Friday, March 20, 2009

So much to do...

SO much I want to do here!!
1 year plan - survive this economy! open bakery; repair slate roof; plant pond with water-loving plant divisions; clear brush through woods to pond - generally improve the walking trails; begin hedge of hydrangeas along Baldwin lane through vineyard; add hoophouse to flat parcel at south end of vineyard; create soapstone patio outside north porch; install peagravel walkway to gazebo and cottage
3 year plan - renovate bathrooms; plant front meadow in blueberries, raspberries, seasonal veggie patch; evolve bakery - add lunch?; plant fruit-bearing trees in side meadow; add beehives; new wooden storm windows and screens built and installed seasonally
5 year plan - arbor from inn to gazebo with heirloom climbing roses, wisteria; build new barn with drive-in access (chicken coop under and around back, main level for canning, berry processing, flower drying) evolve bakery - fruit jams, etc available year round?; pool on east side of house
10 year plan - downstairs innkeepers quarters into restaurant or new guest room; pick-your-own berries/farmstand open seasonally; new color scheme?

And of course all along keeping rooms fresh, reupholstering, repainting, weeding, making beds and all the other mothering that is just a part of life...

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Spring/farms

Robins are here en masse, cardinals are flocking the feeders - spring surely must be here. We have had over a week of drizzly rain - perfect for soaking in...now we have a forcast of 10 days of 60s & 70s - I think the lawnmower might make a field appearance this week!

Bakery update: we aren't baking for Country Blessings any longer, but that gives me more time to FOCUS on finding a bakery case and planting outside the bakery door, fine tuning recipes and deciding on boxes...looks like May for grand opening. perfect timing for our Herb Festival May 9th!

As a big fan of the new Washington administration, I read with happiness many stories of encouragement for the new first family to tear up the lawn and install a garden...that's really good advice - and truly I wish they would...but we also have to understand BABY STEPS. The Obama's are from a ginormous city - what do they know about how lovely and easy and fabulous a home garden can be? What a great example for the nation it would be, I dream! But for city people, it might be hard to truly wrap their heads around it - what with all the other problems they are trying to solve. Maybe after living in a city, they are THRILLED to see so much green ANYTHING outside their windows. Let's let them get used to that first - then maybe, with some encouragement from letters and emails, and if the White House chef wants truly fresh salad greens - then MAYBE we can convince them what a wonderful thing it is to see your food grow.

I got an email of dire warnings about the new Food Safety Administration, and the potential evil effects on the small farmer. Maybe. But I don't mind waiting to see how it all plays out...I don't mind speaking up, but I am an optimist - and I believe that the motives are to HELP the small farmers...looks at the cigarette news!! How great is it that one of the worst products is finally being held accountable for the harm it produces! Maybe it won't be of any benefit for farmers to grow tobacco, and they will finally grow something useful and healthFULL...think of the acreage we could put to use growing food - what a concept.

Last thought:

"It is far better to be an optimist and be proven wrong, than a pessimist and be proven right."

Enjoy the early spring!

A couple of new links:

www.farmvisit.com

Monday, March 2, 2009

In like a lion...
















What a morning!! Guests awoke to a beautiful 6 inches of snow, clear blue sky, no wind and 30 degrees...a perfect late winter day. I am sure the skiing up at Wintergreen is about as good as it gets - they have had nice cold weather for making snow, but nothing compares to a new natural blanket!

It isn't going to last long enough to hurt the emerging flowers - I expect that when this is all melted in few days, the flowers will explode into bloom. And, if the month goes "out like a lamb" as the saying goes, we are in for a pleasant spring in a couple of weeks.

Our Spring Herb Festival will be Saturday May 9th, and the farmers markets will be gearing up in late April and May. But for now, anyone wanting to get a last ski in this season should come NOW! $125 any room, and a couple of really good breweries on the way up Afton Mountain to Wintergreen.

If you are planning to visit Monticello - the new visitor's center is FABULOUS. If you don't want to take the tour, do the hike (2 miles on a beautiful trail) that ends at the center, grab an espresso and a snack, then hike back down. Pretty in the snow, and in the spring!