Sunday, March 28, 2010
















Here's Bradley with the soil block maker. The soil block maker is pushed into a pan of rather wet potting soil, then the blocks are pushed out of the mold by pulling up while pushing down at the same time. Not the best explanation, but that's the best I can do. Next time maybe a short video! Another 22 flats seeded today with onions. We also seeded 600 cells with sugar snap peas, to be transplanted when the weather is more cooperative. And I filled 22 trays to be seeded with peppers later this week. This is the first time I will be transplanting peas. I never seem to get good germination when direct seeding peas early when the weather is unstable. This year I decided to try transplanting one variety and see how that goes. There never seems to be enough sugar snap peas for everyone! Maybe this year there will be enough to go around. Also, next time I will take a picture of Bradley's face!
The broccoli is up along with the cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and some of the herbs, in spite of the cold weather. It got pretty cold in the greenhouse the last couple of nights, but I won't turn the heat on unless absolutely necessary. That's why I don't start the warm weather crops until the weather warms up a little more.

Here's a link to a great recipe/idea from a blog I read, Well Preserved , written by Eugenia Bone. The recipe reminded me of the garden when it is in full force, but I'm so tired that I don't feel like cooking anything! This one is something I can do without too much effort and too much thinking. I have also purchased Eugenia Bone's book, Well Preserved, and will definitely be trying some of her ideas for preserving the harvest in small batches.



Sunday, March 21, 2010

Planting Started for 2010

I spent 4 hours on Saturday, and 3 hours on Sunday seeding broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, celery, celeriac, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, and oregano in the greenhouse. Shareholder Bradley Cramer helped make soil blocks, 1,440 to be exact. Thank you so much Bradley, for helping and keeping me company this weekend. I never could have accomplished this much in two days if it had not been for you. Bradley is eager to learn as much as he can about market farming through helping me and reading about different farming methods. His particular interest is in raising chickens for eggs and meat.

I use soil blocks for some crops, those that don't need transplanted into a bigger pot before going into the field. I like them because they produce a bigger and healthier transplant and they also reduce the transplant shock when they do get planted outside. They are made using a special organic potting mix that I buy from Ohio Earth Food in Hartville, plus a 4 block maker that is a mold. (I should have taken a picture of the block maker!) Ohio Earth Food carries many of the organic supplies I need to comply with the organic standards for growing vegetables.

Next will be the onions, peppers, some tomatoes (not all), eggplant, and more herbs. I will have transplants for sale this year of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and just about anything that I grow. I know some of you have your own home gardens to suppliment your CSA shares. I will let you know when they are ready.

That's all for now. Thanks again, Bradley!