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Suzanne Ballard's Gallery

Winter wonderland

Birdhouse, barn, brrrrrrr....

Ice along the fenceline

Ice encased nandina berries

Signs of Spring

It all starts with a tiny seed....

that grows into a tiny seedling.

Seedlings ready to be transplanted.

Eggplant seedlings. That tee-tiny dot just about dead center of the picture is a newly hatched praying mantis

Eggplant seedlings and baby mantis again.

The Nursery...tomato and eggplant seedlings. This is about the number we plant every year. Each tray has 84 plants. You can't see them all in this picture, but we plant about 6-7 flats of each variety, sometimes as many as 10 of the eggplant. That's a lot of transplanting.

We don't throw away our sprouted 'taters. These were planted just after this picture was taken. Actually, these potatoes were grown by us and stored for later use. What we don't eat, we save and plant.

Original Kitchen Plot Ready to plant, The trees are just starting to turn green.

Newly turned soil. This plot was first opened up to cultivation in 2005 and is in the South Field.

Long view of Bottom....three rows of kale wintered over there. Directly over the hill are the blueberries and peach trees, but can't see them from this angle.

Getting ready to plant. This section of the field is next to the Bottom.

Early season (probably early March)

Lower plot (Bottom) ready to plant

Notice diversion ditch between plots.This ditch runs the entire length of this field.

Early Spring, note the over wintered arugula in the foreground of this picture.

Bottom of South Field.

Another view of the diversion ditch. This ditch keeps water from washing down across this field. Since one side is much higher elevation than this area it works well.

Lower Triangle Plot, with Jack Russell checking for varmits. This plot is view here at a weird angle....it measures 120' X 90' X 110 feet', so it is much bigger than this picture shows.

North field, ready to plant. This field was just opened for cultivation in 2007. Neighboring organic dairy keeps some of his cows on the other side of that fence.

New north Field,the first turning of the soil. This small pasture was used as an overflow for cows from the organic dairy behind us. We took it back to work ourselves in 2007.

"B" plot, getting ready for potatoes. Lower plot planted in cover crop, just starting to turn green.Early spring, cover will be turned in early summer to ready for fall planting. That white dot to the left is a goat. We used the goats for weed control in the off season. Put their movable pen where ever there was something that needed to be weeded out. Effective, too. Like a chicken tractor, only with goats.

Long view of North Field

Weeding strawberries in the background, maybe in late February. "B" plot, in the foreground, had been turned recently and there are two rows of strawberries planted along the long edge. We were thinking of moving the berries permanently to this patch but the deer ate everyone of them and left the others alone, so we never moved the rest of the patch.

Preparing to plant melons in the North Field.

Early season Blooming strawberries and favas,probably mid-to-late March. This is what we call the "Big Garden" and it is longer than a football field.

Another wintered over spot.

Close up of favas and blooms.

Dave walking along

Arugula left to winter over.

Spring of 2007 was already dry! These are snap peas trying to break thru the crusty soil.

Dry onions, 2007

Peas again.

Newly planted onions and peas. Note how dry it is. This was spring of the drought year, 2007

Early Italian Green Beans. peas behind them

More early spring greens, just getting started (March)

Early spinach (March)

Fat Snappy Peas

Up close onions

Perennial herbs after their first winter. We have cleared around them and getting ready to mulch. This patch eventually was huge but was "accidentally" turned under by an overzealous worker who misunderstood where he was to plow. Three years of work and cultivation was gone in a half hour. This is sage, oregano. parsley, thyme, rosemary, etc.

Sage plant and a tiny red lady bug. Can you see her?

Praying for rain, 2007 drought

Field Peas in dry July

The tater patch about 4 weeks after planting

Peas and taters, 2007 See how incredible dry it is already and it is not even the end of spring yet.

This is the potato patch at about 9 weeks from planting eyes.

Taters needing water (2007)

More of the same

Summer of 2007 This was taken the year before we put in theirrigation well. Had to carry water in 55 gal. barrels to 17 acres of gardens and water with gravity fed hoses....work, work, work!

Front two rows are peppers, third row is eggplant. this was taken in June.

Peppers, starting to come on (June)

Early green beans

Baby strawberry coming out of dormancy.

Strawberry plants, coming out of winter dormancy

New strawberry patch

Establishing a new strawberry field, 2005

Another view of end of winter dormancy.

Strawberries in May, 2005

2007 Strawberry Patch

Wild Blackberries along the fenceline

The Original Kitchen Garden This is the plot that started it all. We expanded it from 100X100 to about 200X200.

Kitchen Garden planted in beans

Zuchinna, just getting out of the chute

Another view of Squash patch. about 2 weeks later

2009 Squash patch

Big ole Bumbly Bee

Close up of the tiny mantis...he looks just like the adult version.

And this is what the adult version looks like

This little froggy scared me out of my wits! He was sitting where the hose is hooked up at the house and jumped on the back of my hand and I nearly had a heart attack!

Hanging on the wall

That's more froglike, huh?

