I'm wondering if I might be able to preserve enough of the harvest to easily manage the Dark Days Eat Local Challenge this winter. Perhaps I could even eat three entirely locally-sourced meals a week this winter, not just the one per week required of those taking the Challenge.
Last week I started thinking about pickling some of the bazillion cucumbers I'm growing. I went in search of my canning equipment. Hidden in a mason jar box were lime pickles I'd made in 2005. As with a number of other foods, I have fond associations with lime pickles. My dad always made them, and I was reminded of him and his ever-expanding garden. The cukes I pickled in 2005 were from Vanguarden CSA, where I worked and learned to grow vegetables on a scale larger than my small home garden. Opening the pickles, I was reminded of how little I knew about farming, how exciting it was to learn so many new things at once, and what fun it was to work with farmer Chris.
All that thinking led me here. Wondering if I might be able to preserve enough of the harvest to take on the Dark Days Eat Local Challenge in style.
Serendipitously, three quarts of pickles were left for me in the CSA distribution area last night. Fantastically delicious pickles, at least the ones I've eaten thus far. Thanks, Kim!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A watched pot never boils
It doesn't matter how many times a day I examine the second planting of tomatoes, they are still green. They are not the desired red, pink, rose, peach, yellow (marbled with red veins), burgundy, or purple. Green, green, green. I vow not to look at them at all tomorrow. Perhaps that will move them along toward ripeness.
I plant three sets of tomatoes every year. The early planting consists of determinant tomatoes that take around 60 days to ripen - Taxi, Orange Blossom and Polbig varieties. This year the early tomatoes were transplanted to the field on May 14. These tomatoes were in the CSA share by July 14. They are fine tomatoes. But they are not my favorites.
My favorite tomatoes are some of the heirloom varieties that are stubbornly refusing to ripen. They went into the field on May 31. They take from 71 to 80 days before they are ready for harvest. Twelve more days.
The last set of tomatoes were transplanted on June 16. These are mostly paste tomatoes (Amish Paste, Hog Heart, San Marzano varieties), but also some of the heirlooms and hybrids that I'd like to eat until the first frost.
Why three plantings? Tomatoes are vulnerable to diseases. At this farm, they tend to get septoria leaf spot. Even when we take precautions (straw mulch, staying away from the tomatoes when they are wet, etc.) they get diseased at some point in the season. This year has been especially wet, speeding the fungal disease, and the first planting is well on its way to being defoliated. I plant a succession of tomato crops so that when the first planting dies, I've still got a batch of nice, healthy tomatoes ready to pick.
Here's a list of the vegetables and varieties I'm growing this year.
I plant three sets of tomatoes every year. The early planting consists of determinant tomatoes that take around 60 days to ripen - Taxi, Orange Blossom and Polbig varieties. This year the early tomatoes were transplanted to the field on May 14. These tomatoes were in the CSA share by July 14. They are fine tomatoes. But they are not my favorites.
My favorite tomatoes are some of the heirloom varieties that are stubbornly refusing to ripen. They went into the field on May 31. They take from 71 to 80 days before they are ready for harvest. Twelve more days.
The last set of tomatoes were transplanted on June 16. These are mostly paste tomatoes (Amish Paste, Hog Heart, San Marzano varieties), but also some of the heirlooms and hybrids that I'd like to eat until the first frost.
Why three plantings? Tomatoes are vulnerable to diseases. At this farm, they tend to get septoria leaf spot. Even when we take precautions (straw mulch, staying away from the tomatoes when they are wet, etc.) they get diseased at some point in the season. This year has been especially wet, speeding the fungal disease, and the first planting is well on its way to being defoliated. I plant a succession of tomato crops so that when the first planting dies, I've still got a batch of nice, healthy tomatoes ready to pick.
Here's a list of the vegetables and varieties I'm growing this year.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Glorious
I've a simple rain measurement system set up at the farm. An empty bucket left out to collect rain. Before I empty the bucket I estimate how much rain it collected and add that number to previous days' tally. I think the farm got 5 inches of rain in the last week.
