New Opportunity for Members
Posted: Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
We are excited to offer a unique way for members to get to know the farm and become part of where your food comes from. This year we built a beautiful platform tent. The intention was for it to be living quarters for either an apprentice or intern. We knew at the onset that there was a possibility that in a given season things may not work out with an apprentice. As it would happen in our first year– things did not work out. We learned an enormous amount from the experience and with more time to reflect we may accept another apprentice next year.
In making the decision to invested in a nice structure, we also considered a secondary purpose – a place for CSA members, friends, or family to stay during visits and CSA events. So we’d like to open the tent for availability on a first reserve basis to CSA Members! Land around the tent is also level, for additional tents to be set up. So if you are looking for a super cheap vacation, consider making a trip to the farm during the Garlic Harvest gathering or during Raspberry U-Pick season.
The tent is 12×14 with an 8 foot porch. It has a full sized bed and woodstove. Lanterns and a two burner propane cook stove are also provided. We know that members will be eager to stay over during CSA events and throughout raspberry picking season. Please email or call ahead to reserve it. We would gratefully accept a donation for the use of firewood and fuel. Watch for specific dates the tent will be available in the coming newsletters.
Also, we would consider longer term visitors if you have a skill or trade that you would be willing to put to use on the farm– artist, carpenter, artisan.
In other news, things have been soggy around here! We have many more planting to be done and really need for the soil to dry out before we rotovate (a big rototiller). None the less there is still plenty for the crew to do this week: Monday, Tuesday: harvest wash and pack your CSA boxes; Wednesday: pick potatoes bugs off the new potatoes that are starting to flower, finish mulching the tomatoes (our first planting is eleven 400 foot rows planted 18 inches apart); Thursday: if it is dry enough rotovate and transplant, and seed the next succession of crops– green bean # 2, broccoli #3, sweet corn #2, carrot # 3, winter squash, spinach #4, Salad Mix # 4, rutabagas, and the remaining Thyme and Sage, and, and, and! The list of planting goes on, as we plant regularly until fall with the last plantings for overwintering (like spinach and scallions). The most intense time for planting, however, is April thru mid-July in order to harvest by heavy frost (which around here is toward the end of September).
The weeds are able to thrive in the current humid, wet conditions. It is easy for them to jump from 1/2 inch in height to 4 inches, making weed control techniques critical during these wet spring days. We have a cultivating tractor and some ancient cultivators, which assist the many long human hours of hoeing and hand pulling tiny in-row (between each plant in the row) weeds. June and July are the main months of fast emerging weeds such as fox tail, quake grass and various broadleaves (pig weed, lambs quarters and velvet leaf). For many years we tried to combat the weeds on our own, with many crops needing to be saved at the last moment. Now, we hire a custom weeding crew for one to two days a week for a month or two. This has been a real cost-effective and efficient use of our time. Have a good week!
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