Arriving back home after being away for two weeks is a little strange. The Clark farm looks unrecognizable, now that all the buildings have been removed. The two contractors who took the five barnes way worked together to clean the land and return it to pasture.
My wife and I just spent the morning with Jennifer going over all the issues that needed resolution, there were virtually none. We did spend the last two hours discussing strategy for the farm. My biggest concern was the stock of methane we had following the decision we made to raise February's production for our vegetables. Produces should start coming off the plants early next week, as continental supplies fall off. Right now, based on our foreman's analysis our production will be at the same level as last June, when the temperature was much higher. A combination of heated high tunnels (we average 5c to 7c higher than outside temperature during the daytime), and longer use of lights, it looks like our February output will be anywhere from 25% and 40% higher.
Jennifer and our ecologist have already increased the pace of our biodigesters so that our gas output increases. Jennifer believes that we are operating at about 65% capacity, and despite the quadruple gas consumption for January because of the additional heating, our tanks are slightly above where they were last year. Granted the weather has been cooperating.
It looks like the daycare idea will not work. Our problem is not willingness, it's staffing. Jennifer spoke to five daycare technicians, and they insisted that their working hours would have to be 8 am until 3 pm every day. Our staff starts working at 6 am. Honestly, I never thought that this would be the problem. It seems that demand for daycare workers exceeds supply, when Jennifer spoke to these technicians they were completely against the idea of having children in their care from 5:30 am until noon. Although it would be almost the same hours. Also, it was not about the money, are rates are substantially higher than unionized daycare operators offer, it was the start time.
In other news we visited the new pig enclosure, the tiny forest in which they are living is rather far from the farm buildings, but a short UTV ride and we saw the efforts and many of the pigs because it's so cold most are staying warm in their pig house. Already we could see traces of rooting. We didn't walk into the pen, it could be dangerous, our forewoman told us that several sows were in heat, and the three boars were aggressive right now.
It's still early in the day, Jennifer asked that we wait until 5 to visit the new warehouses as the various contractors are applying the finishing touch and we would be in the way. Amazingly enough, Jennifer has acquired five very large gas tanks, that we can use for our methane. Following a fortuitous encounter Jennifer made she found an older LPG tank farm that was being upgraded, the owner wanted to sell all the tanks in a single lot, but the only offer he got was for metal value. Jennifer made him a nice offer.
It's good to be back, even if it's bloody cold.
Note: We don't publish the names of our workers on this blog unless they agree, most don't want the "publicity" I respect their wishes.
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