Days are getting longer

It might not be noticed by most people, we, because the farm functions by the light, do.  I'm going out earlier to feed the goats and let out the birds in the morning, and going out later in the evening.  Our ducks also know the difference and have begun laying eggs again.  They start laying about now, peaking late winter through July, then start falling off again until they stop in the early fall.

We still have snow on the ground from last Wednesdays light snow fall.  Days have seen temperatures in the low 30's (F) and nights have been in the low 20's.  My morning chore time is mostly breaking up ice and getting the animals water.

Pam on Christmas Day in Tacoma

We had fun these past two weeks with Pam off for Winter Break from her teaching job.  We took a short overnight trip to Cama State Park on Camano Island, spent Christmas day at my daughter's house in Tacoma with most of the family, and did our annual hike at Ebey Landing in Coupeville.  Nearly every day we walked through the South Whidbey State Park that borders our farm - beautiful trails through the old growth forest.  New Years Eve we went to Lynnwood to watch the twin granddaughters so my son and his wife could go out.

Ebey Landing from the upper trail

I pruned the raspberry patch last week.  I have read many different ways to prune raspberries, tried several methods, and believe the best way is to cut out last years flowering canes (I have June producers) and wrap the remaining canes along a horizontal wire.  June baring raspberries fruit on last years new canes.  The new canes that grow up during the growing season are call "Prima Canes" (first year canes), the fruiting canes are called "Flora Canes" as they flower and then set fruit.  After the Flora Canes fruit they die in the fall and need to be cut off at the ground.  The Prima Canes then become your Flora Canes, and new Prima Canes come up and grow three to six feet during the year.  Most pruning methods have you cutting the old Prima Canes in the winter but I have found I get more fruit if I don't cut them at all.  Most of the plant's energy is used to make fruit instead of new cane/fruit.  I saw some farmers doing this and it has worked well for us.

Raspberries Patch ready for mulching

A few weeds needed to be removed and then we mulched with bedding straw from the goat barn.