Latourell Falls, OR
Bridal Veil Falls, OR
Bridal Veil Falls, OR
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Picture Fest IV
Silver Falls Park, OR
Winter Falls at Silver Falls Park, OR
North Falls, Silver Falls Park, OR
Siuslaw River, OR
Winter Falls at Silver Falls Park, OR
North Falls, Silver Falls Park, OR
Siuslaw River, OR
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Picture Fest III
South Jetty, Florence, OR
Dunes at Umpqua Lighthouse
Umpqua River
Elk at Dean Creek
Dunes at Umpqua Lighthouse
Umpqua River
Elk at Dean Creek
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Clearly Not Used To This
We are guessing that a large number of blog posts, facebook posts, twitter feeds and other things mentions something about beautiful weather in Iowa today. They would, of course, be right. But, why were you posting/tweeting/typing about it? Get out there and do something in it! I can get away with it because the day is over.... so there!
Ok, ok. I'm just mad that you all beat me to it.
In any event, we did have a fine day to do work on the farm. Our accomplishments in the last several days are worth reporting. But, you should first take note of the title. I'll pause for a second while you read it.
(insert elevator music here)
While Tammy and I did not work as hard or for as long as we will in days to come, we did find that we have gotten a little soft this Winter. It's something we find out every Winter, so we aren't really surprised. But, it can be a bit irritating when you feel a bit wiped out - even when you feel what you did doesn't quite justify it.
Now that we have that over with - on to a farm report:
Ok, ok. I'm just mad that you all beat me to it.
In any event, we did have a fine day to do work on the farm. Our accomplishments in the last several days are worth reporting. But, you should first take note of the title. I'll pause for a second while you read it.
(insert elevator music here)
While Tammy and I did not work as hard or for as long as we will in days to come, we did find that we have gotten a little soft this Winter. It's something we find out every Winter, so we aren't really surprised. But, it can be a bit irritating when you feel a bit wiped out - even when you feel what you did doesn't quite justify it.
Now that we have that over with - on to a farm report:
- The organic certification paperwork is *DONE* and will be mailed tomorrow AM. For those who do not know, this is a big deal for us and represents some amount of effort on our part.
- Billing for those who have signed up for the CSA is *MAILED.* Again, this requires a some effort on our part and requires a number of things to be done prior to this effort. So, please forgive us if we mention it as an accomplishment of some import.
- We are currently at 79 members for the Farm Share CSA. 41 to go.
- You might notice we are doing a number of things to get the word out about our Farm Share program. You might notice a spot on Iowa Public Radio soon. There are posters up here and there for our farm and brochures are getting pushed around a bit. You may even notice that we are pushing a couple of aspects more than the past. First -we are a Farm Share CSA - which means you invest in our farm and you become a part of our operation. Second, we are emphasizing the fact that we are certified organic. More on that in a later post.
- Our first year SARE report is sent. We currently have a 2 year SARE grant to study intercropping spacing issues with "larger" equipment.
- We have been selected to be a part of two Practical Farmers of Iowa studies in 2012. One investigates companions for cabbage. The other attempts to use living mulch in peppers.
- We just rebuilt one of our plant starting tables. We actually built this in Minnesota and moved it down with us. It was not initially intended for what we do now, so the shelf spacing was....not efficient. We have now added another shelf and improved the shelf surfaces so the heat mats will have better contact with the trays. Here's hoping.
- In order to celebrate the rebuilt shelf, Tammy planted 15 trays of onions today. There are already about a dozen going.
- Tammy took a trip down to Dyarsville (Farmtek) and picked up about 750 egg cartons. Among other things. Let's just say the car was full.
- Tammy just finished editing/working on chapter 12 of a 12 chapter text. Now she needs to do some of the end of chapter material. Good work!
- Plants in the high tunnel just got a nice day of drip irrigation. The plants are small, but they are there. Surprisingly, the arugula and mustard appear to have made it through this Winter. We'll have to watch them closely to see if they want to bolt.
- We even got to hang some clothing on the line today.
- Lots of acquisition for the coming year going on right now. We picked up 3000 lbs of hen feed from Frantzen Farms in New Hampton and 800 lbs of seed starting media from Beautiful Land Products in West Branch.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Our first 2012 CSA "Newsletter"
Below is the email (edited slightly for each distribution group and combined here) sent to those who are already signed up for our 2012 Farm Share CSA.
If you did not receive this email, but expected to - contact us! It is possible we have the wrong email address OR we don't know you want to be a part of our program this year.
=========================
Greetings all!
March is time to begin thinking Spring. And, for us, it is time to do something about Spring heading our way!
We have sent out emails for each of our 2012 Farm Share CSA distribution (Waverly, Cedar Falls and Tripoli). If this email is going to one of your email addresses that is inappropriate for Farm Share CSA announcements, please indicate this to us at this time. This is our primary method of making announcements and we will send out emails weekly during the distribution season (June - October). Thus, we need at least *one* email contact that will reliably receive and be able to read these emails. If you are splitting a share, we want certain that each family unit has an email so no one is inadvertently left out.
This email is atypical because we are cc'ing all members of the list at this time. This will allow you to look and see what addresses are on the list in case a person you share with is *not* there. Typically, we will use a blind CC for security purposes.
And now, a brief Genuine Faux Farm newsletter:
Watch Snail Mail: Yes, we just sent out the billing for 2012 shares. Even if you have paid, or you use electronic bill pay, we would appreciate it if you return the lower portion appropriately filled out. The top half is for your records. Among the things we are asking for are primary phone and email information. We found that we had a number of members last year where we had no phone number. Thus, we were unable to call them late in a distribution to remind them about pick up.
Farm Shares Still Available: We still have many spots available in our program. We're doing what we can to get the word out. But, our best advertising is YOU! People will respond when someone they know vouches for a business or program in much higher numbers than they will for any other advertising. We do understand that this program is not for everyone, but we also believe there are enough people out there for us to fill all 120 slots this season.
Payment Plans: We recognize that the economy works from the coasts to the interior. That means we're having some difficulties with our economy. We don't want anyone to feel priced out of our program. The price per week is quite reasonable and you do get excellent value for your share price. But, the large check at the beginning of the season may be daunting. We will work with any reasonable payment plan as long as you help us do the tracking. The bookkeeper on the farm *IS* the farmer. He gets kind of busy mid season and can use the help.
Change of Venue: Many of you may already know this, but we ARE moving in 2012. We will now distribute produce at Hansen's Outlet. They have been kind enough to offer use of the parking area behind their retail space. We were becoming increasingly concerned about the traffic combined with a growing number of children coming to our distributions. The Roots parking lot is simply not meant for the type of setup we require to do our distributions. The good news is that we are still only a few blocks from Roots. So, you have the convenience of being able to get dairy products, meat products and other grocery items at Hansen's AND you can make a run to Roots for other items on your shopping list.
Feedback Welcome: We do appreciate feedback on the services we provide. Tell us what is going right and what is not. We'll try to keep doing the things you like and change the things you do not. This will be our 8th year, so we have the feeling that we are starting to get the hang of this!
Farm Work: In addition to Rob and Tammy, Jeff Sage will be working to make the Farm Share CSA successful again this season. We have also identified one person who will work with us during the summer months at the farm and another who will help us at the distribution.
