“A seed is small but rich with possibility, like love, which is as humble as it is powerful.” —Pir Zia Inayat-Khan
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Hi Friends & Farm-ily,
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February is just flying by and your farmers are keeping pace as things keep moving right along here on the farm! The first seeds have sprouted in the greenhouse and are even forming their ‘first true leaves’. We worked extra late on Tuesday and Wednesday night to get the first seeds in the ground (outside in the field) and to beat the rain and stormy weather that was headed our way. Hence, the tardiness of the newsletter… one step at a time.
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We’ve had a blast figuring out stuff this month. So many projects to begin and so many fun things to check off the list. We got our soil test results back a couple week ago and our soil is looking healthier than ever! Soil Organic matter is up almost 2% over the last couple years! Based on the this years test results, we’ve just about finalized our 2016 custom organic fertilizer blend, which means let the bed prepping begin! Liming, composting, fertilizing, tilling all that in and getting the ground ready for the first transplants in March. Hopefully we have a nice long stretch of dry weather coming up so we can work the soil. The few days of dry followed by a few days of wet doesn’t allow the soil to dry out quite enough to the texture and consistency that we like to plant and seed into. Fingers crossed!
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The custom cover crop we seeded in late September – of triticale, peas and vetch – has really taken off with the mild temperatures and soon we gotta get that tilled in too. It takes about 6-8 weeks, depending on the weather, to fully incorporate it, break down and let the soil dry out. Cover cropping is so important in our long term fertilizer program as it’s nitrogen-fixing, soil-conditioning, erosion-preventing & bio-mass-building. Since we officially turned ground on this property in 2013 the soil’s health just keeps on getting better (before that we were farming just few miles down River Rd. from 2009-2013). It is because of our CSA members investment and our methodology that we can improve the soils on our farm! And it is working! We have the tests to prove it! We have really enjoyed learning about the history and the soil here and making improvements from season to season. It’s amazing that we get to invest only the best into our soils in order to produce healthy, organically grown, fresh, nutrient rich produce! “If I grow good soil, I can forget about the vegetables.” – Nigel Walker Here’s to another season of growing and learning and everything in between!
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This poem fits. Not Anyone Who Says by Mary Oliver. photo taken in 2011 at the Nile River
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In the midst of the February projects and excitement, Valentine’s day had me looking through some old photos of Brian and I when we first met. Some of you already know the story (if not, you can read about it here) It doesn’t feel like time passes by too quickly while you’re living it but looking at those old photos… it’s crazy to see just how much time has passed or how many things have happened in between. It’s really nice to remember where you were and how far you’ve come and to appreciate the person who’s been there with you through it all.
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Brian and I have both grown a lot as individuals and as husband and wife, as friends, farmers and business partners. Through it all we both feel grateful that the universe brought us together. Together we thrive and we absolutely love what we do every single day. We bring out the best in each other and it’s not always easy – the farm being a manipulative creature and what not – but every day we give it our best shot. Farming is the reason we met and were brought together. We had a good chuckle and a bunch of smiles while looking through those old farm photos. All the hand dug beds, hand seeded crops, city deliveries, extra back breaking labor etc.. that this farm was built upon – the work – the challenge – the risk – the excitement – the bounty – the stick-to-itiveness – the ‘growing’ better from season to season – and the deep satisfaction of providing safe, delicious, fresh produce to our community with a connection to the farm and it’s farmers. In our infancy as farmers these are the things that brought us together and helped us to build upon that foundation and really see it thrive. Those smiles that seemed to go on for miles without a dime in our pockets but plenty of dirt under our fingernails (and vegetables in our bellies). We definitely don’t have it all figured out but looking back on earlier farming days I’d say we have figured out some things… 😉
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2016 CSA Spring & Summer CSA! Thank you to all of our amazing CSA members both new and old who have signed up for the 2016 Spring and Summer CSA season! There are only a dozen shares available for the 2016 season so be sure to sign up quickly! Keep spreading the good word because it makes all the difference. As a farm-ily member once said, “keep your friends close and you farmers closer.”
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3 Steps to Signing Up:
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- Read all about the 2016 CSA season
- Fill out the CSA Sign Up Form & Member Agreement
- Mail or drop off a Check or Make a Payment Online to reserve your share
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We’ll be spending a lot of time in the propagation greenhouse the next few weeks seeding a lot of our first successions of crops (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, chicory etc.. the list goes on..) Pretty soon the greenhouse will be brimming with starts and as the end of March approaches we will be putting plants in the ground. Exciting times!
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With kind regards,
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your farmers
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Jess & Brian
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dirty hands, clean hearts
working hands farm 
