Do you have a question about Howell Farm? Something you always wondered about? Send your question to HowellFarmFurrow@gmail.com and we'll do our best to find an answer and post it right here.

Q: What do you think is the best solution to soak seeds in to speed up the germination process?

A: Try searching on "osmotic priming" for details on solutions and time required to bring seeds close to but not quite the germination point.

I made an apparatus for the process with a funnel and an aerating stone like you use in an aquarium. The aeration keeps the seeds from dying from lack of oxygen. Osmotic priming is often used for seeds like carrots and parsley that take a real long time to germinate.

Happy farming. 

                -Rob Flory
     Intern Program Coordinator

 

Q: Are those kids in the photo really plowing, or just following the plow?  Do you ever let visitors try plowing?

A: Yes, those kids are really plowing -- with close supervision and a guiding hand from one of our experienced farmers. We also try to accommodate visitors who have a special interest in experiencing what it feels like to use a walking plow, although this is not always possible during times when the farm (or our farmers) are especially busy. Most of our plowing happens in the spring and fall, so these seasons will be your best opportunity to catch some plowing in action.

Q: How come there's a picture of a baler being used on the farm?  They weren't around in the year 1900, were they?

Hay is the farm’s largest crop -- it's what we feed our animals -- and so the job of bringing thousands of bales of hay into our barns for storage is a big one. It’s one of the few tasks at Howell Farm for which we sometimes use modern tractors and hay balers -- especially if there’s a rainstorm looming and we need to work fast.  

We also collect a good deal of hay the old-fashioned way – loose – using manpower to fork the hay onto horse-drawn wagons. Loose hay is currently stored above the ox barn, and in the future more loose hay storage will be available in the horse barn.

Q: How old is Blaze, the horse?

A: Blaze, the oldest animal on the farm, turned 31 this spring (2009). He retired from pulling farm equipment several years ago. He's still in good health, but arthritis in his legs limits his mobility.