What I learned in 2012

I learned that it is REALLY hard to keep posting when you're working at what you're working at.  It is fun and exciting but hard to keep on top of.  So that said, let's recap the latter quarter of 2012 since my last entry.
The Farmers' Market Marketplates was fabulous!  Jamie (The Crusty Baker) did magic with scones and sandwiches using all the produce I provided to her - people were coming back to our booth for seconds and thirds.  Unfortunately this system will have to change because anyone arriving later with their ticket in hand wasn't able to taste from each booth and that's not right, but not in my hands, it's in the suggestion box.
Back on the Farm, the herbs were not affected by the drought, in fact they thrived on it.
Potatoes - Big Loss - we'll try again this year but only two kinds: Kennebec and Red which are the absolute best.  And we'll plant a little closer to the house/water source, the hoses did not reach to the potatoes last year and we all suffered for it. Or maybe we'll get a well installed in the east field.  We'll see in a couple of months - who would have thought when we planted in the sloshy mud that we'd have no water at all the entire summer.
The heat provided wonderfulness to the tomatoes and peppers, what a year for them - wow.
I learned that broccoli and celery like to grow in our gardens.  The new Greens Garden was a huge success. When the nights began to frost up, we moved most of the salad green plants into the Greenhouse after evicting the limp frost-bitten tomato plants and after removing the unripened peppers from their stems.  Again, Greens were a huge success, not bad for the first try.  Just wait, there's no stopping us now.  
I must mention that in late Summer/early Fall we began Weekly Basket Deliveries - what fun!  We kept going until the week before Christmas, at which time the daylight hours were skimpy and greens were resisting growth.  In the meantime for the Christmas season customers bought some of my dried Herbs, Baking and Tomato Sauce - that kept me out of trouble for a couple of weeks.  Then we were trampled with about 2 feet of heavy snow in less than a week which stuck on the top of the Greenhouse over the Christmas and New Year's weeks.  On January 5 we were able to remove most of the snow to let some light in and things seem to be growing and glowing again, ready to be delivered most likely in a week or two, very exciting.
I have said and will say again "It's all an experiment".
The Tractor now has new front tires and needed some parts replaced and these parts are not easy to find for the old 1952 Pony.  I drove by a guy with a tractor that resembled ours yesterday and stopped to ask him where he gets the parts for his, but his is a 1944 Ford and he has no problems with finding parts - go figure.
Oh and Hurricane Sandy moved our Tractor Shelter high into the branches of a nearby tree.  I wondered why the traffic on the road was slowing down as they passed our place - rubberneckers.  I didn't see it until I came back toward the house from the mailbox.  Oh my.
Planning for 2013 growing season:  More broccoli, more Salad Greens, more Celery, more Herbs, more Roma and Heirloom Tomatoes, fewer hot peppers, more Sweet Peppers, more Squash and their families, more Cucumber varieties, more Root Vegetable varieties like parsnip, carrots, beets, onions.  Less Eggplant.  
So, in all, 2012 was a great year on the Farm.
2013 should be Fantastic.  We are looking forward to every day of it starting right now.
Happy New Year everyone.