Cattail Organics

Meet us at the market!!!!!

Inspired by my own field day I learned some things about my finger weeders today… I also took a “Sunday” workday which involves the most basic tasks, a nap and a not so fast pace. Farm season is intense. It might take 25 years for me to figure out how to manage the seasoning of this work but at least I’m moving i the right direction.

At my old farm we made a lot of mistakes around weed control, production, expansion and setting up systems which recognized seasonal labor constraints and weed biology. I’m glad to say my understandings have come a LONG way. We are not a one system farm but rather embrace the complexities of weed control systems and the way the interact with larger profitability goals. We currently utilize four main (plus variations) systems for weed control on our farm to try to reduce toil for the farm crew, reduce our weeding over time and recognize that larger goals are embedded in the use of some systems that will change over time (think ag plastic). We still have a few openings in our Organic Weed Intensive field day/class which is hosted at our farm and co-taught by myself and Sam Tilton. The class is offered in collaboration and cooperation with FairShare CSA Coalition Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) with meal and supply sponsorship by Small Farm Works High Mowing Organic Seeds and Tilmor . Learn more and Sign up at https://www.csacoalition.org/organic-weed-control

Sunday “funday” or I should actually say Sunday workday. We have a family 4 day camping trip coming up in less than two weeks which is our longest summer adventure of all time so we are tackling the major weeding jobs and doing all the bed prep for our first big planting of fall roots (yep I said fall roots). My to do list actually says “cultivate whole farm” as well as “hill potatoes” which is also pretty much the same job. It’s a good bonding day for me and the @tilmor_products tractor and Logan I can wave to each other in passing from our respective tractors :)

Let’s be honest. The level of awesomeness around this proclamation can not be overstated! Thank you 🙏🏻 @katierosenberg @farmersmarketofwausau @wifarmersunion . Take note vegetable farmer friends we live in a place where people appreciate kohlrabi for all it is (and everyone on the east coast who harvests it way to small note the proper spring/summer medium size)!

A great day at the farm all around and tomatoes are getting trellised. I still think this wooden stake with a notch sawed in is just about the best way I’ve seen to hang trellis…. Plus note the extra hooks (enough for an 150 foot bed) hung around the waist.

This has been an incredible, productive and celebratory farming week as spring rolled in but my biggest win as a farmer has been having time, making time and enjoying time away from the farm. I made it to 2 track meets and have continued to volunteer in Maple’s class on Tuesdays ( my most busy farming day). I have chose take bike rides, shot my bow and read out loud without falling asleep immediately. It has taken me a LONG time to just make that space which I know comes easily to many others. I won’t roll through my regrets but I will say that watching my boy kids do poll vault and hit personal records while Maple does handstand push ups and eats ring pops gives me a lot of joy.

A glimpse of rural children during sap season. Even with our 6 months of winter, chopping ice with tools doesn’t get old. Once it is solidly 50 degrees they will suddenly transition into stream play/early swimming season.

Well the cranes rolled into town and we are getting a nice sap run before the freeze sets back in. We will sitting round the fire tonight 🔥

A good moment (or hour) of reflection washing veggies this week and being thankful for all that has allowed me to be here doing what I love (and no longer washing vegetables in my greenhouse). This week I paid off my very first Cattail Organics farm loan I took out in 2017. That loan enabled a lot including the initial packshed structure, the purchase of a used infrastructure including a greenhouse, two hoophouses and a walk in cooler and a farm well! I cannot be more thankful for Brian Luther from Ag County who seamlessly supported my farm transition. In my first farm go round I was terrified of loans and frankly didn’t understand them. I sacrificed retirement investments, a livable yearly wage and crated a heck of a lot of stress to pay for every investment other than land. There are lots of reasons farm building has been easier this go round including the equity I grew at my first farm but financing for small businesses even farms who see themselves as somewhat outside the dominant agricultural system can be incredibly liberating and in this case allowed me to launch a business successfully in a way I could not have done otherwise … I wish someone had told me that a bit louder the first go round.

Getting the stuff we forgot at dad’s house Little House in the Big Woods style. Then onto all the best snow rituals - snow cones, snow play, bread baking and our farmer personal favorite greenhouse and farmstead snow removal 😂

Winter is officially here. Have no fear we drilled holes and are at 3-4 inches of ice everywhere. Now for the inaugural start of ice games and bon fire season.

Join us at the Whitewater Music Hall for the second bountiful week of The Wausau Winter Market . So much perfectly sweet spinach, our kale sale is still going strong and candy carrots continue on for another couple of weeks. New this week is a selection of radicchio and our baby celery. Come try something new and we we load you up with recipe ideas.

We have been calibrating and deeply enjoying our rinse conveyor as we get ready for winter washing season. Last year we finished insulating, completed our washable walls and added good heating to our packshed. This year we are reducing toil with our rinse conveyor and next year (or by midwinter) I will have some superduper and simple laminated packshed SOP sheets for all our bagging and labeling. Almost feeling professional over here :)

it’s Winter Market time @wausauwintermarket . Join us for [email protected] grocery shopping, coffee, pastries, brunch by @theoldreliabletruck . It feels like a harvest celebration here at @whitewatermusichall yay!!!!

Meet us at the market. The slightly naughty kids will be in charge from 8:30-9:15am. The bounty is beautiful

Meet us at the market it’s a beautiful fall day!!