Cloverleaf Farm

It is All the Rain's Fault

2009-07-08T12:57:00.002-04:00

We are so disappointed at how our crops are going this season. Or should I say not going.
We have had to plow and replant a good part of what we planted.Due to all the rain, and more the lack of sun that we had in June, we lost upwards of 50% of what we planted. The corn should make a come back, and the potatoes and carrots are doing fine, but the rest of the garden is doing so poorly, I don’t think we will get much if anything.
It is a sad season for most organic farmers in the area.

The Garden Experts Must Be Crazy

2009-06-28T12:47:00.001-04:00

I have been doing research on our so called "garden expert" Paul Parent Garden Club, and wouldn't you know, one of his sponsors in Scott's.
Scott's, no matter if it is chemical or organic is a division of Monsanto. Monsanto is a nasty corporate company, that has made the life of many farmers very difficult...to say the least.
Now why would the Paul Parent Garden Club, or any other "garden expert" want to be a part of them. Money. Money, money, money. It all comes down to the all mighty dollar.
Well, to me and all the other organic farmers out there, the dollar is not the all mighty, and we would rather do things the right way...nature's way.
If our ancestors grew organically, than why can't we.
To me taking a sponsor like Scott's is like selling your soul to the devil. I am sure Paul Parent and the head of Monsanto will have a great time in hell together choking on the chemical fumes they promote.
It shouldn't come down to dollars and cents, it should just come down dollars and sense.

2 Degrees But No Common Sense

2009-06-24T10:41:00.002-04:00

According to Paul Parent, "I have been working in Agriculture for over 25 years and have 2 degrees from University of Massachusetts". Sorry, having a degree does not give some one common sense.
What you put on the ground, comes up through the plant. If you put RoundUp, or any other chemical on a plant, it will come up through the roots.
You do not have to use chemicals to garden or farm. Organic farming is not a new "sceince". It is what our forefathers did. They had no option. It was all they knew.
Chemical fertilzers and weed controll were not "invented" until the time of WW2. You would think someone with 2 degrees and that has been working in agriculture for 25 years would know this. You would think that he should know that you don't "need" these products to have a successful garden.
Paul Parent promotes Scotts products. Scotts, is a division of Monsanto. Monsanto has no morals, and if they have their way, will take over the seed industry and change farming and gardening forever. If Monsanto gets their way, there will be no such thing as seed saving, or heirloom seeds, because they will own the patents on every seed in the world.
Please watch The Future of Food on hulu.com.
The so called "gardening experts" could make a difference, but choose not too. It has to be monetarily driven, just like it is with our government.

Can You Believe This?

2009-06-24T08:14:00.002-04:00

After listening to the Paul Parent Garden Club show on Sunday, June 21, I decided I must boycott it. I have that right. I also decided to blog about it. It is my concern that the "garden expert" is pushing RoundUp, a poison. I am after all, guaranteed free speech by the U.S. Constitution.
I emailed him, and expressed my concern over him promoting RoundUp. It concerns us, as well as other organic farmers that there even is such a product. It bothers me to hear a “gardening expert” promoting it.
This is the response I receive back from Mrs. Christine Parent:
How dare you want to boycott my husband’s radio show. How would you like it if I put on our web site that the entire gardening world should boycott your products. Most of the products that we have for sponsors are completely organic. Only a few are not. You can not teach the world over night to go organic, it takes time and we have been working on it for the last 5 years. Round up is the safest weed killer for the homeowner and breaks down in the soils in 7 to 10 days by the microbs in the soil, no other weed killer works this way. If you know of an organic week killer that will do the job let us know and we will promote it. Now, if this is the way she handles dissatisfied customers, then she needs to go back to cutomer relations 101 . This only incited me to blog more about it.
I then received an email from Paul Parent himself:
Apparently, you do not listen very often to the program! Most of my sponsors are natural or organic and we work very hard to find companies who have earth friendly products for the garden. Many companies have both and that is the gardener choice, NOT YOURS. A company like Scotts works very hard to make sure that there product are used wisely. The chemical industry spends many years of testing before products are released to the public. You may not know this but Scotts has many organic products for the homeowner.
Like you, some people take the extreme and want changes overnight, It’s not possible. If you were a Farmer living on the soil, you would know that without chemicals the world would not exist without them. There is not enough Manure to feed the soil for every farm in the world.
The situation you heard part of ‘only’, was in reference to a man whose field was being overtaken by Multiflora roses. This plant is very aggressive and each plant can cover a 6 by 6 foot area of ground in just one year. Thousands of seed are made yearly that are ejected in to the air and the wind can carry them several yards from the mother. In addition, seedpods are eaten by the birds in the fall and dispensed everywhere they land with their package of Manure. Perfect for seed germination. Farmers who have this problem will lose their field to animal grazing in just a few years if not controlled. The average Farmer does not have time to hand dig problem weed growth by hand, as you do.

