May 7, 2009

• Organic Farming

  Time for a more-or-less personal update.
  My wife and I are financing her Grand niece's venture into Organic Farming.
  The niece's grandfather's family has owned a small farm in southern NH since 1940. It was used as a summer home and never farmed - but the high-bush blueberries, pear, and apple trees were rather casually maintained and the maples were sugared out every winter by the next door farmer who looked after the place for most of the year. After my sister-in-law died six years ago, the place has not been visited for more than a week or so (twice) and been allowed to fall into disrepair. The next-door farmer died but neighbors have keep the fields cut (and the blueberries, pears and apples eaten). The 160 year-old barn collapsed a couple of winters ago.
  My G-niece has been interested enough in organic farming to take it very seriously since her graduation from college in '06, she has has interned on a OR organic farm, worked for the SW Conservation Corps and acted as foreman at a successful organic farm here in FL.
  She and her BF drove his '62 pickup and her '98 mini-van up last month, have settled in, gotten seeds in the ground, and are hard at work - using a borrowed tractor. They are constructing a greenhouse (The BF is an expert woodworker) and applying for space in this coming summer's local farmer's markets. He is starting a woodworking shop.
  Their 160 year-old farmhouse is in good repair, so she can concentrate on the farming part. I'll post an update from time to time.
  We will stop by and see how they are doing when we drive to ME at the end of next month.

  • 1:52 pm
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