So with snow, sleet and ice covering Fred & Wilma (our greenhouses), I could not help but think what a great time to start our Tomato seeds.
We started Wilma’s spinach seeds last week and they have already started to sprout.
Seed starting is one of my favorite parts about farming. I get my hands dirty and in 3 or 4 months from these tiny little seeds I will deliver my popular grape tomatoes. Last year at this time we were focused on our construction goals and missed the chance for an early crop, this year we hope will be different.
We have finalized our 2010 retail crop plan and it can be found under our “Produce” tab. Our popular heirloom tomatoes are back and we hope to have some Grape tomatoes ready sometime in May. This year we are introducing three different melon varieties, an heirloom green bean and are trying our hand with some lettuce and spinach. February will be spent germinating and transplanting our spring crops seedlings into 2x2’s for later transplanting in March & April. Currently Fred’s winter cover crop or rye grass is coming in strong and I expect much better soil fertility in the spring. Shutting our production down this winter was not an easy decision but one that I am confident will pay off. Soil fertility is the most critical element in growing healthy plants, taking the time to build our soil over the winter will increase the likely hood of that outcome. Our farms first and foremost method for insect and disease management is a healthy plant.
I have been waking at 5 am almost daily for the last year without the assistance of an alarm, this last week it’s been 4:45, I just can’t seem to get my hands dirty enough.
