you are planning to start a backyard or small acreage farming operation, now is the time to complete your planning as the real work will need to be started in ernest in January (and no, weather cannot be used as an excuse, otherwise, you will never get started).

Until next time,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

"The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:12

Farm Risk Management - Part One

Risk management is the identification, analysis, assessment, control, and avoidance, minimization, or elimination of unacceptable risks. An organization may use risk assumption, risk avoidance, risk retention, risk transfer, or any other strategy (or combination of strategies) in proper management of future events.

Over the next several months, Baker Heritage Farms will be providing a series of articles related to farm risk management and safety to improve the viability of the family, backyard, or small acreage farm.

Farm risk management is just as important to the financial success of a backyard or small acreage farm as it is to a large farm.

The risk management process includes:

• Identifying hazards;
• Assessing and prioritizing risks;
• Choosing control measures;
• Implementing controls; and
• Monitoring and reviewing results.

General areas of concern include:

• Loss prevention;
• Insurance;
• Clams management;
• Health & safety;
• Records management; and
• Regulatory compliance.

When people think of risk management, they normally think of those risks associated with insurance, such as real property (buildings, structures, etc.) and personal property (household furnishings and equipment) damage (fire, flood, earthquake, theft, etc.), liability claims (slip and falls, damage to the property of others, etc.), and employment liability claims (workers' compensation, discrimination, etc.). While these are important, farmers, both big and small, have additional risks that must be managed, including:

• Equipment (tractors, implements, ATV's, mowers, etc.);
• Crop loss (insurable by large farmers, but not usually insurable by small farmers); and
• General liability claims (e.g. food borne illness claims).

The primary concerns of the backyard or small acreage farmers include protecting from losses associated with:

• Real property damage - including barns, outbuildings, fencing, etc. This damage may come from fire, wind, hail, weight of snow and ice, and other types of losses. These risks are normally insurable, and many times coverage can be extended from the homeowners policy (check your local area to see if you can obtain a farm and ranch homeowners policy);
• Personal property damage - including hand tools, small equipment such as trimmers, small powered mowers, etc.
• Automobile damage - both physical and liability damage. While automobile liability coverage is mandatory in most states now, it is just as important to consider physical damage coverage, particularly if you are using the vehicle for farming operations and need the vehicle to sustain your operation.
• Mobile Equipment damage - including tractors, implements, ATV's, etc. In the case of small garden or lawn tractors, coverage can usually be extended from your homeowners policy (see above). Your homeowners policy may even extend coverage to ATV's, depending on use. However, most homeowners policy's will not cover farm tractors (including compact, utility, and larger) or their implements. In addition, these are high target items in many areas. A Mobile Equipment policy (or possibly a rider to your homeowners policy) is worth the small premium charged for such coverage.
• Workers' compensation - this coverage is required if you hire any employees for your farm, even on a temporary basis or just for day work. If a temporary worker is injured while performing work on your farm, you are liable, whether you are negligent or not.
• Liability claims - including products and completed operations. While we are all familiar with slip and fall claims, there are other liability risks that backyard farmers and small acreage farmers need to be aware of. If you are selling food products (meat, eggs, produce, etc.) you will need coverage that will provide you with defense costs as well as claim settlement costs if you are faced with a food-borne illness claim. There are many other forms of liability that a farmer can run into that require more discussion in the future.

This is just a short list of concerns that backyard or small acreage farms should address as they begin farming and grow their farming enterprise.

Having a strong, written safety program in place will help reduce the risk of injury or property damage to you and others (highly recommended if you have any employees). If you are selling food products, even if it is just a few baskets of tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, or a few dozen eggs, it is important that you have at least a basic Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) manual prepared and follow it. This is recommended even if you give away your produce. If you are selling meat products, your GAP handbook should be more complete and may need to include a Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points management system.

Loss prevention (or loss control) includes ensuring that you have taken, and are taking, the necessary steps to protect your property (such as locking up equipment) from loss and protecting your neighbors, visitors, and farm customers from injury (such as having safety procedures in place).

