The Seeder, Up Close

We rejoice that the seeding finished yesterday: by 10pm, rain started to fall. At this point, we've had an inch of mostly gentle rain, and nice weather in the 50s. Great growing weather!

Today Phil went with Richard, the pig and market garden farmer, while Richard delivered to about ten restaurants and small local grocery stores. At the end of the day, Phil said that we would like to buy Richard's farm; however, due to immigration issues with the current manager, we'll wait for about a month, to see whether that will happen.

It's a good decision, and it gives me great joy: if we are supposed to take over (and have a steady income! and be real farmers instead of hobby farmers!), it will happen; otherwise, God will close the door.

For now, we wait, and accomplish what we can where we're planted.

And now, some photos from the great seeding endeavor.

Phil drives the tractor we're buying over to our property for the first time. Looking good!

Isaiah and Joe, ever curious about the ways of the farm, climb and explore the enormous seeding machine.

A brief explanation of how this machine works: the three wheels, in a classic tricycle format, support the machine (I was impressed to see the front wheel rotate a complete 360; very efficient). The smaller wheel near the front, Isaiah pointed out, connects to the mechanism that releases seed. When that wheel turns, the seed drops down from the hopper, and the vertical plates cut grooves in the soil for the seeds to fall into. Below, you can see the wheels all down, ready to seed.

When the seed shouldn't drop on the ground (say, when on the driveway), the seeder raises the seeder wheel and discs up.

Below, a photo to show the difference between ripped soil (right), and seeded soil (center and left). The grooves are different, and the seeder does not go nearly as deep.

As I mentioned, Phil rode on the seeder all day. He watched to make sure the discs didn't get clogged (as they did sometimes), and to check the seed levels. It sounds like a fairly mind-numbing occupation, and physically exhausting (not to mention DUSTY!).

And finally, a not-terribly-gruesome photo of Joe's finger. This is the cut side; the other side looks almost normal, and you can see that the tip is pink (though grubby). A hurt finger hasn't slowed him down at all. He still delights in jumping from the bunkbed onto the mattress on the floor below, among other dangerous, thrilling ventures.