Grown in NYC

June 17, 2011

May 24, 2011

April Showers in May?!

Since the last time I wrote life on the farm has picked up. Many of the seedlings that we planted and started in the greenhouse at the beginning of April are now large enough to transplant into to the field. Over the past few weeks we have transplanted kale, chard, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, parsley, spinach, salad mix (mustard green, kohlrabi, etc.), potatoes, and winter squash. With this work comes hoeing i.e. weed control. Hoeing involves using a flat blade to scrape the weeds growing around and in between the vegetables. Jon and I have spent entire afternoons hoeing beds. Although the work and motion is repetitive, it helps the growth of the vegetables tremendously by preventing the weeds that grow twice as fast from taking over. In addition, we have been able to harvest leaks, spinach, red lettuce, and asparagus.

We have started CRAFT meetings with neighboring farms in western Connecticut. CRAFT is a program that allows farmers, apprentices, and others interested in local agriculture to exchange ideas and learn about the craft of small scale agriculture. CRAFT meetings involve a 2 hour tour of a farm in the network followed by a potluck. It has been nice to meet and become friendly with other apprentices in the area. six of us got together for a foraged meal at my farm where we enjoyed pigeon!!!! yes pigeon, which Jon had killed with a pellet gun. Among other foods were homemade bread, pesto, picked morel mushrooms, and ramp onions. Additionally, for the past three weeks we have had the extra help of a high school senior, Kate, from Scarsdale, NY. Next week we are expecting two more day workers that will be working on the farm during prime harvest season.

Photos