Maintaining current records of your operations will not only help you in case of a claim, but it is good practice to ensure that your farm operation is successful (and profitable). These records can also be an excellent marketing tool if you plan to sell organic products (records are required if you intend to become certified organic).

Work with your insurance agent to ensure that you have the insurance coverage you need and that your agent (or his/her office) will assist in claims management should you have a claim.

The purpose of a risk management program is to reduce expenses related to risks associated with your operation, thereby increasing your profits. Do not depend on insurance for your risk management program. When you decided to become a backyard or small acreage farmer, you decided to enter the world of business. A well thought out risk management program will help you maintain low cost insurance coverage, and, without a proactive risk management program, you will be doing yourself and your customers and vendors a disservice.

Baker Heritage Farms

Don Baker has been providing insurance and risk management consulting services for over 30 years and has been a Risk Management Consultant for the past 8 years.

12SEP23

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

This past Wednesday David went down to the test garden and picked what he said (hoped?) was the last squash harvest of the year (it wasn't, there are still more growing).

He picked a lot of vegetables:

Zucchini Squash

We have had an excellent crop of Zucchini Squash. These were from the Wednesday harvest.

Patty Pan Squash & Cucumbers

We also had an excellent crop of Patty Pan Squash - more than we really anticipated. We have had a fair crop of Cucumber, though it probably could have been better.

Pole Beans

Our first, and possibly only, bean harvest - at least we had enough to harvest.

The "Farm" Kitchen

Debbie and David sliced and diced 11 pounds of Patty Pan Squash and 42 pounds of Zucchini Squash this week. It is now located in our church's freezers. The church fall festival is coming up and we plan to sell the squash at the festival. All proceeds will go to the church.

We also have several watermelon coming ripe and at least a few pumpkins growing.

We have all come to the conclusion that, if we were to go commercial (rather than organic), we could have a very successful market crop operation. By using fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides, our production gardens would most likely do very well - however, one has to wonder if (1) the profit would be there due to high cost of inputs, and (2) if the demand would be there as we would be just ... like everyone else.

We will stick to all-natural growing methods.

Until next week,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms.

12SEP03 - Current

Two posts in one night - guess that is what happens when you do not post for two weeks. Anyway, greetings from Baker Heritage Farms once again.

One update was left out from the last posting - David has now completed the hen house. The only thing left is the fencing. We will be ordering the chickens this coming spring so that we do not have to worry about heat and feed bills over the coming winter.

This Labor Day weekend was a very busy weekend on the farm.

Isaac was supposed to pay us a visit the end of this past week, but he apparently decided that a visit was not really necessary. We did receive a little rain late Friday afternoon, but nothing dramatic. It was light enough not to interfere with farm work plans for the weekend.

Saturday morning, Donald was able to mow production fields two and three. Sunday was an opportunity to go down to the fields a have a "family evening" playing in the newly mowed fields and just enjoying the evening. After relaxing and enjoying nature, we visited the test garden and harvested more produce.

Basket one of two.

 We harvested a watermelon, several patty pan squash, and cucumbers.

Basket two of two

 And more patty pan, cucumbers, and zucchini squash.

Our first pumpkin.

Cherokee Purple Tomato (Heirloom)

Our tomatoes did not produce this year - or so we thought. This one tomato was from a plant we gave up on, it had been essentially destroyed in an earlier storm. While we put cages around the rest, we did not put one around this plant as we thought it was going to die. Obviously, it survived. A little late, but at least we know we can grow them.

Watermelon

This watermelon had a short life - it was picked. We have not yet opened it, but plan to tomorrow night. It will be interesting to see if it is really ripe.

