All posts by Farmer Rebecca

In the Share – Week 20

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broccoli – the favorite fall flower

TOMATOES (F/P) Enjoy this moment while we still have the summer fruits and the flavors of fall.
GREEN BEANS (F/P) We have a bumper crop at the moment as 4 beds of beans decided to ripen all at once! The green beans are called, Jade. Very sweet and long and tender. We have a few more yellow wax and Roma types. Extra Jade beans are on the bulk list this week only.
LETTUCE (F/P) More ruffled red leaf and some new green romaines.
RADISHES OR TURNIPS (F/P) Partial shares get radishes, full shares get a choice.
SWEET PEPPERS (F/P) September peppers are always the best, evenly-ripened and incredibly sweet.
BROCCOLI (F) Nice heads are beginning to form in the patch. Partial shares are next in line.
GARLIC (F/P) Artichoke soft-necked variety. Partial shares get a choice with the herbs.
WINTER SQUASH (F/P) This week you will be receiving acorn & carnival squash varieties with a few butternut thrown in. Check Tom’s blog for our favorite way to eat them – so simple but good.
CHOICE OF GREENS (F/P) The greens are back and looking beautiful. This week we are catching up with the partials giving them a choice of kale, Swiss chard or collards. Full shares choose between Chinese cabbage, tat soi and bok choi.
HERBS OR HOT PEPPERS (F/P) Sage, garlic chives or hot peppers. Sage is nice with winter squash. The hot peppers are plentiful right now. See the bulk list if you’d like to buy some for freezing.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms delivery
NEXT WEEK: More broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, greens, turnips and lettuce. The first sweet potatoes (we delayed this a week as they seem to need a bit more time to cure) and leeks.

Tom and I are routinely asked what our favorite job on the farm is. We both agree that harvesting a good crop ranks pretty high on our list of favorite things. It’s even better when it’s a highly-desireable crop like broccoli. The fall plantings are looking very good and we hope to have the cruciferous flower in the shares from now until the end of the season.


broccoli and it’s paler cousin, cauliflower, in full leaf out.
The 2010 member survey shows that broccoli is your favorite too. You want us to produce more broccoli over any other vegetable. Only the juicy ‘berries’ catagory had more requests, but not many more. Other favorites were tomatoes and spinach.

Another tidbit from the survey include that 100% of you think your time at the farm was utilized ‘effectively’. Glad to hear it. We surely appreciate your help. For example, this past Saturday a crew of about 16 picked 180 lbs. of green beans in addition to the greens and roots included in that day’s shares. We’re pretty sure that’s a record for one morning’s work. Check out the stop action video.

We thank you all for putting up with the ‘very, very hot days’, the bending over, waking up early on a Saturday and the dirt. Your comments are welcomed here and we hope to improve the experience, with the obvious caveats about weather included, for next season and beyond.

Getting ‘hot and dirty’ was also one of your favorite aspects about farm work. As was ‘seeing where the food comes from’, ‘getting up and out that early and spending time with my son’ and ‘educating the kids’. One member stated they ‘actually loved weeding the strawberry patch’ and more of you liked harvest.

Meanwhile, our dedicated crew of FSF CSA Core Group members won high praises. We agree with you all that the distribution teams are doing a great job of making the process easy and flexible. While membership on the Core Group replaces the farm shift requirement, it surely requires more time and equal effort. Special thanks goes to the talented Gary Glauberman, who created and coordinated the survey. It was a beautiul thing.
And one last thanks to the talented Lauren, who has been working alongside us for over a week. She came to visit farm apprentice Emily and in the process harvested, planted and worked in the compost. We appreciate her fortitude and joyful spirit and wish her all the best on her travels.

Emily and Lauren at the Equinox sunrise.

