Wow. I cannot even express appropriately the amount of work that this farm is. Jody and I have been working non-stop since we finally got moved to the farmhouse back in February. The cold in April froze some of the squash and potatoes, the potatoes came back but the squash didn’t. So, we invested in floating row covers…then it turned into summer!
I still get really excited when the seeds start coming up. For example, today I found the beans and corn that popped up in the last week. More radishes, lettuce and celery are up and getting bigger. The tomato plants that we started early in the high tunnel are already producing fruits! I am seeing some cucumbers beginning to develop on the vines and some early peppers are peeking out.
The first CSA shares were delivered last Saturday, I was hoping that the boxes would be a lot more full but many of our radishes were attacked by something that ate into the roots and we lost half the crop. The greens are doing well and this week I will harvest the Italian salad mix “insalata odorosa” and the romaine heads. I think we are close to the beets being ready and there is also some cilantro getting close to harvest.
It seems like sometimes things just are taking too long to get growing, but I suppose that is because I don’t know what to expect. The seed suppliers all provide estimated harvest dates for things but I guess that is based on the ideal conditions for growing. Our conditions are a little rough, we are in zone 6, we are growing organically so no pesticides, herbicides and lots of fertilizers are not allowed. The land is overgrown and hard to keep clear enough to walk through the beds.
My to do list every day includes, planting new seeds, weeding existing beds, checking e-mail, answering the phone, making sure I pay the bills, feeding us, walking the dogs, cleaning something, more weeding, watering, checking all the plants for any new bugs or diseases, keeping track of everything that is going on and planning for the next days activities.
Well, time to get a little sleep before the weeding and watering and planting tomorrow!
June 3, 2010 at 3:21 am |
The hard work sounds like it’s paying off. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was that I couldn’t pick up the box this week. I’m hoping to keep an archive of the weekly boxes to compare with my own veggies growing on my balcony and for references to future year’s harvests.
It’s very exciting to hear that you have planted some fruit trees for CSA members. I know they won’t be ready for harvest this year…but I’m looking to next year and the future.
Keep up the good work and let me know when/if you want some help at the farm!