Here’s the recent news from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm in Essex, New York:
“The first transplants are out of the greenhouse and in the ground now. Lettuce, chard, onions, scallions, shallots. Those rows look like someone waved a Technicolor wand over a sepia-toned world. BrownbrownbrownbrownbrownbrownGREEN.
We are trying something new this year: planting directly into a furrow cut into last year’s cover crop of oats, peas and radish. It certainly saves time in plowing and harrowing, and the theory is that the less we disturb the soil, the fewer weed seeds we’ll bring up from below. If it goes bad, it could go really bad, since the residue from the cover crop will make weeding more difficult. For now, everything looks great.
I was nervous about the plants going into such cold soil, because they were not quite hardened off from their cushy beginnings in the greenhouse. We had to push them, knowing we were facing a stretch of rain. I’m happy to report they look absolutely content. They have not grown much, because of the low temperatures this week, but they seem glad enough to sit there until the weather warms up, and then they should take off very quickly.
Thanks to the crew from Middlebury College who helped with planting on Saturday, and to our own crew, who finished in the rain on Monday. Next stretch of dry weather we will get peas in the ground. We should see our first home-grown greens – stinging nettles – in the share in about two weeks. Credit goes to Beth Spaugh at Rehoboth Homestead for the greenhouse spinach in today’s share. Hooray for fresh greens! […]” Continue reading this Essex Farm Note.
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- Full and By Farm: Surprise Visitors (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- Essex Farm: Heavy Fall Work (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
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