We have posted a lot of pictures, essentially of the same thing. However, it is important to note that the test garden is just off of where the production fields are. If you remember, we have some serious chemical deficiencies in our production fields and have no reason to believe that it is really any better in the test garden. In addition, this was virgin soil, with no additives applied. Plus, we planted late. It has been encouraging to see that, even without working the ground, we should be able to produce vegetables. We were unsuccessful with our corn, tomatoes and onions. Our beans have yet to produce but seem to be surviving. We have had an over abundance of squash, and still have numerous blossoms, so it appears more are coming. Our watermelon and pumpkin seem to be doing well, but it is still to early to determine how successful we will be.

We are very happy with the results of our test garden this year. At least all of the work was not wasted.

NOTE: We are asking readers to submit their recipes for posting, particularly those that can be used for home-grown vegetables, fruit, etc. You can submit your recipes directly to the blog (they may not show for up to one week, but they will eventually be posted) or by emailing them to bakerheritagefarms@gmail.com. We are also asking that you submit pictures if possible.

Donald was visiting relatives while on a business trip the past few weeks and, after visiting an Aunt and cousin in the Glenford, New York area, learned more about Broom Corn and gourds. We have now added these two items to our planned plantings in 2013. We plan to plant the gourds around the field fencing.

Have a great week.

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms - Located in eastern Oklahoma.

12JUL30

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

Success in our test garden! While it seems that anyone - and everyone - can grow zucchini squash, at Baker Heritage Farms it is a milestone. Remember, we are working with totally virgin land with no fertilizer or other amendments. We had our first successful harvest this past Saturday, harvesting approximately 20 zucchini and 3 patty pan squash.

First Harvest

Apparently we have not searched hard enough for production, as there did not appear to be any growing the week before; however, one of the zucchini was 15 inches long and 4 pounds. The first one David picked was about 3.1 pounds and was 12 inches long.

First Zucchini Picked

We will now be harvesting every two to three days, as there are plenty of blooms on the plants.

Squash Blooms

Our pickers were very active and found numerous squash hiding under the plants.

Our Pickers

Hiding

Even the dog had a hard day on the farm (it was a hot day).

Spunky

We are patiently waiting for more Patty Pan as that seems to be in high demand. But we see promise.

Patty Pan Blooming

Both watermelon patches seem to be doing well as are the pumpkins. There is some concern as we noticed squash bugs and they are not easy to get rid of. We will have to try hand picking them off of the plants soon.

We have several rows of beans that appear to be healthy. We will need to string them up next Saturday to help them along.

We have concluded that we will not be having tomatoes or corn this year. We lost one tomato plant to disease and one to weather, leaving only two left, and they do not seem to be growing, and the season is about over. The corn does not seem to be maturing.

We did get our soil sample tests back (see previous post) and, as we expected, the field tests were not all that good. There is more organic matter in the test garden as it is below the pond and has trees on two sides, which probably accounts for what success we have had.

We are starting to determine what crops we will plant next year. We will use this information as well as the soil test results to determine what winter cover crop we will plant this year.

We were not sure how we would break up the soil in the Horticulture Section as it is compacted and very hard. We had a hard rain Thursday and David and Donald went down to the section to see if it could be tilled and their test was successful. It will not be an easy task but it can be tilled after sufficient rainfall. The section will need to be mowed again and the tiller serviced so that we are ready each time it rains (1.5 acres will need to be tilled).

The next concern is how we will irrigate it.

Until next week,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

12JUL15

Greetings;

Too much data! Donald attended another New Farmers and Ranchers Class at the Kerr Center yesterday. Each class results in more information to be digested. One would think that a year-long course would allow sufficient time to not only learn, but put newly gained knowledge to work. Not so - there are just not enough hours in the day, days in the week, and weeks in the year. If only we did not have to work to support our habits (and farming is definitely a habit).

Yesterdays class included an update on how we were all doing with our gardens, how the Kerr Center's trials were going, an overview of weeds, insect, and disease management, demonstrations of various pieces of equipment, a walk-through of the trial plots Kerr Center has established for the class, and a very informative presentation on Bio-intensive growing. In addition, a tremendous amount of literature was provided, including "Identification, Biology and Management of Insects Attacking Home Garden Vegetables in Arkansas", "Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management", and "Weeds of Arkansas". The primary instructor of the course was involved in each of these publications and this class was the beneficiary of the information as this is the first (and trial) of three classes.

