July 13, 2008

Wow!  I can't believe it's mid-July already!  Where does the time go? Seems I was just waiting for the snow to melt!  The season is flying by - lettuces are just about finished but table onions, garlic, and baby beets have made their appearance and beans, cabbages, zucchini, and potatoes will be making their debut shortly. 

The rains have set everything back a bit - everything but the weeds that is!  It's been too muddy to do the work I want to get done - undersowing crimson clover in the tomatoes, hilling the corn, mulching the potatoes, planting the rest of the cucumbers and sunflowers - so, I've been weeding out the garlic patch - yanking out smartweed, thistles, amaranth, lamb's quarters, and lots of things that I don't know the names of.  Well, it did need to be done and it's not done yet so I guess the rain is giving me the chance to catch up on that work!!

I've also managed to seed the fall lettuces and broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi into flats.  They've all germinated and will start to make the move outdoors tomorrow.  Radishes have also been sown to flats and limited numbers will be available come August.

And, of course, there's always the paperwork and website updates to do!  But, enough for now - time to get some sleep before another day of weed pulling!  With any luck it'll be dry enough by Tuesday to get back to the rest of those field chores!

June 26, 2008

Sometimes farming seems like a futile battle against the elements - until you remember that your job as a farmer is not to battle nature but to learn to work with nature.  One of the things I learned last year was to let plants do your work for you and so instead of spending so much time weeding I've been planting a lot of ryegrass and white clover.  They choke out the weeds and leave me mud free pathways to work in.  I'll be seeding more ryegrass and clover between the tomato and potato rows soon.  First I'll let the weed seedlings come up then till them down and then seed - an old and effective strategy known as stale seedbedding.

Despite the persistent rains, a lot of progress has been made.  All of the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are in the ground and the rain has helped them make the transition.  The potatoes finally got hilled,  just before the last round of rain.  They look beautiful and will look even better once I get the hay mulch down and get the between rows seeded with ryegrass and clover.

The beans are flowering and should start setting fruit soon.  The potatoes are flowering as well which means potatoes are forming!  Potato flowers are gorgeous and are the color of the potatoe - white flowers - white potatoes, blue flowers - blue potatoes.  Garlic scapes - the flower of the garlic plant - have also made their appearance which means that the garlic is bulbing out.  If you've never tried garlic scapes - now is the time - the season is short and this exotic delicacy should not  be missed.

The onions are looking sleek and sassy and the first green onions are making their appearance (check out the price list for a description - http://www.reverencegardens.com/content/799).  The cabbages are heading up and looking beautiful nestled into their beds of white clover.

Carrots and beets are also coming on nicely and while radishes are done (they've gone to seed) there is some nice looking daikon about to make an appearance.

The second seeding of both summer and winter squash are taking (earlier seedings met with a lot of flood damage) and if it stays dry a day or two I'll be able to get in the edamame, and second seedings of watermelon (which drowned), beans, carrots, and beets.  Radishes will be reseeded in flats so they can be watered frequently, a necessity in the hot days of summer.  Fall crops of broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts will be seeded into flats soon, as well, for later transplant.  The one thing I can definitely say about farming is that I am never at a loss for something to do!  And right now that something to do is making and eating a salad topped with some nice green onions!

I'll be taking and posting some pictures so you can see how pretty it all is - check back soon!

June 15, 2008

I'm excited!  Vegan farming is in the news!  You can read more about vegan farming in the article and also by checking out:

Veganic Agriculture Network http://www.goveganic.net

Vegan Organic Network http://www.veganorganic.net

Here's a teaser from the article written by Melanie Dabovich published June 15, 2008 in the Las Cruces Sun News - you can read the rest at http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_9579863 or reproduced on http://www.reverencegardens.com/content/917  (in case the newspaper link doesn't work for you).

Veganic farmers work without animal fertilizers, byproducts

"...But when he realized the traditional farming techniques he was using could harm his children's health, he went organic 15 years ago. Now, Bustos said he has found an even safer method—vegan organic farming without any animal fertilizers or byproducts.

Bustos was inspired to pursue vegan farming four years ago after hearing an address by then U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns.

"He was talking about ways to protect the safety of our food system, but to me you still have things like e-coli and salmonella from manure (fertilizer). I thought to myself, 'I'm not going to be putting that crap on my crops,'" Bustos said. "Now, I use no manures, no bone meals, blood meal, no pesticides, nothing."

This farming method, also called veganic or stock-free farming, is an emerging concept here in the United States. Much like certified organic farmers, veganic farmers use no synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified ingredients. Veganic farmers take it to another level by not using any manures or slaughterhouse byproducts. They don't even use organically approved pesticides. Veganic farmers use crop rotations and composted plant matter—or "green manure"—to provide fertilizer for their crops."

