What’s been going on!

We made it to May, a glorious week and things are beginning to move.  As director of maintenance and soil management I have been busy on both fronts.  We have had a backlog of building repairs that I have been slowly working on, partly waiting for conducive weather conditions.   A few weeks ago I replaced some weather beaten siding and replaced some decayed wood on the passive solar greenhouse and then rolled a coat of stain on the whole structure.

This week I have torn into the side of the packing shed to do the same resuscitation from too much water hitting the side of the building.  Once finished we will have gutters installed to correct the problem.  There are three or so other similar repair/replace projects on the list for some time this year and then I will have been around all the buildings and that should hold them for another 20 years.

On the soils front we have some beautiful cover crops at or near peak growth so it is time to mow them down and get ready for the cash crops that will follow or plant yet another soil improving cover crop for the summer.  In a perfect world we wait until the legumes are at least at half full bloom when they have pulled all the free nitrogen out of the air and it fixed into the plants themselves.  We are about a week past that point with the crimson clover and about two weeks away for the hairy vetch.  Happy soils.

Don’t forget to vote this week in the primary!

Pictures of the Week

Packing shed surgery

 Awesome crimson clover at full bloom

 What’s going to be at the market?

 Don’t forget Wednesday market today 3:00-6:00!

The vegetables are beginning to rebound from the cool weather.

Little Gem lettuce in Red and Green and the nice Salanova lettuce mix.  More beautiful Spinach for Saturday.  Crispy Red Radishes.  Beautiful dark Lacinato Kale (a.k.a. Dino Kale, Cavalo Nero, Black Kale).  Plenty more Broccoli Raab (Rapini, Cima di Rapa) do not miss it!  Italian Parsley and Dill are here.

We are definitely headed into a flower gap.  Anemones continue on with their delicate blues, pinks and reds but near their end.  Some nice yellow Dutch Iris.

As a reminder if there is anything that you would like for us to hold for you at market just let us know by e-mail, by the evening before, and we will be glad to put it aside for you.  Just so you know, sometimes not everything listed will be at the Wednesday market.

Hope to see you all at the market!

Alex, Betsy and Jennie

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