The 2017 growing season has officially begun! Strawberry plants are uncovered, the garlic is now poking up well above the mulch, and the first beet, carrot and spinach seeds have germinated in the fields. The warm, relatively dry (but not too dry) weather last week was great for seeding peas and greens in the field, unloading supply deliveries, and cleaning up around the farm. We also kept up with the greenhouse schedule which included seeding lettuce, peppers, and tomatoes. The greenhouse and cold frames are bursting with plants ready to go in the ground so we continued to plow, disk, fertilize, and form beds to keep up with our planting schedule. This week it's time to plant our first transplants: leeks, onions, cabbage, and chard.
To get everything done we need both people and tractor implements! Our new chisel plow is great for plowing efficiently and turning in cover crop while keeping more of our soil structure intact than our moldboard plow. After plowing we will disk in remaining debris, lay fertilizer, and then prepare 5 foot wide beds with either the rototiller or the perfecta. With almost 20 beds to plant this week it's a good thing we have more hands on the farm! Last week Rebecca returned for her second season on the farm and Shaun just joined us after farming in Maine. We are very happy for the field and greenhouse help, and the company of course!
Plowing the fields with our new chisel plow!