Toadhouse with mint growing all around. I use cracked and broken crockery, turned sideways like this to attract toads.

Momma Bunny Saw the little bunnies later same day

Misty, moisty morning...obviously not the Drought of 2007.

Too much rain can be a bad as not enough sometimes.

Water standing between the sweet potato hills....good thing they are on hills, too.

Mudded over seeds

Rain Canyons at the edge of the edamame...note that these plants are missing many leaves....thanks to the dear.

Rain rivulet in garden

Striped Italian Heirloom Eggplant, covered with mud.

Hen laid this eggs in a bad spot....this is why I can't always find the eggs....

Seriously fallen peppers

Peppers, not quite fallen over... after the rain.

Glories starting to take over my No Spray sign

Bean picking and weedin'

Basil Note that the rows in this garden are about 100 ft. long...hard to tell by the pictures. This was an early row.

Eggplants needin' weedin'.

Late squash patch...these are patty pans.

These are young zuchinni and patty pan plants....hope the squash bugs don't find them any time soon...they are looking good!!! (Unfortunately, the bugs did find this patch and ravaged it to the point that we turned it under before we got any squash.)

Weedy bean patch, 2008

View of lower field All of these trees make perfect habitat for encouraging birds to nest around this field.

The glories are really starting to take over now

This is a morning glory bloom...

and this is a sweet potato bloom. They are first cousins, hence the resemblence

See the big bumbly bee (center) inside the squash blossom and the other flying in (left). Bumble bees are great pollinating insects for plants with large open blossoms.

Edamame, waiting to be picked

Black Beauty Eggplant peeping out from under the plant

Spraying fish emulsion by hand on 3000 butternut squash plants. That is one difference between sustainable farming and conventional. We are totally hands on, instead of on the tractor. Mechanized work is kept to a minimum here.

Eggplants needin' weedin'

Wintered over greens

Lima beans blooming like crazy

NORTH FIELD: Butternut and spaghetti squash and corn

NORTH FIELD: Eggplant in the foreground, Butternut Squash behind that, okra at the rear and melons to the right rear.

NORTH FIELD: LONG VIEW

NORTH FIELD: OKRA

Okra Bloom: Okra is first cousin of Hibiscus and the flowers prove it.

Picking okra is like rolling in fiberglass.

Blooming Grape tomatoes

Blackberries on the fenceline 2

Pickin' and weedin' beans

Tractor man rides again

Volunteers in the morning

Brooks, Marianne and Danielle

Ditto as before

Brooks and Naomi

And again, just hanging around.

Naomi and Dave getting ready for a ride

Getting ready to roll

These are baby plants

This is a baby squash

Naomi, our granddaughter, watering rosemary starts in the greenhouse last summer when she visited.

Child of the corn

First trip to the mater patch.

Searching for a good one

I think she found it

Eureka!!! This was Naomi's first time eating something directly from the plant in the garden. She proclaimed it amazing!

Makings of a real farm girl! Those are squash plants behind her.

The future is for her...

How about that color!

More of the mustard...

Making me hungry!

Chioggia and Crosby's Egyptians

June- Squash and Snow Peas

Galisse Lettuce

Gorgeous dewy mustard!

Fresh leaf lettuce

Spinach salad for dinner tonight!

Early June- Snow Peas, Beets, Carrots and a couple of yellow squash

Purple Kale Buds

Chilling veggies after picking

Cluster of 'maters

Patty Pan on the vine

Okra, trimmed and ready for market

Can you say hot! hot! hot! Habeneros on the vine.

Assortment of HOT peppers..from mild jalapenos to fiery habaneros.

Early July - Cukes, Assorted Squash, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Corn, Melons

Just in from the field

Tomatoes in the morning sun

Old timey beefsteaks

Assorted Heirlooms

Hundreds of Grape Tomatores

Crammed full van, heading to market

Bin of Squash for market

Eggplant harvest from 1 row. Baskets are 1/2 bushel volume

Asian Eggplants

Just washed Butternuts

No farm would be complete without animals and we are no exception. The next section of this photo gallery will introduce some of our "farmily", past and present. This is Calamity Jane Russell, one of our JRTS. Callie is our "organic deer control" dog. We have very little problem with deer in the gardens when Callie is on duty.

Jack Scratch Fever

Maggie, expecting puppies any day (August 2007)

Diva at 5 weeks. Note the black on her mask....she has lost most of that color now and is mostly tan.

Pygmalion as a puppy.

Maggie, 4 weeks after puppies came

How Turtle got his name. He spends more time on his back like a marooned turtle that on his feet. He is 2 wks old here.

Sweet Family Portrait. The only way I can get pictures of them together is in the puppy play pen. Left to right: Turtle, Pirate, Diva and Pyglet

Maddie's sweet face. Maddie is one of the first litter Maggie had and lives with Dave's mom, next door

Juicy Lucy sitting for her picture...what a ham! Lucy now lived with the Shaul family of Davidson. What a great dog!!!

Love Triangle...

Maggie hanging out with Smokers.

Playing "Ring-around-the-Puffers.

