April 2009

What's in the Store

• onions
• leeks
• garlic/green garlic
• lacinato kale
• red kale
• baby broccoli
• purple broccoli
• beets
• chard
• celery
• fennel
• lettuce
• dandelion greens
• artichokes
• cardoons
• oranges
• lemons
• dried hot peppers
• potted tulips

Farm News

Spring is here and there's no better place for celebrating the season of new growth than a farm. Though the warmer weather reminds us of summer treats like berries, tomatoes, and zucchini, we'll have to wait a while longer yet—so it's a good thing we've got our spring treats! Artichokes and asparagus are indeed here, but we're having a hard time harvesting enough to keep up with demand. If you're lucky enough to find yourself at the farm store when we have a box of these precious veggies, enjoy!

Second semester interns Chris and Jenny started a community education program at Green String last month. Each week, we now have two opportunities for those who want to learn more about our farm. Everyone is invited to join our workdays on Thursday mornings for hands-on learning—be prepared to work! And every Saturday will hereafter be known as Family Day, and kids of all ages (not to mention parents of all ages) can come to the farm for fun activities and learning about gardening and farming the natural way. For more information or to RSVP for an event, email jennycade@gmail.com or inquire at the farm store.

It wouldn't be spring on the farm without some new life, and we've got it—in the form of 75 baby chickens! Our chicken-whisperer extraordinaire, Hylla, has been caring for the chicks since they arrived on the farm on their first day of life. In four or five months, we'll have over six dozen new egg-layers!

Last but not least, April 22 is Earth Day. (Though some of us prefer the environmentalist adage, "Every day is Earth Day.") Whether you celebrate the holiday by thanking our lovely planet for everything it gives us, or by challenging yourself to adopt a greener lifestyle, give yourself an earthy pat on the back for supporting your local farm.

Intuitive Composting

While composting can be a very scientific, exact activity, for many home gardeners (not to mention farm interns) that approach can seem daunting. In the interest of encouraging the faint-of-heart, we're sharing some tips gleaned from interns' compost lecture notes—both from everyone's favorite intuitive farmer Bob Cannard, and soil scientist/agronomist Bob Shaffer.

Ingredients: The important thing is striking a balance. Your pile will need carbonaceous materials (e.g. wood chips, sawdust, shredded paper, straw, dead leaves) and nitrogenous materials (e.g. yard trimmings, any kind of kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, spent grain, manure), and they need to be in the right proportion. Too much nitrogen, and your pile will smell and attract bugs and rats. Too much carbon, and your pile won't heat up and decompose. Compost also needs air and water, also in balance. The microbes that will be responsible for turning your waste into rich soil need water to move around in and air to breathe.

Method: You can make a rough pile or use a bin, but don't feel the need to spend money on a fancy container. The pile will need to be big enough to generate some real heat in the core. At the intern house, we have a small pile walled up with moveable chicken wire. Every time we add kitchen scraps to the pile, we cover it entirely with straw so that it's "in" the pile. We water it when it seems too dry and turn it when we feel like it—turning isn't so much a necessary step as it is an expediter. Over time, the compost will heat up, reach its peak temperature, then slowly cool. It is after this cooling period that compost is considered "cured" and ready for use (this can take 3-4 months or over a year, depending on how well the compost is cared for and how often it's turned.)

Use: A handful of compost, placed at the base of a plant, will give soil biology a great jumpstart, or a boost of both nutrients and beneficial microbes. Very well-cured compost can be used directly or mixed with soil, pearlite, or peat moss for potted plants or seed starting medium. To get the most benefit from a small amount of compost, one can make aerated compost tea; but that explanation will have to wait for another time.