Wiped out 3 times in 3 years!!! A bit much don't you think?

On the 10th of July, which happened to be my 31st birthday, we suffered a serious setback to our plans for the farm and nursery. Our beautiful greenhouse was flattened by a microburst/possible small tornado with winds which bent steel in half and tore the building to shreds, picked it up and slammed it into the ground again. It was devestating, but there was also a miracle among the ruins-as there so often is when Heaven is in charge- more than 2000 berry bushes which I had spent all of the Spring and early Summer transplanting, were fine after I re-potted half of them.

So, I have $10,000 worth of nursery plants and pots sitting pretty on my south lawn, and a poor broken child's toy of a 40 foot greenhouse which I must rebuild.

Good thing my husband is a brilliant inventor! He has designed Oklahoma's first UNDERGROUND greenhouse...yes, that's right -hobbit style!!! It will be easier to heat and easier to cool and we will keep the plants aerated with two giant fans on either side. The greenhouse will be 40ft X 40ft and it's walls will be made out of concrete with steel trusses to hold up the greenhouse plastic. Only the top half will be above ground, so baring a direct hit by an Ef3 tornado we will not suffer the same loss again.

Now, to start saving our pennies so we can begin building it.

Is it Naptime yet? Please!

 Our Springtime goals for the farm:
1) Plant 4 acres to blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, marionberries, blackberries, and boysenberries, for a pick -your own operation.
2) Design and build a 40 ft X 28 ft greenhouse & open a nursery for business by May 11th.
3) Transplant 1000 strawberries and 1600 blackberries, raspberries, marionberries, and blueberries into pots for sale in the greenhouse.
4) Keep 54 goats and sheep alive, and sell most of the goats before there is no orchard left for them to destroy!
5) Hmmm...let me think, nope! That's it. Not much to do this year, I think I am going to be bored!

Accomplished as of 07/05/2013

1) Planted 5 two hundred foot rows of Blueberries, Marionberries, and Blackberries, and five rows of Strawberries, laid about a mile of drip line. Am now attempting to plant 7 more rows of blackberries and raspberries in 100 degree heat. Needless to say, we get up before dawn around here!


2) Jay designed and with the help of a friend we built our greenhouse and framed it out with lumber and tree posts we cut from out own forest! It is gorgeous and so far has whithstood 90 mph winds easily! Missed the deadline of May 11th by a month and two weeks.

3) Transplanted 1000 strawberries and watched all but 25 die from a fungus which I could not control being an Organic growing farm. I am still transplanting the 1600 other berries which have been residing on my front porch while I waited for our greenhouse to be finished. They are doing great and are super healthy!
4) Sheep, goats (and my husband and me) surrvived the Spring wih our sanities intact. Happily have sold most of the goats and will be only keeping 7 which are black and white dapples. Love our new two Bucks, Neelix, and Eustace. Sheep are doing great and are due to lamb next month, as is the pig.
The Horse is also pregnant, and will foal next Spring!

Other news:
The Greenhouse is now open and we have thousands of potted berry bushes for sale. Come and see!

One of our friends asked Jay to fix his tractor and then once it was fixed offered to let us have it on loan for a full year, along with all the implements. It is making our lives sooooo much easier!!!

We are planning a new flower cutting operation! This Fall into next Spring we will plant 100 peonies, sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias, roses, celosia, dianthus, and many many other perrenials and annuals for people to come and pick for their special moments and occasions! We are so excited about this new phase of our farm and will be thrilled to be able to share it with you all come next Spring!

That is all for now!
-Jenny Bingham