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 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.
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…