Category Archives: seeding

Early Spring

cultivating, electric tractor, high tunnel, seeding, transplants

The weather this last week has been rather exceptional. And with a forcast of 70+ degree days for the next week, we have decided to throw caution to the wind and begin seeding early.
Yesterday we got the electric tractor humming and began preparing our beds. First a quick pass to cultivate. At this time of year killing all of the small weeds that have begun to germinate does wonders to reduce weed pressure. In many of the Spring beds a second or third pass is in order to further reduce the “weed seed bank.”

Rebecca cultivating with the G

Next we switched out the cultivator for the “guttering disks” which create a raised bed for us, helping to warm the soil and reduce the potential for a flooded field.

Then the seeder goes on. On Wedensday direct seeding consisted of a bed of spinach (3 rows x 200 feet) and two beds of peas (4 rows x 200 feet). A second planting of each of these is planned in the near future, as is the transplanting of our herbs and onions.
 

Changing out the seeder
Cabbage transplants

While that was going on we were also taking another step towards constructing the high tunnel. A pair of roof purlions run the length of the tunnel and help support the bow and keep them from swaying back and forth. Thanks to Jim Pierce for the loan of his wagoin and scaffold, which allowed for a safe and sturdy work surface.

A final thanks to our 2011 intern, 2012 farm hand and fellow farmer Lucas Knutter. Luke will be working at a farm in Lexington, MO this summer before hopefully returning to the area to start his own farm just north of us. It has been a pleasure to work with Luke the last year, helping as well as learning from him. Good luck Luke.

Luke installing the purlions

Let the Seeding Begin

onions, rocky, seeding, snow geese, soil blocks, tractor
Well it is official, the growing season has started. Last Saturday February 4th our two new interns, Dani Hurst and Ryan Stubby, joined us for half a day to initiate the planting of over 12,000 onion seeds. We finished up the planting yesterday with Luke, and will concentrate on tending to your vegetables for the next 10 months.
Planting the first seed of 2012


Dani making soil blocks
Ryan and Rebecca seeding onions

Along with the seeding, we have been taking advantage of the warm weather to do as much equipment maintenance as possible this year. We are hoping it pays off during the growing season  by minimizing equipment breakdowns, delays, and frustrations, while improving the working life and safety of our machinery.

One piece of equipment we worked on is the spader. For a while now the frame/shroud that surrounds the digging spades has been bent and in need of some adjustment. With a lot of elbow grease from Luke we were able to take the frame apart so that we could work on it.

Local artist/metal worker/handy guy Jeff Becker came up with the solution to bending things back into shape…run over it with the tractor! Well, in true Missouri farmer fashion we used the tools and leverage we had at hand and were able to straighten things out. Re-assembly is on its way.

Spader with bent rake frame
Straightening the frame
This winter season we have seen a lot of birds on the move, more it seems than the last couple years. A huge flock of snow geese flew over the greenhouse on Monday, It was quite a sight and sound. If I had the time I would count the number of birds in the photo out of curiosity.
 
Snow geese on the move

Lastly, a salami update. For the past several years we have been working on perfecting the making of an annual batch of Finocchiana, a peppercorn and fennel seed flavored cured pork salami. The recipes we have used has been consistently good, and when we can get 20 lbs of Parker Farms pork shoulder, the meat quality is the best. The trick has always been the curing process.

To make a tasty (and safe) salami you need to cure it at the proper temperature and humidity. In the past we relied on whatever conditions a cool basement could provide. Then we started curing it in a box of wood ash from our stove. With the construction of our “cave” in the lower part of the barn we are able to control the temp and humidity to the general levels required.

The results have been the most consistent batch of salami yet. Thank you local hogs.

2012 Finocchiana

Finishing Out March

lettuce, seeding, strawberries, transplanting

March has ended with a flourish at Fair Share Farm. We put our 2011 intern Lucas to work a week early, and he helped us accomplish a significant amount of work this week. The plants have started moving out of the greenhouse and into the field. We’ve planted most of the onions, the first batch of lettuce and the kale.

With the weather the way it is looking we hope to plant out the broccoli, cabbage, potatoes, cilantro, dill, and more lettuce next week. We’ve also seeded the first carrots and beets.

Farm beautification has proceeded with piles of brish being cut and fences cleared. We have also cleaned up and “rearranged” many outside storage areas to make them more attractive and useful. Like when you clean up your house for company, it is nice to be pushed to do the work you have always planned on doing.

“Heeling in” the onion transplants

Rebecca seeding beets

Broccoli and cabbage

Lettuce and kale

Uncovering the strawberries

Is it Really Spring?

cold weather, nettles, seeding, spring

We are getting antsy to get going in the fields at Fair Share Farm, but the weather, and our farmer’s sense tell us, be patient. We have learned that a transplant in the greenhouse with warm roots will give us a healthier plant than one that gets set out into 40 degree soil. And while we’ve seeded some peas and spinach, it remains too cold and wet for much else.

And cold and wet is the word. For the next five days the warmest temperature we can expect is 45 deg F; and 4 of the next 5 nights will see temps in the mid to high 20’s. All are well below the balmy average of 60 deg F during the day and 40 deg F at night.

So we continue working in the greenhouse, and in the barn, and clearing brush, and planning, and whatever else we can do.


First day of Spring


Snow on the garlic Friday morning


Seeding the eggplant in mini-soil blocks


Stinging nettles, a Spring treat

Starting the Greenhouse

onions, remodeling, seeding

We remain quite busy at the farm. When we’re not farming or remodeling we are using chain saws, log splitters, bobcats, tractors, trailers…and chains. Cutting, splitting and hauling wood through and around snow drifts is something that just has to be experienced. Lots of problem solving mixed with fresh winter air.

The main priority of the week, however, has been the greenhouse. We recieved our humified compost from Microleverage (of Sedalia) on Saturday, the last piece of the puzzle, and started seeding onions on Monday. It is a tedious job seeding 10,000 onions, so we spread it out over several days, finishing today-Wednesday.

We are trying something new this year relative to onion planting. Normally we grow onions from seeds and transplant each little plant 4 inches apart. We found last year through a trial that we can instead plant 4 together, and space them at 1 foot. This spacing allows us to use the water wheel transplanter to plant onions and save us from one of the most tedious (there’s that word again) jobs on the farm. More to come on the onions.


Planting sheet and seed pack


Planting onion seeds in soil blocks

Remodeling continues on the office and living room. It has been a dirty, uneventful tearout, but there was one interesting suprise. Our living room ceiling was drywall over cracked plaster. The furring strips that were used to attach the drywall are 18 foot long tongue and groove floor boards. They’re coated with a nice green patina of lead paint, but may prove useful in some other part of our renovation.


Furring strips

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