Slab City FarmStead

As stated earlier, this is a weekly-ish farm update blog. We have been incredibly busy planting, moving animals and getting ready for summer markets. The last couple weeks have been a blur. We have gotten the majority of our market gardens planted. We have recently started on the dried flower beds and warm season crops.

While we are mostly focusing our market gardens on lettuces and greens and winter crops, we have to make good use of the hot summers. We have transitioned some of our pig paddocks to accommodate for this. Last fall after the pigs moved off our front paddocks, we seeded them in winter rye. The rye sprouted last fall and then rested in the ground with a blanket of snow over it through the winter months. Now, with the warm May temperatures, the rye is starting to go to seed. To do a cover crop right, the crop must be terminated before it produces a viable seed, which in turn, would then make weed seed. There are many ways to terminate cover crops. Since we follow organic practices, herbicides are out of the question. The nice thing about rye is once the plant forms a head of grain, the plant can be rolled over or crimped, and that will effectively kill the crop. This is the way we are choosing to terminate the rye, but with a twist. Seeing as though we raise chickens on pasture with tractors, which are dragged across the ground over the crop. And since the heavy growing birds are concentrated on a section of ground and apply a layer of manure over the ground, the tractors would make the perfect way to roll and crimp the crop. We currently have three tractors going on one of our rye paddocks. The tractors are rolling over the rye. The birds are stepping down the rye, adding manure and picking out all of the smaller weeds. Once done, later in the week, what will remain is a field that looks like straw has been spread out over it. We currently have our tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, winter squash and pumpkins started and growing in pots. These will be transplanted into the rye as the chickens finish the field row by row. By doing this, we are keeping our soil covered through all seasons, giving our animals a place to graze, eliminating weeds without the use of chemicals and growing healthy food crops. We are excited to put this all together and are hoping for the best.

While our crops are growing, we are also preparing for summer markets. Our first market is this coming Thursday at Market on Military in Green Bay. The market runs 2-7pm every Thursday. We hope to see you there! We are also going to be at the Bonduel farmers market this year as well! The Bonduel market runs June 17th through October 7th. It is Wednesday evenings 4-7pm. We will have fresh produce and our standard market offerings. Pasture raised chickens will be back in stock June 30th!

The pigs have been very happy getting back out on pasture. With all the rain we got earlier in spring they were left in their winter pens until things dried out a bit. While we wanted to get them out for the first fresh grass of the year, doing so would have caused heavy compaction on our pastures with how wet it was. Now that they are out, they are enjoying doing what pigs do. They finished up their first paddock a week or so ago, which has now been planted in dry beans. We have a few younger groups that are enjoying the shade of the woods. Even Ms. Piggy’s piglets are out and thriving! They just go moved out as well!