Postcards from the Po' Farm
March 25,2010
We're trying as hard as we can to get some field work done, but the rain every three days is keeping us out of the fields for the most part. We do have some turnip greens and collards coming along, and sacks of other vegetables seed on hand as soon as we can get the fields in shape. We've enjoyed working on some of the old trucks and tractors. Used the Farmall Cub and sprayer yesterday for the first time in several years. It had sat so long the steering froze up but it ran OK once we did a tune-up and other repairs. The sprayer pump quit after three rows, but Tractor Supply in Griffin had a new one on the shelf and Steph and I had it going again in less than an hour. Those 12-volt pumps must be pretty unreliable because the shelves at Tractor Supply were full of them. Remember - Eat More Collards from Minter's Farm.
January 4, 2010
The new year is finally here! The weather these last few weeks has be a little crazy. First with all the rain, now with the extreme, freezing temperatures. It's been a little crazy and Rick has had to make sure that there is antifreeze in each of the vehicles and other pieces of equipment that need it. Cracked blocks are not something we look forward to seeing this year. The peach trees are scheduled to come in soon and as soon as we can, we'll begin planting them. This will be a great new experience for all of us this year. May 2010 bring lots of fun, new and exciting changes to the farm and to each of you as well. Happy New Year!
- Stephanie
Dec. 14, 2009
Well we can't complain about the rain, because it takes rain to grow trees, but it sure has put a damper on the Christmas Tree sales. Still it's been fun to see our old friends and to make some new ones.
We still have a nice selection of trees and we're optimistic that the coming weekend will be clear, and we'll get to share it with some of the folks who shop for trees late in the season. We're also gearing up to cut collards and turnip greens for the next few days. That's like old times for us, as we once grew acres of greens for sale at the Farmer's Market.
Here's hoping for sun and wind the next few days,
Rick
August 12, 2009
Uncle Rob Minter's 49th birthday is a good chance for us to get back on track with our Postcard updates. We've been busy clearing fields to plant peaches this winter. If all goes well, we'll have fresh peaches to sell in three short years. Christmas trees are growing well thanks to some timely rainfall of late. Our fall vegetable crop is beginning to take shape. We fertilized the squash, beans and peas today. We're learning a new form of farming (for us). We've bought a plastic mulch layer and have begun growing tomatoes on plastic mulch with drip irrigation. So far, so good. Work's already well under way on Farm Heritage Days. It'll be here soon! Check back often. We'll keep you posted.
Stephanie
May, 6, 2009
We're still gettting rain, which is greatly appreciated. Joanne and Steph and I have decided to get back into growing vegetables again. We're starting small, but we'll have some fresh produce to sell before long. We're working on some sort of marketing plan, but what we'd like to do is sell most or all of what we raise right here on the farm.
Our first crops of tomatoes, okra, pepper, peas, beans, squash and cucumbers are planted using traditional methods, but we're planning to switch over to growing on raised beds covered with plastic and watered by drip irrigation. We'd like to go as organic as is practical. We're always a little leery of relying too much on chemicals.
We're excited and anxious to hear feedback from our friends. Watch this site for more information in the coming days.
As always, we welcome your comments at mintersfarm@aol.com or call us at 770-461-2840.
Rick
April 2, 2009
April showers started a little early this year and there are no complaints here. So far, we've had more rain than usual and the trees are greatly appreciating this (and so are we). The days until the truck show are drawing nearer and nearer, and we are only 11 weeks away!
Our own truck stories are a little sad right now. Joanne and I went on a Sunday afternoon ride in our '63 Ford one-ton truck, but just as we got to Woolsey, a rod came through the side of the block. But we've got another old engine about ready to go.
The cabbage and collards and potatoes in the garden are growing great.
Several tractor and truck projects are coming along nicely. Roscoe Smith, the legendary dirt tracker, has rebuilt several carburetors for us. They're like brand new. We got one of the Super C Farmalls cranking good again (replaced the starter ring gear) and have an F-12 engine job almost done.
The injector pump on the 801 Ford got water in it and froze. We're hoping JB Weld will work on that.
There some racing work to be done too. RacinToday.com is up and running. Check it out if you like motorsports.
Let us hear from you,
Rick and Stephanie.
