Hello everyone!In the 2 weeks since my last update we have finished cleaning up the fields and I was able to plow about 4 acres of ground. I also cultivated the garlic which is growing quite nicely. The shallots which like the garlic are planted in the fall are just beginning to come up. Unfortunately I have not been able to plant any peas yet, as the ground remains too cold. While conventional farmers, using fungicide treated seed, can plant peas without much regard for soil temperature, organic growers must be a little more careful or the seed will simply rot. The heavy rains from the Nor’easter will delay planting still further, as it will be too wet to get into most of my fields until at least the end of the week. We will also be delayed in planting onions and potatoes until next week. The good news is that there is no more rain in the forecast for the next 2 weeks and the temperatures are finally headed for the upper 50’s and 60’s!!! I have been planting lots of seeds in the greenhouse, including celery root, kohlrabi, kale, bok choy, parsley, ground cherries, and more lettuce and tomatoes. We have begun transplanting the early tomatoes into larger cell flats, which has increased the overcrowding in an already full greenhouse. As soon as the weather improves a bit we will be able to move some of the hardier plants such as the onions and cabbage family onto benches outdoors where they will be hardened off for planting out into the field. I still have a lot of greenhouse planting to do- herbs, flowers, and more lettuce and broccoli to name just a few. There are also almost 2,000 eggplant and pepper plants to be transplanted soon! So keep your fingers crossed or maybe say a little prayer for a nice stretch of warm, dry weather!–Farmer John

Hello Everyone!
Well the robins are arriving, the crocuses are blooming and the spring peepers are peeping, so it must be spring! March was unusually cold, at least until last week. I began planting in the greenhouse on March 10th, about a week later than I would have liked. I just couldn’t bear to turn the heat on in the greenhouse when it was still in the low teens overnight. At present there are onions, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, radicchio, and tomatoes up and growing nicely. The eggplant and peppers are just beginning to germinate. In the next 2 weeks I will be planting celery and celery root, kohlrabi, kale, parsley, ground cherries and tomatillos as well as more tomatoes and lettuces in the greenhouse. In the field we have been working on cleaning up from last season- removing posts and cables used for trellising and plastic mulch and drip tape. I have not been able to start plowing yet, because the ground is still to wet from that late season snowfall. I hope to be able to start preparing ground later this week, if it doesn’t rain too much. In the next 2 weeks it will be time to plant fava beans and peas in the field. We are also busy doing maintenance and repairs on the trucks, tractors and other equipment. That’s all for now, stay tuned for the next update in 2 weeks!
— Farmer John

August 7th: Update #14

Hello Everyone!

This past Friday thunderstorms dropped about an inch of rain at the main farm. Oddly the rented field in Andover received almost no rain. Fortunately many of the crops there are set up with drip irrigation, so it isn’t a big problem.

But what problems we do have at this location! The beans are producing so abundantly that we can’t keep up with picking them! The walk in cooler is stacked to the ceiling with tubs of beans. The pepper plants are so loaded with fruit that we will have to stake them to keep the plants from falling over! The melon plants are sending runners out so fast and far that they are overtaking a nearby bed of mustard greens!

You’ve probably guessed by now that I’m being a bit facetious, as all of these situations fall in the category of good problems to have. Cucumbers are also producing abundantly, and not just the little Kirby type but also regular ones and the long English type. The eggplant is also flowering abundantly and there will soon be lots of fruit to pick. And best of all- tomato season has begun!

The share for this week will be: Yukon gold potatoes, white onions, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, green beans and wax beans, carrots, kohlrabi, lettuce, and choice of an herb(basil, dill, or parsley).

Enjoy!

Farmer John

Hi Everyone,

Last Monday brought us a little over 2” of precipitation in a slow steady rain that was able to soak into the ground. This past weekend we received about another inch. The ground is finally well re-hydrated and most everything is growing well.

We have begun digging potatoes and will have a red skinned variety in the share this week. They are, as predicted, a bit small due to the dry spring and early summer. Hopefully the later varieties will be able to take advantage of the recent rains and achieve a more respectable size.

We are currently in the process of planting fall crops. We will be transplanting Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower seedlings this week and seeding spinach, radishes, turnips, arugula and other mustard greens. We are also seeding lettuces, radicchio, kohlrabi in the greenhouse for transplanting in about 3-4 weeks.

We have finished harvesting the radicchio and there is enough for everyone in the share this week. This time it will be the more well known round red type, although some will be a red trevisio type. We won’t have peppers this week, as I want to leave as much green fruit as possible to ripen to red, yellow and orange. Eggplant is still coming in sparingly, so there is not enough for everyone, so we will include some as an extra. Tomatoes are still not ready for at least one more week. Sorry!

The share for this week will be: Radicchio, carrots, kale, potatoes, cabbage, red onions, summer squash, cucumbers, lettuce, and choice of an herb- basil, parsley or dill.

Enjoy! Farmer John