Lapping Puffers is Turtle's favorite game.

Pi loves Pris. Our Jacks are raised with our cats from the moment they arrive in the world.

Learning lessons from Mom. I was teaching the puppies the concept of "Come" and when they would ignore me, I'd send Maggie to fetch them.

Puppies, 2005 litter

This is Esmerelda, got her at 2 days old, bottle fed by me. We don't have her any more and I miss her every day. Isn't she beautiful? She was the best pet ever.

The Ol' Lipper Snapper. I bottle fed this goat from the time he was an hour old. He was my boy!! He never forgot that I was his "mama". He used to go on road trips with us, when he was little. I'll never forget the look on people's faces when we'd visit the Pet Area at rest stops. Until the day we placed him at another farm, he continued to try to sit on my lap and "kiss" my face, hence his name Lips.

Family portrait of Esme and her kids

Already leaving mom's side...

Esme and Zooey, from 2005

L. to r.: Garbo, Chicken, Guinea, Chick-fil-A, Esme, Big Boy down by the shed

Garbo, Chicken, Guinea, Chick-fil-A, Esme and Big Boy by the shed

Saffire, Ruby and Pearl

Three roosters courting one hen (she is under the bush and won't have anything to do with the roo's)

Too many roosters, too many cats

Eggs laid in the lavender

Egg laid in the old goat house

Chik-Fil-A laid a clutch of eggs high in one of the oaks in the front yard. This is the old oak where Chik had her nest.

This is Chik-Fil-A, nesting way up in an old oak tree in the yard. She made the front page of our local paper with this unusual happening. All 8 of her chicks made it to the ground, 15 feet below, at the tender age of about 2 hours.

Chik and some of the little ones after they got down on the ground

The peeps on the ground....they are about 2 hours hatched

Chic-Fil-A and peeps

One of the other hens, going to roost with her chicks. Look at the one on her back and all the little feet sticking out. There are 10 chicks under this hen and 2 on her back. This is a pretty large brood for such a little hen, but she raised all but 1 of them to maturity.

Rod Stewart, One of our OEG roosters

Hangin' in the backyard, young OEG's

Family of Old English Games/Rooster, hen and 7 of their 8 pullets

Another family portrait

Bewildered Game Rooster....he can't figure how to put the moves on these hens that are bigger than he is....note the cat to the far left...she hangs with these two hens all the time...weird.

And more eggs, under the rosemary...

Barred Rock Hen

Young Delaware Hen

Del hen, chillin'

Delaware rooser and Barred Rock hens

Young roosters under the magnolia tree

Good view of Hercules and a couple of hens

Checking out my activity

Delaware rooster at 8 months..they are much more dignified now.

Spartacus...this is one seriously big rooster.

Delaware rooster at 4 months...what a goofball!

Barred Rock/Rhode Island Red X

Barred Rock Hen

View off the side porch 1st thing in the morning

1 hen of each....Barred Rock/Rhode Island Red Cross; Barred Rock; Delaware

Relaxing and taking in some sun

Kitty and Hens, again

Up close of sunning hens

Guinea fowl doing what they do best....running around from one place to another for no apparent reason. Actually, they are usually chasing flying insects we can't even see.

The Ladies of the Club

Chillin Chickens and Cats

Mature Delaware Roo and some of the hens

Young Delaware chickens This breed is listed as a critically endangered poultry breed by the American Livestock Breed Conservancy

Close up of Spartacus

Two Delawares and a Barred Rock

This is why I can't find their eggs....this is truly free range.

These are REAL free range chickens

Roosters at about 8 months old

Meet the Flockers

First foray into the real world. Hen laid eggs in top of that old shed and she is bringing them down to earth.

This hen came pecking on my door when she couldn't find her usual basket to lay in, because I moved it. She made do with this one. That rooster by her side is always with her.

Roo is keeping her company.

Settling down into the basket.

Finally getting settled down.

Look closely and you can see the edge of the egg by her left wingtip.

Mushroom in the front yard...

Late afternoon, winter sky 2010

The Night of the Big Snow 2010

The next morning...same view as previous pic

Winter wonderland...with cats.

Stash and company

Cool Cats with the Lone Guin-man

Wild Turkeys crossing in front of our house, Feb 2010

The Farmer is a Licensed Falconer and this is a red tailed hawk. We lived with our tail, Pteri, for almost 10 years before he died last year. Magnificent!

And of course, all this produce has to get to market. These next photos are of the Davidson Farmer's Market, which is our exclusive public outlet for our produce (everything else goes to CSA) Unloading the Fit for the market. I can get as much produce in this tiny car as I used to get into my Voyager van. Plus it is so efficient and green, I don't feel too bad driving produce to market in it. 40mph on the open road....

View behind my booth at the Davidson Farmer's Market

Another backside view

Squash getting ready to set up on the table

View to the right of our booth.

Happy, helpful volunteers at the Davidson Farmer's Market

Susan from the Farm at Weather's Creek, in front if my booth

Suzanne Ballard
photos

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