Farm update 10/6/2019

THE TEA IS PLANTED!

Yes that’s right, we have planted nearly 200 plants and will now move to amending the soil for another 800 more or less.  The soil will be amended with charged biochar, cow manure mixed with hay, and native soil and left to over winter and be ready for planting in the spring. 

Our original plants will be wintered in pots and transplanted in the spring, along with others we will source from various locations from around the tea growing world. 

Year one on the farm has been a huge amount of work, but the results are beginning to show and hopes are high that the tea from the farm will be unique and delicious. 

There are plenty of projects for the winter months along with some travel.  I am sure that spring will arrive way too soon. 

The wooden fence posts are being prepared using the shou sugi ban method.  The burning of the posts should be finished in the next few weeks and then on to the oiling stage and then the corner posts will be installed.  At that juncture the decision will be made as to whether we use metal or wooden posts for the remainder. 

We are very interested in the biochar.  We sourced the only certified organic biochar in the country (at time of posting) and are now in discussion with another permaculture consultant to see if there are other ideas that we can incorporate into our plan.

Fall rains have arrived and the property is looking much greener.  Temperatures are starting to drop but so far not so low as to bring on dormancy to the tea plants.  I am excited to get all the holes completed so I can change out the tractor implements and do some disking on the newly created Oak Garden.  We have high hopes for that area.

More to come....