Zen in the high tunnel

After clearing out the old, we re-composted the tomato beds to feed the soil. Tomatoes are notoriously 'heavy feeders', so adding in a good layer of compost will help replace organic matter which will hold more water + nutrients for the next round of hungry plants.
Much like when we compost the beds in the fields, composting the high tunnel requires the tractor, some shovels, some buckets, and some zen!
Here's Courtney + Mark practicing the zen part while I run back to the compost pile for a tractor load:

high tunnel work

It's that time of year, to clear out the old and start again. The high tunnel is essential for winter greens growth, so those summer crops of tomatoes, okra, beans and more have got to go!

On Tuesday, Courtney and I cleared out the old plants to make room for new seeds:

tropical New Hampshire

We are growing some southern crops this year: okra, collard greens, sweet potato, melon... and every time I harvest amongst them, I get a little weepy for my Florida roots. 

Okra, which is related to hibiscus and cacao, has the most beautiful flowers and growth:

get 'em while they're small!

It's hornworm time, again. We've actually been catching the moths in the greenhouse for a few weeks, now. But today was the first true hornworm hunt. And we're getting to them early and small this year (not to say we won't see any bigg'ins!)
Here is today's find:

And here is last September's:

Say peas!

Peas planted March 5th, that were making strides three weeks later, are now just about in full swing! The lack of sun for the past week has set them back a bit... but we brought in just over a pound during this morning's rain and there are plenty more to come!

one year later

The high tunnel turns one year old this month. This morning we celebrated with a ton of activity. Candice brought out the middle school English class to weed. 

 Here is the contrast... one year later!

colors and materials

While I was in DC, Jared and Mark laid a BUNCH of bricks in the high tunnel... it looks FANTASTIC. 

The high tunnel is nearly full now with peas, carrots, greens and a few early tomatoes. We've even tucked in some trays of onions seedlings to harden off for their pending transplant... 

 

On her visit today, Lori pointed out that the combination of weathered red brick, knotty tan wood, and vibrant green onions is quite the combo. I agree!

No Foolin

I cannot believe it is April 1st. Or can I?! The winter was a bit of a funky one... not enough snow for many people's liking. Warmer than a New England winter should ever be. And now spring is truly upon us. Pat + I spent the day outdoors. We went for a couple of wooded walks around town then came back to work in the greenhouse for a bit. 

I watered newly transplanted and emerging green leafy goodies while Pat finished the brick path on the south side of the high tunnel. Not bad for an April Fools Day afternoon.  

yikes!

I don’t think I can come up with a good excuse as to why my last post was 15 weeks ago! (though, after proof-reading this, I think the excuse is here somewhere)
Seeing as how it is now the first week of March and I am back in the saddle of early spring greenhouse work, it is time to start ‘er up again.

Here is a *brief* recap of the past few months - with photos!

The winter has been a busy one. I seeded the high tunnel way back in November with greens and such. By mid December, I had food growing in earnest and was able to harvest well into January until sub-zero temps put all growing to a halt. These photos were taken December 15th:

The low temps, however, did not kill the plants... So, just about 3 weeks ago, everything thawed out and started to perk back up. Longer days and somewhat higher temps have made the high tunnel green again. This week brings a big harvest for the Thursday lunch crowd at the school and there will be a cooking class here on March 17 that will also be using our high tunnel greens. I am currently getting in there to seed for the spring - peas please... These photos were taken March 5th!

What else... the main things keeping me busy these past few months have been kids, travel, and fish.

I stumbled into childcare around Thanksgiving and have been pretty steady ever since. Having not babysat since I was in 

high school, I was a little surprised how quickly I adjusted to a different pace of life. Caring for 4 different kids (not all at the same time - oiy!) all under the age of 6 has definitely given me a lot of perspective! Of course, being a farmer and a foodie... much of what we do together is EAT! (yes that is macaroni on pizza  - both of which are gluten free!)

Pat is settling well into Vermont life.
Back in November, Dan came up to hep with the settle (read: pick out Victorian furniture?!) Dan and I also took a spin around Lake Bomoseen in a pair of kayaks!

We are once again doing a back-and-forth style of dating. That doesn’t stop us from packing up and heading out on adventures together, though! Christmas + New Years took us to the Mid-Atlantic to see family and friends.

 

And February took us on a whirlwind trip out to LA - via Amtrak from Boston to DC (not on purpose!) then a flight to LA. 30+ hours of travel for <30 hours of California time. WORTH IT!

Go fish... in December I took on a fish ‘business’ from a friend of mine. I wouldn’t quite call myself a monger - okay, I might call myself a monger form time to time, but I don’t think I actually qualify! I sold some fish at a winter market in December. I had to rely on YouTube to teach me how to cut HUGE slabs of swordfish and Tuna into steaks, but it worked! And in January started up a fish “CSA”. Or is it CSF?! Either way I am now doing 6-week rounds of weekly fish shares for $60. That’s $10 per week and it is as fresh as fresh can be. Right out of Portland, ME; I only choose local, wild-caught fish; it is awesome. I have been enjoying a weekly catch and have been providing such to over 30 families! We’ve gotten everything form Haddock to Pollock, shrimp to clams!