If you want to keep your farm organic, that is wonderful but do not tell people how they must garden. Not everyone has so much spare time as you, to pull weed from the garden by hand. To pick insects that find there way to the plants on your property and control disease by removing the infested foliage or removing the plant, As you do. With proper management of garden chemicals, everyone can lessened there use. But not everyone has your time available.

Now, of all weed killers Round up is one of the safest as it only affects plants when entering from the foliage. It cannot kill plants from the roots/soil. Also Round up will die in the soil from the bacteria and the rays of the sun hitting it in as quickly as 14 days. Used according to directions it is as safe to this planet as the soap YOU use to wash your clothing and dishes. The products You use to clean your house and the gas you ask your clients to use to come see what you grow, “gas fumes”. The packaging used for your product and the shipping to deliver them, You pollute with your business even if you know it or not. We all do the best we can for this planet. Some more than others.

I have been working in Agriculture for over 25 years and have 2 degrees from University of Massachusetts. I know the problems better that you ever will. I do the best to keep gardening safe for all gardeners as my listeners are like family to me. Every year I work HARD to find a better product for my Family. Believe it or not I am here to stay and educate gardeners about products Organic, Natural and YES chemical! There is a place for them whether you like it or not. So get off your High horse, get your head out of the ground and learn to do the best for Mother Nature and that means with chemicals when needed.

If you think I am wrong call me. Do not let you feelings about the planet be the right way and the only way. In this country we are all allowed to have our opinion, right or wrong. We both try to do the right thing for the gardener.

All the best to stay organic. The more power to you if you can. But do not force your beliefs to others, give them a choice as I do.

My response:
Mr. Parent,

After reading both your email, and the one sent by your wife, I realize I have made the right decision in boycotting your show. You are both unprofessional, and arrogant to say the least. Instead of putting out the fire, you have fanned the flames.
You both will obviously never understand. Perhaps because you are getting funding from Scotts, or maybe you just can’t open your eyes. It is just common sense to know that if you put a chemical in the soil, you will at some point wind up putting it into your mouth. Doesn’t take a degree to figure that one out.
Please take the time to watch “The Future of Food” http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food and possibly you may understand.

Please Boycott Paul Parent Garden Club

2009-06-21T08:38:00.002-04:00

Paul Parent Garden Club promotes the use of Round-Up for killing "weeds". This product made by Monsanto Corp. is poison. Paul Parent is suggesting we use poison in our gardens, and on our soil.
If you are interested in the future of your food supply please watch The Future of Food on hulu.com. It is a well made documentary on why we should all stop using Round Up and other poisons like it. http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food
Please boycott the Paul Parent Garden Club. Don't listen to his radio shows, don't vist his website for garden information.
As long as he and other "garden experts" are going to promote the use of Round Up, the future of our food is in jeapardy.

