Ducklings on the green! I finished their run just in time for them to enjoy some evening sun and grass nibbles before bedtime. A few luxuries like a ramp to make getting in their hut easier and a water park are in the works!

Ah, the bubbler. A little jacuzzi bath for the veg, literally as that is a jacuzzi motor. It is ice cold, no bubble bath, and I don't supply them with a glass of champagne but they get really clean so they can't complain. And neither do I since it washes those greens (and radishes and head lettuce and almost anything that will fit in it and not be too delicate to go on a little white water adventure) really well and is fun to watch them roll around in it!

My spinner! I'm calling it the dizzy wobbler cause watching it works makes ya kinda dizzy! It was a little nerve-wracking to cut into and rip apart a brand new washing machine (especially one that is nicer than my own) but it works so amazingly and is a huge improvement on my household salad spinner for drying greens!

Not only do the chickens (& ducks & guineas) get moved around to fresh grass every few days, I also let them wander on calm evenings.

Most enjoy nibbling on any bugs they find but also on the grass seed as it ripens.

Hella and Leo share a moment enjoying the grass and sunshine. Taking a break from busy farm crew work is both fun and healthy!

Leo, the dandy lion, rolls in the dandelions!

The ducklings thoroughly enjoy their new digs but ducks are naturally extremely skittish and any change in routine sends them into a tizzy (like if I wear a different hat when changing food or water). So the move to the greenhouse took a little while to calm down from, but more space to chase each other, some fresh grass nibbles, the occasional ray of sunshine or breeze, and some patient hand feeding got them back to their happy chirps and not panicking at the sight of the huge monster that grabs them and moves them around (which also happens to be the same monster that feeds them and gives them the occasional splashy bath time)

This is the last week there will be buckets and bouquets full of tulips. Soon there will be other blooms to replace them but they are a special kind of beauty and their end always signals the end of spring for me and the beginning of early summer when the perennials start to bloom.

This is about as colorful as you'll ever see a flower farmers tulip patch. As soon as those buds color, they are harvested and thrown (gently) into the cooler.

The ranunculus start to go in. The little dry corms are soaked for a few hours then planted into a tray of starter mix. In a few weeks, they sprout up and are ready for the ground. The corms can be dug up and saved for the future (they can't survive freezing, so unless you live in San Diego or Florida, out they come). Last year the moles ate most of the corms before they were ready to come out, so this year I am experimenting with lining their trench with hardware mesh and using some other various deterrent methods. They'll be covered with a low tunnel to protect them from my summer frosts before I am done, but with the mild weather right now they get to enjoy the open sky. It can be a lot of work for the little corms, but the flowers are beautiful, delicate, and can last up to a month in a vase. Definitely worth it!!!

Hella (named after the Norse Goddess of Death & the Underworld :) ) is living up to her name and helping to save my tulips, lilies, ranunculus, beets, ... (the list goes on!) from these little pests. It has been one a day for the past week, this one was her second of the day, taken from my main field.

working from dawn to dusk can be hard but it has its rewards and I try to take a moment to enjoy views like this when I can!

The ducklings are growing and making a mess! Ducks are quieter than chickens but they love their water and splatter it, their food, their poop everywhere. Sometimes they just smack their bill in it getting more water on their bedding than in their mouth. One project not complete is building a full size run for their hut so that they will be safe from all the predators, including Hella, while they are still quite small. So they get to stay inside for a few more days and I get to have sleeping buddies. Yep they are in my bedroom where I can refill their food and water when needed. I think this may be the definition of bringing your work home with you.

Spring rain showers are very welcome

My Dad is making good progress with building the cold room in the back of the barn. It will be super insulated to keep all the veggies, flowers, and eggs cool in the summer and I am going to experiment with heating it in winter to grow microgreens and plant starts. It will be much easier than using a corner of my attic!

My previous cooler setup is still functional and will be used to store things that don't need to be kept in the cool room (at ~38F) and what I don't want the pack rats to get into, like tomatoes!

Some of the hens enjoying an evening snack of wheat berries and sunflowers. Since this part of the pasture isn't the greatest grass, I am using the natural digging & scratching habits of the hens to help me remove a lot of it (the roots are still under there though) so I can follow with seed mix. Note their matching hen saddles to protect their feather from the rooster!

Yep, this was just a few weeks ago.

Some of the potatoes going into their homes with the ever helpful Golden Girl hens keeping an eye on the progress.

two kinds of romaine, a red leaf, and a butter lettuce are ready to leave the nursery and spread their leaves in the field!

Double Pam showing her beauty, one of the two Heirloom Narcissa I'll have available this weekend! Pink Charm, the other Heirloom Narcissa available this weekend!