June 8, 2008

Radishes are in!  And so is the first of the lettuce!  Black Seeded Simpson (pictured above) is a a beautiful crunchy leaf lettuce with a slightly nutty taste.  It's surrounded in the photo above by Pink Beauty radishes, a mild radish for those of who do not like it hot!  A few Whitle Icicle and Plum Purple are beginning to size up as well.  The other lettuces and radishes are looking promising and Green Garlic is still available - great for mincing and adding to a salad! 

The rain won't stop - three inches in the past 34 hours.  With some luck it will hold off enough for the fields to drain a bit.  The land I farm is clayey and drains slowly.  During a dry spell this is great - the clay holds the moisture - but - and yes - there is always a but - during a rainy spell the water puddles up between the rows.  Fortunately, I once again decided to build raised beds and I am hoping that this strategy will keep the roots of the newly planted tomatoes from getting too soggy.  Same for the newly planted watermelons though I may be buying more seed for that particular crop!

Pick-up locations are still in the works but I hope to have definite news on this important subject no later than mid-June.  In the meantime, don't forget that there is still time to sign up for a subscription - your choice of veggies throughout the season - and at a discount!  Check out details at http://smallfarmcentral.com/farmerdocs/ReverenceGardens/ReverenceGardensSubscription.pdf

May 26, 2008

It rained last night - one and half inches.  This is a mixed blessing.  The carrots, beets, lettuces, and peas all wanted some water (I have no irrigation) but...and there is always a but...the north portion of the field that had just barely dried out enought to be tillable is now squishy mud once again.  Yep, a mixed blessing.  and, of course, the weed seeds have germinated everywhere - time to take the hoe out - as soon as the fields dry sufficiently.

The winter rye that I had seeded last fall is another mixed blessing.  Typically tilled under to add organic matter to the soil, the rye had grown too tall to till on that wet northern section.  So, armed with a scythe and a rake I cut a half acre of rye - by hand.  Ouch!  My elbow is quite sore.  But - and here is the blessing part - I now have a fair amount of rye straw to use as a weed suppressing mulch.  Sore elbow and shoulders but good mulch - a mixed blessing.

The cool damp weather has meant that my early planted lettuce and cabbage seedlings have made the transition to the field with much less stress than they suffered during last year's hot and very dry May.  But - the unseasonably cool weather has also meant that they haven't grown much.  Still alive but not sizing up fast - a mixed blessing.  (In my chats with farm friends I have been reassured that I am not alone in this - one and all are noting just how slow everything is to germinate or get growing!) 

But progress is being made.  The beets and radishes are all up and the carrots, green onions, and peas are all finally germinating.  The lettuces and cabbages are finally starting to show signs of growth as are the onions and leeks.  Within the last week the potatoes, corn, beans, winter squashes, and zucchini were all planted. 

In the meantime, I've been harvesting asparagus and green garlic.  If you've never tried green garlic, now is the time.  This is garlic that has not yet set bulbs and is the first tast of fresh garlic for the season (to be followed by garlic scapes, fresh garlic bulbs, and cured garlic bulbs).  Green garlic can be used any way that use green onions and is marvelous sauteed with asparagus and portabella mushrooms!

Dont' forget to sign up for your subscription to a season's worth of fresh and fabulous produce from Reverence Gardens!  Click here to download the sign up form!

http://smallfarmcentral.com/farmerdocs/ReverenceGardens/ReverenceGardensSubscription.pdf 

May 22, 2008

I volunteer in the greenhouse program at a children's agency and lead a class each week.  Many of the classes have to do with introducing the kids to new foods - like beets, edamame, red carrots, whole grain bread, soymilk, and other wonders of the vegetable kingdom.  It's gratifying to see how much they enjoy these natural and wholesome treats!

I also conduct simple experiments with them.  The latest experiment I found on line and tried it out.  The experiment involved microwaving radish seeds for varying amounts of time and then seeing which ones germinated.  Well, and this is the wierd part of the wierd science - the radish seeds that had been microwaved for 20 seconds germinated faster than the seeds that had not been microwaved and grew faster and greener.  Those that were microwaved for 30 seconds germinated at the same time as the non-microwaved seeds.  Huh.  Who knew?  Questions abound - would the 20 second radishes fulfill their early promise and grow into bigger radishes?  Would the nutritional profile be the same?  Would I create the radish that took over the world?  Hmmm.  All I can say is that it certainly piques my interest and this winter I may try more microwaving/germinating experiments with leftover seed.  Then maybe field trials...I jest but it does make me wonder...

