On Presidents day it was decided that to commemorate the past great leaders of our nation that peas would be planted. This is the process for spring planting.
Spread compost on the beds.
Then you get the rototiller out and mix it all up. The worms make this out to be a dance of some sort!
Then the beds needed to be hilled up on both sides. This allows a bed that will dry up a bit and warm up for the peas to grow better in.
Then you sow the seeds with a seeder. Ours is made by Earthway. Its all a mystical process and the peas refused to allow their photos to be taken while in the naked state. They assured me that they earnestly want to do their best and spooking them with a camera would not help.
And then you cover the beds with a spun fiber cloth, ours is Agribon, to protect them from the marauding crows and the frosts that hit when you least expect.
And you wait, and wait, and wait. Its been two weeks now and they are not out of the ground yet. I have faith though. It got a bit colder and it rained. They want warm and dry weather to get going. I peeked in on one seed and there is a radical forming. They just need the humans to be patient.
The day I got here I started to fill plug trays with soil mix in anticipation of spring growth.
Here is the "filling station".
Once I sat calmly to fill each little square with one seed, I load them up in "the console". This is a table with a covering of plastic which lives inside the greenhouse. It is heated from below with space heaters to keep the soil and air warm. I put plastic over the console to keep the precious warmth in a smaller area than the whole greenhouse.
Some of the plug flats are started in the hot sand console. A very squat greenhouse filled with sand and resistance cable to warm the sand and thus the soil in the flats. This is a very effective way to start the flats without heating a whole greenhouse.
Then they pop right out of their trays and start growing.
And then they need to be watered.
We had an apprentice applicant out to the farm a few weeks ago to check us out and we decided to dig up the rest of the carrots that were in the ground from last fall. We have them in the fridge now, safe and cozy.
Picture of Christina taken from the hay loft in the barn. There is nothing like the beautiful colors of the evening after a long afternoon of haying.
Adam is the newest addition to our farm family and is a hayin' natural.
Eric and I stacking the bails.
Good farm fun! Only 20 more tons to go!
This is Anna, Sarah and Pritha. Fellow workers enjoying the harvest.
After much work and careful deliberation we have finished our new poly-tunnel.
Jim skillfully headed up this project.
Eric and Vince helped the most, and rest of us lent a hand when we could.
This is a spectacular addition to this years garden and we will all enjoy the fruits of a job well done!
Potatoes for days
New poly-tunnel (greenhouse)...well...almost
How 'bout that?! Brand new Maypole. Thanks everyone! We had a ball.
Two of our CSA work share members. Thanks Nickie and Louise!
Vince, my Dad, who is farming with us this summer. How cool is that?!
We still have shares available for this years CSA.
What is CSA? Basically, you pay a share of the farms budget and we supply you weekly boxes of fresh produce. Its the next best thing to growing it yourself. Contact us for more information.
heritagefarmscsa@gmail.com
We got our Onions in!!! 40 rows of tear jerkin' madness. Approximately 5,000 plants. Spring is here!
MAY DAY PARTY!
May 2nd! (the busiest day of the year) Pot-luck! Bring your own dishes!
Posted in
Community Supported Agriculture,
Family,
Heritage Farm,
May Day Party,
Pot-luck,
Spring
We are happy to invite you to Heritage Farm’s 2009 CSA program.
What is “CSA”?
C.S.A. stands for Community Supported Agriculture. In essence, it is a commitment made between a farm and its individual community members. A farm feeds the people who commit to supporting the farm, sharing in the inherent risks and potential bounty. Through a mutual commitment we create more of a direct relationship between farms and consumers.
Our 2009 season works like this. We supply our CSA members with a weekly box of fresh, organic, seasonal produce in exchange for an “up-front” payment towards the coming season.We have three seasons throughout the year. Members can sign up for each individual season or all three seasons at once. We will provide two share sizes. A “single” share that is intended for 2-3 people, and a “full share” that is intended for 3-5 people.
For more information please e-mail us at heritagefarmcsa@gmail.com
