M & R Valley Farm Blog
Let me introduce myself. My name is Michael Albert and I am a farmer. A vegetable farmer. I grow vegetables for sale at the Red Wing Farmers’ Market.
People have told me I should sit down and write about my experiences. I decided today is a good day to start.
It’s currently snowing outside. Sigh. I really want to start those seeds soon. Sigh, again. I keep telling myself, warm days are soon ahead. The winds continue to blow against the house.
The weather forecast was wrong(thankfully). Our county had a Winter Storm Warning and could see up to 8 inches of snow. I am glad the warning was changed. Now, it’s only snowing flurries. Phew! I can put the snow blower away for now.
Next week, the forecast looks promising. I am hoping to get the cold hardy seed trays started. Some examples of cold hardy plants are cabbage, kale, collard greens, brussels sprouts, and more.
Yay, I finally sat down and began to write. My goal is to write more, post pictures, and create videos. Stay tuned and continue to check back. Bye for now.
The chickens are waiting for me to give them some kitchen scraps. The picture is from today:
March 19th, 2025.
Farm Highlights from last season
Summer Sunflower. One of my favorite flowers. August 2024
Hay bales from our field. Summer 2024
Black-Eyed Susan Fall 2024
The Start of the Season
Today, Friday the 28th of March, 2025 officially is the beginning of the growing season!
I planted 5 trays of cold crop plants. They include the following plants:
Kale, Savoy Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts, and Bunching Onions
I am excited for the kickoff to the season. The weather today is unseasonably warm. It’s 76 degrees. The frost isn’t even out of the ground fully, and It’s warm outside.
The weather has been moderate to average this season. The forecast calls for a whole day of rain tomorrow with a chance of storms this evening. I am hoping we get some kind of moisture. Our region continues to be in a persistent drought.
Last spring, we got a bunch of rain and had a dry summer. Winter came and we never had much snow. I do hope there will be some moisture soon.
Tray of Starts
Why is everything so heavy?
A question I ask myself all the time.
I ask this question many times as I am unloading multiple bags of feed.
Why don’t the bags ever feel light?!
The chickens, cats, and geese all need feed. Each bag of feed weighs 50 pounds. When you live a far distance from any store, you buy many bags.
I always feel relieved when the bags are unloaded.
As I am writing this post, the cats need food. I think to myself “didn’t we just buy cat food?”
Recently, I have seen on the local news people lining up to start a backyard chicken flock. It looked like the day after Thanksgiving. Here is a little bit of advice, buy lots of chicken feed. The bags never get light. The chickens are constantly eating. No matter how much you give them, they always want more. A 50 pound bag of chicken feed is always a 50 pound bag of feed. I do wish everyone good luck starting chickens. Chickens have been a part of my life since 2009.
Who knew (I would never have thought) a person that grew up in a townhouse, could write a blog about farm life.
The Sun is Shining
Today, is a new day. I have always liked that phrase and today, the sun is shining. The little snow that fell yesterday, has started to disappear. A relief. One day closer for the frost to leave the ground. You may be thinking “why does he care about the frost?” I will answer that question. Once the frost is gone, the growing season is official. A time of celebration. Also. a time to become extremely busy.
Each year in March, I get excited. The season of growing is just about here. The days are longer. The chickens are finally starting to lay eggs again. The dark, long nights of winter are passing. Farmers’ Market is only a few months away….
The sun is shining! A great day.