Time to go trim the ends off the asparagus!  If you haven't ordered your asparagus yet you still have about two weeks before this treat is off the market for the year.  Don't delay!  E-mail me at reverencegardens@gmail.com or call at 1-847-445-6642!  This delicacy has been going fast and the reviews have been excellent!

May 20, 2008

Asparagus will be done soon - but there is still time to order.  E-mail me at reverencegardens@gmail.com or call 1-847-445-6642 to order.  And there is still time to order an subscription, as well.  The $200 subscription gets you $215 worth of produce over the course of the season and the $100 subscription gets you $105 worth of produce over the season.  Both subscriptions are a great way to get your choice of flavorful fresh local produce all season long! 

The cool weather and the heavy rains we experienced have slowed planting down a bit but progress is being made!  As of today, all of the lettuces, cabbages, beets, carrots, radishes and daikon, onions, bunching onions, peas, arugula, spinach, and potatoes have been planted.  The garlic and shallots are looking good and ground is being tilled for sweet corn, squash and beans.  The tomato, eggplant, sweet and hot pepper, and basil seedlings are looking strong and healthy and getting outdoors every day for a sunbath.

There's been plenty of weeding action, too!  Thistles, lamb's quarters (which are edible), smartweed (it's smarter than me!), and something I've never seen before are growing faster than I can yank them just now but I am making headway.  I've also been seeding pathways with ryegrass and clover in an effort to choke out some weeds and to make walking in the pathways easier when it rains.  A buffer crop of sudangrass is also going in and so is buckwheat - all to fight weeds!  But, I'd rather put this time in up front than pull weeds later....  Some seedlings have been planted through heavy mulch, another weed suppression strategy while others will be underseeded with white clover as soon as the first weedlings have been removed.  I used to enjoy weeding when it was my home garden - but on three acres it can be a bit daunting....  Still, it's good exercise!

I've also been reading Michael Pollan's new book - In Defense of Food.  The subtitle is Eat Food, Less of It, Mostly Plants (like locally grown produce!).  Stay tuned for a book report!

The name for asparagus is most likely derived from the Persion word Asparag, meaning sprout.  However, the Greek word Aspharagos means long as one's throat and in 18'th century England this treat was known as sparrowgrass - so pick the story you like best!

Asparagus is good lightly steamed but fresh locally grown asparagus should also be tried raw to take advantage of both the fabulous taste treat and the highest level of nutrients which include Vitamins A, B, and C and the minerals zinc and potassium (and remember that potassium is important in maintaining proper the acid/base balance in your body). (Sometimes a run on sentence cannot be helped...)

And for those of you who are calorie conscious, a cup of asparagus contains only 35 calories!  But, what the heck, go ahead and splurge - add a dash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil!

Best of all - fresh (really really fresh - not "grocery store fresh") locally grown asparagus is now available from Reverence Gardens!  Priced at $4 per pound, these beautiful, tendercrisp, and succulent stalks do not need to be trimmed, so you can use the entire pound - there are no tough ends to break off!

Call 847-445-6642 or e-mail reverencegardens@gmail.com to order yours!  Get plenty for fresh eating and for turning into soup.  Though no one likes to think of winter (it was a long one) it is really nice to have some frozen asparagus soup on hand to warm you up with thoughts of spring in January! 

April 28, 2008

Co-Chairs Mike and Mandurii at the Benefit Dinner for the Umanivas Girls School

Reverence Gardens was proud to be a sponsor of the Ananda Liina benefit for the Umanivas School for Girls in West Begal, India!  My son Mike co-chaired the benefit that was held on his golden birthday!  The fundraiser exceeded expectations and some serious money was raised at this event.  Reverence provided vegan eggplant lasagna for the event, using eggplant and tomato sauce that had been "put up" for the winter.  Find the recipe at http://www.reverencegardens.com/recipe

Not only did Reverence feed the hungry benefactors at the event but we also donated to the Umanivas School where it takes only $12 per month to feed one girl!  Umanivas provides a way out of grinding poverty for orphan girls and other village girls by providing them with education through the secondary level.

Take a look at the Ananda Liina website for more information on this worthwhile cause and for information on how to make your own donation! 

www.anandaliina.org 

April 22, 2008

Spinach popping up out of the straw! 

Earth Day and I can't even work with the Earth!  Drat!  I was up at the farm yesterday (no, I don't actually live on the property, sad to say) to check out the fields.  Well, they're drying out but are not dry enough to plant anything yet.  I checked with my friends Sue and Gary and while they are getting some planting done most of their fields are still to wet to work, as well.  Looks like we're all a bit behind where we'd like to be this season...