Vote For Green Mountain Conservation Group

2009-06-17T17:29:00.007-04:00

Help Green Mountain Conservation Group win round 2 in the “Be an Eco champion” contest on Brickfish.com. They are in the running for a grant to use towards new projects.
Help Green Mountain Conservation by voting as often as you can. Right now they are at number 6, and we need to bring that up to number one so that they move on to the next step of receiving the grant from The North Face and Polartec.
Vote now by visiting Brickfish.com.Thanks for voting and helping Green Mountain Conservation Group recieve their grant

2009-06-09T14:13:00.001-04:00

The kittens are now a week old. They are steadily gaining weight, but are still quite small as kittens go.
Pyewacket is being a wonderful new mother. She stays with the almost all the time, getting up for short stints to use the litter box or stretch her legs. I can't imagine have to nurse 7 babies 24 hours a day.
Puca doesn't know what to make of them. They seem to make him really nervous. Although, he is kind of a nervous cat anyway. He seems much more relaxed when he is outdoors. He becomes the bobble head cat when he comes inside.

Planting Season is Almost Done

2009-06-07T09:57:00.002-04:00

Today, will mark the end of our planting for this season.
We have planted everything from arugala to zucchini and everything in between. For a complete list of what we have planted this year you can visit www.cloverleaffarmstand.com.
You can visit www.cloverleaffarmblog.com for a peek into our life here at Cloverleaf Farm.

New Kittens

2009-06-03T09:53:00.003-04:00

Pyewacket gave birth yesterday to 7 kittens. That was a surprise. We expected her to have just 2 or 3. She is a small cat to begin with, and she didn't get that big during her pregnancy.
It started around 9:30 am, and by 11:30, she hadn't delivered so we called the vet. They had us bring her in. It is a good thing too, because one of the kittens was stuck in the birth canal, and she had to have an emergency c-section.
She got to come home that night, but I spent the next few hours bottle feeding the babies as she was not giving milk yet.
It was an exciting, and very tiring event here at Cloverleaf Farm.
For more of life on our farm, please visit our main blog www.cloverleaffarmblog.com.

At Least I Won't Have to Water

2009-05-27T10:21:00.002-04:00

Rain. Good for the gardens, but not good for the human who has planting still to be done.
I finished plowing most of the gardens yesterday. Only have one more to go over again. Then, I must get down to some serious planting. Yes, I may have to plant in the rain. A farmers work is never done, and I can't take a day off just due to rain. It would be nice, but that would just put me days behind.
Still have to build the pig pen area too. The piglets will be coming soon. Only about two weeks. That gives me two weeks to finish all the gardens, which includes plowing and planting. Then on to building the pig pen and shelter, and the fence too.
Whew, I'm tired just thinking about it.

The Planting Season Has Begun

2009-05-25T08:25:00.003-04:00

While most people were having BBQ's, or going to the beach, we were heading to the gardens and fields to get in our crops.
This Memorial Day weekend was a beautiful weekend, and we got alot done. The fields were plowed up, rows were made, and the planting began. So far, we have just a small portion of our organic heirloom veggies in the ground. To see a complete list of what we are planting this season you can visit Cloverleaf Farm.
Cloverleaf Farm specializes in organic heirloom produce and vegetables, and are proud to say we only sell what we grow. We do not buy from outside wholesalers as other farm stands do. When you buy from us, you can be assured that our produce is truly local.

Cloverleaf Farm says Vote for Green Mountain Conservation Group

2009-05-15T12:50:00.002-04:00

Cloverleaf Farm wants you to Vote for Green Mountain Conservation Group.
They are an amazing group who does wonderful conservation of natural resources in the towns of Ossipee Watershed in central Carroll County including the towns of Effingham, Freedom, Madison, Ossipee, Sandwich, and Tamworth.
Without their work, many lands would be developed and the watershed destroyed.
Vote for them now at brickfish.com

Vote for Green Mountain Conservation Group

2009-05-14T15:39:00.003-04:00

The Green Mountain Conservation Group (GMCG) is a community-based, charitable organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of natural resources in the Ossipee Watershed in central Carroll County including the towns of Effingham, Freedom, Madison, Ossipee, Sandwich, and Tamworth. Founded in 1997, GMCG is a networking and referral resource for area residents concerned about land use issues in their communities. It encourages individual and small group activism based on common sense and non-confrontational approaches to resolving problems.
GMCG is applying for a grant to help with their current programs and to start new ones. You can help by visiting brickfish.com and voting for them. While you are there, you can leave a message or comment on the fantastic work they have done, and will keep on doing.
Vote for GMCG at brickfish.com

