Spring Planting

Field crew weeding and seeding

Rain Break

We are taking a break from the fields, and letting the recent rains soak in and nurse the many seeds, transplants, and perennials on the farm. We are happy with the progress of this year's Spring planting. Most of the crops look healthy and happy, an example of which is the broccoli shown below. The lettuce is sizing up nicely for the first week's share, the strawberry plants are blooming, the beets and carrots are coming up, and all of the potatoes are in the ground.

Broccoli under the sheer of the row cover

A peak inside--broccoli sizing up

A block of 600 broccoli and 600 cabbage plants

A few crops are struggling a little. A portion of our earliest direct seedings of peas, carrots and beets either rotted, or could not bust through the hard dry crust of soil that developed during the last few warm, sunny weeks. Some of the plants we set into our no-till beds got a different kind of shock, as the soils were still a bit too cool under the deep layer of hay. The no-till areas have since been draped with row cover and, as we are on our third seeding of carrots already (they have come up great), we should not be at a loss for these prized vegetables.

Getting ready for your shares

Summer Crops
We have just about finished planting our Spring crops (including cover crops) and are now turning our attention to the summer crops. Previous blogs have highlighted the starting of the tomatoes. As the photo below shows, we now have a large mass of beautiful green plants waiting to be set in the fields. We expect to start putting the cherry tomatoes out within the next week, weather permitting.

The peppers and eggplant are also slowly growing on their way out to the fields. We have over 1,200 total plants sizing up in the greenhouse. Over the last few years we have learned that our transplants need to be larger when we set these plants out, to help give them a nice head start.

Larger transplants mean more potting soil and the need for more greenhouse space. We are trialing several different size pot this year. In the photo below we have (from top to bottom) 4-inch plastic pots, 2-1/2 inch square "cow pots" made of manure/compost, and 2-1/2 inch round peat pots. The latter two can be planted directly in the ground, and will help to minimize transplant shock.

Another test is with 4-inch soil blocks. While these use up the most potting soil, and are quite heavy, we are still interested in seeing how the plants grow in this medium.

Dodging the Rain and Planting

While Rocky may make things look quiet on the farm, we have been busy planting when we can. Last week offered a few days in which we could prep a lot of beds and do both some direct seeding (carrots, beets spring turnips), and transplanting (broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, onions).

The broccoli and cabbage went in the ground via our new transplanter. It pulls behind our large tractor ("Grandpa"), punching a hole in the soil and filling it with water. The farmer sits on the transplanter and drops plants into the holes as they roll by. We then come around behind and firm in the plants for a good stand. In our first trial morning we planted 600 broccoli and 600 cabbage plants. We plan on perfecting our method this Spring.

We are very happy with the quality of our transplants righs now. The greenhouse looks good and able to put out very healthy starts. They are growing so well that our main concern is holding them too long in the greenhouse if we can't get them out to the field. We will continue squeezing in our planting between rain showers as we can.


Broccoli transplants in soil blocks


Lettuce transplants

Last week we had the help of many hands for a day or two of our work. Six students from the William Jewell Ecology of Food class filled their service learning hours by helping with the lettuce and brassica planting. They also helped us cut 500 pounds of seed potatoes to prep them for going in the ground.



On Sunday we took a break before starting another week to have brunch with some friends and celebrate Rebecca's 37th trip around the sun. It was a beautiful day and a splendid time was had by all. Happy Birthday Becky!

Waiting for Warm and Dry

The middle of March is the time at the farm when we start making plans to plant in the field. This year things will have to wait a little while though, as the ground is still quite wet, and the soil too cold. In our early years we would try to push it and plant too early, but have come to learn that it is better to have your plants in the greenhouse than in soil too cold for them (same goes for seeds).

This year, some of those plants are going to be set with our new water wheel transplanter. We picked it up from Morgan County Seed last Friday, and will be assembling it in the next few days. More on it then, but suffice it to say that we bought it to help save wear and tear on the farmer's and apprentices. Organic farming is great exercise, but we do want to have working knees in our old age.

Water wheel transplanter

The greenhouse is filling up, and some plants (like the lettuce) are at the size you want them for transplanting. We are hoping that with a week of 50 and 60 degree temperatures, we can plant it out soon.

Also a' growin' in the greenhouse are the first tomato transplants (cherry and hybrid tomatoes), onions, broccoli, cabbage, Asian greens, kohlrabi, kale, herbs and flowers. We start the peppers and eggplant this Thursday. You may want to do the same if you are starting plants for a home garden.

Tomato starts

Onions

Lettuce

Broccoli

Awakenings

While walking the fields today, doing some planning, Rebecca and I were chased by a bee. Several days earlier, Keith Stubblefield came out to check on our local honeymakers, put his ear to the otherwise quiet hive, and announced that he could here the buzz of thousands of bees.

