Farming Organically and Planting the First Seeds for Fall
August 17th, 2023
Did you know that we’re a certified organic farm? With regards to agriculture, an organic operation embraces holistic natural farming practices that are regulated by the USDA. The way we like to think about it is that it’s all about the soil! Everything that goes into our soil, whether it’s a seed, plant, fertilizer, mulch, or pesticide must be derived from an organic source. Organic farming also requires foresight when it comes to soil management, which involves crop rotation to avoid pest and disease pressure. Everything we plant in a chosen year is either organic, non-treated, or non-GMO and must be planned in advance and approved. We touched on our crop planning process here if you’d like to read more!
Fall seeding has officially begun in the greenhouse! Since we need to transplant our first fall crops by mid-September in order to have a bountiful harvest by Thanksgiving, we have to start our first round of seeds in mid-August. Yesterday we seeded 13 trays of kale, chard, and mustard greens with cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage being started very soon. We’re sticking with tried and true varieties that have proven to be able to take our heat. In the coming weeks, we’ll be doing some serious bed prep as we get ready for the first fall transplanting. We are incredibly excited for the start of a new season and hope you are, too!
Even though we’re dreaming about fall, we’re still very much in the summer season! Since it will be a while before we get to enjoy cool season greens like kale or chard, we’re offering another summer green: roselle leaves. Just like sweet potatoes, roselle is a multi-use crop! It provides us with tangy leafy greens in the summer and tart, cranberry-flavored pods in the fall. The tart, lemony flavor of roselle leaves (pictured below) is a welcome flavor compared to our other summer crops. Roselle leaves can be enjoyed raw in salads or as part of a stir-fry or sauté. You can find roselle leaves at the Farm Stand this Saturday from 9am-noon or add them to your Veggie Share next week!
Upcoming Farm Events:
Farmers Markets this month: Saturday August 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th from 9am-12pm
Meet the Farm Tour on Saturday, August 26th from 10-10:30am (sign up here)
Currently in Season at the Farm Stand: Zucchini, Eggplant, Okra, Tromboncino Squash, Armenian Cucumbers, Tasty Green Cucumbers, Long Beans, Assorted Peppers, Bitter Melon, Korean Melons, Sweet Potato Greens, Malabar Spinach, Roselle Greens, Butternuts, and Herbs.