While the handouts, publications, and other materials received each class and in-between each class, are extremely valuable, the presentations during class are just as valuable. A number of ideas are gained from each class, but there is never enough time to put them into practice, though we attempt to at each stage of our farming efforts. During Saturdays session, the various classes and types of insects, weeds, and diseases were discussed, as well as the tools that can be used to combat them. In organic gardening, the most effective controls come from the organic system itself. Using traditional organic cultural practices increases soil health while:

• Increasing the impact of beneficial insects while reducing the impact of non-beneficial insects;
• Decreasing weed invasions; and
• Controlling diseases.

As you can probably guess, there are a number of insects, weed seeds, and diseases that are airborne rather than soil borne, which results in infestation regardless of soil practices. These issues are addressed using cultural tools (rotation, mixed planting, cultivation tools, etc.) as well as the availability of allowed natural and synthetic chemicals (used as a last recourse).

After the information from the class is absorbed, and as time permits, more information will be provided.

There was a very interesting presentation by Kerr Center interns on Bio-Intensive Growing. This trial is based on publications written by John Jeavons, a master gardner and ecologist. The concept claims that anyone can grow vegetables using less water (67% - 88% less), 50% less purchased organic fertilizer, and providing a 100% increase in soil fertility. If you have 9,000 square feet of land, you too can grow enough vegetables each year to sustain one person. This is based on a 4,500 square foot garden (so you can probably do it with 5,000 square feet, the amount of land usually available in a back yard). Donald is considering running trials on this method (it uses smaller plots with a double-dig system) but it will be a year or two before we are ready. As time and space permits, more on this system will be provided in this blog.

The presentation of some of the tools that are useful for for backyard or small acreage farming was excellent and we will be looking into many of these tools.

Cultivators

 There are numerous cultivators available that make weed control much easier and result in a higher rate of effectiveness. They are wheeled cultivators and come with attachments. We will definitely be looking into purchasing one as we will have weed problems until we can get them under control through the use of cover crops and rotations.

Other Tools

Did you know that a hoe is not a hoe? I should have learned that years ago, I break too many of them. the garden tools you can pick up at Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowe's, are not designed for farm work, and are not really even designed for gardening, unless the garden is small and you have perfect soil. As all of our "gardening" tools have taken a beating this year, we will be looking to replace them with higher quality tools (real tools). We expect that this will be much more expensive then going to Walmart or Home Depot, but we should be able to save much of the additional costs as we should not have to replace them as often.

This past Friday Donald was able to get the balance of the actual garden section mowed between pop-up storms (more on these below). We need to get our soil samples pulled next Saturday and sent in as Donald has worked out arrangements with Kerr Center for assistance in reading and interpreting the results as well as planning for our winter cover crops. He just learned that the cover crops should be planted in August (and he will be traveling the entire month).

Main Garden Section

The main garden section will be in front and will be approximately 2 acres, with 3 - half acre plots and miscellaneous plots on the west side.

Our test garden is looking like it may do something, we not sure just what that may be. Remember, we are planting totally natural this year, no fertilizer, no planning, and little organization.

Section I - Sweet Corn, Sunflowers, and Weeds

This was the first plot planted in the test garden. The deer ate the sunflower leaves, though they are still growing. The corn never matured; however, we do have some corn on the plants.

Black Beauty Zucchini

The Zucchini is doing great and is starting to flower.

Moon & Stars Watermelon Patch

The Moon & Stars Watermelon seems to be doing ok. Looks like animals are trying to eat it, but it may also be a combination of soil and weather conditions. It started great and went downhill since.

Scallop White Squash, Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans

The Scallop White Squash (Patty Pan) seems to be doing well also. The jury is still out on the pole beans. They are doing better in some places, worse in others.

