Transplanting Tomatoes & Harvesting Carrots

Village Farm Team,

Remember those empty beds by the animal pens we’ve been patiently waiting to plant our tomatoes in? Now that we’re past our last frost date, they’ve been planted with tomatoes! Our tomatoes are trellised in order to keep them upright and provide support as they grow. And, since it tends to be windy out on the farm, the trellis helps prevent them from potential wind damage. We noticed this week that some of the tomato plants are already setting blooms. We’re eagerly looking forward to tasting the first tomato of the season!

We harvested the first of our Purple Elite carrots last weekend from our planter boxes. This carrot variety has a beautiful, deep purple color. Once you bite into the carrot, it has a golden yellow core with yellow and orange striations. Perfect for snacking or roasting, these carrots have a sweet and earthy flavor. If you were able to pick up a bunch, make sure you don’t throw out the tops! They can be rinsed and mixed in with salad greens or used along with your favorite herbs to make a pesto.

Now that we’re past the last frost date, the trend for weather will likely move towards more warmer days than cooler ones as we move into spring. Our broccoli is already responding to the warmer temperatures by beginning to flower. For now it’s providing food for pollinators but we will be harvesting the last of it and eventually turning the beds under to make way for spring and summer crops. Make sure you come to the veggie wagon this Saturday so you can get your fill of broccoli before it goes back out of season!