Jo and I just got back from a farmer conference in Manchester NH, and our heads are spinning with new ideas about soil health, tillage, and high tunnels. We hope to do as much experimenting as possible this year. Today I was thinking about our sweet potato to garlic to brassica to winter squash rotational sequence. Right now, after the sweet potatoes have been harvested, we plant the garlic and mulch it with leaves (the leaves are new this year, usually we use straw or hay, hopefully it will work!) when the garlic is out, the beds are plowed and harrowed, and we plant brassicas, after a couple weeks, we broadcast rye and vetch and hoe it in, next spring, when the rye and vetch are tall, we mow them and plant winter squash into the stubble, not bad, but not as good as I want it to be. What I hope to do is eliminate or reduce the tillage between the garlic and brassicas, and was thinking that as long as the mulch on the garlic is thick enough, and there aren't too many weeds to deal with once the garlic is out, we could come through with the chisel plow, with the shanks moved so that only the bed is being plowed, unfortunately the wheel base of the tractor is wider than the beds, so that never works as well and we want it to, and I have never tried doing that in the summer with beds that still have mulch on them, we have always raked the mulch aside, which I worry will be too much work for the middle of the season, but if we don't rake the mulch aside, I don't know if direct seeding will be possible. I wonder who else is thinking about this sort of thing. Katie
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tillage
I hope to use this for a while this winter to talk about some of the production methods I am thinking about and the experiments we did this year.
Monday, August 17, 2009
CSA Pickup August 17 (#10?)
Amazing that we are at the halfway point of the CSA. And it finally feels like summer! The weather report says it will be hot and dry like today for the rest of the week, which is good news for our tomatoes, melons, eggplants and the like. We picked around 7 flats of tomatoes today, and Katie and I are feeling like the luckiest farmers in New England to have tomatoes in the face of the devastating blight that has been plaguing farms in the Northeast. We had an epic workday today in the heat, with many helping hands and we managed to harvest all our onions and set them to cure in the greenhouse. We also picked for the CSA and swam in the retention pond at the farm to cool down in the midday heat.
Some important points:
Payment The second half of your CSA payment is due tomorrow. If you haven't paid in full for your share please bring payment in the form of a check or cash to the pickup tomorrow. I have a record of the amount you still owe.
Late Pick Ups Many folks last week sent me an email either late Sunday night or Monday to let me know about a late pickup. Unfortunately I am very busy on Monday and don't have time to check my email. If you want your share set aside for a late pickup, either email me by the SATURDAY before the pickup, or CALL on Monday before 5pm. Katie 351-4633, or me at 644-2800, and we can set aside your share.
Veggie Storage Tips Keep tomatoes on the counter with an upside down glass bowl over them, tomatoes loose flavor when refrigerateddry off potatoes before keeping them in a paper bag on the counterlay out herbs and greens on a kitchen towel to dry them, then put a small cloth in the bottom of the plastic bag that they will be stored in in the refrigerator, excess moisture causes them to rotbe sure that onions are drycukes, zukes, cabbages can be stored as is in a plastic bag in the fridge
Your share tomorrow:tomatoes!leekssalad mixarugulacucumberseggplant zucchiniherbs
--
jo!
Monday, August 10, 2009
CSA Pickup Aug 9 (#9?)
I was joking earlier today while we were picking that I should title this email "at least we don't have locusts." Certainly, this season we have been plagued with unseasonal weather which has, while not decimated, certainly dismayed many of our crops, mostly the summer fruits. Though talking to other area farmers, it seems like we have gotten off easy. Though we have found some blight on our tomatoes, and they are less productive than normal, we have not lost them! And we do have tomatoes! A friend of ours who runs a farm in Germantown, NY said he lost not only all his tomatoes, but also his potatoes. Thankfully we have had a great potato crop this year, as evidenced by the last of the purple potatoes we dug up today. It seems they love this Andean weather we've been experiencing (potatoes originated in Peru).