In the Share – Week 19

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freshly dug potatoes

TOMATOES (F/P) Another week out of the last planting
POTATOES (F) An assortment of types from the last of the crop. Sweet potatoes will fill their shoes starting next week.
ONIONS (F/P) Yellow storage types
GREEN BEANS (F/P) Everyone gets a choice of the green Jade, yellow wax or Roma flat-pod types.
PINK BEAUTY RADISHES (F/P) They are pretty. Partial shares get a choice of okra with theirs.
COLLARDS OR KALE (F) The fall greens are here. See Tom’s blog for more info. on the collards.
BROCCOLI, SWEET PEPPERS OR CUCUMBERS (F) The first of the fall broccoli looks good with hopefully much more to come. This will be the last week of the cucumbers.
LETTUCE (F/P) Finally some nice big heads. One in each share.
ARUGULA, BASIL OR PARSLEY (F/P) Arugula is back along with the parsley. The basil is still kicking.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery delivery

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, peppers, beans, lettuce and broccoli. Perhaps Hakurei turnips. Sweet potatoes and sage. Garlic and some bok choi. More radishes and arugula.

Well, the internet is a bit dicey tonight, so I dare not take too much time in posting. This week has been real pleasant. We have the fields cleaned up pretty nice. Every summer things get a little hectic and we fall behind until around mid-September when we finally catch up.

We planted another round of head lettuce on Monday. We were a bit late with that planting in the greenhouse, so it will be awhile before it’s ready. We’ll have lettuce for another couple of weeks and then it looks like we’ll have a gap before this last planting is ready in October.

Before last night’s .75 inches of rain we were able to sow the winter cover crops of rye and vetch. Tom also prepared some new ground above the strawberry patch. It will take awhile for the sod to decompose, but after a few spadings and a spring cover crop it should be ready for 2011 fall crops.

Well, I better get off of here before I get kicked off. We have a big day tomorrow. Lots of beans and greens to pick. If you have some free time, we’d love to see you out in the fields!

In the Share – Week 18

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this week’s harvest

TOMATOES (F/P) The last planting of the season is giving us some real red beauties.
GARLIC (F/P) Artichoke soft-neck.
SWEET PEPPERS (F/P) It is pepper season. With many green fruits on the plants we are hoping for a couple more weeks of warm weather to keep them ripening.
CUCUMBERS (F/P) They won’t be around much longer so enjoy them while you can.
LETTUCE (F) Some small heads from the first fall planting that is starting to bolt.
YELLOW POTATOES (P) With all the rain last week we couldn’t dig the potatoes for the partial shares. Here they are now.
CHOICE OF OKRA, HOT PEPPERS, SALSA PACK OR GREEN BEANS (F) Lots of okra and hot peppers. Only a few salsa packs and hopefully a decent amount of beans finally.
CHOICE OF GREENS: KALE OR SWISS CHARD (F) We may fill in with sweet potato greens if the kale and chard aren’t enough.
HERB CHOICE: (F/P) Basil, marjoram or garlic chives.
ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms delivery
NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, cucumbers, okra and peppers. Potatoes for the full shares, lettuce for the partials. Arugula and maybe radishes. Yellow Onions.


Spring 2004

Eight years ago this November, Tom and I moved to the abandoned homestead of the family farm. The 1930s era farmhouse and the 100+yr old barn were still standing although wildlife seemed more at home in them in the beginning than we did. We had apprenticed on organic vegetable farms for two years and thought we knew what we were getting into. In reality we found that while the apprenticeships were invaluable, there really is no way to know how to farm a particular piece of land than through doing it.
We knew that our topsoil was a silty clay loam with a clay subsoil beneath. We would be farming wind-blown soil, or loess, blown here during the end of the last ice age as the glaciers receded. The Loess Plateau extends up through Iowa and is one of the most fertile regions of America’s Breadbasket.
That is all fine and dandy until we realized what lay below our pretty glacial dust. Good ole Missouri clay. Just like the ponds that dot every farm around, our soil holds water. The clay forms an impermeable layer that allows excess moisture to pool and suffocate the roots of tender plants. We learned this lesson our second year of farming when all of our tomatoes and potatoes rottted in what had been productive ground the season before. Lucky for you, eight years later we have a few strategies that are helping us cope with the 7 inches of rain over the past 2 weeks. Here are a few examples of how the crops are doing.

Bolting lettuces after the rain.
It’s interesting that different varieties respond differently to the weather. While the Forellenschluss and Quattro Stagioni lettuces are bolting, the New Red Fire in the foreground is holding firm.

Summer squash with mildew
Right next door the sweet potatoes show no signs of stress.

