Tag Archives: planting

Peregrine Farm News Vol. 14 #12, 5/5/17

What’s been going on!

“May is always the worst” I reminded Jennie the other day as she looked worriedly out across the field.  Everything hits at once.  Not only is there the most diversity of crops to harvest and process but all the other farm tasks ramp up too.

The weeds grow with extra vigor, it gets hotter and (usually) dryer so the attention to irrigation becomes more critical and like the weeds the crops that need support are getting so tall that trellis must be built for them before they fall over.  Mowing, weed eating and more crops to plant.

While we plant something almost every week of the year the last big planting projects happen in May too.  This week the winter squash, believe it or not, went into the bottom field that was underwater just 8 days ago!  A quarter of an acre plus and we are doing a tillage/weed control experiment so it adds yet another permutation to think about instead of just putting the plants in.

Now we are headed to pepper planting, in the next two weeks we will prep half the beds with the final tilling, irrigation lines and landscape fabric mulch.  The no-till half will be rolled and crimped to kill the cover crop and then planting slots cut to receive the 2600 transplants waiting patiently in front of the greenhouse.  Never a break in the action and Jennie is doing a great job keeping it all under control.

Picture of the Week

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Rising like the Phoenix, final tilling of the winter squash field on Wednesday

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

Peregrine Farm News Vol. 11 #9, 5/9/14

What’s been going on!

Jennie and Liz say that I have to be more upbeat when it comes to the newsletter; I say I am just reporting what is going on here at the farm occasionally with some editorial comment.  Hey, it’s like a reality TV show but in real time, what happens is sometimes not under our control and I tend not to sugarcoat things.  To that end, we have had a great week and been going like a house a fire getting a lot done.

There is always a week in the spring when all of a sudden the pace quickens, normally it is a few weeks earlier in April but this is the week.  Usually it corresponds with the beginning of deliveries to Weaver Street Market and warmer weather.  It is later this year due to the cooler spring and the fact that all of us local farmers were delayed getting most of our springs crops in the ground because of the wet conditions and the cold.  I have been predicting that the next few weeks will be spectacular at market with everyone harvesting huge amounts of produce, the heat this week will just push things along faster.

Lots of planting this week with the big winter squash field going in yesterday and more lettuce and flowers going in today and tomorrow, another half an acre all together.  Of course with the heat we are having to irrigate everything to keep it moving and still setting up irrigation in the new crops too.  Mowing, markets, deliveries it’s all happening now, compounded with the addition of Graduation and Mother’s Day festivities this weekend, we are running fast.

Just one month 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

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Jennie and Liz planting flowers, the winter squash in the next block all down in the creek bottom field

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