In other farm news, we are well on our way to having replanted most of our spring field with fall broccoli, radishes, carrots, kale, and cabbage. In tomorrow's share you'll have:
shallotslettuce mixchardtomatoescucumberssummer squashgarlicpotatoes (full shares)head cabbage/napa cabbageand herbs!
enjoy,
--
In other farm news, we are well on our way to having replanted most of our spring field with fall broccoli, radishes, carrots, kale, and cabbage. In tomorrow's share you'll have:
shallotslettuce mixchardtomatoescucumberssummer squashgarlicpotatoes (full shares)head cabbage/napa cabbageand herbs!
enjoy,
--
jo!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
CSA Pickup #7
Well, at least we haven't been completely flooded out, but the fields have never been so muddy in July. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how crazy this weather has been, but it certainly has kept us on our toes. Thus far there hasn't been any all out crop failures, although our onions appear to have blight and are slightly stunted. Miraculously, everything else is holding out and producing well. This may be due to our intensive organic practices and meticulous management, and luck.
In other news we harvested our entire garlic crop this morning in the rain. I am really happy we got them all out in time, they are big and beautiful and not rotted from the rain!In your share tomorrow will be:lettuce mixchardpac coicabbagebeetsonionscucumberssummer squashgarlicherbs
jo!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
CSA Pickup #6
Well, it seems as though the farm has been transformed in the past week. I think it is in the best shape it has ever been this time of year. Amazingly we have stayed on top of all the weeds, which is a rare occurrence, especially in the middle of July when everything begins to grow widely out of control. The superb field management is thanks in no small part to our two secret weapons: amazing workshares and mulch. This year, inspired by Ruth Stout's "The No Work Garden Book" we have decided to mulch a much bigger portion of the farm than we normally do and to lay down a thicker layer of mulch at that. In the past we have always mulched our tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. This year we have also mulched all our alliums (onions, leeks, etc.) and a few other crops. Mulch is wonderful because it keeps the weeds at bay, and it provides a protective layer to the soil, which helps it retain moisture and regulate temperature. Though spreading mulch on as much as a half acre or more is a lot of work, in the end it saves time and nurtures the soil.
Today with our workshares and CSA member volunteers we mulched all of our sweet peppers and the third succession of tomatoes. We also hoed half the farm, and weeded our perennial herb bed and our latest picking of lettuce.
Also!! To my great joy and utter amazement much of our melon crop has recovered, thanks to the warmer weather and most likely all the compost we fed them. While I still suspect that we won't have as many melons as last year and they may not be quite as unbelievably tasty, it appears that we will in fact have melons and they will of course be delicious. Phew.
For tomorrow..........leeksgarlicpotatoescucumberssummer squashbeets cabbagechardpac choisalad mixherbs: cilantro, dill, basil
thanks,
Today with our workshares and CSA member volunteers we mulched all of our sweet peppers and the third succession of tomatoes. We also hoed half the farm, and weeded our perennial herb bed and our latest picking of lettuce.
Also!! To my great joy and utter amazement much of our melon crop has recovered, thanks to the warmer weather and most likely all the compost we fed them. While I still suspect that we won't have as many melons as last year and they may not be quite as unbelievably tasty, it appears that we will in fact have melons and they will of course be delicious. Phew.
For tomorrow..........leeksgarlicpotatoescucumberssummer squashbeets cabbagechardpac choisalad mixherbs: cilantro, dill, basil
thanks,
jo!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
CSA Pickup #5
Hi all...We are planning a workday for next Sunday, between 2 and 6. We will hold one about every month from now on, so if you can't make this one, you will have plenty more opportunities. We're excited to be able to show you what we do out there. I don't yet know what we will be doing, but likely there will be some weeding involved, some picking, and maybe some mulching, so if any of this sounds fun to you, come out! If the weather is bad, it will be canceled.
We had another great work day today, with a cameo from one of last years workshares and 3 CSA members, thank you so much! We all fared a little better in the sun this week, after having some time to acclimate. It really feels like summer (ok, almost). The weather, of course, is a mixed blessing, it seems like most things are about a week behind where they were last year, due to the rain and lack of sun, but I think that they are just behind, and that they will still produce as much as last year, no permanent stunting, except with the melons. Of course, some things have done much better this year than last, like the beets and fennel which love the rain. For us though, it has been pretty great, as working in 70 degree weather is much more pleasant than when its in the 90s.