In a fix trying to get to a distribution this year? There are a few of you who occasionally run into a series of events that prevent you from getting to the distribution. We are looking at the option of having a person take care of handling these shares for you when this happens. We are uncertain as to how this might work, but it could take the form of leaving at this persons home to extend the hours. Or, if there are issues with transportation, we are looking at delivery options for those cases. We are looking for your thoughts on these things.
Tripoli Delivery At this point, we are still planning on a Wednesday delivery to your location. There are currently only two shares in Tripoli. If more are added, we will deliver to them or find an amenable drop off location on Wednesday.
Egg Shares: For those of you interested in eggs and those who are currently buying eggs from us. To help us with tracking, we are going to work to make sure all current contracts run out prior to our distribution season. If you want eggs during the season, we will have you take out a contract(s) for the entire season. More details forthcoming, but feel free to express interest in eggs and we'll fill the shares in first come first served order.
Thank you for reading all the way to the bottom!
Rob & Tammy Faux
If you did not receive this email, but expected to - contact us! It is possible we have the wrong email address OR we don't know you want to be a part of our program this year.
=========================
Greetings all!
March is time to begin thinking Spring. And, for us, it is time to do something about Spring heading our way!
We have sent out emails for each of our 2012 Farm Share CSA distribution (Waverly, Cedar Falls and Tripoli). If this email is going to one of your email addresses that is inappropriate for Farm Share CSA announcements, please indicate this to us at this time. This is our primary method of making announcements and we will send out emails weekly during the distribution season (June - October). Thus, we need at least *one* email contact that will reliably receive and be able to read these emails. If you are splitting a share, we want certain that each family unit has an email so no one is inadvertently left out.
This email is atypical because we are cc'ing all members of the list at this time. This will allow you to look and see what addresses are on the list in case a person you share with is *not* there. Typically, we will use a blind CC for security purposes.
And now, a brief Genuine Faux Farm newsletter:
Watch Snail Mail: Yes, we just sent out the billing for 2012 shares. Even if you have paid, or you use electronic bill pay, we would appreciate it if you return the lower portion appropriately filled out. The top half is for your records. Among the things we are asking for are primary phone and email information. We found that we had a number of members last year where we had no phone number. Thus, we were unable to call them late in a distribution to remind them about pick up.
Farm Shares Still Available: We still have many spots available in our program. We're doing what we can to get the word out. But, our best advertising is YOU! People will respond when someone they know vouches for a business or program in much higher numbers than they will for any other advertising. We do understand that this program is not for everyone, but we also believe there are enough people out there for us to fill all 120 slots this season.
Payment Plans: We recognize that the economy works from the coasts to the interior. That means we're having some difficulties with our economy. We don't want anyone to feel priced out of our program. The price per week is quite reasonable and you do get excellent value for your share price. But, the large check at the beginning of the season may be daunting. We will work with any reasonable payment plan as long as you help us do the tracking. The bookkeeper on the farm *IS* the farmer. He gets kind of busy mid season and can use the help.
Change of Venue: Many of you may already know this, but we ARE moving in 2012. We will now distribute produce at Hansen's Outlet. They have been kind enough to offer use of the parking area behind their retail space. We were becoming increasingly concerned about the traffic combined with a growing number of children coming to our distributions. The Roots parking lot is simply not meant for the type of setup we require to do our distributions. The good news is that we are still only a few blocks from Roots. So, you have the convenience of being able to get dairy products, meat products and other grocery items at Hansen's AND you can make a run to Roots for other items on your shopping list.
Feedback Welcome: We do appreciate feedback on the services we provide. Tell us what is going right and what is not. We'll try to keep doing the things you like and change the things you do not. This will be our 8th year, so we have the feeling that we are starting to get the hang of this!
Farm Work: In addition to Rob and Tammy, Jeff Sage will be working to make the Farm Share CSA successful again this season. We have also identified one person who will work with us during the summer months at the farm and another who will help us at the distribution.
In a fix trying to get to a distribution this year? There are a few of you who occasionally run into a series of events that prevent you from getting to the distribution. We are looking at the option of having a person take care of handling these shares for you when this happens. We are uncertain as to how this might work, but it could take the form of leaving at this persons home to extend the hours. Or, if there are issues with transportation, we are looking at delivery options for those cases. We are looking for your thoughts on these things.
Tripoli Delivery At this point, we are still planning on a Wednesday delivery to your location. There are currently only two shares in Tripoli. If more are added, we will deliver to them or find an amenable drop off location on Wednesday.
Egg Shares: For those of you interested in eggs and those who are currently buying eggs from us. To help us with tracking, we are going to work to make sure all current contracts run out prior to our distribution season. If you want eggs during the season, we will have you take out a contract(s) for the entire season. More details forthcoming, but feel free to express interest in eggs and we'll fill the shares in first come first served order.
Thank you for reading all the way to the bottom!
Rob & Tammy Faux
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Everything That's On My Mind
You know, I've been thinking.
A dangerous pastime.
I know....
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately - but that's part of what the Winter months are all about. For the most part, I enjoy thinking, considering and planning for the growing season. On the other hand, it gets frustrating when you are aware that there are no "right" answers other than this:
"IT DEPENDS..."
The hard part about that answer is determining exactly what IT depends ON.
Most things on the farm depend on time. To be more specific, they depend on how much time we have to spend on ... well... whatever it is we are considering. Assuming we have the time, there is the matter of motivation. There are just some times when we don't want to do much of anything. This hits home this time of year more than any other. We're fully aware that once we really start rolling on the farm, the rolling will not stop until December. Forgive us if we are just a little bit loathe to start that treadmill. Nonetheless, we are already walking on that treadmill whether we want it or not. Today's errands to pick up chicken feed (3000 lbs) and then a truckload of seed starting mix tells us it has begun.
Then there is the issue of money and resources. What can we and what should be spend where? Which projects get priority? How many can we do? Which ones are critical? This is tied in nicely with the issue of securing the income by getting more people to sign up for the CSA. And, of course, getting the billing out for the year. Which brings us back to time. Guess we're going to have to jump into that circle somewhere!
It's time to think a bit less and do a bit more. Here we go!
A dangerous pastime.
I know....
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately - but that's part of what the Winter months are all about. For the most part, I enjoy thinking, considering and planning for the growing season. On the other hand, it gets frustrating when you are aware that there are no "right" answers other than this:
"IT DEPENDS..."
The hard part about that answer is determining exactly what IT depends ON.
Most things on the farm depend on time. To be more specific, they depend on how much time we have to spend on ... well... whatever it is we are considering. Assuming we have the time, there is the matter of motivation. There are just some times when we don't want to do much of anything. This hits home this time of year more than any other. We're fully aware that once we really start rolling on the farm, the rolling will not stop until December. Forgive us if we are just a little bit loathe to start that treadmill. Nonetheless, we are already walking on that treadmill whether we want it or not. Today's errands to pick up chicken feed (3000 lbs) and then a truckload of seed starting mix tells us it has begun.
Then there is the issue of money and resources. What can we and what should be spend where? Which projects get priority? How many can we do? Which ones are critical? This is tied in nicely with the issue of securing the income by getting more people to sign up for the CSA. And, of course, getting the billing out for the year. Which brings us back to time. Guess we're going to have to jump into that circle somewhere!
It's time to think a bit less and do a bit more. Here we go!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Veg Variety Changes for 2012
The seed order is complete. And, since it is complete, we thought we'd fill everyone in on new varieties, varieties that have gone from trial to full production and varieties we have dropped (and why).
