Tag Archives: pepper planting

Peregrine Farm News Vol. 16 #15, 5/10/19

What’s been going on! 

Sorry for the late newsletter, way too much going on, May.  Thanks to all for the kind and interesting messages from last week’s newsletter, apparently we are not the only ones who have been caught up in both the advancement of a movement or business and the changes in technology.  What’s that saying?  The pioneers take all the arrows?

One of the things that we are most torn about with the new Peregrine Farm plan is the loss of the whole pepper program.  We are sorry for all of the pepper devotees who have supported us for so many years and certainly the last 11 years of roasting peppers at the market.  There are a lot of great pepper growers at market so quickly there will be adequate supply for everyone.

This would normally be the start of pepper week at the farm as we prepared the fields for the planting of nearly 3000 plants of usually 30 plus varieties.  It was always the last of the big hurdles for the season but once done with the planting we still had six months of trellising, picking and roasting to go.  Today I planted our one, hundred foot row, with just 130 plants of six varieties just for or our consumption (we do a lot of eat peppers, fresh and frozen, almost every day all year).  Yet another moment that felt odd this spring but hey, I was done in an hour with fabric mulch, trellis and planting included.

Picture of the Week

IMG_20190509_171527 Basil and Cukes coming to market tomorrow.

 What’s going to be at Market? Continue reading →

Peregrine Farm News Vol. 14 #15, 5/26/17

What’s been going on!

Rain, rain, rain.  We are somewhere north of 4 inches this week and things are just soaked but no flooding.  We did push really hard on Monday, seeing the potential for too much water, and got all the peppers in the ground!

It is always a big job but with four of us we were on a roll and the soil was not so wet from the half inch of rain the night before that we couldn’t easily plant.  Even the no-till section was friable enough to tuck them in.  At one point every time I stuck the trowel in the ground I turned up an earthworm, always a good sign!  In the end 2800 plants that are now well watered in and already greening up nicely.

For the most part we have been able to work at least every morning this week and pick berries.  The sad result of the really heavy rain on Wednesday night was that it knocked a huge number of blueberries off the bushes that we just couldn’t get picked earlier in the week.  I do think this is the last week of blueberries for this year, only two weeks.

Picture of the Week

P1030458

No-till peppers happy to be in the ground

What’s going to be at the market? Continue reading →

Peregrine Farm News Vol. 11 #12, 5/30/14

What’s been going on!

A huge week.  Starting with getting all the peppers in the ground, ending with the start of blueberry picking.  We have moved our pepper planting date back to the third week of May for numerous reasons.  Most people plant their peppers too early when the soil is still cool and the weather unsettled, by the end of May those conditions have improved and the plants can really take off, growing a strong plant that doesn’t have to struggle to get established.  We have two other reasons to plant later; one- we want to let the hairy vetch cover crop get to bloom stage for maximum nitrogen and it is easier to kill, two- because we are in the colored bell business we want the peak of our harvest to be in the somewhat dryer and cooler nights of early September when the fruit quality is higher.  If we were in the green bell business, it wouldn’t matter as much, those things are tough as nails.

Conditions were perfect the end of last week go get the soil ready and Friday was not too hot so that the plants went in without too much stress.  The soil moisture and texture for the no till planting of bell peppers was a good as we have ever had and we rolled quickly through the planting.  A good watering in with the hose and then a long irrigation a few days later and the whole field looks as beautiful as can be possible.

While we could have picked some blueberries last Friday, we always feel we rush it a bit and the first ones aren’t as full ripe as if we wait a few days so Monday was the first official day and we had a small crew make the first pass through the field.  Now they are really rolling, fortunately other than a few days it has not been really hot so we are able to keep up, barely.  Next week should be the peak and we will need more pickers, if you know of any able bodies who might want to come out and pick any weekday morning have them contact us.  We pay cash, $8 an hour for the most enjoyable job anyone has ever had.

Just one week out from the Farm to Fork Picnic.  This year we are paired with our friend and good customer Bret Jennings from Elaine’s on Franklin.  We are still working on our menu items but for sure a blueberry desert and something savory.  Get your tickets now while they are still available and help raise money for new and beginning farmer programs at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and the Breeze Farm in Orange County

Picture of the Week

???????????????????????????????

A lot of beautiful berries to pick

What’s going to be at the market? Continue reading →

Peregrine Farm News Vol. 9 #10, 5/23/12

What’s been going on!

One of those really busy weeks with lots of moving parts.  We did push hard and got all the peppers in the ground by Friday, 2600 plants, 26 varieties, 20 beds, hallelujah!  The change of seasons is upon us as we mowed down and turned under most of the spring vegetables, all of the over wintered flowers and the scary weeds that accompanied them.  The place looks so much better now.

We always get behind during blueberry season and this is when we have a tendency to lose some things to the weeds but the weather was just right the beginning of the week and with the extra help of some blueberry pickers we were able to get most everything weeded and cultivated.  The rain held off just long enough for us to get the next round of flowers planted too.  Six beds of celosia, more zinnias, asters and sunflowers.  With any luck we will plant the winter squash today.

Sandwiched in between was the Farm to Fork picnic on Sunday, which went beautifully.  We had a great time with Seth and Thomas from Pazzo restaurant and the torn Lacinato Kale salad with lemon, olive oil, parmesan cheese got rave reviews.  The weather was perfect and the nearly 700 guests and volunteers all appeared to really enjoying it.

Picture of the Week

Thomas and Seth dishing up the Lacinato Kale salad

What’s going to be at the market? Continue reading →