Sumter Cucumber, Sweet Corn, Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans

The cucumbers are acting like the watermelon, they started good but have slacked off. The beans in this area seem to be doing well. The sweet corn may surprise us yet, it is coming up.

Big Max Pumpkins

Again, the jury is still out on the pumpkins. ?They are growing, which is good. Now all that remains is to see how well they will do.

Congo Watermelon

The Congo Watermelon are doing about as well as the Moon & Stars Watermelon, all we can do at this point is hope for the best.

We have had pop-up thunderstorms 8 out of the last 10 days. Unfortunately, the storm Saturday was apparently a wild one, with several trees down on the property. Two trees came down across the small drive up to the barn from the main house (one of them by Danielle's house), one came down barely missing the chicken coop (ok, it missed it by a good foot), and one came down across the road to the back pasture (above the barn). David and Donald were able to get them cleaned up Saturday and today.

Tree across road to pasture

We were very fortunate, as a very large tree went down across a neighbors drive and we had a friend in town that had one fall on their house. Our prayers are with them as their house move 3 inches off the foundation from a tornado in March 2011 and now is move even further off the foundation, tilted at an angle, and with a sunroof in their kitchen.

Blessings to all from Baker Heritage Farms

12JUN24

Greetings from Eastern Oklahoma:

Summer has arrived with a vengeance. We have seen temperatures in the low 100's over the past two or three days, and there does not appear to be a break until at least mid-week. The long-term forecast indicates average temperatures in July estimated at 95 degrees, with an average rainfall of 3 inches. This may alter our watering plans for the test garden.

Saturday Donald and David planted cucumber, watermelon, and more corn. Most of the planting was in Section 3 with the exception of the watermelon. Many years ago we planted watermelon and cucumber in our backyard in Southern California. While we produced large watermelons, they had absolutely no taste, which we attributed to planting them too close to the cucumber. Taking this lesson to heart, we tilled a small patch off to the side of Section 2 and planted our watermelon separately.

Next week we hope to complete planting, with the final seeds being a different variety of watermelon (which will be planted in its own patch off to the side of Section 3), pumpkin, and beans.

We planted onion in Section 2 earlier this month, but have not had any emergence at all. The seed should have been planted by April, so we knew it may not germinate. It didn't, so we will be planting the beans over the onion (in Section 2). Section 3 will end up being primarily pumpkin and tomatoes (if they ever start growing).

We will most likely replant the corn in Section 1 as it is still not doing well. We plan on re-tilling the ground and will do a full-till rather than strip tilling. We have some sunflowers growing so we will try to preserve those. In addition, we will be planting more sunflowers.

As a recap, we have planted the following vegetables:


Section I (Northern Section)

• Luscious Hybrid (the only Hybrid we have planted, but it is still Organic) Sweet Corn - four 30-foot rows planted north to south onMay 28th. Poor emergency so we will be replanting.
• Mammoth Sunflower - Planted on both outer edges of the corn on May 28th. We have had good emergence on the western edge, but poor emergence on the eastern edge, and what did emerge is now gone (possibly from insects or animals). We will be replanting the eastern edge after the corn is replanted.

Section II

• Black Beauty Zucchini Squash - eight hills planted on June 10th. Good emergence, good growth as of today.
• Evergreen Bunching Onions - Two rows planted East to West on June 10th, planted two months too late. No emergence. Will be replaced with Kentucky Wonder (Pole) Beans.
• Scallop White (Bush) Squash (also known as Patty Pan) - three hills planted on June 16th. Emergence has been good and we have good growth as of today.
• Moon & Stars Watermelon - five hills planted June 23rd. This "watermelon patch" is off to the west side of Section 2.

Section III

• Luscious Hybrid Sweet Corn - Planted four rows east to west on June 16th. Have emergence, better than Section one but growth is mediocre.
• Sumter Cucumber - five hills planted June 23rd.
• Luscious Hybrid Sweet Corn - four rows planted east to west on June 23rd.

