Into the field!

Whitsend Market Garden still has room for a couple more customers.  If you are interested in finding out more about the farm or our CSA, feel free to peruse the site.  You may find our contact information below if you have further questions or would like to purchase a share of the 2012 harvest.

Hey Folks:

Work at the farm has now started to move out into the fields.  Beds built last fall are getting a cleanup, removing some of the switch grass that has moved in and taking out a few missed Dandelions (it is unfortunate that they are too small and tough for harvest as leaf greens!).

Seeding started for cool weather crops earlier in the week, and now the first sprouts are starting to appear.  I was a bit concernend that the “heat wave” we were experiencing was going to be too hard on some of these early crops, such as the Mache.  My gut feeling suggested that cooler weather was on the way, and that has since borne out.  Get your salad bowls ready…

The garlic that was planted last fall has germinated with over 90% success rate.  All varieties seem to have done equally well.  Now we wait to see which ones thrive enough to size up.  I’ll write more about this intriguing crop on another post.

Whitsend welcomes another contributor to the farm.  Erica is taking on an “intern role” for the summer to learn more about organic agriculture and field work.

With spring on the way, another season is soon upon us.

Last year, I found I had no time to peruse the local garage sale market for items that I can put to good use on the farm.  If you are the garage sale type, feel free to keep an eye out for some of the following.  I will gladly reimburse you.

Most of these items are for use in the barn, so if they are a little rough around the edges that is fine.

-Marker board or chalk board or cork board

-Tent pegs (I can use both plastic or the J-shaped metal ones)

-Tool box or carrying kit (If it says “First Aid Kit” on the side, all the better)

-Fold-up table suitable for produce preparation (e.g. 6’ by 4’ or larger)

-Filing cabinet large enough to contain a couple of binders

-Window screen with aluminum frame

-Large picnic coolers

-Galvanized tub, 10-20 Litres capacity or greater.  Ideally (though not essential) with a drain at one end or the bottom.  A small laundery type sink could also work.

-Chair and small writing desk

-Clipboard

Talk to you soon, and hope for some cool weather!

Bob

four season farming, part 1

Whitsend Market Garden still has room for a couple more customers.  If you are interested in finding out more about the farm or our CSA, feel free to peruse the site.  You may find our contact information below if you have further questions or would like to purchase a share of the 2012 harvest.

The Whitsend Post – March 14, 2012

Hello Folks:

I’ve been out to the farm twice this week.  On Sunday, a couple of the raised beds were starting to peek through the snow pack; the laneway was clear in some spots with direct sun.   On Wednesday, all of the raised beds were clear of snow, and large portions of the field were either clear or had two inches or less cover.

I knew from the start that a May harvest was possible.  My biggest concern last fall was the amount of snow in the farm’s laneway, the barn being inaccessible due to drifts or ice dams blocking the door, and/or a prolonged period of snow cover.  As these issues are now resolved, I am starting the May crop planting in the nursery, and hardening off the first rounds of Green Onions, over the next few weeks.

I will continue to assess the amount of water on the field and how quickly the raised beds are drying out.  In the meantime, I will continue to progress under the assumption that I can start planting in early April.  I  think a mid-May harvest is most realistic, and with luck, sooner.

Check the harvest shares for the list of possible crops available.

Note that since it is not included in the season share price, there is a surcharge on the May Crop - $60.00 for the full shares, and $35.00 for the half shares.

***

A couple of people have expressed disbelief that farming is a year-round endeavor.  In fact, cold weather farming has a very long history.  The market gardeners of central France elevated the small-scale, mixed vegetable farm to a high art in the mid 1800’s.  They used techniques that allowed them to extend their shoulder seasons well into the cold months.  In anticipation of the May crop, I will focus this post on early-spring farming.

Three main factors count in year-round gardening – sunlight, temperature and the cold-tolerance of certain crops.

Sunlight:  As the winter ends, the amount of sunlight available for plants increases.  A farm’s seasonal sunlight change varies with the location’s latitude.  Whitsend sits at about 45 degrees north.  In comparison, Paris, France, is located over 48 degrees north.

Farmers can increase sun exposure through their choice of farm site.  If the farm sits on a slope with a south facing aspect, instead of being perfectly level, the sunlight hits the soil more directly (Whitsend’s field is tilted about a degree south).  The crops on a south facing field get a boost from having more sunlight and higher soil temperatures, allowing us to start planting a bit earlier with less danger of spring frost.