The weather affects how much and what types of work get done on a farm. Plants and earth are best left alone when they are wet because disease spreads quickly among wet leaves and soil becomes super compacted when it's saturated so we don't want to drive the tractor on it. Big pigweed can be pulled anytime, but since it needs to be carried out of the field to keep it from re-rooting, I often save this task for a rainy day. A bed of carrots is best delicately hand-weeded when the soil is moist. Carrots and cilantro get flame-weeded when there is no wind, no drought and preferably after a good rain. Greenhouse work is nice on a rainy day. Many vegetables prefer to be harvested at a time of day when it's cool, overcast and the wind is still. Thread-stage weeds and those a bit larger die a quick death when uprooted in the middle of a sunny day. Seedlings are happiest transplanted when there's moisture in the soil and the sky is overcast. You get the picture ..... to a large extent, the weather determines the tasks that fill our day.
For the past week most of our farming activities have been shaped by the wet, wet weather. Our fall and winter crops have been seeded into cell trays. Pigweed and galen soga have been pulled from the leek and onion beds. When we harvested tomatoes we were careful to minimize our contact with the leaves. There was a short interval when the tomato foilage was dry and 600 row feet of them got tied up at record speed (quick! before the rain starts again!) Harvest was delayed on Thursday because of lighning, so we sat in the barn and watched the weather. Carrots and cilantro were flamed.
It was a wet, soggy week. Even the best rain gear couldn't keep us completely dry. As the week wore on, it became increasingly difficult to think complicated thoughts or execute a plan with more than one step to it. I've always found this to be the most troubling side-effect of working long hours in gray, rainy, muddy conditions. I think it's not particular to me. I've worked with other growers who seem to go into a trance-like state after working a day in the rain.
Yesterday was the first sunny, rain-free day we've had for awhile. It was glorious. Sunny. Dry. Bright. Warm. Just glorious. Here's some of what we did:
Tied 750 row feet of tomatoes. Harvested 300 row feet of storage onions and laid them out to cure. Cut 200 feet of parsley to allow a nice second growth. Harvested 24 pounds of basil for the Preservation Share (bulk produce for preserving). Pulled weeds between the tomatoes rows. Watched the top layer of soil begin to dry and made plans for lots of thread-stage weeding this weekend. Bought buffalo mozzarella and ate it with tomatoes and basil. Happily chatted about everything.
Thanks to Liz (super farm intern), Molly (another local farmer who will be working with me one day a week for a few months), Ainara (wanna-be-farmer and local high school student) and So-Yoen (community service volunteer and kimchi lover). Great folks with whom to work and celebrate glorious weather!
The weather affects how much and what types of work get done on a farm. Plants and earth are best left alone when they are wet because disease spreads quickly among wet leaves and soil becomes super compacted when it's saturated so we don't want to drive the tractor on it. Big pigweed can be pulled anytime, but since it needs to be carried out of the field to keep it from re-rooting, I often save this task for a rainy day. A bed of carrots is best delicately hand-weeded when the soil is moist. Carrots and cilantro get flame-weeded when there is no wind, no drought and preferably after a good rain. Greenhouse work is nice on a rainy day. Many vegetables prefer to be harvested at a time of day when it's cool, overcast and the wind is still. Thread-stage weeds and those a bit larger die a quick death when uprooted in the middle of a sunny day. Seedlings are happiest transplanted when there's moisture in the soil and the sky is overcast. You get the picture ..... to a large extent, the weather determines the tasks that fill our day.
For the past week most of our farming activities have been shaped by the wet, wet weather. Our fall and winter crops have been seeded into cell trays. Pigweed and galen soga have been pulled from the leek and onion beds. When we harvested tomatoes we were careful to minimize our contact with the leaves. There was a short interval when the tomato foilage was dry and 600 row feet of them got tied up at record speed (quick! before the rain starts again!) Harvest was delayed on Thursday because of lighning, so we sat in the barn and watched the weather. Carrots and cilantro were flamed.
