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By Ronni Gronemeier with Mark Printz
Rain, rain, go away come again another day. It’s been a string of “another days”. But wet weather grows things. How? In a word, water.
The farm needs lots of water.
When it comes to water, rain is the best. Pond or river water is a good substitute. Well water, though not ideal, is better than drought.
So what’s the difference between the waters? It’s kind of the difference between plain water and water with vitamins.
Raindrops literally pick up all kinds of “life” on the way down through the atmosphere. “Life” that’s great for growing green things on Earth. When raindrops hit the soil that perfect combination of water and “life” gives plants a boost and supports growth.
River or pond water is a good second choice because there’s a good amount of “life” in that water too.
Well water is the purest water, but plants would rather have a good dose of “life” with their drinking water. And it’s typically cool water that brings down soil temperature, which can slow down the growth of soil “life”.
Over the last 15 years the weather hasn’t always been perfect for growing crops. That’s when something has to be done.
Rewind to the first year and you’d see a 55-gallon drum of water being wheeled around by Mark’s truck. A siphon hose was used to distribute that water to the crops.
Early in year 1, an anonymous donor gave money for a well. That well is working today and supplies an irrigation system.
Meanwhile, an irrigation system for Canticle Farm North is in the making due to grant money. Its source? The Allegheny River.
Today, Canticle crops are doing well thanks to water. The lettuce keeps coming and zucchini, peas and beans are on the horizon.
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Beets with Greens
Salad Cucumbers
Lettuce Heads
Lettuce Mix
Pac Choi
Kale
Swiss Chard
Celeriac
Kohlrabi
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Radishes
Scallions
Shallots
Garlic Scapes
Squash
Zucchini
Cousa
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Tuesday or Friday Shareholders
Pick up your
CSA Summer Share
2 pm - 6 pm
Canticle Farm
South Nine Mile Rd Allegany
Wednesday Shareholders
Pick up your CSA Summer Share 4 pm - 6 pm
First Presbyterian Church 54 East Corydon St Bradford
Shares will contain: Lettuce Heads, Swiss Chard/Kale/Pac Choi, Beets, Scallions, and Choice Table
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Canticle Farm
Market hours:
Tuesday and Friday
from 2 pm - 6 pm
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Sister Anne Rothmeier, first director of the Farm
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Sister Fran Cardillo, second director of the Farm (middle) with Ann and Charlie, two associates from North Carolina.
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Continued from last week:
By Linda Matthews
During the second year I began to volunteer at the farm. Our farmer, Mark Printz, was wonderful and so were the sisters who were involved.
One of my favorite memories of the early farm years was of Sr. Anne driving the tractor and mowing the grass. Sr. Anne Rothmeier was the first Director of the farm. She was succeeded by Sr. Fran Cardillo. Mark truly was our farmer, always taking time to explain what he was doing.
Over the years he has built community in ways that the sisters could not have even imagined. He interacted with so many other farmers and people in the community. His idea was that we were not in competition with others, we were in cooperation with others. His efforts lead to Canticle Farm joining REAP and participating in the farmers' market.
Continued next week...
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• July 16 - Labyrinth, Canticle Farm, South Nine Mile
• August 3 - Labyrinth, Canticle Farm, South Nine Mile
• August 29 - Save the Date! Heavenly Harvest, Canticle Farm, South Nine Mile - More details to follow.
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Saturdays, 8 AM to 1 PM
Located between the Carmike Cinema and BJ's Wholesale.
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