Phew! That mostly sums it up. From here on out I'll be getting back into regular posting. Stay tuned!

farm tour (with photos!)

A few weeks ago we had a CSA member potluck to gather together, enjoy food, talk about the season, etc. After the meal we headed out into the fields for a tour of the gardens and to look at what's to come next season. 

Here are some photos Jenny, TCS director + CSA member, took:

 

One of our really productive crops this year was beans, both fresh and drying. While all that's left of the fresh beans is whatever is in the freezer, the drying beans are in the greenhouse - drying! 

 

 Also in the greenhouse (and the new high tunnel) are greens! Little lettuces, big radishes, arugula, spinach, and chard - oh my!

Speaking of radishes, how about a sample?!

Out in the fields, there are some things to be seen: new no-till beds, Brussels sprouts, and kale. There is also lettuce, being protected by some row cover, of course.  

Although the CSA season has ended for 2011, I am still growing over here. Weekly harvests on Thursdays of kale, lettuce, chard, arugula, and whatever else is toughing out cold nights and soaking up daily sunshine!

I am really excited to see how the winter goes and I look forward to next year's summer growing season, too.

Tomayto, Tomahto

It is tomato time... The vines are ripe with fruit in the high tunnel: 

Sungolds, Brown Berry, and White cherries. 

Prudens Purple, Cosmonaut, Yellow Brandywine, Green Zebra, and Rose De Berne heirlooms.

With all of the other veggies coming into form, it finally looks, smells and tastes like summer!

Many hands

The past two days on the farm have been EPIC!

Tuesday morning, Sarah and Daimon from NHIAF came by to help in the high tunnel, stringing up tomatoes... it's starting to look and smell like summer in there! Daimon even piked 2011's first Sungold tomato! 

A new member to the farm crew, Jared, started, too. A TCS graduate, Jared is home from college and looking for work, and boy do we have plenty of that!

In the afternoon, Blythe and crew came by from The World Fellowiship Center for a farm tour and to help weed the flower garden. I couldn't let them leave empty handed, so we stopped by the collard greens on the tour to load up!

Today we had a visit from Camp Robindale. The girls stopped by on their way to an overnight camping trip up north. It was fun to have a group of 'city gals' on the farm, learning about veggies and soaking up some farmer sun!

more planting

Kim Grace came over yesterday to continue what Jessica started on Saturday while I was at market: planting tomatoes in the high tunnel! Thanks to a generous donation from one of our CSA members, we were able to build true no-till beds with compost and a thin layer of newspaper to suppress weeds.

While Kim was planting 'inside', Jessica and I were diligently doing the same 'outside'. Rows and rows of kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and collards greens went in yesterday. A rainbow of yummy brassicas!   

Special Delivery

Two major items arrived at the farm in the past two days: Patrick M. Griffin and the materials for the new high tunnel, to be built and installed by Ledgewood Farms. 

Oddly enough, the prep for each of these special deliveries was similar: TIDY UP!

I have to admit, I do not have photos of my weekend-long cleaning session (I'm sparing you toilet brush and mop picts). And I didn't even have a camera ready for his actual arrival, so the ol' camera phone will have to suffice. 

There are, however, before + after shots of the clean-up for the high tunnel... nevermind that the tidying took place after the materials arrived! No-till cleaning means pulling the suckers out one-by-one... good thing the ground is soft and warm - and today was such a sunny, cool, spring-time day to play outside.

Hi, Tunnel

When they asked the quite contrary Mary "how does your garden grow?" she might have answered "under a high tunnel" if she lived where I do now. I mean, mid-winter fresh produce in New Hampshire sounds pretty contrary to me...

High tunnels, or hoop houses - but don't call them greenhouses - are large structures build of metal framing and covered in plastic under which you plant in the ground. This allows for more control of the environment - temperature, light, water - and for longer growing seasons. They make eating local in the winter possible even for people who live above the Mason Dixon and east of, well, California. 

This past weekend I went to a high tunnel workshop in Unity, Maine. 

 On the drive home it was hard not to see high tunnels... It was one of those phenomenons of once you are 'tuned in' to an idea, you see it everywhere... this is one of the roadside attractions somewhere in Maine.  

This spring we are building one here at The Community School. We are getting ours from Ledgewood Farms, so I went over to see for myself what they look like, what size I might want - basically to "talk shop" with the guys in the shop.

At first I was skeptical that a high tunnel was the right thing for the TCS farm this year. But after talking to Rob at Ledgewood, and attending a GREAT workshop, I am sold! I can't wait for this new structure and to grow beneath it.