New Trials:
Chinese Cabbage - Minuet
Daikon (spring) - Discovery
Leek - Bandit (for overwintered leeks)
Romanesco
Cipollini Onion - Yellow Borettana
Bunching/Green Onions - Guardsman, Deep Purple
Kale - Ripbor
Green Bean - Empress
Pole Bean - True Red Cranberry
Melon - Minnesota Midget (for tunnel production)
Zucchini - Golden Zucchini
Summer Squash - Success PM
Pea - Mammoth Melting Sugar
Move from Trial to Full Scale:
Daikon (fall) - Miyashage
Onion - White Wing, Redwing
Kohlrabi - Gigante
Fall Radish - Misato Rose and Black Spanish
Lima - Christmas Lima
Turnip - White Egg, Red Round
Green Bean - Black Valentine
Returning:
Kale - Lacinato
No more on the farm - unless we convince ourselves to reverse this in the future - or the seed is available again:
Broccoli - Packman (seed not available)
Pea - Blizzard (seed not available)
Pea - Maestro (cutting back on shell peas - takes too much to produce enough for the CSA)
Cucumber - Poinsett 97 (seed not available)
Cucumber - Longfellow (seems that most people won't take these big cucumbers - even if they do taste great)
Melons - Schoon's Hard Shell, Prescott Fond Blanc, Sweet Granite (we're cutting back on melons since we've had crop failures of late - trying to focus on a few that have had more reliable results in the past - no more playing around)
Pepper - Buran will not be planted in the field. We'll try a few in the high tunnel and see if they like that. If not, that's it.
Zucchini - Cashflow (seed no longer available - we have a few left over to plant)
Summer Squash - Superpik and before that Multipik (This one annoys us - the industry has taken both out and it seems as if we can't expect any constancy in this area. We're hopeful a new (to us) open pollinated variety from High Mowing will work. If it does - we may have ourselves the consistency for straight neck summer squash we have wanted for years.)
Winter Squash - Potimarron and Pennsylvania Dutch (neither liked us much, thus we didn't like them so much. We have to admit that we wanted Potimarron to work and Penn Dutch was just for fun.)
Leek - Prizetaker (we like King Richard better)
Onion - Sierra Blanca (had to buy plants = $ with not so good results = "not coming back")
Onion - Ruby Ring, Copra (we think we've found better options now)
Lima - Henderson (we're going to try Christmas Limas - trials show there is potential for a more reliable crop that is easier to pick. No real qualms about Henderson - but if you can opt to pick bent over all the time vs standing up at least *some* of the time....)
New Trials:
Chinese Cabbage - Minuet
Daikon (spring) - Discovery
Leek - Bandit (for overwintered leeks)
Romanesco
Cipollini Onion - Yellow Borettana
Bunching/Green Onions - Guardsman, Deep Purple
Kale - Ripbor
Green Bean - Empress
Pole Bean - True Red Cranberry
Melon - Minnesota Midget (for tunnel production)
Zucchini - Golden Zucchini
Summer Squash - Success PM
Pea - Mammoth Melting Sugar
Move from Trial to Full Scale:
Daikon (fall) - Miyashage
Onion - White Wing, Redwing
Kohlrabi - Gigante
Fall Radish - Misato Rose and Black Spanish
Lima - Christmas Lima
Turnip - White Egg, Red Round
Green Bean - Black Valentine
Returning:
Kale - Lacinato
No more on the farm - unless we convince ourselves to reverse this in the future - or the seed is available again:
Broccoli - Packman (seed not available)
Pea - Blizzard (seed not available)
Pea - Maestro (cutting back on shell peas - takes too much to produce enough for the CSA)
Cucumber - Poinsett 97 (seed not available)
Cucumber - Longfellow (seems that most people won't take these big cucumbers - even if they do taste great)
Melons - Schoon's Hard Shell, Prescott Fond Blanc, Sweet Granite (we're cutting back on melons since we've had crop failures of late - trying to focus on a few that have had more reliable results in the past - no more playing around)
Pepper - Buran will not be planted in the field. We'll try a few in the high tunnel and see if they like that. If not, that's it.
Zucchini - Cashflow (seed no longer available - we have a few left over to plant)
Summer Squash - Superpik and before that Multipik (This one annoys us - the industry has taken both out and it seems as if we can't expect any constancy in this area. We're hopeful a new (to us) open pollinated variety from High Mowing will work. If it does - we may have ourselves the consistency for straight neck summer squash we have wanted for years.)
Winter Squash - Potimarron and Pennsylvania Dutch (neither liked us much, thus we didn't like them so much. We have to admit that we wanted Potimarron to work and Penn Dutch was just for fun.)
Leek - Prizetaker (we like King Richard better)
Onion - Sierra Blanca (had to buy plants = $ with not so good results = "not coming back")
Onion - Ruby Ring, Copra (we think we've found better options now)
Lima - Henderson (we're going to try Christmas Limas - trials show there is potential for a more reliable crop that is easier to pick. No real qualms about Henderson - but if you can opt to pick bent over all the time vs standing up at least *some* of the time....)
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Culture Shock
Here we are. Back at home after a conference full of people who are interested enough in organic agriculture/agriculture/etc to attend. Talk about a bit of a shock when you get back to the 'real world.'
At the conference, we could discuss something like a vegetable crop rotation and not worry so much about whether those involved in the discussion were even remotely interested in the topic. In all likelihood - every participant in the conversation had their own thoughts on the subject and their own questions. It was good to explore them with people who had some experience and definite interest.
In contrast, while this is our blog and we have posted about our rotations, we limit ourselves to the surface to avoid overwhelming or boring everyone else with the topic. Why? Because most people who do read the blog are interested in what we do - but not so interested that they want that sort of detail. Nor do they have experience or personal reason to fully connect with the topic. We understand that - and that's why these connections with other growers can be so vital. We can spend time educating the general public about what a rotation is and why it is important *AND* we can discuss various rotation decisions and details with other practitioners. But, it sure can be hard to transition from one to the other.
Another culture shock for us is leaving a conference where so many people are sold on organic practices to the general public where most people barely care about them. For those of you who do support organic food production and local food systems - we thank you and are grateful for you. But, you have to admit that our farm would be considered a bit of an oddball by most people. Happily, we don't mind being just a little different. But, there is still adjustments we must make after we leave the conference.
The last isn't really culture shock. But, it can be jarring nonetheless.
The conference gives us an opportunity to gather all kinds of new information and re introduce ourselves to things we may have heard before, but weren't ready for at the time. Our time there is full of big ideas and high-minded goals. It can be invigorating as we tell ourselves how much we hope to accomplish in the coming months and years.
Then we come home and look at the lists of things we already knew we had to do. And we begin the work of trying to figure out which (if any) of our big ideas from the conference can be integrated into that which we already know we must do.
It can be sobering if we let it overwhelm us. Yet, I still can't help but be hopeful. And, I encourage that hope by looking back and seeing where we were one year ago, two years ago and five years ago. Believe it or not, we've actually moved forward on a number of our 'big ideas.' It can be done - it just isn't as nice and neat as we might like it to be when we first conceptualize them.
And so - we see a big week ahead of us. Let's see what we can achieve.
At the conference, we could discuss something like a vegetable crop rotation and not worry so much about whether those involved in the discussion were even remotely interested in the topic. In all likelihood - every participant in the conversation had their own thoughts on the subject and their own questions. It was good to explore them with people who had some experience and definite interest.