In your shares this week:head lettuce- red leaf, romaine, royal oakleaf, green butterheadgreen garlic- this is uncured garlic, fresh from the ground, it has wonderful flavor, but doesn't store the way cured garlic willpotatoes- variety Salem, an all purpose potatobeetsfennel (just a little bit, don't worry, by the way, its great sliced thinly in salad, and you can put it in kim chee, grill it, roast it with onions, etc.)onions or scallionsherbssome zucchini
Love and sunshine,Katie
(and from Michael, remember to check out the recipes page, and send me anything great you've got that you want to share!)
We had another great work day today, with a cameo from one of last years workshares and 3 CSA members, thank you so much! We all fared a little better in the sun this week, after having some time to acclimate. It really feels like summer (ok, almost). The weather, of course, is a mixed blessing, it seems like most things are about a week behind where they were last year, due to the rain and lack of sun, but I think that they are just behind, and that they will still produce as much as last year, no permanent stunting, except with the melons. Of course, some things have done much better this year than last, like the beets and fennel which love the rain. For us though, it has been pretty great, as working in 70 degree weather is much more pleasant than when its in the 90s.
In your shares this week:head lettuce- red leaf, romaine, royal oakleaf, green butterheadgreen garlic- this is uncured garlic, fresh from the ground, it has wonderful flavor, but doesn't store the way cured garlic willpotatoes- variety Salem, an all purpose potatobeetsfennel (just a little bit, don't worry, by the way, its great sliced thinly in salad, and you can put it in kim chee, grill it, roast it with onions, etc.)onions or scallionsherbssome zucchini
Love and sunshine,Katie
(and from Michael, remember to check out the recipes page, and send me anything great you've got that you want to share!)
Sunday, July 5, 2009
CSA pickup #4
So we all got a little loopy by the end of the workday. None of us are used to working in full sun after the recent five week rain spat. Although there were multiple sun burns, mild dehydration and a little sun craziness, it is well worth it to have that thing shining again. The plants and I are psyched. We were finally able to get a lot of hoeing done (by we I mean our workshare Dave who did all the hoeing today), which is pointless in the rain. You really have to wait for a good sunny day if you want all the weeds you knock out to actually die. We also planted our third and last succession of tomatoes, and of course, picked all the food for our bellies tomorrow.
You'll have:
scallions
salad mix
peas (this is it for the spring peas, so saviour them and pray that our fall pea crop does better than last year's--I think it will)
summer squash (a tiny amount, just for the full shares this week, but don't worry half shares, next week there will surely be plenty more for all)
herbs: chives, parsley, mint, anise, lemon balm, oregano, basil, sage, thyme
beets
fennel
there's a possibility I've forgotten something, we'll see tomorrow, and see you then...to another sunny day!
--
jo!
(and from Michael: check out the recipes on the scratch farm website, AND let all your friends who are jealous of your weekly share of fresh veggies that scratch has more shares available, and info is on the website)
You'll have:
scallions
salad mix
peas (this is it for the spring peas, so saviour them and pray that our fall pea crop does better than last year's--I think it will)
summer squash (a tiny amount, just for the full shares this week, but don't worry half shares, next week there will surely be plenty more for all)
herbs: chives, parsley, mint, anise, lemon balm, oregano, basil, sage, thyme
beets
fennel
there's a possibility I've forgotten something, we'll see tomorrow, and see you then...to another sunny day!
--
jo!
(and from Michael: check out the recipes on the scratch farm website, AND let all your friends who are jealous of your weekly share of fresh veggies that scratch has more shares available, and info is on the website)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
CSA Pickup #3
Today was an epic workday. We had many helping hands working with us in the fields, and accomplished a ton! Thankfully
we had an antique transistor radio that picks up about three stations, so we could listen to Michael Jackson marathons all day while we hoed, weeded and mulched our onion beds, and harvested all the goodies for tomorrow's share.
Thankfully also there's been sprinkles of sunshine here and there, but in fact not quite enough to satiate my desires or the wants of summer fruits. But still, I pray, and obsessively check the weather. If any of you all are as interested in the weather as I am, I just discovered a new and very awesome site: accuweather.com. It is really detailed and thourough and will sastisfy any of you other weather nerds out there.
Recipes! We have added a recipe page on our website: scratchfarm.com. There are some great ones up there already. And PLEASE, if you have any great CSA veggie inspired recipes, send them to Michael (michael.krushinsky@gmail.com).
