The definition of a full day's work

I definitely worked some muscles I forgot I had along my arms, legs and lower back. I have a feeling I'll remember them a lot better when I wake up tomorrow morning.

I got out of bed to find a frozen mix outside my window, but it wasn't necessarily as cold as it had been last night. I put five blankets and thermal underwear to good use. 

Daniel, Courtney and I spent the morning and early afternoon in the greenhouse planting seeds in soil blocks. I helped prepare the soil mix based on a variation of Eliot Coleman's recipe. Shaping the soil blocks was probably the most trouble I had today. My hands were covered in dirt, but it was nothing at all to complain about. We planted varieties of onions with names like "Red Bull" and "Red Wing" and leeks named after "King Richard" and "King Sieg." It was exciting to plant these heirloom and hybrid varieties I wouldn't be able to find at the Trader Joe's or afford to puchase at the Whole Foods back in Washington.

The later part of the afternoon was saved for raking a giant pile of decomposing leaves and spreading them along soil tilled by the pigs. I had never used a pitchfork in my life, so it took me awhile to make much progress. A couple hours of doing that gave my forearms and lower back a workout that wasn't too strenuous. I'll have to keep getting stronger as the weeks continue.

Daniel prepared his pizza bread for dinner, which were just as advertised. With some sauteed onions, kale and garlic, and topped with tomato sauce, melted cheddar and parmesan on sourdough, it hit just the spot to end a productive first day on the farm.