There is a groundhog in the house. He is HUGE! I don’t know how he got in, or how I’m going to get him out. Every time we spot each other, it’s hard to say who is more surprised. I’ll try and get a photo.
I’m going to go rinse lettuce and leave all the house doors open.
That is all.
R.
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Roxy has been a bit ill the past few days. (better now) In addition to reminding us about our priorities, it has reinforced the value and joy of doing the market farming thing with a compatible partner. Getting the work done on your own is a) harder b) slower and c) less fun. I am not quite sure how folks who do this solo pull it off.
Transplanting tomatoes is a perfect example. I managed to get the tomato area prepped – sheet mulch (straw and brown kraft paper rows, previously used plastic mulch in the planting area and then staked over the weekend and Monday night, but it was slow and solitary. Sorted and managed to start transplanting Tues. Slow and ran out of juice at 8PM. Roxy was feeling better tonight and was able to come out to the field. It amazing how much faster things went with two people. I don’t know if it was faster or just felt faster. It was certainly easier to maintain momentum and focus,
dig, add compost, plant fill, next… dig, add compost, plant fill, next… dig, add compost, plant fill, next… dig, add compost, plant fill, next…
The good new for all you heirloom tomato fans out there – they are in the ground! It is up to mother nature now. (last year they just sat there for a month and didn’t grow much)
It is also more fun when you can talk and share ideas like “you develop more of an emotional attachment to tomatoes. You pick out varieties, plant all the seeds, nurture the seedlings, bring them in and out of the greenhouses, plant them out, water, string up, prune and harvest. You really get to know each plant, You just don’t build the same relationship with lettuce. You seed, weed and 30-40 days later it is over, out comes the tiller”.
Yes the strange thoughts that emerge while in the garden, and very, very happy Roxy is feeling better,
J
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Sharing tips and ideas forms the bulk of the “shop talk” when farmers get together. Successful market gardening depends on constant innovation, tweaks and adoption of the right tools. The right tool can improve product quality and shelf-life, increase yields, and save some really precious things like our time and backs.
After 4 years of commercially farming we have made a lot of changes, but have started to develop a system. On the ‘tools’ tag we want to profile some of our favourites.
The Power Rake was purchased this year from Lee Valley: http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&cat=2,44821&p=10029
It has a long handle, a 2 foot width and aggressive teeth. It was $39.50 CAD. It was one of the best $39.50 we ever spent, Our planting beds for greens are 2 feet by 30 feet. The flatter, more even and less rocks the better. The bed preparation can impact density and straightness of the rows and therefore weeding, yields and quality. We used to use ordinary garden rakes. It was a slow process and bed quality was inconsistent.
With the Power Rake, prepping the beds is a now relatively fast process. Make 2 passes with the tiller and then a couple of passes up and down the row with the Power Rake. 2 foot rows, 2 foot rake, so the width is perfect. The long handle and smooth motion is super easy on the back.
The Power Rake was also really useful to remove the straw mulch from last year’s tomato patch. Apparently it is also useful for cleaning up dead fall apples. We will try out that use this fall
So the Power Rake is a worthy of our first review. It is a modest investment. It saves 10-15 minutes per bed. It produces a better seed bed. It has multiple uses and… oh yeah and saves our backs.
The Power Rake is very similar to the Elliot Coleman Bed Preparation Rake from Johnny’s Select Seeds. We haven’t tried it, but have heard positive reviews from other growers. The Johnny’s rake has a metal head and wooden handles. I can see the heavier, metal head being nice. Price $67.50 USD.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?category=292&subcategory=638&item=9219
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Tagged: planting, tools
Sometimes a picture is worth a 1000 words…
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Tagged: Edible Flowers, Market Report
A short update, as I take a tea break from lettuce picking. Jamey helped this morning and we’re looking pretty good for greens this week. We should have regular, spicy mix, and baby spinach, yum!
The lettuce is growing more slowly than expected. I don’t know if it’s just the cool weather or if our fertility is too low? I took a little longer to cover it with the agribon row cover this year (acts like a blanket to hold in heat and moisture) which may be the issue. The greens in the greenhouse look amazing.
I just found some leftover organic ginger cookies in the market bag – score!
So, if you come to see us tomorrow, we will have green onions, rhubarb (maybe the last time), edible flowers (pansies and violets) and some sweet baby radishes. Maybe some herbs, too, if time permits. Jamey will be there the whole morning, while I’ll be a little late. I’m talking to a garden club convention tomorrow about organics for my other job, and am quite frankly not ready so will need to run through my presentation in front of the dog.
R
PS – Our friend Johan has welded the tiller – hurray!!! Stay tuned for tiller updates.
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