In contrast, while this is our blog and we have posted about our rotations, we limit ourselves to the surface to avoid overwhelming or boring everyone else with the topic. Why? Because most people who do read the blog are interested in what we do - but not so interested that they want that sort of detail. Nor do they have experience or personal reason to fully connect with the topic. We understand that - and that's why these connections with other growers can be so vital. We can spend time educating the general public about what a rotation is and why it is important *AND* we can discuss various rotation decisions and details with other practitioners. But, it sure can be hard to transition from one to the other.
Another culture shock for us is leaving a conference where so many people are sold on organic practices to the general public where most people barely care about them. For those of you who do support organic food production and local food systems - we thank you and are grateful for you. But, you have to admit that our farm would be considered a bit of an oddball by most people. Happily, we don't mind being just a little different. But, there is still adjustments we must make after we leave the conference.
The last isn't really culture shock. But, it can be jarring nonetheless.
The conference gives us an opportunity to gather all kinds of new information and re introduce ourselves to things we may have heard before, but weren't ready for at the time. Our time there is full of big ideas and high-minded goals. It can be invigorating as we tell ourselves how much we hope to accomplish in the coming months and years.
Then we come home and look at the lists of things we already knew we had to do. And we begin the work of trying to figure out which (if any) of our big ideas from the conference can be integrated into that which we already know we must do.
It can be sobering if we let it overwhelm us. Yet, I still can't help but be hopeful. And, I encourage that hope by looking back and seeing where we were one year ago, two years ago and five years ago. Believe it or not, we've actually moved forward on a number of our 'big ideas.' It can be done - it just isn't as nice and neat as we might like it to be when we first conceptualize them.
And so - we see a big week ahead of us. Let's see what we can achieve.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
An introvert walks into a conference....
Complete this sentence:
An introvert walks into a conference...
(note: this conference had over 3000 attendees)
a. ...and back out again.
b. ...covers his ears, shuts his eyes and starts humming.
c. ...and talks so much his voice is a bit raw by the end.
d. wait...what? There was an introvert at the conference?!?
=====================
Yes, we have returned from the Organic Farming Conference in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. And, yes, I tend to be a bit introverted. And the answer is "C"
Tammy and I have had the great fortune to find a couple of organizations and conferences that focus on bringing together people who are intent on growing good food and finding ways to care for the land and market our products. It's a great opportunity to talk about what we (and others) are doing. We can even tell farm stories without editing or explanation - and find that we're not the only ones who have gotten caught on barb wire, run madly after critters that thought a chicken dinner would be lovely or wondered if a combine could be modified for dry beans.
For all of the fine people we had the opportunity to see and converse with during the conference - it was great to see you and wonderful to hear about what you are doing and what you hope to be doing during the coming season. Thank you for seeking us out or being gracious enough to seem pleased to see us when we sought you out. It's the quality of people like you that encourage this introvert to interact and be, if only for a while, an extrovert.
And now, this introvert needs much sleep. All the running around humming with my eyes closed and hands over my ears wore me out.
An introvert walks into a conference...
(note: this conference had over 3000 attendees)
a. ...and back out again.
b. ...covers his ears, shuts his eyes and starts humming.
c. ...and talks so much his voice is a bit raw by the end.
d. wait...what? There was an introvert at the conference?!?
=====================
Yes, we have returned from the Organic Farming Conference in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. And, yes, I tend to be a bit introverted. And the answer is "C"
Tammy and I have had the great fortune to find a couple of organizations and conferences that focus on bringing together people who are intent on growing good food and finding ways to care for the land and market our products. It's a great opportunity to talk about what we (and others) are doing. We can even tell farm stories without editing or explanation - and find that we're not the only ones who have gotten caught on barb wire, run madly after critters that thought a chicken dinner would be lovely or wondered if a combine could be modified for dry beans.
For all of the fine people we had the opportunity to see and converse with during the conference - it was great to see you and wonderful to hear about what you are doing and what you hope to be doing during the coming season. Thank you for seeking us out or being gracious enough to seem pleased to see us when we sought you out. It's the quality of people like you that encourage this introvert to interact and be, if only for a while, an extrovert.
And now, this introvert needs much sleep. All the running around humming with my eyes closed and hands over my ears wore me out.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Promotional Push and Other Stuff
We're beginning our promotional push to fill up our regular season CSA. One of the tools is the poster you can see below:
You will find this poster soon in the Hansen's Dairy stores in Waterloo and Cedar Falls. We've long been avid supporters of Hansen's and their farming and business approach and have great respect for the Hansen family and their efforts. That - and the milk is fabulous. We're spoiled and have trouble drinking most other milk now.
On other fronts, we are officially moving our Cedar Falls delivery point to the Hansen's Outlet there. It is very near our old location at Roots Market, so should not cause any undue problems in drive time for our share holders. We love the Hansen's product and we feel that this is consistent with our desire to promote local, sustainable agriculture that helps you to see who your farmers are and how things are done.
Don't read anything into this, Roots Market fans. It is primarily the issue that the Roots parking lot and our method of distribution are not likely the best match. With the number of small children coming with their parents to CSA pickups, we felt this would be a safer location. And, since Roots is only a couple of blocks away, you can still get all of your shopping done at Hansen's and at Roots after you pick up your shares!
You will find this poster soon in the Hansen's Dairy stores in Waterloo and Cedar Falls. We've long been avid supporters of Hansen's and their farming and business approach and have great respect for the Hansen family and their efforts. That - and the milk is fabulous. We're spoiled and have trouble drinking most other milk now.
On other fronts, we are officially moving our Cedar Falls delivery point to the Hansen's Outlet there. It is very near our old location at Roots Market, so should not cause any undue problems in drive time for our share holders. We love the Hansen's product and we feel that this is consistent with our desire to promote local, sustainable agriculture that helps you to see who your farmers are and how things are done.
Don't read anything into this, Roots Market fans. It is primarily the issue that the Roots parking lot and our method of distribution are not likely the best match. With the number of small children coming with their parents to CSA pickups, we felt this would be a safer location. And, since Roots is only a couple of blocks away, you can still get all of your shopping done at Hansen's and at Roots after you pick up your shares!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Liking Winter - Favorite Faux Phauxtos #6
I was waiting to post this picture for a prolonged batch of Winter. But, we haven't really had that this year.
Winter is my equivalent of most teachers' Summer. I get to do some different things than when the growing season is going full tilt. There are conferences I can attend, speaking engagements that people ask me to do and opportunities to be creative. And, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I have opportunities to FEEL creative. Sometimes, the growing season even drives that out of me.
So, if you are wondering why some of the phauxtos I like best are Winter shots, its because I often have more time flexibility to go out and take pictures that I think are interesting, in light that seems appropriate - rather than pictures that are intended to simply record.
I realize many who read this are getting excited by the possibilities of Spring. I'm with you on that - sort of. The transition to Spring represents a transition from flexible time use to the "too much to do and less time to do it in" phase on the farm. I love Spring, Summer and Fall. Just not sure I'm ready for them just yet.
Friday, February 17, 2012
What's Cool About Intercropping/Companion Planting
Rob just had the privilege to speak to a group of cool people at Wartburg about diversity on the farm. This included some information on 'companion planting.'