In the Share – Week 17

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TOMATOES (F/P) There is a few more juicy jewels of summer left
POTATOES (F/P) More of the yellow-fleshed, creamy type
ONIONS (F/P) We’re clearing out the last of the sweeter varieties, some red, white and yellow.
SWEET PEPPERS (F/P) We grow bells and marconis, the latter being the elongated pointy ones.
SUMMER SQUASH (F) We still have lots of these dependable summer fruits. Check Farmer Tom’s blog for the Ruggieri family recipe.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH (F) You know fall is coming when you start eating the winter squash. We have a bumper crop this year of butternuts, acorns, carnivals and pumpkins. While we wait for the other fall crops to mature, we are filling the lull with the smaller ones. They keep well so there’s no rush to eat them.
SWEET POTATO GREENS (P) Okay partial shares, it is your turn to try something new. Check last week’s blog for all the info on cooking these satisfying greens.
CUCUMBERS (F) That 4 inches of rain last week was a bit too much for the cucumbers but they are starting to pick up again.
SMALL LETTUCE (F/P) Ditto on the effects of the 4 inches of rain, however the lettuce is less forgiving. Our first planting for the fall is beginning to bolt, i.e. send up a flower stalk and turn bitter. We are picking it at ‘baby’ size in order to that we may all eat it while it is still edible.
OKRA, HOT PEPPERS OR EGGPLANT (F) The okra is in it’s prime right now. Take advantage as the season won’t last much longer. We’re hoping on a flush of peppers and eggplant to come later in September.
HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, thyme, garlic chives or a dried herb

ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery shares delivery

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, summer squash and okra. Garlic returns. We’re still waiting on the kale. Partial shares will get their butternut.

The end of August is here and we feel like we’ve finally passed over the hump of the growing season. Most all the crops are planted and all we have to do is tend to them and harvest. Well, not exactly. There’s a big ole list of things that should be done. However, at the end of August it does become harder to keep up the same intensity of work that has been the norm since April. We wonder if it is the barometric pressure, but undoubtedly we are just tired.

This is not to say that we are unhappy with our lot. On the contrary we consider ourselves supremely lucky to breathe in the fresh air and eat well off of the fruits of our labor.

In the Share – Week 16

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SWEET POTATO GREENS (F) a seasonal treat. It is time for the plant to stop growing greens and start bulking up those roots. See Tom’s post for more info.

TOMATOES (F/P) We have not had our best tomato year. The cold snap in May and the humid summer did not help. But we do still have a few for everyone for another couple of weeks.
CARROTS (F) sweet orange ones.
GARLIC (F/P) of the hardneck variety
SUMMER SQUASH (F/P) get it while it last!
GREEN BEANS (F) The first picking of the last planting.
CUCUMBERS (P) ditto
OKRA OR SWEET PEPPERS (F) Rumor is the okra is more popular than sweet peppers. You don’t say.
SALSA PACK, EGGPLANT OR HOT PEPPERS (F)
BASIL, GARLIC CHIVES OR COMMON CHIVES (F) partials gets a choice of either herbs or garlic.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms delivery
NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, squash and peppers. Potatoes and onions return. Perhaps some kale. Won’t be long before we have some lettuce again.
It seems no matter where we go lately we see butterflies. Of every size and color, they are everywhere. One of their favorite meeting spots apppears to be our compost pile. Here is a photo of them gorging on the leftovers from the melon harvest.

The Limenitis arthemis astyanax, or Red-spotted Purple, seems to be particularly inclined towards the watermelon rinds. They are the blue and black ones with the red dots on their wingtips.

Butterflies are not the only creatures that seem to be thriving on the farm. Our daily tasks in the fields are often accompanied by a cry for everyone to gather for the latest critter needing inspection. Most are harmless; many are fascinating. Moth larvae with strange protuberances along their bodies, robber flies carrying off their latest prey, large black ants setting up house in a winter squash and even crawfish entertain us with their weird beauty.

In amongst the sage plants, we discovered a large and quite beautiful moth, although we later discovered that it is the adult form of the tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) a quite formidable pest if left to devour a plant from the top down.