The Piglets are Coming, The Piglets are Coming

2009-05-12T13:42:00.002-04:00

We thought for sure that we would not be getting our piglets this year. We have been looking around for months for someone who sells Tamworth Pigs. Tamworth pigs are a heritage breed of pig, and we had decided that since we sell heritage produce, and heritage chickens that we should stick with all heritage breed animals.
We had called or emailed several places, but most were to far away for us to go. Finally, someone suggested Remick Farm Museum. They told us that they had some Tamworth piglets for sale. I called about a month ago, but they had sold out of the first litter, and the second litter had a waiting list. I was bummed. I had her add our name to the waiting list just in case.
Today, we got the call that Sue the Sow had given birth to eight piglets. Everyone else on the list had already gotten their piglets and our name was next. I was so excited. I told her that we would take two....maybe 3.
Now, we have to build our pig pen. We hadn't even started since we figured we weren't getting any this year.
The piglets will be ready to come home the third week in June.

Crafty Kids

2009-05-09T17:35:00.002-04:00

Today we started doing a program at the Effingham Library called Crafty Kids. Crafty Kids will be the second Saturday of each month, with special ones during the summer reading program.
Being that it is Mother's Day tomorrow, today's craft of course centered around making something for Mom. The kids had a choice of making a popsicle stick photo frame, or some jewelry out of dyed marcaroni. The kids did a great job coming up with all sorts of nice frames. We took their picture, and printed it out for them to insert into their newly made frame. They looked marvelous.
The next Crafty Kids is in June. This one will of course be stuff they can make for Dad's Day.
It is always great to see kids using their imagination.

Spring Planting Has Begun

2009-05-08T16:27:00.002-04:00

Our green house is full of trays waiting for the seeds to sprout. I haven't even ordered my seeds from Johnny's yet and the green house is full. We are planning a trip up to Johnny's next weekend.
I planted some calendula in the herb garden, and Bloomsdale Spinach in the main garden yesterday. I'm itching to get the season started, but also know that we may still have a cold snap or even a frost before the full moon in May. It is best not to do to much in the gardens until after Memorial Day.
We'll be in full bloom soon, and the summer will give us the fresh food we crave.

The Future of Food is in Your Hands

2009-05-06T09:29:00.007-04:00

The future of this countries food is in your hands. When you buy food in the grocery store, do you know where it came from, and what they did to it?
I just watched a documentary on hulu.com, about American food, and the future of it, and couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
For those of you interested in the future of your food, I would highly suggest wathcing this documentary about the Future of Food. It talks about how pesticides and herbacides came into use after WWII. It describes what genetically modified (GM) foods, and the cause and effects of this on humans. It talks about how organic food is what will turn it all around. Well, duh, we knew that.
It was fascinating to learn that our governement is more screwed up, and has way to much power.
If we are what we eat, then we are screwed.
This is only one reason why Cloverleaf Farm uses only organic methods of growing food.

Mostly for The Planting

2009-05-02T07:31:00.003-04:00

It will soon be time for the planting season. It is wild to think that just a few weeks ago, we still had snow on the ground. We have a somewhat short growing season, and it is best for us to start our plants in the greenhouse. Now that we have that fixed, we can start our seeds.
This weekend, we will get out our tractor and till up the fields. This has to be done when the ground temperature stays about 60 degrees. If it is done too much before this, the soil's bacteria gets out of balance.
It will be so nice to get some of these chores out of the way.