In the process of preparing for the topic, there were some quick searches to see what new things were out there on the topic. The first thing I ran into was a short article that sounded like it was hot to debunk companion planting. Since I want to hear more than one side of an argument, I read it. And, it turns out that they do not like the use of the terminology because many of those who use that term also use questionable analysis in determining good 'companions.' In fact, they agreed that there are many beneficial (and non beneficial) plant relationships. In their mind, it is preferable to use "plant associations" to describe the concept. They also concede that polyculture or intercropping would be a bit better as well.
Ok, I bit. Web searches for plant associations find me all kinds of articles, research, etc that primarily covers forests, prairies and even water systems.
While the terminology may be more accurate and less biased, I sure can't find anything I might care about for growing fruits and vegetables using those terms. On the other hand, "intercropping" is a pretty good term - but tends to provide me with larger farming system information. Personally, I am happy to see legumes intercropped with field corn. But, I'm afraid my 14 acres won't accept that as part of my farming efforts!
On the other hand, there are some interesting studies out there with some cool results. The problem is that there are only 'some' of these studies. Funding sources don't appear to be as attracted to this sort of research as they are for GMO seed or the relative safety of glysophates (ok, don't get me started). You can argue that these things have their place - but they are currently crowding out a whole host of viable tools in the farming toolbox. When all I have in the toolbox is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Here is one chart that amazed me.
Look at it carefully. The control would be cabbage in a study that had NO companion plant nearby. The others are different types of companions. By June 9, every plant in the control had damage from cabbage worm/cabbage looper. NONE of the others had damage at that point. This is a small ISU study which admittedly only has 2 replications and could stand to be a bit more rigorous. But, consider this - in other fields, a pilot study that produced results this clear would be followed up in a potentially grand scale -wouldn't it? And, last I looked, four of the five could be a potential cash crop for the farmer as well as the cabbage.
Well, perhaps not. But, Practical Farmers of Iowa is looking to perform a study on cabbage looper and cabbage worm control in cabbage. If it gets the go ahead, we anticipate that we will be involved in this study. On the docket is thyme as a companion. We'll see if others are included.
In the process of preparing for the topic, there were some quick searches to see what new things were out there on the topic. The first thing I ran into was a short article that sounded like it was hot to debunk companion planting. Since I want to hear more than one side of an argument, I read it. And, it turns out that they do not like the use of the terminology because many of those who use that term also use questionable analysis in determining good 'companions.' In fact, they agreed that there are many beneficial (and non beneficial) plant relationships. In their mind, it is preferable to use "plant associations" to describe the concept. They also concede that polyculture or intercropping would be a bit better as well.
Ok, I bit. Web searches for plant associations find me all kinds of articles, research, etc that primarily covers forests, prairies and even water systems.
While the terminology may be more accurate and less biased, I sure can't find anything I might care about for growing fruits and vegetables using those terms. On the other hand, "intercropping" is a pretty good term - but tends to provide me with larger farming system information. Personally, I am happy to see legumes intercropped with field corn. But, I'm afraid my 14 acres won't accept that as part of my farming efforts!
On the other hand, there are some interesting studies out there with some cool results. The problem is that there are only 'some' of these studies. Funding sources don't appear to be as attracted to this sort of research as they are for GMO seed or the relative safety of glysophates (ok, don't get me started). You can argue that these things have their place - but they are currently crowding out a whole host of viable tools in the farming toolbox. When all I have in the toolbox is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Here is one chart that amazed me.
Look at it carefully. The control would be cabbage in a study that had NO companion plant nearby. The others are different types of companions. By June 9, every plant in the control had damage from cabbage worm/cabbage looper. NONE of the others had damage at that point. This is a small ISU study which admittedly only has 2 replications and could stand to be a bit more rigorous. But, consider this - in other fields, a pilot study that produced results this clear would be followed up in a potentially grand scale -wouldn't it? And, last I looked, four of the five could be a potential cash crop for the farmer as well as the cabbage.
Well, perhaps not. But, Practical Farmers of Iowa is looking to perform a study on cabbage looper and cabbage worm control in cabbage. If it gets the go ahead, we anticipate that we will be involved in this study. On the docket is thyme as a companion. We'll see if others are included.
Friday, February 10, 2012
We're Listing Captain
We may be listing, but let's try to avoid the sinking part!
Everything is beautiful in February. All the crops are growing well and weed free in our mind's eye. But, our lists are also growing in February. Who fertilized them so well? We really want to know!
Things on our minds (and therefore our lists) at this time.
Everything is beautiful in February. All the crops are growing well and weed free in our mind's eye. But, our lists are also growing in February. Who fertilized them so well? We really want to know!
Things on our minds (and therefore our lists) at this time.
- We really need to work on keeping rabbits out of the high tunnel. We've identified what we want to do. Now we have to do it. But, it's frustrating to go out and see lots of nothing where there should be something.
- Obviously, the barn is no longer an option for use. That means some of the things we used it for have to find new homes. We're starting to feel the pressure as the season creeps closer.
- Then there's all the paper work that really MUST get done. We're plugging along, but paper work seems to beget paperwork. Just like each line item on a list begets more line items. Even when you cross one off!
- Seed starting time is coming! Yep, onions and perennial spices will get planted in trays very soon. Uf. Are we really doing this already?
- Being involved in grants and research is great. But, they all have their things that need to get done. And, of course, they need to get done before we get to absorbed by the growing season. Hmmmmm.
- Are you beginning to wonder why a blog post is appearing when I have lists of things to do? So am I! But, there is no denying the therapeutic quality of a blog post for the writer.
- It would be nice to accomplish a few house repair items before the season gets going too. The humans deserve a decent place to live too, don't they? No. Ok, chicken room it is! As long as we keep the hay fresh in the house, all is well. And, I thought this list was supposed to help clarify my thoughts - now I'm confused!
- On the plus side, most of our seed orders have already arrived. Yay!
- If you are familiar with our farm even a little bit, you might recall that there is a building slab with remnants of an old building still on it. We've been working on cleaning that area up for years now. This Spring. We want it done. It is time. I said that last year. Uh oh.
- On the other hand, we don't have a giant maple tree to clean up this Spring, nor do we have to take down and level out a fence line that has been on the farm for decades. Does this mean we have a chance to get to that building cleaned up?
- The walk-in cooler project is resurfacing. There is no doubt it needs to get done. There is doubt in my mind as to whether it *will* get done. That's the way things on the farm go sometimes.
- More portable bird shelters are on the docket. We're fine tuning. There's a fine line between portable and kite-like.
- Hmmm. Maybe we should start working on recruiting a work crew for the season.
Monday, February 6, 2012
On the Fly
It's time for a quick farm report. And, since I'm not feeling 'creative,' we'll just rely on a bunch of blurbs and see if it makes any sense in the end.
- We have attended the PFI Conference (Jan) and will be attending the Cooperator's Meeting this week (PFI again). We'll see if we can influence some of the research projects sponsored by PFI this year.
- The vegetable seed orders are in! We still need to get the cover crop order in and the potato seed order in. So, I guess we're not REALLY done.
- Started the organic certification paperwork for 2012. It gets easier every year as I'm able to build on prior years work. That, and I know better what I'm doing. Learning...it can be a good thing.
- We're modifying and improving the field plans again this year. Of course, I was hoping to just reuse last year's plans. But, we learned so many things last year with our new equipment... That and we're changing the rotation in hopes that it handles the last of the residual issues form 2008 and 2010.
