|
|
|
|
Letter from a Farmer,
Every week for the past six or seven seasons we create a task list for what needs to be done on the farm that week. We walk (or sometimes drive as we have the past few weeks in the rain) on Sundays to observe and experience what needs to be done on the farm that week. We check each field to see what needs to be weeded, mowed, disced under, if we need to work up new ground for crops or cover crops. We walk around the pastures & barns to see how the livestock are fairing: do they need new pasture, do we we need to clip pasture after the livestock has grazed through it, do they need new bedding or manure cleaned up. The greenhouse gets a walk through to see what plants are ready to transplant and which plants will be soon so we can have ground ready. The harvest list and projected harvest list needs to be written to plan for the week and the coming weeks.
After the farm walk I take the notes I scribbled on a note pad and type them into a legible list. Each member of the farm crew gets a copy of the list and we have one hanging in the office so we can check things off as we complete the tasks. This list is a very important tool for managing the work flow on the farm. If we miss a walk and I don't write up a list for the week, I feel it is much more difficult to choreograph the work flow that week. The list helps me create a picture in my head of what the farm looks like and what it needs from us.
Now that we have a large collection of these lists saved in a computer file it is interesting to see how the task list for July 6, 2015 is similar to the task list for the same week in 2010 and 2013. Comparing what needs to be done during the same time frame over a number of seasons helps us to see where the weak links are or to identify major issues. Some of these issues don't have a resolution. For instance every July we have a problem with European Corn Borer (ECB) worms in the sweet corn and Carmen peppers. ECB's aren't a problem we can solve but an insect we have to manage every July. We use parasitic wasps that lay their eggs in the larva of the corn borer. There is also a certified organic product we can use to control the worms. The list is a way to record when we need to start thinking about dealing with ECB the following year.
Other issues can be solved with a new piece of equipment or a new method. Each May we need to seed 110 trays of winter squash. We noticed from our lists that each May the greenhouse was over flowing with plants, we just didn't have space. Moving trays around and creating makeshift benches outside the greenhouse created stress and extra work. We experimented with planting a bed of winter squash seed directly in the field in 2014. We were surprised by how well it worked. So, we decided to lessen the stress in the greenhouse by directly seeding all of the winter squash in the field. It didn't go perfectly as birds ate the seed out of the holes but we now know how to do it better for next season. The end result was more space in the greenhouse and less juggling of trays.
Other patterns require a new piece of equipment. "Pull the large weeds out of the green beans" has been a task on our list for too many seasons for a couple of reasons. First of all we don't grow our green beans on raised beds. Our raised bed system creates tracks in the field for our planters and seeders to follow that keep all of our crops at the right spacing for tractor cultivation. With green beans we don't have tracks to follow so sometimes our rows get too close or too far away for us to cultivate with our tractors. Secondly we didn't have the proper equipment to cultivate in between the bean plants in the row. This was a recipe for a weedy mess during wet weather. This spring we created a row marker to lay out lines for us to follow so we can seed the beans at the right spacing. Jean-Paul also purchased two new cultivators that can cultivate in between the plants in the rows. Unfortunately the first four plantings of beans were in the ground before the cultivators arrived. So a bit of hand weeding is still necessary this year. But, the rest of the beans we seed this season and the following years should not require any hand labor; which is a big relief.
The amount of work that needs to get done on any farm in the summer can be overwhelming. Our task list helps us to break the work down into more manageable pieces that we can check off one by one. This way we can also keep our eyes on the big picture which is creating a healthy, fertile farm that produces high quality produce and meat at a reasonable cost while providing meaningful work for the farm team. ~ Jody
(By the way if you want to take part in a day of work and help us cross off a huge task from our list, come to the Garlic Harvest Party on Saturday, July 18. Hope to see you at the farm! )
|
|
|
|
|
|
Direct seeded winter squash.
|
|
Farro Salad with Roasted Kale & Beets
3 beets, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandoline
2 bunches kale, tough ribs removed and leaves roughly torn
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound farro (pearlized)
2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
3 ounces fresh goat cheese
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Spread beets, kale, and garlic on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast until the beets are soft and the kale is tender, 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cover farro with cold water in medium saucepan, season with salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain excess water, then add roasted vegetables and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice and divide amongst bowls. Crumble goat cheese and serve hot or warm.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/11/dinner-tonight-farro-salad-with-roasted-kale-and-beets-recipe.html
|
|
|
Swiss Chard Pesto
1 bunch swiss chard, cut into chunks
1 jalapeno, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 Tbs. green hot sauce
1/4 cup toasted pepitas
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Toss the swiss chard, jalapeno, garlic, hot sauce and pepitas into a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Start pulsing. With the motor running, pour the oil into the processor in a thin stream, until you have pesto. Taste. Use on pasta, rice, tacos, burritos, bread, etc.
http://bevcooks.com/2012/01/black-bean-and-sweet-potato-tacos-with-swiss-chard-pesto/
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The new cultivator in broccoli transplants.
|
|
|
COMING NEXT WEEK: onions, beets or carrots, salad mix, head lettuce, cilantro, kale or chard, scallions, bell peppers, green beans, cucumbers, summer squash, and zucchini
FRUIT: peaches
|
|
|
|
GARLIC HARVEST PARTY: Join us on Saturday, July 18 for our garlic harvest and BBQ. We will start the day at 10:00 am and share in a potluck lunch with our own BBQ grass-fed hamburgers at 1:00 pm. Wear clothes that can get dirty and bring gloves, water bottle, sunscreen, and a dish to share at the potluck. Please sign up at your CSA site so we know how many burgers to prepare. Hope to see you at the farm!
|
|
|
|
CSA SHARES AVAILABLE: We need 60 more members to reach our goal of 1100. Tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family to sign up. (The share price will be pro-rated for the weeks they missed.)
|
|
|
|
FRUIT SHARE: The fruit share starts this week (July 7-10). We want to make sure you get some cherries after a few years of cherry crop failure so we are starting the fruit share a week early. Please check the fruit share list to make sure your name is on it before you take a fruit share. Contact the farm at info@roxburyfarm.com or 518-758-8558 with any questions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