It was a wet, soggy week. Even the best rain gear couldn't keep us completely dry. As the week wore on, it became increasingly difficult to think complicated thoughts or execute a plan with more than one step to it. I've always found this to be the most troubling side-effect of working long hours in gray, rainy, muddy conditions. I think it's not particular to me. I've worked with other growers who seem to go into a trance-like state after working a day in the rain.
Yesterday was the first sunny, rain-free day we've had for awhile. It was glorious. Sunny. Dry. Bright. Warm. Just glorious. Here's some of what we did:
Tied 750 row feet of tomatoes. Harvested 300 row feet of storage onions and laid them out to cure. Cut 200 feet of parsley to allow a nice second growth. Harvested 24 pounds of basil for the Preservation Share (bulk produce for preserving). Pulled weeds between the tomatoes rows. Watched the top layer of soil begin to dry and made plans for lots of thread-stage weeding this weekend. Bought buffalo mozzarella and ate it with tomatoes and basil. Happily chatted about everything.
Thanks to Liz (super farm intern), Molly (another local farmer who will be working with me one day a week for a few months), Ainara (wanna-be-farmer and local high school student) and So-Yoen (community service volunteer and kimchi lover). Great folks with whom to work and celebrate glorious weather!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Critter Report
I've seen an adolescent coyote several times in recent weeks. Always early in the morning, 5:30 to 7:00 AM. He moves across the fields at a trot, sniffing the air, pausing occasionally to listen and look around. Hunting for breakfast I imagine. Sunday morning he had a dead crow in his mouth. I'm glad he doesn't eat vegetables.
A few months ago, early in the morning, two adult coyotes trotted down the road at the south end of my field. Beautiful animals with gray coats. They sniffed the air as they went up the little hill into the Sergi's land. Once on top of the hill, they turned, looked in my direction and sniffed the air again. Then they turned away, went over the hill and were gone.
I think a wild turkey has made his home on the farm. I see her just about every day.She often roosts on a fence in the woods off the south edge of the farm. I once saw her perched on the tail gate of a red truck parked on Glenn Road!
Woodchucks and rabbits are everywhere .... hopping down the rows of tomatoes, nibbling on the lettuce, sniffing the watermelon. The onions appear to be safe from their attention. The 'chuck I saw today is fat and healthy looking. Clearly he's been eating his (my!) vegetables. I'm going to have a talk with the coyote because I think 'chucks (the entire family of them living under the garage!) would make a much better meal than a crow.
A few months ago, early in the morning, two adult coyotes trotted down the road at the south end of my field. Beautiful animals with gray coats. They sniffed the air as they went up the little hill into the Sergi's land. Once on top of the hill, they turned, looked in my direction and sniffed the air again. Then they turned away, went over the hill and were gone.
I think a wild turkey has made his home on the farm. I see her just about every day.She often roosts on a fence in the woods off the south edge of the farm. I once saw her perched on the tail gate of a red truck parked on Glenn Road!
Woodchucks and rabbits are everywhere .... hopping down the rows of tomatoes, nibbling on the lettuce, sniffing the watermelon. The onions appear to be safe from their attention. The 'chuck I saw today is fat and healthy looking. Clearly he's been eating his (my!) vegetables. I'm going to have a talk with the coyote because I think 'chucks (the entire family of them living under the garage!) would make a much better meal than a crow.
Watching weeds grow .... not
I got bored just watching the weeds and cucumbers grow, so I did a few other things at the farm yesterday. I harvested shallots, forty pounds of tomatoes, twenty pounds of green beans, pulled weeds and used the BCS to wipe out weeds that thrive in the tractor wheel tracks. And I ate all cherry tomatoes that were ready for harvest, about a dozen. They've just started to come in. A day or two of sun and I think we'll be swimming in sun gold cherry tomatoes! Until then, Liz and I will be conducting regular taste tests. (Liz has posted a lovely photo of the cherry toms on her blog.)