I think tomorrow's share is the best yet, you can look forward to:
peas: lots of 'em!
beets!: chioggia and red turnip rooted variety (these boys are tender and tasty, try boiling them and making a mustard
based vinaigrette with chopped fresh herbs and diced onions to pour over them. also try roasting them)
onions!: purplette mini bunching onions. I'm pretty sure these are the sweetest most delicious onions i have ever had.
please just saute/fry them and throw them on top of something you're eating. make sure they don't get lost in a
soup or something)
cooking greens mix: napa leaves, chard, kale mix
herbs
garlic scapes
lettuce heads: tired of the salad mix? how bout lettuce in it's purest form, the whole head! oakleaf, red leaf, romaine, red butterhead, speckled butterhead
--
jo!
we had an antique transistor radio that picks up about three stations, so we could listen to Michael Jackson marathons all day while we hoed, weeded and mulched our onion beds, and harvested all the goodies for tomorrow's share.
Thankfully also there's been sprinkles of sunshine here and there, but in fact not quite enough to satiate my desires or the wants of summer fruits. But still, I pray, and obsessively check the weather. If any of you all are as interested in the weather as I am, I just discovered a new and very awesome site: accuweather.com. It is really detailed and thourough and will sastisfy any of you other weather nerds out there.
Recipes! We have added a recipe page on our website: scratchfarm.com. There are some great ones up there already. And PLEASE, if you have any great CSA veggie inspired recipes, send them to Michael (michael.krushinsky@gmail.com).
I think tomorrow's share is the best yet, you can look forward to:
peas: lots of 'em!
beets!: chioggia and red turnip rooted variety (these boys are tender and tasty, try boiling them and making a mustard
based vinaigrette with chopped fresh herbs and diced onions to pour over them. also try roasting them)
onions!: purplette mini bunching onions. I'm pretty sure these are the sweetest most delicious onions i have ever had.
please just saute/fry them and throw them on top of something you're eating. make sure they don't get lost in a
soup or something)
cooking greens mix: napa leaves, chard, kale mix
herbs
garlic scapes
lettuce heads: tired of the salad mix? how bout lettuce in it's purest form, the whole head! oakleaf, red leaf, romaine, red butterhead, speckled butterhead
--
jo!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
CSA Pickup #2
Well, this weather is crazy, isn't it? We were lucky that today the rain mostly held off until we had finished picking and working on other farm projects. Indeed, the cloudy and cooler climate is ideal weather for harvesting, and for greens, roots, peas and the like. Also it is much more pleasant to work in 60 and 70 degree weather than it is to work in 80 and 90 degree weather. So really I have no complaints on that front. My only concern is that it may not get hot enough for the tomatoes and melons to flourish and acheive the extreme level of productivity and deliciousness they have in recent years. Of course, this being the first technical day of summer, there are months of potential hot days ahead.
We had a great work day today picking peas, greens and the like. We also staked our first succession of tomatoes so they'll be ready for trellising soon, weeded our newest planting of lettuce mix, and weeded and thinned the kale. Here's what's to look forward to in your share tomorrow:
radishes: Chris Mulligan our most veteran workshare and also the best cook in town recommends these recipes
-slice them as thinly as possible and fry with a generous amount of olive oil until they are decidedly crispy, add salt to taste
-shred them like carrots and mix with salt and honey
rainbow and red rhubarb chard: saute with garlic and olive oil or butter, or steam
napa cabbage: stir fry! kimchee! (ps. we do our best to clean the veggies but the napa cabbage is notoriously impossible to clean thoroughly because of all those layers, also the slugs absolutely love this stuff, so you might want to wash these guys again)
peas! stick 'em in your mouth
pea greens: lightly sauteed in a pasta primavera or other dish, or chopped and thrown into salad
salad mix: clearly
garlic scapes: chopped and used like regular old garlic or! try roasting then whole or sauteeing them whole
herbs: parsley, oregano, mint, chives, sage
many many thanks,
--
We had a great work day today picking peas, greens and the like. We also staked our first succession of tomatoes so they'll be ready for trellising soon, weeded our newest planting of lettuce mix, and weeded and thinned the kale. Here's what's to look forward to in your share tomorrow:
radishes: Chris Mulligan our most veteran workshare and also the best cook in town recommends these recipes
-slice them as thinly as possible and fry with a generous amount of olive oil until they are decidedly crispy, add salt to taste
-shred them like carrots and mix with salt and honey