The farm’s ecosystem also supports a large population of frogs and toads. Here is a leopard frog blending in amongst the mulch of the flower patch.

We are heartened to see all the life that shares the fields with us. Amphibians and reptiles, butterflies and moths are especially sensitive to toxins that are commonly used in chemical farming systems. Leopard frogs, in particular, are seen as environmental indicator species.

In the Share – Week 15

late summer, winter squash


WATERMELON (F/P) One last week of melons. The scorching heat did a number on the last planting, but we found enough to get everyone a red or yellow one.
TOMATOES (F/P) Another 3 or 4, but also some romas or cherry tomatoes thrown in.
POTATOES (F/P)
RED AND WHITE ONIONS (F/P) One of each
SUMMER SQUASH (F) There will be a few warty yellow ones in the mix, Rugosa Friulana from the region near Venice, Italy. It’s a bit ugly, but has good flavor with no squeaky texture.
SWEET PEPPERS OR OKRA (F/P) See Tom’s post for the best okra recipe ever (no slime!) submitted by of your fellow CSA members.
EGGPLANT (F) I know it is not a familiar vegetable to alot of my fellow Midwesterners, but it grows well in our region. There are more recipes for eggplant than any other vegetable, many of which are quite delicious.
SALSA PACK/PEPPERS (F) The tomatillos are slowing down, so some will get another shot at sweet peppers instead of the salsa.
HERB CHOICE: Basil, thyme or a dried herb.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery delivery

NEXT WEEK: more tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra and squash. Cucumbers, green beans, carrots and garlic return.

The big break in the weather this past weekend signaled our entrance into late summer. The final plantings of cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and squash will be on the plate for another few weeks. The peppers, eggplant and okra have been growing since early spring, but have one last push through the month of September before falling to frost. These summer fruits will continue to be combined with the storage crops of potatoes, onions, carrots and garlic safely kept in the upper barn.

our newest addition to the stores

Winter squash has recently joined its fellow keepers in the barn. After we harvested the standard issue of tomatoes, squash, cukes, peppers, eggplant, okra and tomatillos in preparation for tomorrow’s shares, the rest of today was spent harvesting a lovely crop of butternut, acorn squash and pie pumpkins.

Our relationship with winter squash is a tumultous one. We love them as they are tasty and keep far into the winter. All too often, however, we have been left at the end of fall with no crop. Vine borers, squash bugs and cucumber beetles along with various viruses, mildews and wilts are formidable opponents for an organic farmer armed with row cover and not much else. This year a combination of technique and luck seems to have paid off. We added generous amounts of Missouri Organic compost and used the Allis-Chalmers G to make hills. The weather was pretty ideal during most of their growth -warm and relatively dry. So, who knows what made the difference and really, in the end, who cares! We’ve got lots of winter squash to eat! But not yet, in a couple weeks. We’ll put them in the share when they are fully cured and when a warm butternut squash soup sounds just right.

In the Share – Week 14

irrigation

TOMATOES (F/P) Another week of an adequate tomato crop, nothing too overwhelming. Plants that survived the cold, wet early May are doing horrid compared to those planted afterward, some of which are slow to ripen.

WATERMELON (F/P) A choice of two varieties: the red Sangria (oblong and grassy-green on the outside) or the yellow Peace (more round and a lighter green with dark green stripes). As our favorite Coop seed company, Fedco, says “Give Peace a chance”.
SALSA PACK (F/P) All full shares get them, partial shares get a choice with carrots
CARROTS All orange this week
GARLIC (F/P) An artichoke softneck variety
HERB CHOICE: Basil, garlic chives or a dried herb. Partial shares choose between garlic and herbs.
SUMMER SQUASH (F) Running out of summer squash recipes? The last planting of the season is just coming on now. Check out FSF CSA member Emily Akin’s blog for a recipe for vegetarian squash burgers
CHERRY TOMATOES OR RATTLESNAKE BEANS (F) The pole beans are beginning to slow, so enjoy them while you can
HOT PEPPERS OR EGGPLANT (P) Check Tom’s blog from last week for the hot pepper i.d.
EGGPLANT, SWEET PEPPERS OR OKRA (F) Nothing loves the heat more than the okra.
ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms shares delivery
NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, squash, peppers, eggplant and salsa. A few more melons. The last planting of cucumbers may be starting. Potatoes and onions return.
When Tom and I first moved back to the Graff-Cave Family Farm in the fall of 2002 the region was in the second year of a two-year drought. Photographs from the time contain lots of burned-up grass and stunted crops. Our first irrigation system was built in a hurry out of resources on hand. The old cattle pond served as water source and a gas-powered generator pumped the water to our thirsty crops. It wasn’t a very elegant solution, but it kept our plants alive along with our dream of building a truly sustainable farm.
Fast forward to 2010 during a hot, dry summer. Yes, I said dry. Most everyone in the region is feeling the heat this summer, but most have had record rainfall to go with it. Not us. We count ourselves lucky to have missed the 2-5 inch deluges that others have received. The headline of the KC STAR today reads First rain, now heat causes grumbling among growers. While our neighbors to the north and south have much to grumble about, we have been spared for the most part (what’s my excuse then?!).