We saw a bit of damage from last week's downpour. We lost parts of recently transplanted crops (red cabbage, Swiss chard, parsley) when they apparently drown or washed away. The pepper plants were knocked over by the force of the rain. The plants are still rooted and growing, but some of the young peppers are now exposed directly to the sun and will be scalded by it. Our early planting of tomatoes has a pretty advanced case of septoria leaf spot and the rain and overcast skies have exacerbated it. None of this damage will have a major impact on the harvests. It's just a little disheartening. I pretty sure the cherry tomatoes will cheer me up.
We saw a bit of damage from last week's downpour. We lost parts of recently transplanted crops (red cabbage, Swiss chard, parsley) when they apparently drown or washed away. The pepper plants were knocked over by the force of the rain. The plants are still rooted and growing, but some of the young peppers are now exposed directly to the sun and will be scalded by it. Our early planting of tomatoes has a pretty advanced case of septoria leaf spot and the rain and overcast skies have exacerbated it. None of this damage will have a major impact on the harvests. It's just a little disheartening. I pretty sure the cherry tomatoes will cheer me up.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
July Farm Update
Lots going on at the farm this past month. Lots of planting, weeding, harvesting, twining up tomatoes, sampling cucumbers, spotting coyote and wild turkeys. Lots and lots of rain.
First, the veggie report. Our spring veggies were delicious, if I do say so myself! I grew some new-to-me vegetables, most notably fava beans, hon tsai tsi and vitamin greens. But spring is definitely over and we've moved on to our summer, heat-loving crops. Our earliest tomatoes are ripening and have been in the CSA share for a week or so. Green peppers and eggplant made their first appearance in the share yesterday. Zucchini and yellow summer squash are doing well. Cucumbers seem a bit out-of-control: We harvested 100 pounds of slicing cukes and 60 pounds of pickling cucumbers yesterday. Crazy!
Weeds, weeds, weeds! July is the month when everything, weeds included, grow at an astonishing rate. The acre that I grow veggies on has an enormous seed bank of pigweed. When the top layer of soil is somewhat dry, we're pretty good at staying on top of it. We use colinear hoes, a wheel hoe and the BCS tiller set at the shallowest depth to attack weeds at the thread stage of their development. When the soil is drenched with moisture, there's not much effective cultivating possible. (We've received two inches of rain on the farm in the past three days. More is on the way.) We hand weed crops like carrots, cilantro and dill. We walk through the field searching for pigweed that's threatening to go to seed. I think about what kind of cultivating tractors and which weed killing implements I'd like to own.
More news later. I'm headed to the farm now to watch the weeds and cucumbers grow.
First, the veggie report. Our spring veggies were delicious, if I do say so myself! I grew some new-to-me vegetables, most notably fava beans, hon tsai tsi and vitamin greens. But spring is definitely over and we've moved on to our summer, heat-loving crops. Our earliest tomatoes are ripening and have been in the CSA share for a week or so. Green peppers and eggplant made their first appearance in the share yesterday. Zucchini and yellow summer squash are doing well. Cucumbers seem a bit out-of-control: We harvested 100 pounds of slicing cukes and 60 pounds of pickling cucumbers yesterday. Crazy!
Weeds, weeds, weeds! July is the month when everything, weeds included, grow at an astonishing rate. The acre that I grow veggies on has an enormous seed bank of pigweed. When the top layer of soil is somewhat dry, we're pretty good at staying on top of it. We use colinear hoes, a wheel hoe and the BCS tiller set at the shallowest depth to attack weeds at the thread stage of their development. When the soil is drenched with moisture, there's not much effective cultivating possible. (We've received two inches of rain on the farm in the past three days. More is on the way.) We hand weed crops like carrots, cilantro and dill. We walk through the field searching for pigweed that's threatening to go to seed. I think about what kind of cultivating tractors and which weed killing implements I'd like to own.
More news later. I'm headed to the farm now to watch the weeds and cucumbers grow.
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