Playing catch up

I have been neglecting this blog but not because I don't want to share. After spring had sprung, there has been so much to do! I will try to fill in the gap and not leave anything out. You see, I have this notepad that I use to track all the things I need to do. It subsequently also keeps track of all I have done so I will use it as my guide for this entry. I have broken down my list for Plan Bee Farm Brewery into 4 major categories; planting, building, brewing and paperwork.

Planting: What's in the ground?
This list is done for the season, so in my notepad everything is crossed off. Evan and I planted starter plants that we purchased from local greenhouses, plants that were donated to us, and seeds which have grown into nice plants. Most of these plants are all in our raised beds that we made earlier this season from recycled wood that was on the property.

To give you an idea of what we are using to brew beer with, in our garden we have pineapple sage, dill, cilantro, orange mint, chocolate mint, chamomile, lavender, rosemary, lime basil, thai basil, sweet basil, purple basil, lemongrass, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, and a myriad of peppers. Our gourmet lettuce was eaten by some small creature last week (I suspect the little white bunny). Our 100 hop rhizomes are doing well. We did lose a few of them during the heat wave but all in all, they are producing beautiful hop combs. We also have a separate plot of land that is housing our two-row barley, wheat and rye. I probably forgot to mention a few items in the garden but there is just so much to keep track of!

I should also mention that we have bees on the property now. Matt from Bee Archetype put their bee boxes up last month and has been caring for them. Once the bees arrived they helped everything in the garden grow quickly. It has been a joy to watch this symbiotic relationship flower over the summer. I was worried about being stung or having our guests swarmed by the bees when they visit but the bees are very satisfied. They keep to themselves and allow us to get close to their home without really noticing us. As I am lying in the sun watching them, I feel satisfied by their productivity as if they are my worker bees and I am their queen.

Building: Making it happen
Evan built 7 raised beds for our fenced in garden which hold all our plants. Just last month, Evan and I finished our project of turning an old doghouse that was on the property into a chicken coop for our 6 hens. The ladies, as I call them, moved outside from the box in our sun room to their new backyard home. They seem to be happy if chickens can feel happiness. They dart around their chicken run and I feed them leftovers from the fridge. In a few months they will be laying eggs. We read somewhere that each hen can lay 1-3 eggs a day. This means we could have 46-126 eggs a week!!

Our building list has several projects on it that are not scratched off yet. These projects include making a sign for the farm to put out front. I am hoping to weed and landscape the small stretch next to the driveway to look inviting. If we get around to it, I would also like to make a small hemlock fence from recycled wood to fence off the front. Evan and I are also hoping to turn the sun room into a retail space once we receive our licenses to sell beer. I am thinking some sliding door coolers for bottles and decor made up of recycled palettes, burlap curtains, mason jars for samples and photos of the farm. We recently purchased a dehydrator to preserve the herbs, fruits and hops that we harvest but we have discussed also building a small oast.

Brewing: The man can brew
Evan has been busy brewing to get in practice with our brew system he has built and to try out different recipes. He has built everything from scratch including the recipes. Last month, we were in the right place at the right time and came into a kegerator that a boat club was throwing away. There isn't anything really wrong with it besides being loud and the doors leak a bit of condensation. This has allotted us the experience of having Plan Bee Farm Brewery beer on tap in our house along with beers from Peekskill Brewery, Captain Lawrence and Sloop.

**I have asked Evan to follow up from this blog post with a posting of his own to discuss all that he has been brewing . . .

Paperwork: Save the trees!
We finished our application on 6/4/13 for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (federal) and were told it can take up to 80 days to hear a response. Once we are approved, we can then move on to filling out the Farm Brewery license for the state license. I have been taking an accounting course this summer through SUNY Empire so I have been learning how to do our bookkeeping properly for the business. I have our general ledger in order along with our balance sheets. Unfortunately this course hasn't taught me how to file my own taxes so I am going to need a tax professional for our quarterly filing once we are approved to sell product.

Evan and I are having the Hop Harvest Festival in September in the style of a 1950's luau. The event will feature the crowning of the Hop Queen along with minor physical labor - the harvesting of the hops. Evan wants to roast a pig in the traditional Hawaiian style which entails digging a pit in the ground and covering the pig in banana leaves. The details of this event are on our facebook page.

We also will have another Clove Road Classic in late October. Our hopes are to have a spring and fall tournament each year. We had the first ever Clove Road Classic on 6/2/13 which was a wiffle ball tournament. Eight teams battled for the chance at the PBFB homemade trophy and their name engraved on our house plaque. After almost 8 hours, the winners came out "Tony Danza's Hit Parade". The tournament in the Fall will be a corn hole tournament so start practicing now!

Time has flown by since March! I am looking forward to the Fall when things outdoors will need less tending and the heat will die down. The list of things 'to do' will continue to grow but this does not cause me stress, it excites me with possibilities!