- Speaking of changing the rotation.... (*we were?!*) For those who don't know or remember - we have two field/plot rotations. One is a 7 year rotation and the other is 4 year (soon to be 5?). We've flip flopped some crops between the two in response to what we've learned. It sounds like a good move.
- We are taking reservations for CSA spots this year. Plenty of openings. Spread the word.
- The hens are laying, the hens are laying. Something about averaging 4.5 - 5 dozen eggs a day.
- Speaking of birds. We still have 2 turkeys available for sale. Anyone? Anyone?
- Thinking back to crop changes. We are anticipating using a paper mulch this year on a trial basis. We'll probably talk about it more on the blog later, but suffice it to say, we're trying to hold the weeds down to a dull roar.
- Lots of building, fixing and reconfiguring are on the docket for this season (again). We're looking at new doors on two buildings, making a new hen room and chick room in another building, finally putting a deck on the back of the house... Ok, the list is long. As always, balancing time and money is the issue.
- We'll be going to the organic conference in LaCrosse again this February. Anyone want the A to Z cookbook? Let us know.
- Tammy is on sabbatical this term. All I can say is that this is a much deserved change of pace for her. She still has plenty to do, but it is nice to have the schedule flexibility. I'm very proud of her work.
- It looks like we're going to have our Cedar Falls drop off at Hansen's Outlet in Cedar Falls - it is only a few blocks from the Roots drop off. But, we feel this will be a bit safer than the parking lot at Roots. We were just getting a bit too nervous about all of the traffic combined with the smaller children, etc. Certainly, Hansen's will be busy as well, but we think we can provide a more contained environment. More on this topic at a later date as well.
- We keep saying it, but our time seems to get swallowed up. The big CSA signup push is COMING. We need to get through the Cooperator's Meeting first, then we go!
- Billing for the CSA. The stamps have arrived, time for Rob to put the billing together!
- On another front, Rob is completing a postal history exhibit to be shown in Cleveland. If you scroll down the blog a bit, you'll get an idea as to some of the contents.
- If you are looking for presentations from the two of us - now is the time to ask. If not, don't ask. But, say hello anyway. We are usually polite.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Are we trying to fix what's broken?
We do a fair bit of reading in the Winter regarding various agriculture issues, philosophies, problems and potential solutions. We also try to keep an open mind so we can understand all sides of the issue, even if we are decidedly opposed to certain approaches. This alone can be quite a task, especially when the item just read was clearly written by someone who does *not* care about opposing views.
Some of the topics that I've recently read about that make me a little less than happy include, but are not limited to, grafting tomatoes, GMO seed, atrazine use, plastic mulch and commercial agriculture rotations.
In most of these cases, discussion boiled down to the bottom line - was the approach profitable in the end for the farmer? I have no problem with this specifically. In fact, I agree that it is critical for farmers (including ourselves) to earn a profit that is reasonable and appropriate. But, I disagree with the tendency to boil it all down to dollars and cents to the exclusion of other things of value. I especially disagree when I realize how easily the facts, numbers and analysis can be turned in more than one direction.
In fact, I begin to wonder if these issues actually deal with what is broken?
Example 1: crop rotations
There are now a number of studies that show that Iowa farms that would be willing to add a third year to their rotation would see increased yields. In other words, conventional farms would get better corn and soybean yields if they added a grain, or some such thing to their rotation (a 3 year instead of 2 year rotation). And yet, we see all sorts of research attempting optimize the 2 year (or even 1 year - corn on corn) rotation. Is this because the 3rd crop has no value? No. But, it does require more agility or flexibility by the farm instead of a rigidly specialized system. And, the bigger a farm gets - once it gets to a certain size - the less flexible or agile it becomes.
I realize this is, perhaps, an over-simplification of the whole matter. But - I still have to ask:
Do we continue to work so hard to develop new seed, sprays and tools to support shorter crop rotations because we are trying to improve yields to "feed the world" or are we doing it to facilitate very large, specialized farms? Since it tends to come down to the money, I suspect it is more of the latter than the former.
In fact, most farmers I talk to would admit a 3rd crop in the rotation would probably be a good idea. But, they will stick with their shorter rotations and they have their reasons. One of these reasons has to do with the system that rewards growing certain crops to the exclusion of others. Another has to do with the infrastructure that has grown up to specialize in only a couple of crops. In short, it takes some initiative to break out of a short crop rotation.
So - what really is broken here? Is it the strains of corn and soybeans we plant? The tools we use? The herbicides, pesticides and fungicides we use to control weeds, insects, etc in our crops? Or is it the fact that we need to increase the demand of corn/soybean products? You would think so since so much or our R&D goes to these subject areas.
Maybe I'm wrong. Feel free to tell me here - or tell me what IS broken. Let's see where this goes.
Some of the topics that I've recently read about that make me a little less than happy include, but are not limited to, grafting tomatoes, GMO seed, atrazine use, plastic mulch and commercial agriculture rotations.
In most of these cases, discussion boiled down to the bottom line - was the approach profitable in the end for the farmer? I have no problem with this specifically. In fact, I agree that it is critical for farmers (including ourselves) to earn a profit that is reasonable and appropriate. But, I disagree with the tendency to boil it all down to dollars and cents to the exclusion of other things of value. I especially disagree when I realize how easily the facts, numbers and analysis can be turned in more than one direction.
In fact, I begin to wonder if these issues actually deal with what is broken?
Example 1: crop rotations
There are now a number of studies that show that Iowa farms that would be willing to add a third year to their rotation would see increased yields. In other words, conventional farms would get better corn and soybean yields if they added a grain, or some such thing to their rotation (a 3 year instead of 2 year rotation). And yet, we see all sorts of research attempting optimize the 2 year (or even 1 year - corn on corn) rotation. Is this because the 3rd crop has no value? No. But, it does require more agility or flexibility by the farm instead of a rigidly specialized system. And, the bigger a farm gets - once it gets to a certain size - the less flexible or agile it becomes.
I realize this is, perhaps, an over-simplification of the whole matter. But - I still have to ask:
Do we continue to work so hard to develop new seed, sprays and tools to support shorter crop rotations because we are trying to improve yields to "feed the world" or are we doing it to facilitate very large, specialized farms? Since it tends to come down to the money, I suspect it is more of the latter than the former.
In fact, most farmers I talk to would admit a 3rd crop in the rotation would probably be a good idea. But, they will stick with their shorter rotations and they have their reasons. One of these reasons has to do with the system that rewards growing certain crops to the exclusion of others. Another has to do with the infrastructure that has grown up to specialize in only a couple of crops. In short, it takes some initiative to break out of a short crop rotation.
So - what really is broken here? Is it the strains of corn and soybeans we plant? The tools we use? The herbicides, pesticides and fungicides we use to control weeds, insects, etc in our crops? Or is it the fact that we need to increase the demand of corn/soybean products? You would think so since so much or our R&D goes to these subject areas.
Maybe I'm wrong. Feel free to tell me here - or tell me what IS broken. Let's see where this goes.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
2011 In Review
We received some positive feedback that end of year "top 10 lists" are fun - even if they are done by everyone who can count to eleven.... er... ten.
Our 2010 year in review can be found here for those who have interest: 2010 in Review
And now for the very thing everyone has been waiting for! Ok, maybe just what some of you has been waiting for... Well, maybe just a few of you...