Section IV (Southern Section)

• Cherokee Purple Tomatoes (Heirloom) - Transplanted May 28th. No change since transplanting.

As you can see, we have a good variety, and most of the seed was planted within acceptable time ranges (though at the far end). Overall, we did better at getting seed down then we expected.

Currently we are watering every 7-days; however, depending on the weather, we may go to every 5-days.

Donald and David cleared more of the east fence line and hope to have the work done within the next two weeks. Donald is already working on the process for obtaining soil samples, and this process will begin once the fence line is complete and the main plots marked out. Once the soil sample reports are returned, planning for winter cover crops will start.

As Baker Heritage Farms hopes to have year-round production in the future, plans are already underway to determine the next steps. Depending on how the test garden does through the summer, a winter crop may be planted. Most viable winter crops for this area are root crops and crops that grow low to the ground. We will have to evaluate whether or not root crops are worthwhile based on the rock content of our soil. Animals are a concern with the low profile crops and we expect to learn more about animal risks with what is already planted.

We hope we have devised a way to keep dogs out of the chicken coop and will be working on getting the fence up and the hen house finished in the next couple of weeks.

Until next week,

Blessing to all from Baker Heritage Farms

12JUN18

Greetings and Salutations;

David and Donald took a break Sunday in honor of Father's Day.

To date, we have planted Mammoth Sunflowers, Luscious Hybrid Sweet Corn, and Black Beauty (Zucchini) Squash. While the seeds are not heirloom, they are all USDA Organic and come from Ferry-Morse (you can get them almost anywhere).

The corn is not doing so well. We have sprouts, but they are sporadic, though they should be up and about ankle high by now. As this is an "experimental" garden, we are reviewing what we have done wrong.

This year, the experimental garden is being planted in virgin soil. The only thing that has grown here in at least 11 years is hay (ok, bermuda grass and other assorted weeds). As we plan to be "all-natural" we are not using any fertilizer or other synthetic growing products, nor are we using any herbicides or pesticides.

We strip tilled, rather than fully tilled, and we used green mulch to cover the crops. Some of the issues we feel that may be inhibiting growth include:

• Lack of proper ground preparation. As the ground is virgin, full tilling would probably have helped substantially;
• The green mulch may have been too much.
• We were watering every three-days. After some research, we learned that corn should only receive about an inch of water every 14-days.
• We did not use precision planting techniques, in fact, we essentially laid the seed in and covered it.

To test some of our theory, we planted some more corn this Saturday in Section 2 where we had cross-tilled (full tillage). We did not use green mulch and will be watering about every 5-days. We also planted these rows east to west rather then north to south, though that should not be an issue.

We planted sunflowers on the two outside edges of the corn. We have good growth on the west  side but sporadic growth on the east side. That may be an insect of animal issue.

The squash that was planted last week is doing great. We have a good ratio of growth compared to seed and, provided the rabbits and opossums don't get to it, we may have a very good crop of Zucchini. The onions we planted last week are not even showing. We may have planted them too late.

This Saturday we planted Scallop White (Bush) Squash, more commonly known as Patty Pan squash. This is an item that is in high demand around here, so we are hoping for a little success at least.

Donald and David also worked on the east fence line again, at least until David got stung by a bee. He is allergic (just like Donald) and Donald forgot to take his pills with him, so he had to bring David up to the house, where he left him to recuperate. Donald went back down and finished the area they were working. Last weekend about 100 feet was cleared, about 50 more feet was cleared Saturday.

Donald spent Sunday going through and organizing his school notes. We need to start preparing for Winter cover crops, which means we have to complete clearing the east fence line, mark the plots, get soil samples, and get them sent in so we can determine what needs to be planted. We have not yet decided how we will plant, but most likely will set up our rotation for cover crops as well as for vegetables. We are being careful not to make any errors in what we do so that we can get good momentum going and do not have to leave any area fallow to make up for errors.

Over the next two weeks we need to get our watermelon, pumpkin, beans, and some more corn planted. Once we get all our seed down, we can concentrate on the pasture plots.

