Sweet Corn For Sale

Sneak peek! Picture taken today, almost ready!

Growing Honey Select sweet corn! Should be ready by July 7th! $4/dozen, 8 or more dozen will be $3.50. If you're interested please contact me at (270) 252-6605.

Summer On The Farm

 

Summer is a busy time on the farm, there's never a dull  

moment. June and July bring about many hours spent in the tobacco patch, planting watermelons, harvesting sweetcorn, work in the garden and fun nights at the fair.

Our watermelon plugs were bought from an Amish farm up in Leitchfield KY. We set each plant by hand. The strawberries were sprayed and watermelons have taken their place on our one acre of plastic beds. Hopefully we see a successful harvest in late August.

We are growing Honey Select sweetcorn, a yellow corn that is very sweet! My brother and I have been growing sweetcorn for seven years now. This year will be our eighth year and we have expanded from 2 to 4 acres. We are very excited to see how this year goes. Every year my mom puts atleast 90 dozen up for our family. This process can be long but each of my siblings and myself are put to work shucking and silking so it goes by fast. The coons and deer always give us a good fight however we've learned that fireworks can provide more than just a recreational activity. The family now gathers at the sweetcorn patch for this event.(: We hope to have corn ready by the July 7th!

 Topping and oiling tobacco is another big job. It takes a crew of six people, one driving the sprayer and five oiling. Our crew consists of my brother, boyfriend, 3 migrant workers and myself. Each plant must be topped ( break off the flowering bud) and oiled from top to bottom. Breaking off the top influences the size and the oil prevents unwanted suckers.

If you would like to get on our email/calling list for sweetcorn or watermelons you can contact me at (270) 252-6605. I also have a facebook page "Harris Farms" that I will try to keep updated on when produce will be available!

Strawberry Girl

They call me "strawberry girl." This past month has been strawberries nonstop. Our little patch of berries performed excellently, enabling us to provide berries to five different school systems and to the public. This winter produced a few challenges, but we were very pleased with this years crop.
My family helped me tremendously during this time. I was so blessed to have the school systems as my main market, and the support of my family, friends and community. I couldn't have asked for a better year!


First basket of the year. So excited to see the hard work finally pay off!

                                                                                                                                


My little helpers

 

Group effort in the strawberry patch! These kiddos were up at 5:30 when I got up and spent long hard hours picking and helping me sell at stands. 



The Rainy Days

Although April brings us sunshine we've been deprived of all winter it also brings showers. I try to appreciate the rain after working all week and spend a day indoors. There's nothing better than a good book with some hot tea and a little bit of baking.
I love learning about local history and the Civil War so I settled for a classic,

~Gone With The Wind~

Homemade Bread



~5 Cups Flour (wheat or white flour)

~3 1/2 T. Yeast

~8 Cups Hot Water

Mix and let sit for 10 min.

Add:

~3/4 C. Oil

~3/4 C. Honey

~2 1/2 T. Salt

Add flour until it doesn't stick to the side ( I almost use a whole bag of flour). Knead for 6-10 min. on a clean countertop. Place back in bowl and let rise for 1 hr. Punch down and form into loaves, dividing dough into 5 greased bread pans. Cover and let rise again in pans (usually 30-45 min).  Bake

at 350 F for 35 min.

 

 

Work Days With My Farmer Boy

Calloway County's spring break was this past week, so bright and early Monday morning I put on my rubber boots, tucked my hand written " wish list" of things I wanted done in my pocket, and went to work with my farmer boy. The week was filled with many chores and spring cleanup jobs.
               Day 1 we loaded up the dairy cows and took them to the vet where we could trim their feet, this took all morning and we managed to experience a cow on the loose in the process, but we came home with a trailer load so no one got left behind. That afternoon we got my strawberries sprayed, and spent the rest of the afternoon at the basketball court.

 

Calving season is here so day 2 was spent fixing new pens for the expected calves soon to be here. The rest of the week consisted of cleaning out old metal, fixing his truck, painting his new gun cabinet                      
  and the daily milking.















 After the chores were done, we would spend several late nights in the shop, listening to the Willie and eating pizza while working on my strawberry sign and chalkboards I wanted built. After several hours spent and a couple trips to Lowes, my sign was complete. It made for a good week!  
                                                                               

 

                 

March Sunshine And Daffy Ducks

 

 

March is always an exciting time on our farm. Spring has officially arrived and new life springs up in many different forms. Daffodils (daffy ducks) are blooming and little hands bring in homemade bouquets for mamma. The vibrant yellow colors fill our kitchen with smells of fresh new life and sunshine.Our basement is filled with chirping of assorted poultry bought at the farm store. Buff Orpingtons are our favorites; a large fluffy golden blonde hen, laying large brown eggs. As the end of March/first of April brought 70 degree days, I finally got to test out my new saddle on a day ride to Soldier Creek with my little sister Rachel and sweet friend Audree Harper. My lovely, 16 hand, quarter horse Big'en decided to take a bath with me still on....lets just say we both came out wet. We picniced at one of my very favorite spots- primitive Soldier Creek Church. A mason jar of  lemonade and weeding the strawberry patch completed the day. 

Caden catching craw daddies in the creek



 

                                                       







Almost Spring At The Harris Farm

After enduring three months of the bitter cold, the end of February brings us a week of sunshine and warmth. Coats and overalls are shed and some of the youngster Harris kids even brave going without shoes. It's the beginning of a new farm year and farmers anxiously await spring and have high hopes for the season to come.
             

 

At the Harris Farm we begin taking soil samples to see how we can aid our land where our corn, beans, and tobacco will be planted. Contracts are signed, new parts and plants are ordered, equipment repaired, and a new calves are brought to our farm. I can't help myself from placing an order for chicks at the co-op store and maybe ordering a few new flowers for the garden, I guess it's spring fever.

 The strawberry plants have survived the winter and also call for attention. I start the "winter cleanup" process by removing the row covers, cleaning all the dead leaves, runners and weeds. We have thirty rows and after doing eight with only one other helper (ea. row taking two hrs) I convinced my the family to have what my mom would call a "family fun day" in the strawberry patch, needless to say, this speeded things up just a little haha

All the plans and details for the coming farming season are being finalized and we're anxiously awaiting April so we can begin our work on the farm.