Winter season is conference season, and in between leading dogsledding trips, I squeezed in a handful of conferences where I joined other sustainable farmers to learn about cover cropping, nutrient density, soil microbial populations, soil health, tractor implements, greenhouse production, crop rotations, raising animals holistically, and more. In February I drove out to Essex Farm in Essex, New York to work on a farm I've admired since I started farming. Kristen and Mark Kimball operate a full diet year round CSA where they provide grains, vegetables, meats, dairy, eggs, fats, sweeteners, and more! You can read more about their farm in their book, "The Dirty Life" by Kristin Kimball.

 

Then the spring came and we were able to start getting our hands dirty in the greenhouse. We planted over 40,000 plants in our greenhouse. Our growing season has an average of 124 days. In order to grow the crops we want to grow, we have to start many of our plants inside, like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, swiss chard, lettuce, and more. Many were started in March, well before the snow began to think about melting outside.

 

But slowly the snow did melt, the frost came out of the earth, the soil dried out, and we were able to start preparing the land for our little veggies. We spent hours on the tractors subsoiling to reduce compaction, spreading compost tea to inoculate our soil, plowing to turn in our cover crops, tilling to prepare the seed bed, and spreading tons (actually, 61 tons) of manure and compost to fertilize our soil.

 

The spring also brought new life to the farm. We welcomed 15 piglets and 30 laying hens to Seeds Farm. They are fun. Watching them is better than watching tv! They all have their individual personalities and quirks. We've been rotating the chickens (and soon we'll start rotating the pigs) onto new pasture where they can eat grasshoppers, grubs, insects, fresh greens, and enjoy plenty of sunlight. When the animals are happy, I am happy.

 

We also welcomed an awesome work crew. Dan moved here from Idaho, Bill recently returned from the Peace Corps in Ethiopia, Margaret from St. Paul, and Kayla from Northfield High School (where she just graduated, congrats!) 

 

By May we were able to start putting our tiny vegetable plants in the fertile soil. The first crops to sprout outside were the peas, spinach, radish, onions, and potatoes. When the threat of frost was minimal, we transplanted our brassicas-broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and kohlrabi. When the threat was gone, we planted our solenaceous- tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. It took us weeks to plant all six and a half acres of vegetables. 

Not only do our plants grow in the fertile soil, plenty of weeds grow as well. Just like our human bodies make a scab whenver we have an open wound, Mother Nature protects her wounds by populating it with growth. To farmers, it looks like weeds. It's Mother Natures way to protect the soil from erosion. If we weren't trying to grow vegetables, we'd let nature heal her wound, but these 'other plants' steal nutrients, water, and sunlight from our vulnerable vegetables, so we get rid of them (without using harmful chemicals). Thankfully we have a number of tractors and implements that we drag through the soil and strong backs to get the job done! My favorite is our 1946 Farmall A.

 

And that brings us to this week... We've spent a lot of time getting prepared for this first CSA pickup.

I hope you enjoy your fresh, delicious, produce. We're thrilled to get to share it with you so we can all eat like kings and queens this season!