It’s September and we’re entering into a new season here on the Feuer farm. There’s so much I want to fit in before the frost comes and so little time!

Speaking of time, is it just me or has the summer sped by in a blur? Even these last two weeks; so much has happened! So I’m grateful for this chance to sit down and reflect on it all. I’m finding more and more that I appreciate having this digital journal of sorts, so that I can look back in future months, or even years, and remember all the quirky and rewarding steps along the journey.

The question we’ve been getting a lot from our friends lately is: “Any eggs yet?” The answer is…no! Unbelievable. What freeloaders! I kid. The ducks are compensating us for the daily feedings and clean pools by being their sassy, silly selves. Once we finished the frame around their pool (see previous blog post), I got the idea to make a runway from their coop to the pool and to cover that area with pea gravel as well! This is the route they take most often anyway, and the pebbles would help with sanitation and drainage (either from rain water or a hose). It took the ducks about a day to trust that they could walk on the stones without getting hurt- they are afraid of everything- but now they don’t mind at all. And no, it doesn’t hurt their feet! We decided we’ll designate foraging areas in the run and have kept patches of the weeds that they adore around the inside perimeter of the fence. I also moved some of my herb crates from the deck into their run and they love nibbling on the peppermint, lavender, and Russian sage leaves! Herbs are really good for ducks and so far they haven’t decimated the plants. Plus, they make a great visual and aromatic addition to the pen!

• 

• 

• 

I also took on the mammoth task of mucking out the duck’s coop the other day. We’re using the deep-litter method which is essentially “compost in place.” We start with a thin layer of bedding and in the mornings add more over the soiled areas. After a few months, the lower layers break down and the top layers are still clean for the ducks to sleep on. Then, 3-4 times a year, the lucky farmer gets to shovel out all the layers, scrub down the floors (and the walls! How do the ducks aim that high?), and start over. The other day when I did the messy job, I took about 12 wheelbarrow trips to the compost heap and I still had leftover straw to deal with. I dumped some on the ground next to our two compost piles to add in when the current piles break down, but I still needed somewhere for the rest of the straw to go! Some of you may remember that I’ve talked about a wild patch behind the wood/goat shed that at one point may have been an herb garden. It has posts and fencing; all deteriorating and covered with vines. I’d tried to clear it out earlier in the spring, but all the vines came back with a vengeance so I’d sort of stopped paying attention to it. There are too many other things to do! But now that I was in need of a dumping spot for the straw… I cleared away the tarps I’d set on the ground there (to at least keep the weeds from taking over the ground as well as the fence), and spread the straw around the perimeter of the area. I’d just bought some winter vegetable seed packets from Johnny’s Seeds, and figured I’d try them out here. I planted a row of Russian kale, scallions, and cabbage. When it starts to get colder, I’ll use the straw to mulch around the base of the plants and maybe even install row tunnels over them if they look promising. I’m also planting duplicates of these seeds in our deck crates and will cover them with the straw mulch and clear plastic tarps when the weather requires. I’ve given myself a challenge of serving a Thanksgiving dinner partially made up of fresh-picked backyard veggies. This is a wildly ambitious goal for a first-time gardener, but such is the brain of Joanna! Luckily, I have a safety net in our local CSA, who offers a share of winter vegetables. Hey, at least it’s still local!

Speaking of our CSA, I had a bit of an adventure last week. The farmer asked if I’d be willing to come help out one morning, packing the 500 or so boxes that get distributed all around our area. This would fulfill my hours for the “working share” option I’d purchased, and I was eager to peek behind the scenes anyway. My friend was helping out as well, so I picked her up at 6:30 and we drove up to the 164 acre farm together to get our veg on! We spent a few hours bagging green beans, making sure to discard any that were less than ideal. Then we took a short break where we shared a lunch with the other farmhands: homemade cakes and muffins, vegan sausage, and a watermelon right from the farm. The rest of the day was spent on the assembly line, adding our designated vegetable or fruit to the box as it whizzed by. After working in an office for the better part of 10 years (and then not working for the last two), it felt so good to use my muscles and think on my feet. After all the bending and lifting and sorting, I felt pleasantly worn out and slept better that night than I had in months! And as an added bonus, I got to take home my pick of whatever veggies hadn’t been sent off in the truck. These days I love making ratatouille, marinara, and vegetable stock on a regular basis, and imperfect ingredients work perfectly in any of those. Needless to say, our freezer is now full of all of those delicious things and I’m hoping to invest in a chest freezer for our basement soon. I used to tease people that had them but now I understand! For 15 years I’d lived in apartments with small kitchens and even smaller storage space, so I’ve been conditioned to go to the grocery store twice a week. Now I’m enjoying buying slightly more in bulk and I even took my friend up on her offer to grab some things for me at Costco! We have an actual basement here that’s pretty spacious and dry as a bone, and even a little crawl space above the basement stairwell that’s easily accessible from the kitchen as I’m cooking. It’s also really helpful to not have to dash to the grocery store or Target twice a week, since almost all that I need is within arm’s reach.

There are also some big, exciting developments on the music front! When I first moved here I heard about a prestigious choir made up of highly trained musicians who sang beautiful, challenging music. It’s been years since I’ve been a part of a choir- either in my church job as a section leader or in the chamber groups I sang in during college. But I wanted so badly to be accepted into this choir. Being able to sing classical music on a weekly basis with other classical musicians sounded like heaven. There’s been something building inside me lately and I don’t quite know what to name it. But I know it’s about music and my need to sing so much more. It’s become bittersweet to live stream jazz concerts or watch biopics about singers because they add to my desperation and hunger. I’ve been doing my best to be patient in this new area and with the adjusted life circumstances I’m working with, but I am not really a patient person. And I need to sing or that need will consume me. So, I set up an audition (aided by a friend who’s a member!), and waited and fretted. Was I too vocally out of shape? Would there even be an opening for another soprano? Would it work against me that I didn’t know most of the people involved- and that they didn’t know me or what I could? Well, my friends, I dusted off the old audition pipes and gave it my best shot and GOT ACCEPTED! I nearly cried. We start rehearsals this week and I am just thrilled to let my voice do what it loves to do. And there’s the added bonus of meeting more people who are local and music-lovers. Maybe I’ll even make a few connections and finally set up a jazz trio who can gig with me around town…

The other group I’m a part of, The Buttery Barmaids, has a fun gig coming up! The town of Waterford, NY holds an annual tugboat roundup and our band booked the prime slot for Saturday night! We’re so excited to share our new arrangements of songs like, “Saucy Sailor,” “Maid of Amsterdam,” and a new original called, “Dirt.” (Inspired by how filthy I get when I work in the gardens here!) Our friends are coming up on their tugboat home from Brooklyn and I’ve invited some locals I know, so we should have a warm cheering section for our 3 hour gig!

In closing, I want to note that there’s been a shift here recently. Maybe it’s the September back-to-school vibes that still hit me, or the fact that I can get around to most nearby towns now without GPS, or that we run into people we know by name when we go out to dinner. But I can’t help but thinking we’ve turned the corner and our roots are starting to take hold. I feel like things are really about to start happening. And they’ve already been so good and I’ve been so grateful. But now with the beautiful addition of friends who drop by or who we run into, and music filling up my days more and more, I just can’t wait to see how the next 8 months develop.