Until next week,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

The Lord said: "The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants." Baker Heritage Farms - Being good tenants is what it is all about.

12JUN03

Welcome back.

Not much happened on the Farm this week. David transplanted some Cherokee Purple Tomatoes in Section 4 of the test plot that we purchased in early May. David usually works on various farm projects during the week and both David and Donald try to work on those projects better handled by two people on Friday evenings, Saturday, and Sundays; however, this week has been somewhat disjointed so no other work was done. We did get a little rain so have not had to water the garden this week.

There is a lot of work yet to do. We need to complete the henhouse, dig the trench to install the chicken wire, and secure it with rebar for the chickens. We also need to get the other vegetables planted, which we hope to complete next weekend. We will be gathering rock from the various rock piles around the front of the property to place along the fence line for the Turkey run, which (1) gets rid of the rock piles around our trees and (2) will secure the Turkey run from domestic animals. Another project is to mow the hay in the pasture, rake it into windrows (manually), and start a real mulching/composting operation so that we have mulch and compost for our winter cover crops.

During the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers class in May, Donald had the opportunity to watch a demonstration of preparing a raised planting bed. The demonstration showed how to (1) mow down the cover crop, (2) plow/till the ground to form raised beds, (3) transplant vegetables, and (4) use the cover crop that was mowed as green mulch. While it took less than 30 minutes to prepare a bed about 10 feet long, some very expensive equipment was used.

BCS Tractor

The BCS Tractor is a walk-behind tractor that has the same capabilities of a regular tractor, including a PTO (Power Take Off). Here, the instructor is using the BCS Tractor to till the strip while forming a raised bed. Instead of standard tines, he is using a rotary plow, which will actually till the soil and move it to one side to form the bed.

You can see the cover crop that was just mowed on the left side of the picture, the windrow was formed by manually raking the cover crop to the side. The cover crop was mowed with a sickle bar mower attachment mounted to the BCS Tractor, and was manually raked over the transplants after they were planted.

The BCS Tractor costs approximately $4,300 (model BCS 853) with a standard rototiller attachment. The 45" Sickle bar attachment is another $979.00. While it would make life much easier to have this piece of equipment, it would be hard to justify the cost.

And yes, you can also get a plow attachment for the BCS Tractor.

BCS Tractor Plowing

In last week's blog you saw some of the hand tools we use, and in previous blogs you saw some of the power equipment we have available. Our purpose here at Baker Heritage Farms is not only to grow all-natural crops in a natural environment, but to do so using as few power tools as possible, as power tools add substantially to the cost of operating a back-yard, or small acreage, farm.

We found that, with a little extra labor, we can prepare a raised bed with a regular tiller and hand tools just as well as we could with the BCS Tractor, though it takes longer and the work is much harder.

Donald also had the opportunity to see a number of different types of seed planters during the class.

Hand Seeders

Restored Automatic Hand Seeder

The had seeders were nothing fancy and can most likely be made from scrapes from around the house or farm. The walk-behind seeders (yes, they do have modern ones) would save back pain, but can run well over $100.00. The problem with any of the mechanical seeders is that there appears to be a high margin for error when planting, that could result in either wasted seed or wasted ground.

When planting larger areas, it is just as easy to drop the seed into a furrow and cover it with a rake (be careful of the wind, which can cause the seed to land outside the furrow).

Once again, here at Baker Heritage Farms, we will be planting by hand without the benefit of mechanical help.

If you are farming a very small area for profit, you will need to save as much money as possible if you want to make a profit. If you are farming a very small area to provide healthy food products for your own table, you will get more satisfaction from doing as much as possible by hand (the old-fashioned way).

If you are looking to farm on a larger scale, then the mechanical and power equipment may be an option, but remember, mechanical and power equipment needs to be maintained and sometimes the maintenance and repairs on this equipment can take valuable time away from your gardening chores.

Until next week;

Blessings to all from Baker Heritage Farms