May 2021 was a very busy time at Tiny House Farm. We started our normal shiitakes season by soaking our first set of logs. In between starting and planting numerous sunflowers, we also began working on Ron’s specialty tomatoes and squash patch. He had over 200 seedlings growing at the house waiting for their special place at the farm. We needed to install a trellis for the plants to grow up and it needed to be strong. That meant cattle fencing panels. Which we had to buy and bring out to THF. That process took some serious help from Tractor Supply employees and lots of tie down straps as we bent the panels into a U shape so they fit on the trailer. Once we were sure everything was secure, we headed out. That was another slow drive to the farm. And once there, we realized there was no way just Ron and I could safely manhandle the panels off the trailer by ourselves. And we were beat. So they sat over night on the trailer and that, turned out to be a mistake.

We struggled mightily but there was no way to get the waviness out of the panels. Leaving them tied up on the trailer set the bentness in place. Thank goodness Ron had long ago lost his perfectionist ways, so he was willing to live with our trellis work. And let me tell you; it was major work to get these things up as they were. If we wanted them nice and straight we would need a lot more muscle or a come along tool. Ron had already laid down the landscape cloth and marked it up accordingly by himself. All we had to do is burn holes for each T post, pound those in and then attach the fencing to the posts. Easy, right? Not so much.

Once again we fought against the rocks in our soil. I still think that we should have named our farm, “Rots of Rocks”. I know I am not the only person who wishes someone could invent a way to melt rocks. Without needing laser vision or risking blowing up the world. Brother-in-law Don showed up and always, his help was greatly appreciated. Even with the extra help and our previous experience, we had a serious fight to get this part of the project done. Getting the whole thing done took us a month of weekends. But we got it finished. Then Ron and Don got the plants into the ground and we considered this a job well done.

I almost forgot to share the tale of Ron’s new delivery vehicle. His Ford Transit is no more and really, we were not sorry to see the last of it. While Ron loved the quirkiness of it, that thing was a money pit from the second year on. And when it was last in the shop to have the snow tires swapped out, he was told that it would not pass its next inspection. Ron delayed and dawdled about getting the get rid of/selling process started. But he was not so hesitant when it came to finding a replacement. He got himself his own Subaru, this time an Ascent. We went old school with this one by actually ordering it from the local dealer. Absolutely no moon roof, but trailer hitch and safety features were a must. And red; it had to be red. While it won’t be as easy to load up with bags of shiitakes, buckets of flowers and trays of microgreens, the back seats do fold down nicely and he found himself covers to protect the seats themselves. It will be interesting to see just how much he can fit in “Big Red”. That is the name Ron came up with and we will call it BR for short. Cannot call it our wagon as that is what we called the Transit. He is still tweaking the set up trying to get it just right.

Of course, we were not completely done with the veggie patch. We caught this guy on our game camera. Obviously he was checking out future snacking opportunities and Ron freaked out. The camera had been set up for just this situation. The woodchucks have been part of Tiny House Farm for years. But they never been a concern. Until now. So the next thing we had to do was put up a fence around the patch. More fun for us. Ron got some fencing and more T posts and the 3 of us battled the rocks again to get a fence up and around his precious plants. The fence would not stop every critter from getting in, but it would make them work for their meal. Once again we used cinder blocks to set up a way in and out and that was that.

At least that is what I thought. Ron had more plans in mind for his veggie patch. But that will have to be another post.