pond full of water makes farmer sleep easy
Dry weather can only be looked upon as good luck if you have an dependable irrigation system. Ours has come along way since our first year at the farm. A new pond and a solar-powered pump bring water to our fields cleanly, quietly and cheaply with a rate of at least 25 gallons per minute. We’ve been pumping thousands of those gallons on our fields for the better of three weeks now and will probably be pumping for a couple weeks more. As long as we get the usual soaking fall rains, the pond should recharge quickly. Irrigation is especially critical for establishing the fall crops.
Newly transplanted cabbage with drip tape
The next chapter in the irrigation saga is about to unfold. Energize Missouri Agriculture, a program funded with Federal stimulus dollars is helping us expand our solar-powered system. With cost-share funds we were able to purchase additional solar panels and underground supply pipe that will make our system more energy-efficient with better pressure so that we can bring water to the highest sections of the farm. We will be installing the supply line in the next month or two, as soon as the weather breaks and we have time to get to it.
pile of pipe and valve boxes waiting to be put to use

In the Share – Week 13

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TOMATOES (F/P) The heat is ripening them fast right now and the dry weather is concentrating their flavor.

POTATOES (F/P) Mainly Kennebec but we’ll be filling in with some Desiree. The links take you to our supplier of potato seed.
WALLA WALLA ONIONS (F/P) Not many more sweeties, but we think enough for everyone this week.
SALSA PACK (F) Last year’s survey prompted us to grow more salsa fixins and they just keep on coming.
HOT PEPPERS OR EGGPLANT (F) See Tom’s post for more info on the different types of hot peppers that we grow.
CUCUMBERS AND SWEET PEPPERS (F) One of each
SUMMER SQUASH (F) More sweet little pattypans
RATTLESNAKE POLE BEANS (F/P) Our favorite beans, so tender and with real bean flavor.
CANTALOUPE (P) Keep these out of your fridge until completely ripe and sweet. The cantaloupe go to the partial shares in KC this week, since they didn’t receive any last week. Partial shares on Saturday will get salsa packs instead.
HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, Summer savory, Garlic chives or a dried herb.
ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery shares
NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, summer squash, beans, eggplant, peppers and salsa. Perhaps the first watermelons. More carrots and garlic.
We know what you are all wondering. Yes, it is hot even for us seasoned, acclimated-to-the-outdoors farmers. The good news is the crops so far seem to be taking it in stride more than the humans who are tending them. It helps that we have a big pond of irrigation water and that most of our summer crops have either a thick layer of mulch or have a vining habit that creates it’s own shade. Our biggest challenge is caring for the newly-planted fall crops. Yesterday I cultivated our baby fall cauliflower, brussel sprouts and broccoli with our electric Allis Chalmers G.
While the tractor gets alot of the weeds, we still need to come through with hoes for the weeds in row and any others that survived. That took the rest of the afternoon, but by the end they were weed-free and getting a good dose of water.
Harvesting takes up the majority of our time at the moment. It is a pretty enjoyable task, especially when the crop is good. And when you have a great crew to help.

Here are the Saturday bean pickers after a hot slog through 400 ft. of pole beans … and still smiling.
Harvesting requires close inspection of each plant and often leads to discoveries beyond the crop itself. As with this perfect little bird nest amongst the drying tomatoes.
(yes, we grow tomatoes suited for dehydrating. Check the bulk list for more info.)

