Farming 2010; the same but challenging

Last year's great experience from weekend family farm led me to another challenge right after move-out to new home. Beginning March, I went around so many places to locate the best family farm nearby new house. I paid yearly rental for a farm block out of five candidates April. This post is a story from "getting started" to "up-to-date" development.



This year's land space is bigger by 1.5 times than previous one at SanBon. Per-square rental fee is higher approximately by 1.5 times, too. Land shape is long bar type whereas last year's was nearly square.



One of the lessons learnt last year is that I have to focus on manageable number of varieties on a farm block. Planting, eradicating in case of failure, and their repetition over so many varieties took so much amount of time seriously. Another lesson is that lettuce yield resulted in oversupply for my family. With these two key experiences, I partitioned the farm block roughly into four pieces; green pea block (30%), maize block (30%), tomato/chilly block (25%), and lettuce block (15%). Then, stake planting followed.

As of today, all blocks are going well without any risky symptom yet because most of environmental conditions seem to be identical to or better than those last year; easy access to water supply, no need to shape farm block itself (initial plowing done by landlord), no need to mix fertilizer (done by landlord, too), and so on.

However, one unforeseen circumstance may impact on crop yield as well as the success of this year's farming in the long run. That is anomaly in Korea's climate. I never experienced such terrible weathers during this season since my birth; harsh up-and-down in temperature, high wind, lack of sunshine, and so forth. Weather forecast confirms such kind of anomalies all through this year.



For instance, early seedlings from other's blocks are already suffering from early blossom, early drop, and no or weak ovary. In my case, most varieties got started with direct seeding to escape from early mature. It was a sort of strategic and right decision that I had never tried last year, at least, until now. However, I'm sure that the more difficulties will await me. That's why I have to go through another challenge this year dealing with weekend farming.