We have 38 pawpaw trees and 50 elderberry bushes heading our way.  They should arrive just after May 15th so we are planning on getting them into the ground the weekend of the 21st. In case you missed it, that is a subtle hint thrown out there to anyone who might be interested in joining us.

Once we finished tilling up the rows for our pawpaws, Ron rented a power auger for Saturday April 29.  No way were we going to be able to dig 88 holes by hand.  We be too old for that nonsense.  Jo had the weekend off so she was a welcome assist.  Once again we planned for lunch at the farm with lots cookies for all workers.   Ron and I headed to rental place to pick up the auger while Jo planned to meet us at THF.   Just after 9 am we were unloaded and getting set up.   Brothers Don and John soon arrived and the real work began.

Even though the rows for pawpaws were already laid out and the plan set, there was some serious talking to be done.  Just how deep the holes should be, and just how carefully would the plan be followed.   It was going to be a long day for the 3 brothers.

Jo and I focused on the elderberry patch.  Ron has decided they were my idea so I am fully responsible for them.  First we got out the brush hog and mowed down the rye grass in a 50 foot square.  Then we got busy with stakes and measuring tapes.  Had to mark planting spots 8 feet apart down each row and 10 feet between each row.  You will remember from school that when you mark out a square, the way to check your measuring is to go diagonal.  The two measurements should match.  In our case, not so much.  Cannot figure out what we were doing wrong.  But no matter,  unlike Ron, I am a firm believer that nature does not grow in straight lines.   With a combination of stakes and flags, Jo and I marked out the area.  Then we counted.  And we were short.  So back to the brush hog so we could widen the patch.

Of course part of the plan was for us to pick up rocks along the way.  This is the pile we collected.  So many rocks.  We were done with our marking and it was time for lunch.

Now we tackled the holes for the elderberries.  These did not have to be as deep and we had not bothered to till the entire row.  But we still got lots more rocks.  Every hole we had to stop the machine and pull out the rocks.  Into the wagon they went and then across the stream to be dumped onto the road.

We could not have gotten it done without John and Don.   This was definitely not a one or two person job.  While the auger did the actual digging, there was a lot of shifting around, pulling and stabilizing involved.   By the time we got to hole number 88, we were all pretty beat.  But it had been another good day at THF.  One step closer to being a going concern.

Not the most excited picture, but this is our soon to be filled with fruit trees field. Two weeks to go and then we just have to wait a few years for actual results. Learning patience has been an added bonus with this adventure.