New Greenhouse

2009-05-01T12:12:00.003-04:00

Okay, it is not exactly new, but we did have to redo the plastic over it. It had been three season, and it had rotted through.
I can now go fulll force in planting all the seeds I have bought. I must get that started as soon as I possilby can. Planting season is right around the corner, and the seedlings will have to be ready to go into the garden.
It is always exciting to plant a seed, watch it grow, and then get to eat the fruits of your labor. We are planting a few new varities this year. For a complete list you can visit Cloverleaf Farm

Digging Their Way to George

2009-04-28T13:18:00.002-04:00

That is what I think they are doing. They see the cats going in and out of this whole under the barn. I kept seeing the hens trying to get in there as well. I kept scooting them away.
I finally realized this morning, I think they are trying to get to George the Rooster. They have been prancing and dancing all around the outside of the pen, and a couple have managed to fly over. The fence is 6 feet high, and that is quite a feat for a chicken. George must have some way with his hens.

Bunnies

2009-04-26T20:20:00.005-04:00

We are happy to introduce our newest addition to our farm.
Nick and Nora Charles, the bunnies.

Nick and Nora will be our breeding pair, and we will sell the bunnies from both Cloverleaf Farmstand, and also the local farmers markets.

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T09:26:00.003-04:00

Today is the 39th anniversary of Earth Day.
Earth Day was originallycreated in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson to inspire awareness and appreciation our planet and Earth's environment.
Although Earth Day is celebrated in many countries every year, Cloverleaf Farm feels Earth Day should be practiced every day.
We are.
We made a decision years ago to buy only products that are Earth Friendy.
We recycle everything, but realized this isn't enough. Although the plastic water bottles have long been gone from our lives, there are so many other products that are marketed in plastic. We don't want to be part of the problem, we want to be part of the solution.
So, we have made a pledge to stop buying products that are packaged in plastic. This is a tough assignment, but if you look around, there are other options to many products.
For example, you can buy lemon juice in a plastic bottle, or go to a natural food store and get it in a glass bottle. It may cost more in the bottle, but we feel the future of our Earth is worth it.
Today in honor of Earth Day 2009, we will plant an Austrian Pine tree seedling donated by Western Maine Nurseries of Fryeburg, Maine. The rest of the trees will go to all the celebrations in Effingham that are happening on Saturday, April 25.
It may be just a small step in making this a better planet, but it is a step just the same.

Raining Again

2009-04-21T12:06:00.002-04:00

Indoor work today. It is raining again, and I don't feel like being out in the damp, April air.
I baked up a storm this morning. I figure I can put most of it in the freezer for my meetings for the craft show. It is always nice to have baked good on hand.
This afternoon, I am going to finish work on my 1890's skirt. I still have to come up with a name for it. The underskirt is done, I just have to do the ruffled overskirt. I have done quite a bit of work on Thornton Square. I still have some pictures to upload and some descriptions to add. It is suppose to rain tomorrow too, so that is on my to do list for then.
Believe it or not, it is suppose to be 80 degrees over the weekend. We went from winter, right into summer. Which around here, isn't that unusual. It is just not wanted.

Begock

2009-04-18T21:15:00.002-04:00

Chickens, chickens and more chickens. We have 54 right now, and are trying to see if we can hatch our own. They are so fun to watch run around the yard. Free ranging chickens have the best life. They have so much fun waddling all over our farm.
Whenever I go outside, they are always there to greet me with a begock. I bring them all our old bread crusts and ends. They love my homemade bread.
Today we cleaned out there coop. I sent them all outside so they wouldn't be in the way. It took longer than I thought and I could hear them begocking at me from the other side of the door. I put some new hay it, and let them back in. They scratched it all around, and made a new room out it. I guess it they were moving their "furniture" around to where they wanted it.
Chickens...always a treat to watch.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T08:00:00.002-04:00

While most people are taking the day off for Easter, here on the farm, there is no day off. There is always someone to feed, clean up after and eggs to gather.
If the animals are set, there are always spring clean up to attend to. It is only about a month before planting season will start. All the old gardens have to be tilled in. The new gardens have to be planned out.
I have started to make a list of seeds we will need to order. We have bought some seeds already, but have many more to buy. This year we are trying out a few new veggies. You can visit Cloverleaf Farm Stand for a peek.
Busy, busy, busy. But, that is the life of a farmer.