In addition, one can “move” the farm further south with bed-shaping techniques.  By building a raised bed with slightly sloped surface (higher on the north side, lower on the south side), I can increase the bed's sunlight exposure.  A bed built like this gets sunlight equivalent to that of a flat surface several degrees latitude south.  One can increase the total slope to a maximum of five or six degrees.  Too much slope and the rainwater will wash soil away.

As Eliot Coleman says in The New Organic Grower (2nd ed.), “…Land in the Northern Hemisphere at 43 degrees latitude (the border of northern California) that slopes five degrees to the south is actually at the same solar climate as level land three hundred miles to the south.”

I’ll point out that Hamilton, Ontario is at 43 degrees and Point Pelee National Park at 42 degrees.

Temperature:  No one needs convincing that Ottawa is a bit cooler than Europe.  Plants are susceptible to cold damage in two ways – wind and the rate of temperature change.

Wind causes damage by drying out the foliage and desiccating the plants.  Therefore, providing a windbreak greatly reduces the losses caused by wind.  It also reduces the wind-chill.  Traditionally, evergreen boughs were used to shelter plants.  The dark green foliage of the evergreens also absorbs warmth, which in turn moderates the temperature rate of change.

I do not have access to evergreen boughs at the farm, but I do have some of the modern equivalents – floating row covers and growing frames.  These provide the windbreak and an added layer of warmth.

The temperature itself is not the greatest threat to the plants; it is the rate of temperature change.  By growing the plants under a layer of row cover (plus a layer of plastic frames) we can moderate this temperature change.  By adding thermal mass inside the frames, such as by placing rocks within the frame, one can further moderate the temperature change.

Type of crops:  Not all plants can accept lower temperatures, even with protection, so I have chosen an array of winter hardy crops for my shoulder seasons.  Some of these are modern hybrids (Such as Evergreen Hardy Green Onions), others are heirloom varieties developed when row covers or plastic frames were not available (Such as Brune D’hiver Lettuce).  Some crops have a natural tolerance to low temperatures (Leeks, Carrots, Parsnips - these may have been bred by farmers in ancient times).  Some plants, such as Mache or Red Russian Kale, are so cold-tolerant they can be harvested frozen from under the snow.

Another surprising note: one would think that young plants are more susceptible to cold.  I have read, however, that sprouts are better able to withstand the cold than more mature plants (Eliot Coleman, The Winter Gardeners Handbook).   I presume this is because plants have evolved to start sprouting in the spring, when temperatures are low.

So, fresh local vegetables need not be only a midsummer treat.  Our winter selection is limited, but an array of greens; essential cooking vegetables such as green onions and leeks; and root crops such as carrots and parsnips can provide us with the taste and nutrition that only fresh vegetables can.

All this talk is making me hungry, but for now, I will have to go harvest something from the fridge.

Talk to you soon,

Bob

PS – Farming in the late fall and early winter shares some aspects with early spring farming.  Some different techniques are involved, such as getting the seeds to think it is spring.  I will return to the topic of winter gardening in midsummer, when I start to plan for the winter crop…

2012 is shaping up to be a great season...

Hey Folks:

Welcome to those of you who are signing on for your first season with Whitsend Market Garden.  I am looking forward to a great season of growing and eating!

2012 is shaping up to be an exciting year, with plenty of crops to introduce, new parts of the field to bring into production, and expanding the nursery.

We are starting so far ahead of where we were last year.  Last March, I was just starting work on the fields.  No beds, no compost piles, not much of an electric fence, and then a long delay as the rain kept the tractor out of the field for its initial turning over.

This year, I start with almost 2000 feet of beds already tilled, a permanent electric fence, a barn with a new door ready to move into, and even garlic slowly growing in one of the beds (expect garlic in your CSA basket this fall!).

I am especially excited about the many new crops we are growing.  My search for alternative salad greens was rewarded when I found a great seed house in Vermont (High Mowing Organic Seeds) that has an excellent variety of organic seed stock.  With Whitsend's great soil and small-scale maintenance, we should produce some remarkable salad greens like Cress and Mache this year.

Work now is confined to the nursery, but purchases for this year’s production are starting to add to the workload.  Trips to Kemptville for electric fence line and other supplies, Coe Hill (pick up my order of seed potatoes), and Berwick (pick up my order of cover crop seeds) are in the works.

I still have a couple of spots open for new customers.  If you know of anyone in your neighbourhood who might be interested in locally grown, certified organic, edible fun, share the blog site with him or her and invite them to call. 

Feel free to forward any questions you have about your food, and we will gladly answer them.

