Three... two... one... sowing

Once we have prepared seed bed (which is perfectly ready), the seeds have been cleaned and they are in our trailer; we only have to start sowing as quickly as possible because these days are rainy and we have to stop for problems with rain and mud.

The unloading auger makes easier our task and we can do it speedily too. It takes us about 2 minutes for loading our seed drill (of course, we are talking of a small seed drill, which has a tank of 350 kg). We have to carry our trailer from one to another field in order to save  journeys to the village, so that is an additional  time we have to add to our working day, in the morning and in the evening. When we have all tools in the field, we can get down to work.

We are sowing barley, triticale, bitter vetch and vetchling for this year. We discarded wheat and vetch because we got bad results the last year. It is the first time we sow vetchling. We will check what results we achieve.

The dose of seed used is:

•  Barley: 230 kg/ha
•  Triticale: 225 kg/ha
•  Vetchling: 220 kg/ha
•  Bitter vetch: 150 kg/ha 

Finally, as you can see in a picture, we had a visit of a donkey, which go with a flock of sheep near our field, when we were to finish sowing triticale. He wanted to eat triticale of our bags... it was funny.

 

Versión en español.

Joaquín y Herminio Tribaldos (Twins' Farm)

Preparing to sow: cleaning Volley Barley

A few days ago, when the soil was so wet we couldn't work in the fields, we took advantage to clean our triticale and barley (Volley variety: barley of long cycle, two-rowed barley and high performance) and to prepare the seeds which will be sown in the next days. After that, they were absolutely clean. We think it is very interesting to see the machinery working while it cleans cereals... the grain go across a few sieves to leave seeds in optimal conditions. The waste were ground for our hens, in this way they can eat it without problems... they lay extraordinary eggs.

Then, we moved the barley from one to another trailer, because it has been installed the unloading auger our green MSM. For that, we used Herculano's trapdoor. The task was fast thanks to tractor's frontloader. Even we had a unexpected visit... a small mouse was into our trailer (you can see it in one of our pictures). The trailer used to sow, which is full of grain, is covered with a canvas because the rain is usual while we are sowing, and it can damage the seeds which are in the trailer waiting to be sown.

Our friend Julián began to sow triticale. We thought we had enough seed, so that we gave some of it for him. We filled his Gil seed drill and a few bags more.

Versión en español.

Joaquín y Herminio Tribaldos (Twins' Farm)

After rain, mushrooms

This autumn is being very rainy. It has been raining during the last 15 days (about 90 mm) and they are really some good news in our area.  In this situation, it is impossible we can work in the fields, so we can spend time to find oyster mushrooms, which are absolutely delicious.

We were looking for mushrooms on Saturday morning, during a couple of hours, and we could find about 1.5 kg. As you can see in our pictures, this task is not easy because it requires a good concentration and a better view... at the end, the day was great. It is important to mention it is recommended to use a wicker basket for mushrooms' spores were spread on the field. Also, we met our friend Jesús who we could share some a few comments and smiles with.

Mushrooms can be cooked in different ways, but this time we ate them in a "Manchego Gachas". This cooked dish is typical in "La Mancha" in cold months and it tastes wonderful. For our foreign followers, we encourage you to visit La Mancha, again, to eat  Manchego Gachas... we are sure you will like it. It is a heavy food, so we recommend sleeping a siesta after eating.

As you can see in the pictures, the Manchego Gachas are made with grass peas flour, paprika, garlic, salt, water and oil. Firstly, this oil was used to fry torreznos (they are fried rasher of bacon), potatoes and mushrooms. At the end, we have a fantastic dish (it is generally eaten directly out of the pan it was cooked), which will be eaten with a good Spanish red wine, in this case, with a 5 Almudes wine from Bodegas San Ginés of Casas de Benítez village.

Versión en español.

 

Joaquín y Herminio Tribaldos (Twins' Farm)