Spring is all about bed prep, nursery work, and planting. With 2 full time and 1 part time farmers we strive too keep these tasks efficient.
Bed preparation is on task we have almost completely mechanized. Depending on the state of the soil we usually start with a disc or ripper. These tools help incorporate old plant material and loosen the soil. Then using a loader on the tractor “Papa Smurf '' we spread compost across the new beds. A rake follows to smooth the compost and lightly mix soil. The final step is a “skim till” to leave us a clean level surface for planting.
Our crops are either directly seeded using a push seeder or transplanted with a paperpot chain planter. Both of these tools are crucial in helping us improve efficiencies without bank-breaking price tags. The Paperpot is new to us this year and has allowed our lettuce plantings to take less time with less people. Instead of spending 30 minutes per bed with people hand planting, we are now putting down over 200 plants in under 10 minutes standing up! While we are still learning how to effectively use the tool I think it has been a good choice in scaling up our process.
Once the crops are planted, out comes the row cover. Light and water transmissible, this lightweight fabric lays over the soil to protect from frost, bugs, and slightly warm the ground to increase germination speed. We place sandbags on the edges to *hopefully keep these sheets from becoming sails in the ever present breezes.
Finally comes irrigation. Ditch water won’t arrive to our farm for another 2 weeks so in the meantime we are dragging hoses and using garden sprinklers. It takes 5 hours to irrigate one section of the garden, 10 hours to get everything wet. Turn the water on, set a timer for 40 minutes, and pull the hose another 20 feet, and repeat. Not ideal.
The first crops of the year are a labor of love. They requires finesse and determination to pull off. There are thousands of nuances, little steps that if missed can cost time, money, and an entire crop (2nd round of spinach). It isn’t walking into the sunshine scattering seeds.
Perennial crops could help fill the gap between early spring and the coming of irrigation water. Back in February we started stinging nettles in our nursery. While this plant has a well-earned reputation as an annoyance it comes loaded with nutrients, is anti-inflammatory, and is a natural antihistamine. Hopefully this crop, and others perennials, will help us guarantee early season products.
Farm news
We are excited to announce our farm store will be opening for the season at 10am May 4th! Come by the shop for eggs, plant starts, and other farm goods. The hours will run Wednesday-Sunday 10-6 through October.
Many of you know we have partnered with The Vegetable Connection for the past 3 years. Their organization provides CSA shares to Folks who couldn’t afford them otherwise while simultaneously supporting local farmers. Please consider supporting this amazing local nonprofit with a donation.