Fine - maybe it's just that kid in the back. This one's for you "kid in the back," we hope you enjoy this list!
If you've been reading the blog lately, you'll know we're taking down our old barn. At present, it is still standing, but you can see right through it.
This year, we attempted a Tom Sawyer Week -where we gave a set of optional times. Our hope was that this would allow more people to find a way to work a trip into their schedule. Attendance was moderately higher, but we also found that it felt less like a burden to us using this format. And, several people got to help free up winter squash. Our winter squash harvest was reasonable this year thanks to this group's efforts.
We've always just called this building the 'Truck Barn.' We don't know why. So, if you think the name is silly, deal with it, because we are unlikely to change that part of it. On the other hand, we've changed most of the rest of the building. We still need to put up a door, put in a walk-in cooler, paint the rest of the building and do a few other things. But, it really has come a long way.
We became a "very real" Faux Farm this season with the purchase and integration of several larger pieces of equipment. Yes, I suppose we are still a "fake farm" according to many since the "big" equipment is typically older, castoff items that are no longer used on conventional farms. But, they are exactly what we need, so no apologies there.
We've learned that used equipment comes with their rewards and their perils. The hay rack at left works well enough, but one of the front wheels still does not turn left or right. The two-bottom plow at right helped me to break ground in an effort to square off a plot, but it took some learning time to figure out the right depth and angles to make it work well.
This should probably read "NO MORE granary leaks." The problem with buying a farm with several 'older' existing buildings is that you have to repair all of the buildings. And, the roof is the number one priority if you hope to save the building at all. Well, the granary makes the cut and the barn does not. On to the next steps - putting on better doors and painting the building!
The truck was riding pretty low when we pulled into the parking lot with the processed birds. You can imagine how much lower the truck must have been riding on the way to the processor.
2011 was a great year for our poultry. The only thing we feel was really different in 2011 from 2010 for our birds was the weather. But, then again, maybe we've improved the pastures and the pasture rotation? There were more veg thrown to them this year? Whatever the case may be, they were happy and they were healthy. We'll take it.
Major changes included moving the hens from the area east of the barn. Now that they are in the Poultry Pavilion, we find ourselves treading new paths in the snow. We rearranged some fields (turning triangles into rectangles), removed some fences, put up other fences, took out a large tree and blamed Gilder for all of it. Who is Gilder? Even if you watch the Princess Bride you will only know that it is the sworn enemy of Floren. So, I guess that may not help you all that much.
Yes, you read that one correctly. We picked spinach and found the sun to be strong enough in the high tunnel to result in a slight sunburn on February 28 in 2011. Not only did the spinach taste great, it looked great. And, it did us both some good to do a little bit of work outside/inside.
While this event might seem a bit small in comparison to the others, consider how different this was from prior years on the farm. A major change for us in a year full of changes.
Our 2010 year in review can be found here for those who have interest: 2010 in Review
And now for the very thing everyone has been waiting for! Ok, maybe just what some of you has been waiting for... Well, maybe just a few of you...
Fine - maybe it's just that kid in the back. This one's for you "kid in the back," we hope you enjoy this list!
10. See-through Barn
9. Tom Sawyer Week
We've done our best to incorporate events known as "Tom Sawyer Days" into our farming. The idea is to give CSA members and other interested parties a chance to be involved in the farm. Of course, getting help completing various tasks is part of the goal here, but the primary focus is to promote a connection to growing food - something we feel is being lost.This year, we attempted a Tom Sawyer Week -where we gave a set of optional times. Our hope was that this would allow more people to find a way to work a trip into their schedule. Attendance was moderately higher, but we also found that it felt less like a burden to us using this format. And, several people got to help free up winter squash. Our winter squash harvest was reasonable this year thanks to this group's efforts.
8. Barty
Our new BCS walk behind tractor with tiller was a major purchase for the season. We planned the purchase carefully and debated relative merits for weeks. After an early false start, Barty did an admirable job for us. It was a good purchase and we are grateful that we took the leap to get him.7. Truck barn gets a facelift
6. Implements at auction and in action.
We became a "very real" Faux Farm this season with the purchase and integration of several larger pieces of equipment. Yes, I suppose we are still a "fake farm" according to many since the "big" equipment is typically older, castoff items that are no longer used on conventional farms. But, they are exactly what we need, so no apologies there.
We've learned that used equipment comes with their rewards and their perils. The hay rack at left works well enough, but one of the front wheels still does not turn left or right. The two-bottom plow at right helped me to break ground in an effort to square off a plot, but it took some learning time to figure out the right depth and angles to make it work well.
5. Granary-Leaks (not quite wiki-leaks)
4. Huge Boids!
2011 was a great year for our poultry. The only thing we feel was really different in 2011 from 2010 for our birds was the weather. But, then again, maybe we've improved the pastures and the pasture rotation? There were more veg thrown to them this year? Whatever the case may be, they were happy and they were healthy. We'll take it.
3. Walk This Way....no... I said *THIS* way.
There were so many changes to our farm this season, we actually found ourselves having to re route our normal walking routes. In fact, it can be a bit disturbing when you find yourself walking somewhere (with mind on something else) and realize you can't get through to where you are going the way you are walking. Major changes included moving the hens from the area east of the barn. Now that they are in the Poultry Pavilion, we find ourselves treading new paths in the snow. We rearranged some fields (turning triangles into rectangles), removed some fences, put up other fences, took out a large tree and blamed Gilder for all of it. Who is Gilder? Even if you watch the Princess Bride you will only know that it is the sworn enemy of Floren. So, I guess that may not help you all that much.
2. Gang of Four
It was a big deal for us, at least. Four Iowa farms agreed to share work days (a different farm each month from June to September). And, simply put, we felt it was a success. There is something about having a chance to share time with people who do the sort of thing you do. You find out that you are not so special in ways you may have thought you were - and special in ways you thought you weren't. (Take that any way you want)
But, the most positive thing we got out of the experience was that we are not alone in what we do. Support groups can go a long ways towards helping you get through a growing season. Well, that was the second most positive thing. The first was the opportunity to get to know a really cool group of people better!
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| Scattergood Farm - West Branch |
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| Genuine Faux Farm - Tripoli |
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| Grinnell Heritage Farm - Grinnell |
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| Blue Gate Farm - Chariton |
1. Spinach and a Sunburn...on February 28.
Yes, you read that one correctly. We picked spinach and found the sun to be strong enough in the high tunnel to result in a slight sunburn on February 28 in 2011. Not only did the spinach taste great, it looked great. And, it did us both some good to do a little bit of work outside/inside.
While this event might seem a bit small in comparison to the others, consider how different this was from prior years on the farm. A major change for us in a year full of changes.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Veg Varieties of 2011
Here it is! Our 2011 Veg Variety Winners! We know some of you enjoy this every year, so we feel like we should make sure to get this out there for you!
First off - here are links to prior awards and variety reviews you might find useful:
This is a major breakthrough for us because we had decided to drop All Blue from our production list and we were unsure if a blue/purple potato would replace it on our grow list. The problem with All Blue on our farm is that it produced ALOT of small potatoes that were the color of our soil (approximately). It was a nightmare to pick, even if people (including ourselves) enjoyed eating them. Purple Majesty helps to bring more diversity to our potato crop as it is a mid season bulking variety versus early (Yukon Gold) and late (German Butterball, Rio Grande). The taste is fabulous (better than All Blue), they are far easier to pick as the potatoes stay 'closer to home' and the size is generally larger. High marks were given for Purple Majesty this year by our CSA members and we agree with them, so we will grow more this season.
