TL;DR

Today we prepared for 50mph gusts, I processed 40 dozen eggs, and we cleaned up the barn in prep for power washing next week. Very little time for photos, but there are plenty from other days to appease the visually inspired. It was also a short day and I was able to go home early to work on tech stuff.

High Winds in New England Are No Joke

We had a 50mph gust today, so we had to prepare for it before the rain came later. We put up the row cover on the high tunnel, and went through the field to finish shoveling in and weighing down row cover and landscape fabric.

All it takes is a few areas and uncharacteristically strong winds to rip the row cover off a bed the team spent hours planting and covering. Worse than a row or two, high tunnels and greenhouses that aren’t properly secured can be destroyed by a gusty day. So Jamie and two of us assisted him tying up the sides of the high tunnel 3mil poly to the ridgeline so that the wind would just blow through the tunnel instead of ripping it apart.

In my own greenhouse on my deck at home, the winter winds the first year ripped a few panels off before I got wise and belted them down with some climbing gear webbing, gromets and caribeners. I haven’t had a problem since besides a little rattling on the extremely windy nights.

Eggs Are What an Intern Deserves

Processing eggs is boring. It’s not hard, but it’s not fun either. It’s just a chore that has to be done. I’m not complaining…there are many much harder, dirtier tasks on the farm for sure. And it’s not economically high-value either, but there are many other reasons than profit which make eggs in the CSA a necessary thing to do.

I like to think that people who buy and eat these eggs value that each one is hand-washed and inspected for imperfections. They are locally produced every day by a bunch of ‘ladies’ (laying hens) who are treated well and have a good life, aside from the occasional visit from a coyote. Each one is different in size, shape, color and freckling. They are worth every penny that goes into making them and every other penny we don’t make on them by keeping them at market price despite their vastly superior quality.

They say that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. I’m about 40 hours in and there are still things I could improve…certainly the speed of my hands, but also minor process tweaks and improvements.

Cleaning Up the Barn

About a week before the first CSA bags go out, there’s a lot being done and still to do. We’ve been cleaning up the barn and getting it ready for power washing, and a lot of cleaning and organizing. Before any of the harvested greens that are growing nicely in the field right now are brought up to the barn, bins have to be thoroughly cleaned, all surfaces have to be sanitized, and some new adjustments to ‘standard operating procedure’ have to be made. Then the team needs to be briefed on the new procedures and process in general so we’re all on the same page.

After doing a bit of this cleanup today, we went back to the greenhouse to check in with the others and see how the seeding is going. At this point, there wasn’t much more for a team of 5 to do and I had the opportunity to go home early.

On my own ‘barn cleanup’, there’s a lot of homelab work that I’ve been deferring. My focus has been farm and preparation for a tech interview I have to do between now and next Friday. Tomorrow I have a remote interview with their sales team after last Friday’s interview with the hiring manager which went well. It’s strange to have one foot in tech and one in the farm world, but I’ve lived in overlap and ambiguous areas others rarely tread.

This AI Summary Desperately Needs Improvement

I won’t go into why or what next as I’ve done in every other post so far, but every day I do this, I’m more annoyed with the AI summary. Even ‘mostly accurate’ is not good enough with auto-summarization. Details matter. Blatently wrong things like “…implied that the intern is reflecting on their first day of work…” are remedied by including context (via a RAG processor). It’s all a matter of iteration and time to do so, which I have very little of due to all the other things in my life right now. So this is what I get for now:

Summary

Okay, I need to consolidate the information from the farm note into a clear summary. Let me go through each part step by step. First, looking at the main themes: 1. **Egg Processing**: The intern detailed washing eggs and handling broken ones, which is crucial for efficiency and hygiene. 2. **Barn Cleanup**: The barn's transformation into a harvesting area shows organizational changes. 3. **Cleaning Procedures**: This includes using tools like Brillo pads and preparing for power washing. 4. **Crate Maintenance**: Proper cleaning of crates affects harvest efficiency. Next, the activities performed: - Washed 40 eggs - Cleaned the barn using various tools - Moved crates despite a table collapsing - Prepped for future power washing New things encountered: 1. Detailed egg processing steps and disposal. 2. Barn transformation into a harvesting space. 3. Regular crate cleaning practices. 4. Rodent control through cleanliness. Questions and areas to research: - How to improve egg processing efficiency. - Why tables collapsed and solutions. - When crates need washing. - Best crate cleaning methods without damage. Suggestions for action: 1. Buy sturdier tables. 2. Improve access to cleaning tools. 3. Train employees on crate handling. 4. Explore better rodent control methods. I should ensure all these points are clearly covered in the final summary.