Harvesting also rewards us with big dose of all natural color therapy. Working our way through the squash patch we are cheered by their many sunny flowers.

And there’s one of “our” honeybees working to feed her community and also increasing our crops in the process. Thank you honeybees!

In the Share – Week 12

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TOMATOES (F/P) See below for some photo i.d. on a few of our favorite heirloom varities. Full shares also get a choice of romas or cherry tomatoes.

COLORFUL CARROTS (F/P)
CANTALOUPE (F) We are just a few short of filling the full shares at the BadSeed tomorrow. If we don’t get you one tomorrow, you’ll get one soon. Many more are ripening on the vine.
MIX-N-MATCH: CUCUMBERS AND SQUASH (F/P) Take your pick of whatever combination.
EGGPLANT (F)
SALSA PACK (F/P) For those new to the salsa packs, just chop the whole bag of goodies and add a tomato and a little vinegar. For a real treat roast your salsa like Tom did last season.
GARLIC (F) Fresh and juicy but fully cured now.
GREEN BEANS (F) Some will get the first pickings from the Rattlesnake pole beans with the purple striping.
HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, Parsley, Summer savory.
ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms delivery
NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and salsa. Potatoes and onions return. Cantaloupe and maybe the first watermelons.
The summer harvest is in full swing. The farm crew now harvests all day Tuesday and Friday in preparation for the CSA-assisted harvests on Wednesday and Saturday. When not juggling the fruits of our labor, we squeeze in time to tend to the fall crops. Carrots, beets, turnips, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower have been planted so far.
And when the day is done, we admire the fruits of our labor and then we eat them. Here’s some of our favorites.
Brandywine – luscious, the belle of the heirloom court.

Goldie – a variety going back as far as 150 years. An oldie but a goodie.


Nyagous – small but packs a punch of smokey flavor

Aunt Ruby’s German Green – ripe when bright green and oh, so good.
Cherokee Purple – full-flavored like the finest steak.

In the Share – Week 11

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TOMATOES (F/P) We send in ripe ones and some that will be ripe within a week. Store on your counter and eat when it’s brightly colored and soft.
POTATOES (F/P) I’d really like to tell you what variety we are digging tomorrow, but a thunderstorm kept us from sampling the crop tonight. We’ll just keep it a suprise until pickup.
WALLA WALLA ONIONS (F/P) More sweet ones, now from the curing loft upstairs in the barn. Thanks to all those hard-working CSA members we’ve got over half of the onion crop harvested.
SUMMER SQUASH (F) Every summer there comes a time when we have more squash than we can shake a stick at. That time is now. There will be extra at the end of the line this week and more will be donated to area food pantries.
CUCUMBERS (F) Ditto on the cucumbers. It’s time for a big bowl of greek salad!
GREEN BEANS (F/P) Full shares get a choice with cherry tomatoes.
EGGPLANT AND PEPPERS (P) One of each from the developing patch. The purple peppers are ‘green’, or unripe. We are picking them while we wait for the rest of the crop to ripen.
SALSA PACK (F) The tomatillos & jalapenos are doing great. More salsa packs for the partials next week.
CABBAGE OR BEETS (F) The last of the cabbage or beets until fall (partials, you get ’em next).
HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, Parsley or Summer Savory
ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery shares
NEXT WEEK: more tomatoes, cukes, squash, salsa and beans. Carrots and garlic return. maybe melons either next week or the week after.
THANKSGIVING IN JULY
The tomatoes are ripening, the cooler is bursting with summer squash and cucumbers, and we can barely walk in the fields without tripping over melon and butternut vines, yet there’s alot of signs of the coming fall around here.
We start the fall crops at the picnic tables where we seed the flats.

They sprout and grow in the shade tents. The greenhouse is far too hot.

Just before planting we spread compost and harrow it in.

Then its on to our new transplanter.
And just like that you’ve got 15oo plants in the ground in the span of an afternoon. Thanks to the fabulous farm crew who got the job done despite a nasty spider bite, super steamy weather, nausea, and a delayed honeymoon.