Another day , another calendar month , another year — sometimes I wonder how it ’s possible for time to fly by so fast . It seems like yesterday we were just transitioning into 2019 , and yet here we are on the verge of2020 , about to bid the quondam year bye .
Will you welcome the young class with subject sleeve ? While some common people might be urging time to slow down down a little ( and I can certainly understand that ! ) , I ’m always excited to see what the fresh year has in store . The arrival of January entail spring really is n’t far off , with another busybodied summertime of farming projects before long to succeed .
The transition from one twelvemonth to the next is also the unadulterated clock time to make one-year New Year ’s farming resolutions . I ’ve never been one to go about making formal , serious resolutions — my overarching resolution is only to crop hard and get things done , which covers a passel of territory — but for the last three years I ’ve put together list of farming solution for HobbyFarms.com , both to invigorate myself and ( hopefully ) inspire readers .
Last year , the most important resolution on my list was to “ slack down and savour the year . ” While I ca n’t say that I especially slow down—2019 was kind of hectic!—I did savor the year . I made fourth dimension to take walks , love spring bloom and take account autumn colour . I picked fruit every few days for two months during harvest season , and I successfully waited well into October for the grape on an old vine to mature into something semi - edible ( they wound up somewhere between sour and tolerable ) .
The breaker point is n’t to compile a leaning of farming resolutions that must be followed at any toll . It ’s more to encourage proactive mentation about things you ’d wish to attain during the coming year .
To that end , here are a few of my New Year ’s resolutions for 2020 :
1. Plant More Trees
“ The best time to implant a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree was 20 years ago . The second right time is now . ”There ’s wisdom in this old Chinese proverb , which I ’ve lead to heart by establish anew orchard . Since 2018 , I ’ve implant 19 trees ; mainly apples , but also plums , Pyrus communis , a cherry and two Nipponese lilac tree diagram . Watching the tree unfold , grow and build up fruit was easily the highlighting of 2019 , and I design to implant many more trees ( including flower crabapples ) in 2020 .
2. Tackle Woodworking Projects
To enhance the landscaping of my orchard , I plan to tackle a few significantwoodworkingprojects in 2020 . Primarily I want to build ornate , decorative gate for the cervid fence I construct over the summer — right now , the entrances are guarded by sections of weld wire that I can spread and close-fitting as necessary . It ’s effective , but not very attractive .
I also want to establish a wooden bridge over a blue spot in the orchard that lean to hold water during the spring and after expectant rains . I ’ve already measured the dimensions of the surface area and have all the numbers game I need to start up construction . Perhaps I can get a head start before spring !
3. Try Out a Three-Point Quick Hitch
Attaching three - point implements to tractor is often a time - consuming job . It can be hard to get rear blades and clash hogg mowers in just the right position so all three points of the hitch fit into place . The conflict to bond implements can be thwarting on officious mean solar day .
I ’ve never tried a three - percentage point quick hitch , but having take about them and look out video establish their execution , I ’m intrigued . This wide-eyed twist installs on your tractor ’s three - point hitch , making it potential to back up your tractor with the fluid mechanics lowered and attach any implement simply by parent the hydraulics and put a few locks in property .
It for sure looks easy in the videos , and while I understand there are some shortcomings ( flying hitches do n’t work with every implement ) , I ’m tempted to try one out in 2020 and see if it cannonball along up sequester and removing implements .
4. Improve Driveway Water Drainage
A few years back , a route advance project significantly raised the grade of the road running across the front of my farm . The result has been a break in the drainage of water in the region — it now pass water at the end of my private road .
Attempts to fill the low spot of my drive have met with mixed results , so I ’ll take a different advance in 2020 . By removing just a little sodomite on either side of my drive , I should be able to convince the pool to run into the exist drain ditches that run along the road , putting an remainder to this muddy mess . My grandfather — always affectionate of rerouting private road puddles — would be proud .
Happy New Year !
