The Project Plan

Well, this isn't really a full project plan, but it does list some of the key items that need to be accomplished before I will be able to offer shares and officially become a CSA,  This is not always the most fun part, but it is necessary to have an idea of where one is going.

Year One - 2015

• Finances - Done
• Set up business checking account
• Set up business paypal account
• Order phone credit card reader
• Misc Business Stuff - Done
• Order business cards
• Create website
• Start Facebook Page
• Fruit Tree Order - Done (Trees to begin yielding in 3-5 years, commercially productive in 4-6 years)
• Apples - Grand Gala, September Wonder Fuji, Granny Smith
• Nectarine - Hardired
• Peach - Carolina Bell
• Small Fruit Order - Done (To begin yielding in 1-2 years, commercially productive in 3-4 years)
• Blue Velvet and Blue Moon Honeyberries
• Windbreak Tree Order - still debating what kind of trees 
• Farm design - Done - year one and two design
• Earthworks
• Berms for windbreak and fruit trees
• Ditches on level (swales on contour)
• Purchase Equipment
• Scale
• Seed Starting Equipment - Use Existing
• Seed trays, lights
• Seed starting soil mixture - Done
• Farm stand table, chair, shade - Use Existing
• Save reusable items
• Plastic grocery bags - Started
• Cardboard
• Seeds for trials - Done (Ordered an unusually large number of varieties of peas, tomatoes, beans, peppers, and squash to see how well the various varieties grow)
• Order herb seeds - Done (cannot find lemon balm)
• Create trial garden
• Maintain growth and yield records
• Sell extra produce
• Learn to cook
• Take a lot, a lot, a lot of pictures

2016 - seems so far away!

• Determine if I will offer a CSA this year, or continue with the mini-farm stand
• Order next set of fruit trees
• Order strawberry plants
•  And?

Honeyberries Arriving Tomorrow

I received my shipping notification from Stark Bros. the other day, and was immediately in a panic because I am not at all ready to receive trees.  Between the recent ice storms and this week of drenching rain, the field is in no condition to be worked.  Fortunately, what is shipping are the Honeyberries.  Honey Berries are related to that most wondrous of Southern plants, Honeysuckle; however, their flowers appear to be smaller and their berries, much larger.  They are supposed to taste akin to Blueberries.  It will likely take more than a year to begin fruiting, and probably longer than that before there is a heavy crop.  I am hoping they grow as wild and crazy as their Honeysuckle  cousins, and that these two, small plants will go on to produce hundreds of plants.  Taking the longish view - these berries might make it into my breakfast smoothies in 2016 or 2017, but probably won't make it into the CSA until 2018 or so.  Once established, however, they should provide food for years to come.  I am guessing I will have to cage them, as there are many birds here that would probably find them quite delightful.

Our dog, Scout, posing with the tractor in the snow.