Farm Intern Note Summary

Main Themes:

1. Egg Processing: Detailed procedures for washing eggs and managing broken ones, emphasizing efficiency and hygiene.
2. Barn Transformation: Conversion of the barn into a harvesting area for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), highlighting organizational changes.
3. Cleaning Procedures: Utilization of tools like Brillo pads and preparation for power washing as part of routine maintenance.
4. Crate Maintenance: Importance of cleaning crates to maintain hygiene and harvest efficiency.

Activities Performed:

• Washed 40 eggs over two and a half hours.
• Participated in barn cleanup using various cleaning tools.
• Moved crates, despite encountering a table collapse.
• Assisted in preparation for future power washing and crate maintenance tasks.

New Things Encountered:

1. Egg Processing Details: Efficient methods and disposal processes.
2. Barn Transformation: Preparation for vegetable harvest and CSA-related changes.
3. Crate Maintenance: Regular cleaning practices to ensure hygiene standards.
4. Rodent Control Measures: Use of cleanliness as a preventive method.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

1. Optimal methods for enhancing egg processing efficiency.
2. Causes and solutions for table collapse (structural vs. usage issues).
3. Criteria for determining when crates require washing.
4. Best practices for cleaning crates without causing damage.

Suggestions for Action:

1. Invest in sturdier tables to prevent collapses.
2. Improve access to and availability of cleaning tools and equipment.
3. Implement training programs on proper crate handling and maintenance.
4. Explore alternative methods beyond cleanliness for rodent control.

This summary encapsulates the farm’s focus on operational efficiency, hygiene practices, and preparation for upcoming harvests.

Part 1

Okay, so I need to figure out the main themes from this farm note. Let me read through it carefully. The intern talks about the weather a lot—winds up to 50 mph and expecting more rain. So weather is definitely a theme. They mention being aware of local weather conditions, which ties into that. Next, they're dealing with row covers and landscape fabric. They had to fix these because the wind was blowing under them. So managing greenhouse structures and materials is another theme here. Then, there's the part about checking arugula and salad greens. They’re concerned about possible rain affecting the harvest for CSA. So farm operations and production seem important. They also mention using poly sheeting in a high tunnel and removing wiggle wire. This involves understanding how to secure greenhouse structures, which is a specific skill they're learning. The intern points out the need to be prepared with tools like ladders and ropes because the greenhouse is tall. So tool use and safety come into play. They also talk about potential future issues if it rains too much, like rotting lettuce. This makes me think about harvest planning and crop rotation. They might want to spread out harvesting over time or cover crops to prevent issues. I should make sure I capture all these points: weather impact, greenhouse management, specific tasks done, new tools used, questions about rain effects, and suggestions for better preparation.

Main Themes:

1. Weather Impact: The intern highlights the significant influence of weather conditions on farm operations, including wind speed and potential rainfall.
2. Greenhouse Management: They focus on managing greenhouse structures like row covers, landscape fabric, and poly sheeting, emphasizing the need for securing these elements against high winds.
3. Farm Operations and Production: The concern about salad greens and arugula harvest readiness underscores the importance of timely production and protection from adverse weather.
4. Tool Use and Safety: The use of ladders, ropes, and specific tools like 2x4 boards is crucial for securing greenhouse structures, highlighting safety considerations.

Activities Performed:

1. Shoveling and checking row covers/landscape fabric to prevent wind damage.
2. Securing poly sheeting in a high tunnel by removing wiggle wire and tying ropes at the ridge line with a ladder.
3. Assessing salad greens for potential weather-related issues like rotting.

New Things Not Yet Encountered:

1. The use of “wiggle wire” for securing greenhouse plastic, which requires specific tools and techniques.
2. The consideration of harvest planning to mitigate weather risks, such as crop rotation or staggered harvesting.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

1. How effective are different materials (e.g., row covers vs. landscape fabric) in protecting crops from high winds?
2. What measures can be taken to prevent lettuce from rotting if prolonged rain occurs?
3. Are there alternative methods for securing greenhouse structures that are more efficient or require fewer tools?