One final note about the blog site.  I am trying to figure out how to get links from one part of the page to another (save you some effort with all that page scrolling).  I should be able to work on that over the next couple of weeks.

Talk to you soon,

B

A post about this year's menu

A couple of notes I should add regarding this year's menu.

Corn:  I have selected an heirloom variety called "Fishers Earliest".  It is described as having a true corn flavour.  Not as sweet as the modern hybrids.  I have not grown corn before, but it has a history of being grown on the land I work and has done very well.

Potatoes:  I have chosen four varieties as my main crop.  An early variety (about 55-60 days to maturity).  We can expect it around early July, though the first week or two of harvests, the tubers will be smaller.  You will still get the 2.5 to 3 Lbs per week.  The second crop is a mid-season type.  For the fall, I have purchased two types.  Both are suitable for storage, one of them is much better than others in this regard.  One is also capable of withstanding a light frost, so its harvest date can be pushed back.  When harvested, I can store these in sacks and hang them from the rafters of the barn so as not to overwhelm you with too many at once. 

Bulb Onions:  I have started two types of onions.  One yellow (somewhat sweeter), and one red (somewhat spicier).  One of these will be ready by late summer, and I can plant enough in succession to provide a decent crop to be harvested into the fall.  The second type will be ready by mid fall.  It is a red onion that keeps very well, and can be stored in the barn for delivery well into the fall.

November Harvest:  Many of the greens, lettuces, leeks, and green onions are winter hardy varieties.  These can remain in the ground for some time, and continue to until the winter becomes too harsh or the snow finally hinders my access to the fields.  Winter squash can store for a few weeks or more.  As well, the Kidney Beans will be delivered dry, and should store for some time (in good conditions, they can last for up to 6 months).

Broccoli:  Last year's crop of Broccoli was not one I was particularly happy with.  The variety, an heirloom called "Calabrese", was not well adapted to the summer conditions, and even the fall crop was less than satisfactory.  It was not large enough to be a head broccoli, and not quite prolific enough to be a good cut-and-come-again (though it tasted great).  This year, I have chosen two varieties.  Belstar is a heat tolerant variety that yields a 6-8 inch head, and will be available in early to mid summer.  The other is called DiCicco, and is said to perform very well as a cut-and-come-again.  I aim to produce it in the spring and fall, which is the ideal growing period for Broccoli in general.

Broccoli presents some challenges for a small farm in this climate.  Like all brassica family crops (Cabbage, Kale, Bok choi, Brussels Sprouts), it hinders the growth of whatever plant follows it in the rotation schedule.  Only corn and Legumes seem not to mind growing where brassicas were planted in the previous year.  It is not practical or prudent to devote a lot of crop space to Corn and Beans, so I must limit how much brassica crops I can grow. 

As well, most varieties of Broccoli prefer the spring and fall season.  They usually have a fairly long maturity period.  So head broccoli will fill a bed for more than two months, and yield about a few heads per customer over a two-three week period.  The cut and come again broccoli I am growing matures in 45-55 days, and continues to yield spears over several weeks.  In the Spring and fall, full shares will receive between 1/2 and a Lb of spears every second or so week.  Half shares will receive the spears every four weeks or so.

New additions to the menu:  Check out the post "Feb 29th - final seed purchase for the season" for more info on some late additions to the season's menu.

In other news:  The plants continue to germinate and sprout.  Rosemary in particular seems to be growing well, I now have over 20 seedlings.  With some care, a bit of building and a lot of mulch, I might be able to have some of these winter over and provide a larger bed for next year.  In the meantime, we will certainly have some savoury dishes this year.

The tomatoes are growing quickly, almost ready for being moved from their germination trays to their pots.  The sweet peppers are germinating very well, although the Hot Peppers and European frying Peppers are either taking their time or not entirely happy with the conditions I have provided.  I have purchased additional hot pepper seed as an insurance (I am working with last year's seeds), but it may mean a shorter season for me this year.  The hot pepper is called "Hungarian Hotwax", very similar to what grocers call a banana pepper.  William Dam Seeds, the seller, gives it a medium hot rating, and recommends it for pickling - though I have used them in stir fries and a customer last year used some for making tremendous Jamaican Patties.  The fourth pepper is an heirloom called Antohi Romanian, brought to North America by a defecting athlete from the east bloc in Europe in the 8T's.  It is described as a European frying pepper.  It is technically a sweet pepper, though I found the flavour from last year's limited yield to be closer to savoury.

The Green onions and leeks are coming along, though I need to tweak the germinating conditions of the leeks as they are germinating slower than advertised.

Lots to look forward to!!!

B