rainbow and red rhubarb chard: saute with garlic and olive oil or butter, or steam
napa cabbage: stir fry! kimchee! (ps. we do our best to clean the veggies but the napa cabbage is notoriously impossible to clean thoroughly because of all those layers, also the slugs absolutely love this stuff, so you might want to wash these guys again)
peas! stick 'em in your mouth
pea greens: lightly sauteed in a pasta primavera or other dish, or chopped and thrown into salad
salad mix: clearly
garlic scapes: chopped and used like regular old garlic or! try roasting then whole or sauteeing them whole
herbs: parsley, oregano, mint, chives, sage
many many thanks,
--
jo!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
First CSA Pickup
Is this Monday! I can't believe it's actually here, or around the corner at least... Here are some of the most important details:
Where: 27 Sycamore St. at the corner of Oak St. in the Armory neighborhood of Providence. Look for the big shady yard, you can either enter through the driveway alongside 17 Sycamore St. or through the driveway/car park around the corner of my house (27 Sycamore), which is on Oak St. You can also get to the yard through the side porch of 27 Sycamore. There is parking on both Sycamore and Oak Streets. Please park on the street and walk through the driveways or the porch.mfmf
When: This Monday and every Monday thereafter from 4-7pm. We have extended the pick up time one hour to accommodate those with later work schedules. If you cannot pick up your share, please call me at (401) 644-2800 or Katie at (401) 351-4633 by 5pm on Monday and we will make up a share for you and leave it on my porch so that you can pick it up later Monday night or Tuesday. If you cannot make the pick up and you do not contact us we will give your share away.
How: If you haven't already paid in full, please bring your checkbook or cash to the pick up on Monday. You can either pay for half of or the entire remainder of what you owe. Don't worry, I have a record of how much this is.
What! So much delicious produce fresh from our farm to your table. This week we will most likely have:
a bunch of herbs: cilantro, sage, mint, parsley, oregano, or thyme
some heads of pac choi: delicious asian cooking green
a bag of spinach: my favorite current preparation method for this tender green is to steam it with garlic and then drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt
a bag of salad mix
some lettuce heads
arugula: spicy and tasty raw or made into pesto or lightly braised
radishes: so delicious thinly sliced on salad, or dressed with vinegar; also great slightly sauteed in a stir fry
kale
Also: Please bring your own totes and leftover plastic bags to reuse for our produce. There will also be totally awesome brand new Scratch Farm totes designed by our friend Hilary Treadwell of bit & little bit for sale at the pick up.
See you soon,
--
Where: 27 Sycamore St. at the corner of Oak St. in the Armory neighborhood of Providence. Look for the big shady yard, you can either enter through the driveway alongside 17 Sycamore St. or through the driveway/car park around the corner of my house (27 Sycamore), which is on Oak St. You can also get to the yard through the side porch of 27 Sycamore. There is parking on both Sycamore and Oak Streets. Please park on the street and walk through the driveways or the porch.mfmf
When: This Monday and every Monday thereafter from 4-7pm. We have extended the pick up time one hour to accommodate those with later work schedules. If you cannot pick up your share, please call me at (401) 644-2800 or Katie at (401) 351-4633 by 5pm on Monday and we will make up a share for you and leave it on my porch so that you can pick it up later Monday night or Tuesday. If you cannot make the pick up and you do not contact us we will give your share away.
How: If you haven't already paid in full, please bring your checkbook or cash to the pick up on Monday. You can either pay for half of or the entire remainder of what you owe. Don't worry, I have a record of how much this is.
What! So much delicious produce fresh from our farm to your table. This week we will most likely have:
a bunch of herbs: cilantro, sage, mint, parsley, oregano, or thyme
some heads of pac choi: delicious asian cooking green
a bag of spinach: my favorite current preparation method for this tender green is to steam it with garlic and then drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt
a bag of salad mix
some lettuce heads
arugula: spicy and tasty raw or made into pesto or lightly braised
radishes: so delicious thinly sliced on salad, or dressed with vinegar; also great slightly sauteed in a stir fry
kale
Also: Please bring your own totes and leftover plastic bags to reuse for our produce. There will also be totally awesome brand new Scratch Farm totes designed by our friend Hilary Treadwell of bit & little bit for sale at the pick up.
See you soon,
--
jo!
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