Suggested Actions:

1. Invest in taller ladders and secure tools to handle high greenhouses.
2. Develop a harvest plan that spreads out the picking of salad greens over multiple days or considers cover crops.
3. Explore alternative materials or methods for securing greenhouse covers to reduce reliance on Wiggle Wire.

This analysis captures the key aspects of the farm intern’s experience, emphasizing practical tasks, challenges faced, and areas needing further exploration.

Part 2

Alright, I'm trying to understand what this farm intern wrote about their day. Let me read through it again and break it down. So, first, the intern mentions that some of the crew were seeding in the greenhouse while they washed eggs. They processed 40 eggs over two and a half hours, which sounds like a lot but they say it's getting better. That's interesting because processing eggs isn't something I've done before. Then there was a conversation about where to put the spoiled egg bits. They mentioned that broken eggs go into a bucket outside for pigs. Even little bits on towels can attract rodents, so they need to be careful. The barn is being transformed from mostly a cooler and storage to a space for harvesting vegetables for CSA (which I think is Community Supported Agriculture). So, the barn needs to be super clean. After lunch, three people went into the barn to clean everything in preparation for power washing next week. They used scrub brushes, dishpans, Brillo pads, and sprayed down before scrubbing. Tables were used but one collapsed under the weight of crates, so they need to be fixed or replaced. They also talked about using clean crates for fieldwork and then washing them after harvesting vegetables. It's a maintenance task rather than a big power wash each time. They mentioned doing this regularly with soap and water. Then, the intern went back to the greenhouse but only did small tasks since they left early to do chores at home. Now, thinking about main themes: egg processing, barn cleanup, crate maintenance, preparing for vegetable harvest, rodent control, and cleaning procedures. Activities done by the intern: washing eggs, cleaning the barn, using cleaning tools like Brillo pads, moving crates, understanding CSA preparation. New things encountered: Egg processing details, power washing preparation, specific use of crates in fieldwork, barn transformation into a harvesting area. Questions and future research areas: - How exactly is egg processing optimized? What's the most efficient way? - Why did the table collapse? Is it due to age or overuse? Maybe they need better equipment. - How do they determine when crates are dirty enough to need washing? - What's the best method for cleaning crates without damaging them? Suggestions: Invest in sturdier tables. Maybe look into better crate handling tools. Ensure all cleaning supplies are sufficient and accessible. Train employees on proper crate maintenance. I should make sure I didn't miss anything. Did they mention anything about fertilizers or pesticides? No, seems like it's more about facilities and procedures.

Answer:

Based on the farm intern’s field notes, here is a structured summary:

Main Themes:

1. Egg Processing and Handling: Detailed process of washing eggs, disposal methods for broken eggs, and rodent control measures using cleanliness.
2. Barn Transformation: Conversion from cooler/storage to harvesting area for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).
3. Cleaning Procedures: Use of cleaning tools, power washing preparation, and maintenance tasks for crates and equipment.
4. Crate Maintenance: Cleaning practices for crates used in fieldwork and their impact on harvest efficiency.

Activities:

• Washed 40 eggs over two and a half hours.
• Participated in barn cleanup using scrub brushes, dishpans, Brillo pads.
• Moved crates and used tables despite one table collapsing under weight.
• Assisted in preparing for power washing and crate maintenance.

New Things Encountered:

1. Egg Processing Details: Efficient methods and disposal processes.
2. Barn Transformation: Preparation for vegetable harvest and CSA.
3. Crate Maintenance: Regular cleaning practices to maintain hygiene.
4. Rodent Control Measures: Use of cleanliness as a preventive method.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

1. Optimal methods for egg processing efficiency.
2. Causes of table collapse (age vs. overuse) and solutions for structural improvements.
3. Criteria for determining when crates need washing to maintain hygiene standards.
4. Best practices for crate cleaning without damage.

Suggestions for Action:

1. Invest in sturdier tables to prevent collapses.
2. Evaluate and upgrade cleaning tools and equipment accessibility.
3. Implement training programs on proper crate handling and maintenance.
4. Explore alternative methods for rodent control beyond cleanliness.

This analysis provides insights into the farm’s operational focus on facilities management, hygiene practices, and preparation for upcoming harvests.