Winter doesn't want to go...we don't mind

Just because February wanted to be spring doesn't mean that March feels the same way.  We have had more cold and snow in the first half of March than all of February.  The people of the farm are enjoying it, the animals and plants maybe not as much.  This late winter burst has provided some fun for Farm School as we have taken the time to look at the different snowflake shapes that are falling.  This is a great lesson for the kids.  Here are some pictures of snowflakes we have seen during Farm School.  Just because it feels like winter doesn't mean it's not time to think about Summer Camp.  Check out our Summer Camp page for more information on what we have going on this summer.

Summer Camp Registration Open

Yes, it is time to start thinking about registering your child for summer camp.  What better place for your child to have a great summer experience than Sunny Truth Farm.  Our summer camp will be located at our new Chestnut Mountain property. With over 85 acres to explore, featuring springs, trails, meadows and forest, this will be an amazing location for camp. Here is our flyer for the camp and feel free to check out more details under the programs heading of our website.  All of the week's themes and dates are located in the Summer Camp section.  Here is the flyer. 

Good Fortune Came Our Way

Sometimes life comes at you fast.  One day we were driving a road that my wife bikes regularly just so I could see the area and 10 days later we were making an offer on a larger than we ever imagined property with her brother.  Well one month later we are the proud owners of 85+ acres of beautiful farm land that is only 10 minutes away from our current farm.  There is a lot of work to be done, but also a lot of possibilities.  We are calling this new land the Chestnut Mountain property, because as you can guess, Chestnut Mountain is the dominant feature.  We have already started working with Madison County Soil and Water to create a management plan that includes fencing off all the spring runs and creating alternative watering sources for livestock.  Our goal is to be good stewards of the land and keeping animals out of the water is the first step. 

This summer we will be running our summer camp at the Chestnut Mountain property.  There is so much more space to play, hike, and explore.  Well enough words, here are some pictures of the new place. 

Farm School Starting Back Up

The new season of Farm School has just started.  We are in the process of getting ready for sugar season, hopefully a good Maple Syrup year.  We have a lot of great activities planned as well as plenty of time for the children to explore and learn at their own pace.  We are also excited that we have closed on the Chestnut Mountain property which will give us an 85+ acre site to run Farm School and Summer Camp.  More details posted soon on the new location.  Enjoy winter.

Fall Nature Preschool Program

Registration is underway for our fall Nature Preschool Program.  This will be an all outdoor program for 3-5 year olds based on the Waldkindergarten programs in northern Europe.  If you have any questions please contact us at sunnytruthfarm@gmail.com.  Below is the flyer and feel free to spread the word.

Here they are, the ducklings...

Baby ducks are pretty darn cute.  I must admit.  Here is a video taken within the first hour of arriving.  Drink, drink, drink and eat, eat, eat.  As great as they are now, it is very exciting to think about getting duck eggs this fall.  If you want to get on our mailing list we will be selling chicken and duck eggs starting this fall.  We will be doing a weekly meetup in Asheville and Mars Hill.  Here is the video.  To get on the mailing list email us at sunnytruthfarm@gmail.com

Busy, Busy, Busy....Chicks, Chicks, and Ducklings (updated)

So busy with chicks hatching (more than expected), chicks being delivered (why did we do this), and ducklings being delivered.  We decided to take two days worth of eggs and put them in the incubator and see what happened.  We never checked for fertility and just thought of it as a test run for the incubator since we had only tried the turkey egg.  Well 19 days later we had 19 chicks hatching out of 25 eggs put in.  We candled the other 6 and 3 were not fertile and the rest just never fully developed.  Not bad.  Good job hens and roosters.  Most of these are muts as the roosters are Marans and there are only 2 Maran hens, the rest are New Hampshire and Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks.  Here are some pictures and a video.  Have also posted pictures of the ducklings and chicks that we just got in today.  Pretty hardy creatures to survive the trip in the mail, a human baby wouldn't. 

It is so wild how quickly they go from weak looking creature to fluffy little chick, in a day!  Below is the video.  We are still registering for summer camp and we have started taking registration for our Nature Preschool. 

Rain Barrel installed on the Chicken Coop

We finally got the gutter system and rain barrel installed on the mobile chicken coop.  This is making life easier since we no longer have to haul water to wherever we have the coop on the property, we just fill up right there.  Things are moving along here on the farm as we get ready for summer season.  Don't forget about Summer Camp and our fall Nature Preschool!

May 5 and it is chilly and wet...

So we made it to May and our weather for 2016 here has been winter, to summer, to spring, back to winter today.  Yes it may be chilly here but it is cold on the high mountains around us.  Here are some pictures below to show it.  Both are Mount Mitchell.  Here is the link http://nchighpeaks.org/Webcams  So while we work in the gardens and prep for summer camp programs, winter is reminding us that it will soon return.

Spring garden

So despite the all the hard freezes in early April things are coming along nicely in our garden beds.  Arugula, Spinach, Cabbage, Peas, Leeks, Lettuce, and most importantly Strawberries are doing great.  This is our first full spring growing and things are going well.  Here are some pics.