HappyDay: As Temperatures Rise So Does the Workload

Casey O’Neill is a cannabis and food farmer in Mendocino County who has been writing newsletters about his efforts to provide sustainable produce and marijuana. We feature his column once a week.

HappyDay (Day) Casey O’Neill

The transition from snow and hail to bright, sunny days was a quick one and the burgeoning excitement of rapid growth fills me with joy.  The days are long; I finished sowing salad mix last night by headlamp, capping off a marathon that began with feelings of overwhelm but finished with a vast sense of accomplishment and peace.

      The rhythm of the work is a constant, pushing hard with the efforts of spring.  Sweat drips as I breathe into each step, clearing beds for replanting, shoveling compost, broadforking, tilthing and raking.  After the strenuousness of the prep, running the seeder is such light duty that it caps off the work with a calm, reflective period.

      I’m getting better at using the Jang seeder, learning about its ins and outs.  The different gears and seed wheels make for a lot of potential combinations depending on size of seed and desired spacing, and I’m glad to be able to ask the internet for optimum settings.  Getting the correct prep so there is a smooth seed bed is key, as is the right configuration with the seeder.  Consistent watering is crucial, especially during germination, and I rely on the overhead sprinklers in the hoophouses with a little spot spraying with a hose for edge spaces that dry out from air movement.

      This is the time of year when opening and closing the hoops is a key part of operations.  Once summer arrives they will remain open, and during the winter they are closed down tight, but in the shoulder seasons we close up in the evening to retain warmth through the chilly nights.  It’s easy to slide the plastic up on the sides of the caterpillar tunnels, and we have wide, zipper doors in the end walls to maximize air movement during the heat of the day.

      The farm is a rollercoaster of happenings as everything has reached the exponential growth of late spring.  The recent rains have the pond full and the creeks still flowing well, which is such a difference from last year that it is hard to reconcile.  After the warm, dry winter, this may shape up to be a decent water year after all.

     With the rapid shift to warm and sunny weather, the time has come for setting up timers and working with irrigation outside the hoophouses.  I pieced together some stuff for the early spring brassica crops, but hadn’t set up timers yet for fear of them breaking with hard freezes.  Maintaining water systems through the temperature fluctuations of winter and spring has taken years of practice, and I still mess it up sometimes when the temperature drops lower than expected.

     All of the animals are enjoying the warm weather and heavy forage of spring.  Weeds and garden wastes are delivered to pigs and rabbits, and lambs are out on pasture grazing away.  Meat birds, turkeys and laying hens are rotating along in the big pasture at the ranch, enjoying the heavy clover that has sprung up with the late rains.

     The first batch of meat birds is already in the freezer and the last batch is arriving as chicks this week.  I keep the feed cans full in each location, hauling grain in buckets from the main storage in the barn.  It has been a learning experience for me since this is the first time that we’ve had birds up at the ranch, which is a quarter mile away.  With operations more spread out than they have been in the past, there is more coordination but with a cooperative effort among the land partners we are making it happen.

       As with any expansion of operations, there are kinks to work out and learning lessons along the way.  Overall

, it’s much easier to have the birds on the relatively flat pasture at the ranch, and to run the lambs on the steep slope at my place.  I think back on past years of moving chicken tractors on the hillside and am glad to have gotten to a time when that is no longer necessary.

      Growing a farm takes patience, practice and perseverance.  I’ve been trying to remember to focus on the journey and not the destination, being comfortable in the flow of the work without worrying about the end goals.  Some things are much slower than last year, but everything gets done in the end.  As always, much love and great success to you on your journey!

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14 Comments
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Lou Monadi
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Lou Monadi
1 year ago

While everyone up here is sitting around being patient, central and southern Cali just harvested their second dep of the year. Singles of fresh going for $400, packs around $300…hard to compete with less than half of their grow season, but good luck to everyone

Appreciate a farmer
Guest
Appreciate a farmer
1 year ago
Reply to  Lou Monadi

He didn’t mention weed once. He’s working to grow food for his family and community while you take every opportunity to spew negativity. I’m aware he grows cannabis also, he most likely omitted any part of that to avoid the trolls.

May you find peace in your troubled mind.

NoGovernment
Guest
NoGovernment
1 year ago

hes a drug grower and drug dealer wakeup

thatguyinarcata
Guest
thatguyinarcata
1 year ago
Reply to  NoGovernment

Like a coffee or a tea grower. Do you have a problem with them as well?

jack bourne
Guest
jack bourne
1 year ago

This guy is a clown, his writings are not even worth reading. This guy is a pretend farmer and sells this whole vibe, its a joke.

Appreciate a farmer
Guest
Appreciate a farmer
1 year ago
Reply to  jack bourne

Yet here you are.

I know multiple people that earn a living cultivatinng .5-.75 acres of organic produce and it’s an intensive job. This man raises chickens, turkeys, lamb, pigs, rabbits and grows produce. I’m not sure what you’re idea of a “real farmer” is but I’m assuming it’s some guy mono cropping with a combine tractor.

I yearn for the day communities have a hundred small farms producing their food instead of falling into the hands of mega corporations . Corporations care about profits above all else, small farmers are the answer to many of this country’s food problems.

Most people are so disconnected from their food these days and it’s snowballing into major health/environmental issues. I encourage anyone to try raising even one type of agricultural animal and growing all their own food for one year to get a glimpse into the process. Most large scale contracted farmers don’t make much money because they’re trapped in the cycle of debt and are usually carrying a torch given to them by their ancestors which they must keep lit to keep their land and home which have been in the family for generations.

Small farmers don’t make much either . They do it because they love it, it’s honest rewarding work. I’d rather have someone grow my food who does it out of love and passion than for chasing a buck.

Entering a world of pain
Guest
Entering a world of pain
1 year ago

BIG UPVOTE!!!👍

HotCoffee
Guest
HotCoffee
1 year ago

I’ll second that up vote. 👍

Corporate Serfdom
Guest
Corporate Serfdom
1 year ago

💖

PenguinnD
Member
1 year ago
Reply to  jack bourne

There is only one clown I see around here.
May I squeeze your nose?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RksLF3NMIEA

redwoodninja
Member
redwoodninja
1 year ago
Reply to  jack bourne

He will make it while you pay $2.89for one tomato and $5.00 for a head of lettuce keep growing doesn’t mean cannabis

Gymhemp
Guest
Gymhemp
1 year ago

Has anybody heard that Zeke Flattens case was dismissed.And the phony RICO case got a FLATTEN tire.

Kym Kemp
Admin
1 year ago
Reply to  Gymhemp

The Rico case was dismissed but, the dismissal has been appealed.

Zeke Flatten
Guest
Zeke Flatten
1 year ago
Reply to  Gymhemp

It’s not over Gymhemp. Our appeal was filed in the 9th Circuit. Rohnert Park cops are talking. You should go read some court motions and documents on PACER.gov.

Case Name:
Flatten et al v. Smith et al
Case Number:
3:21-cv-07031-SI
Filer:
Ann Marie Borges
Ezekial Flatten
Chris Gurr
William Knight

Document Number:
78

Docket Text:
NOTICE OF APPEAL to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals filed by Ann Marie Borges, Ezekial Flatten, Chris Gurr, William Knight. Appeal of Order on Motion to Dismiss, [76], Judgment[77] (Appeal fee receipt number ACANDC-17173761 paid.) (Scott, John) (Filed on 5/13/2022)