Pigs are Grrowing

Many people request pig photos.  So, here they are.  The pigs are growing and digging.  

In a short time they have dug up the area that Ken had fenced in for them - it seemed large at the time...

So, Ken has opened an area of the garden where there were herbs and other plants we have elsewhere.  The pigs have not found the hole in the fence - yet

Renovating chicken pasture

The chickens winter in the egg mobile near the garden.  The manure piles up and Ken scrapes and piles it.  This will be composted and added to the garden next season

Then he renovates the area.  Soon he will plant a mix of seeds so the soil is covered.

Cucumber Fence

Ken usually works alone in the field and garden. I also usually work alone.  But some jobs require three hands or two people.  This year Evan helped with one of those jobs - the cucumber fence.

Ken designed this fence as cucumbers that are off the grounddo not rot.  They also hang and stay straight.  His idea for this fence must have been a good one as now we see it in a gardening catalog!

Flowers in Bloom

Flowers are blooming - many of my favorites.  The dutch iris have peaked, but now is the time for the Siberian iris - a plant that tolerates heavier soil, more shade and has narrower leaves and smaller flowers.  

They rarely flop over in wind or rain

The peonies have started blooming.  Each time rain is forecast I run out and pick some as they do not withstand rain very well.  

Ken laughed once when I told him that most peonies after a hard rain look like a spitball on a stick.

Ken's self seeding annual daisies are in many places in the yard.
The bees have been busy!

Our Team Expands to include a New Kitten

We rely on animals to assist us.  Oscar the dog keeps deer and other animals out of the garden and field where the mobile high tunnel is.  

And for smaller rodents we have relied on cats.  Last year I was unsuccessful in securing a working cat for this farm.  First the chipmunk population exploded.  Then this spring we found voles had damaged fall planted greens and seedlings that were in the garden to harden off.  Oscar and Ken caught two voles after the damage had been done

Two days ago we acquired a very young kitten.  Of course I am nervous after losing a kitten that was sick last season.  But this little kitten seems healthy and very energetic and curious.  We have fenced in a small area so he can get used to this place and the animals here - dog, geese, chickens, old cat, etc. can get used to him and know that he belongs here.

Green Manures and Why Plant Them

wheat and vetch

People often ask what we mean by green manure.  It is a term used for a crop planted to cover the soil and add nutrients to the soil.  Clover and other legumes add nitrogen to the soil. Rye and deep rooted grasses break up hard soil.  Green manures also cover the soil and keep it more temperate like mulch does.  This promotes microbial life in the soil.  

Rye

The root matter of green manures adds organic matter to the soil.  The organic matter helps both sandy and clay soils become more like a sponge that has air and can hold moisture after rain.  Ken read a couple years ago that for each percentage of organic matter the soil has, the crops planted in that soil can go without rainfall - for example a field with five percent organic matter can support crops with no rainfall for a month.  This enables Ken to spend less time irrigating crops.

clover

Ken plants several different green manures and combinations of green manures.  Some over winter and others die with frost.  He chooses based on time of year. moisture, what is needed, and other factors

CSA Newsletter

Greetings from the Garden!  This box has a variety of lettuce and salad greens, baby beets with big tops, green onions, asparagus, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, radishes, and strawberries.

Field Notes.  This weekend marks the summer solstice.  It is the time of the longest days of the year.  Ken is taking full advantage of it, and often works until dark.  This season the push is on as spring started later than usual, so there was less time to do the spring tasks, especially those that depend on length of day.  The fact that Ken is nearly caught up is impressive.

With the warm days comes a whole new set of heat loving weeds.  Ken faithfully cultivates as soon as the soil is dry enough after each rain to stay ahead of the weeds.  On sunny windy dry days one pass with the hand cultivator and most weeds are finished.  Some weeds are a bit more tenacious - purslane for one.  Like many weeds, purslane and dandelions and plantain all came with European settlers as edible and medicinal greens.  Purslane looks like a rubber plant with its succulent leaves, but has a very lemony flavor.  It contains vitamin C and A; we often add it to the box as it is a nice salad addition.

Our other  news this week is the latest addition to our crew - a kitten.  Last year my efforts did not result in a dependable cat; the result was a lot of rodent damage here.  The worst were voles that ate fall planted spinach and spring seedlings when they were hardening off in the garden.  Although Oscar and Ken did catch a vole or two, it was after the damage had been done.  Although this kitten is only in training, it seems healthy and curious.  

From the Kitchen.  The baby beets have begun.  The first crop of beets seems so fresh - the greens are often large and so I see this as one of the "bonus vegetables" that have two delicious parts.  Cut the tops from the roots, and eat the tops soon.  Beets are in the same family as spinach and chard, so the beet greens will work for not only those greens recipes, but most any recipe for greens.  The roots are small and tender - so delicious.  

Chinese cabbage, like many Asian vegetables like bok choy, grows in cooler weather and at a faster rate than European cabbages.  Chinese cabbage is versatile - one friend tells me that Chinese cabbage makes great cabbage rolls.  I like to use the outer leaves in cooked dishes and slice the hearts into thin "ribbons" for salad.  My Asian salad dressing contains the following: sesame oil, a bit of toasted sesame oil, mild vinegar, tamari, a bit of honey,  powdered red pepper, and toasted sesame seeds.  Experiment to find the ratios you like. 
'Til Next Week, 
Judith