So we quickly retreated to the house and made up a little food for the bees to supplement the stores of honey that got them through the winter. The video below shows just how active they have become---a true sign of Spring on the way.

Live bees flying at the hive entrance above a litter of dead bees cleaned from the hive.

Another sure sign of Spring is the migration of the snow geese. This last week they have been noisily moving over the farm, especially just after the sun comes up. These geese fly much higer than the Canadian geese we also see.

Below is the answer to the "Find the dog in this picture" photo. His body is hard to see, but you should be able to make out the black markings on his muzzle. Click on the image for a larger view of the photo.

February Happenings

Start the Planting
Well the season has begun at Fair Share Farm. Except for a few back orders, the seeds have arrived and greenhouse has been started. Over 7,000 onion plants have grown into seedlings, on their way to a mid-March planting in the field. The first shares of lettuce also are now popping through the potting soil on their way to your plate. At the end of the month we start the broccoli and herbs, and before you know it the greenhouse will be full.

For the next several weeks we will tend the greenhouse while continuing the house remodel. This latest round includes finishing some fine points in the dining room and kitchen, the construction of 2 built-in bookcases, window treatments, ceiling fan installation, window installation and finalizing some outside siding and trim. We are looking forward to an even more comforable home to cook and rest in at the end of a long farm day.

Planning. design and maintenance for the season will continue too, as we work to keep Rebecca's grandfather's tractor going into it's 50 year, look at long term building improvements, ready ourselves for more sheep, and try to stay on top of the latest happenings in the world of sustainable agriculture. We also are continuing our intern interviews and working with the Core Group to prepare for the March 21st sign-up meeting.


Lettuce seedling


Onion starts

Voles
Over the years we have spent much time in our newsletters and blogs talking about the many four legged pests that damage our crops. The addition of Rocky has slowed down and even helped stop crop losses from deer, racoons and opossums. But these animals number only in the hundreds. Our challenge this year (and in the future) is managing voles. These ground dwelling mammals are quite literally everywhere on the farm, burrowing just below the surface, and eating many of our vegetables that grow in or on top of the ground---like carrots, beets, sweet potatoes and fennel. While it is hard to estimate, I would guess their population in and around our fields is certainly in the thousands. More on these pesky varmits as the year progresses.


Vole burrows near the strawberry patch (typical)


They are bigger than a mouse and smaller than a rat (yeck).

Tracks in the Snow
While walking Rocky this morning it was hard not to notice the many animal tracks in the snow. The slushiness darkens the tracks and accentuates their shape. Below is a sampling of what is roaming the farm.




Rabbit


Coyote


Opossum


Wild Turkey


Rocky and some small critter (?)



Find the dog in this picture.

To the New Year

Happy New Year to all. We begin 2010 with the same mantra as the beginning of last year---"best year yet." And while the cold weather isn't suitable for farming at the moment, we are happy for a real winter, with cold temps and lots of snow cover on the fields.

While our December vacation was truncated for various reasons, and Rebecca spent most of December in an antibioitic induced immunity suppression from a small kidney stone (all better now thanks to probiotics), we did have a chance to rest and visit friends and family. We even enjoyed a visit for our friend/old CSA member/2008 intern Lorne Carrol and wife Angela. Lorne is in the middle of a 2 year public health nurse stint in Nome, Alaska. They were right at home.



We are now in the process of pulling together our seed and equipment order for 2010. Fun and daunting at the same time, we anxiously anticipate the start of the season when we plant the first onion seed in the greenhouse in early February.

The farm has been a winter wonderland since Xmas eve, and a playground for Rocky. He grows a polar bear coat this time of year, and looks at home in the snow. We will try to post on a regular basis between now and when the season starts to keep you up to date on things. Enjoy the winter while it is here.


Morning walk


Tracks


Strawberry patch

Wintery Days at the Farm

As we enter December, the farm has been put to bed. We have laid down hay on 8 new no-till beds, mulched the strawberries with hay, planted and mulched the garlic, cut new ground for next year, gotten all of the row cover, hoops, tomato stakes, and harvestable produce out of the fields, and put away the electric tractor for the season.

Next we hope to enjoy several weeks of rest, before getting our seed order together after the New Year. Part of our day (morning and late afternoon) is always spent taking Rocky for a walk. Being a mountain dog, he loves the snow, and is full of energy this time of year. Here's a little video showing what a happy dog looks like.

Perhaps more than anything, since becoming a farmer I have learned to understand and appreciate the annual movement of the sun through the sky. This time of year the sunrise is low on the southeast horizon. The photo below is due east from our kitchen window, as it is zero degrees F right now. Every morning for the next 10 days the sun will rise just a little more to the right. In the old days people rejoiced after the winter solstice since the sun turned around and headed north again.

We celebrate the return of the light in late December too, knowing that another planting season is on the way.