Feb. 9, 2009
It's warming up, so we're back at work in the fields. We're about done planting a new crop of Leyland Cypress trees. We plant by hand, and use strings and stakes to line the rows up both ways. We're also basal pruning the two- and three-year old trees so they'll have a nice trunk to go in a tree stand at selling time. Bought some seed for the garden the other day. Will try to get some English peas and cabbage in the ground in a day or so. Also have to get with cousin John McLucas and plant some oats to have some to thresh at Inman Farm Heritage Days. A new baby goat arrived the other day. His picture is on the photo page.
Jan. 12, 2009
After a couple of rainy weeks, it looks like we're in for a cold spell. No complaints here. After all it is early January.
We've made some progress on the farm in the new year - cleaning up from tree sales and doing repairs and maintenance. Our Ford 801 almost ready to go after doing some engine work and replacing the sheet metal with some we got from a tractor junkyard in Tennessee last summer. Most of the painting was done with a brush so don't look to close.
We sprayed one round of fungicide on the Leyland Cypress last week and will need to do another right away. There are still some little Leylands to plant in the field, but that'll have to wait another week or two. By then it'll be time to start pruning bottom branches on the young trees so they'll fit in tree stands once they're cut a few years from now.
Come see us or drop us a line at mintersfarm@aol.com
Friday, Dec. 26, 2008
The farm is quiet now. All the Christmas tree customers have come and gone. The cleaning up is well under way. It's a little sad, but there's also the satisfaction of having a good season and there's the optimism that comes with knowing spring isn't far away.
It's also nice knowing there's more time in the next few weeks to get caught up on some projects we've been postponing. It's off to Fayetteville this afternoon to pick up parts and run errands.
Our Christmas was wonderful, and we hope yours was too. Lots of good food and fellowship, and some thoughtful gifts exchanged too.
Here's hoping the new year will bring health, happiness and better economic times for everyone.
The Minters
Saturday, December 20, 2008
We're down to the last weekend of the season, and in many ways it's the most wonderful time of the season. The hustle and bustle of previous weekends has slowed down, giving us more time to visit with our friends doing last-minute tree shopping.
But there is a little bit of sadness knowing that the Christmas tree season is almost over for another year. It's like a line from a movie we watched last night - "December 26th is the saddest day of the year."
We're already starting to move forward. We trimmed some trees yesterday and will try to get most of the four-year-old Leyland Cypress done before Christmas Day.
There also a few old truck and tractor repair projects that we're anxious to tackle.
There's a body to be refloored for the '51 Ford F5 truck and if we can catch a warm day, it would be nice to put some paint on a Ford 801 diesel that would be perfect for field work next year.
There seems to be a lot of interest in the old truck show that we're planning for the Friday and Saturday before Father's Day next year.
Happy Holidays. Come see us.
The Minters
Friday, December 12, 2008
Considering our interest in old trucks, old tractors and old ways in general, you might assume that we’d be against trying new things.But the Internet, blogs and e-mails seem to be the best way to communicate in today’s world, so here we are.It’s kind of like when we were re-assembling Miss Quinnie’s Cabin. We preferred to do everything the pioneer way. Our friend Jesse Thornton suggested that using a chain saw instead of an axe or a cross-cut saw would be best. And he said it would be in the pioneer spirit.“If those pioneers had a chain saw, you can bet they’d have used it,” he said.So here we are, using a computer to keep our friends informed about the goings-on here at Minter’s Farm.
We chose the title "Postcards from the Po' Farm" because Rick's grandfather, the late Jim Minter, Sr., always referred to this place as the "Po' Farm". It was a somewhat light-hearted reference to the old poor farms from the Depression era where poor people often wound up living. Needless to say, none of us have ever gotten rich here, so we still use the name with pride and a little bit of humor.
It’s Friday and the sun is finally shining after two days of heavy rain. We needed the rain to make the trees grow, but it sure does cut down on sales in the short term.
We still have lots of nice Leyland Cypress, Virginia Pine and Carolina Sapphire trees in the fields and some fresh, full Fraser Firs in the barn. A lot of people are cutting our bigger, 10-feet and up, un-sheared Leyland Cypress trees. They have a good shape and we’re letting them go for $35 apiece - a real bargain, we think.We have our hayride wagons ready to go now that the rain stopped. One of the best parts of the tree season is carrying happy families on a bouncing ride to the fields.Just the other day, one family sang as they rode. “Dashing through the snow, in a wagon filled with hay…”There wasn’t any real snow, but the part about “Over the hills we go” was true.See you at the tree farm.The Minters