Pablo was #2 in 2009 and just missed in 2010. It has not disappointed since we added it to our grow list in 2008. This lettuce is dangerous for dinner planning. There are many reports of 'nibblers' getting to this lettuce during preparation and finding most or all of it gone before dinner is served. Pablo is a Batavian type and will form a loose head as it matures. It can be picked prior to that stage (especially in mid-summer) as a loose leaf. The only knock on this lettuce is that the transplants can be fragile, easily breaking at the stem. But, once you get used to it, you can adjust your transplanting methods and they do quite well.
Another new entry to the list, Wisconsin Lakes finally came into its own this season. If you want a reliable early red bell pepper with very good taste, this is our recommendation. The three-lobed and thinner fleshed Wisconsin Lakes exceeds most grocery store and hybrid reds in taste (our opinion) and they are not as tough as some of those can be. These grow well in our fields and not much differently in the high tunnel. A joy to pick and a fun plant to grow.
This was the year of the eggplant, with our farm setting records for production this season. One of the things Tammy remembers about this season was how Rob would drape a pile of 10-12 Pintungs over his forearm as he picked them - before transferring them to a tray. These are some of the prettiest eggplant you will find. You need not worry about bitterness, sweating or peeling them. These plants favor warmer weather and took off after our June hot patch. We planted 30 plants and harvested 1.5-2 per plant each week for 5 weeks through August and into September.
First off - here are links to prior awards and variety reviews you might find useful:
- 2010 Veg Winners
- Prior Years Winners - Where are they now?
- Highly Recommended
- Move Veg Recommendations
10. Purple Majesty (at right)
9. Pablo
8. Music garlic
Another veg variety with a history on our list. Music was #2 in 2010. It drops a bit this year only because we had a more successful growing season in 2011, so it had more competition. Music is an all around winner for garlic. We have others we like nearly equally well, but Music wins with the consistency it shows beyond the other garlic varieties.
7. Wisconsin Lakes
6. Redwing onion
And here is a rarity for our lists. Redwing is an F1 hybrid, and we tend to prefer open pollinated varieties. The only other F1 to make our lists was Kolibri in 2010. We still have a half dozen or so storing in our root cellar in January and they look great. Production was generally consistent for a late season trial in 2011. Size did have some variation depending on weed control nearby, but that is not uncommon for onions. We've been hunting for a red onion we like best for a while - and I think we finally have a winner. But, the best aspect of these onions is the taste. We find that they sweeten up nicely when cooked. I wouldn't say no to a nice grass fed beef hamburger on the grill with some Wisconsin colby and a grilled Redwing onion.
5. Misato Rose fall radish
Some people call this type of radish a 'watermelon' radish. We just call it our pleasant fall surprise. We added Misato Rose, Nero Tondo (black Spanish) and Miyashage (daikon) to our grow list this year in an effort to provide something new to our CSA members at the end of the season and into our Fall shares. All of them did well and converted fans. But, the one with the most converts and with consist growing success was Misato Rose. We always wonder a little when when we choose something we've grown one year for our top 10. We can't vouch for consistency just yet. And, one has to consider the 'newness' factor. Did we choose this because we didn't know what to expect from it? Maybe that's part of it. After all, you don't want a copy paste of the same group from year to year do you?
4. Bronze Arrowhead lettuce
Number 1 in 2010 and second in the lettuce category in 2009 to Pablo and 2008 to Crispmint. This lettuce is so good we are tempted to remove it from the competition altogether next season. In fact, Bronze Arrowhead and Pablo may just get put in a 'Perpetual Top 10" list so we can review new things for you each year.
3. Pintung Long eggplant
2. Bloomsdale spinach
You have not tasted *really good* spinach until you have some in March or December. We've always had trouble having spinach for long in our regular season CSA because it tends to bolt quickly in June. The reality is that spinach just likes cooler weather. And, it gets sweeter in colder weather. Bloomsdale isn't anything new, and it is a fairly common type for growers to use. But, there are many good reasons for it. Bloomsdale overwinters well and resists bolting longer than most varieties. And, last season our extended season CSA members got a fair amount of spinach in their shares. And, a tribute to this success is the fact that our additional sales of spinach nearly caught up to our additional sales of lettuce. I am getting tempted to go pick some spinach in the high tunnel as I type this! There should be enough for one or two salads.
1. Black Valentine green beans
We've been big fans of Provider and Jade green beans for a long time. And, of course, we still like them very much. But, we learned from the loss of Benchmark, a green bean we had come to rely on a bit too much. A seed supply can disappear, so you should make yourself aware of viable options. Well, it turns out our little experiment with Black Valentine paid off. The motivation here was that Black Valentine could be a 'dual purpose' bean. We can pick them as green beans or let them mature and harvest them as dry beans. It seemed like a good idea - if we can't keep up with the green bean harvest, you don't lose the crop. We kept up with the crop this year and had some very heavy yields off of these plants. And, of course, they tasted very good (a necessity if we're going to grow a green bean). We entered this experiment not expecting much and got something we intend on using regularly from here on out. Plants had good vigor, showed no tendency towards disease and were great companions with eggplant. We had two consecutive 'peak picks' off of the same 100 foot row. Since we planted these as a later succession, we can't yet speak to how long these will go in a season. But, we're more than willing to see in 2012.Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The C in 'CSA' - Favorite Faux Phauxtos #5
Fifth in a series of favorite photos. This one comes from our high tunnel build in 2010. Unfortunately, I do not recall who took this one. I just know it wasn't me.
The high tunnel build was a Practical Farmers of Iowa field day and we had several people attend and work on this project. We remain grateful for all the help we received and would like to report that the tunnel continues to do well despite many strong winds.
This photo reminds me of the "C" in "CSA" - Community.
The work on our farm falls primarily on Tammy and I, but we are very sensitive about making inaccurate claims about our accomplishments. We could not be where we are now without a long, long list of people who have supported us in our endeavors. This includes persons who are members of our CSA program, people who buy our plants in the Spring, persons who get eggs, chickens, turkeys or ducks from us, farm workers, Tom Sawyer Day participants, family members, schools, institutions and retail outlets who buy our products, and even people we hire to do work we cannot find time to do - like putting a steel roof on the granary.
Our success is tied to our links to the community.
The high tunnel build was a Practical Farmers of Iowa field day and we had several people attend and work on this project. We remain grateful for all the help we received and would like to report that the tunnel continues to do well despite many strong winds.
This photo reminds me of the "C" in "CSA" - Community.
The work on our farm falls primarily on Tammy and I, but we are very sensitive about making inaccurate claims about our accomplishments. We could not be where we are now without a long, long list of people who have supported us in our endeavors. This includes persons who are members of our CSA program, people who buy our plants in the Spring, persons who get eggs, chickens, turkeys or ducks from us, farm workers, Tom Sawyer Day participants, family members, schools, institutions and retail outlets who buy our products, and even people we hire to do work we cannot find time to do - like putting a steel roof on the granary.
Our success is tied to our links to the community.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Life on "Plan it GFF"
Ah.... real Winter has arrived. We *really* don't have a need to work outside today.
So... we plan.
A number of people tell us they like getting insights as to some of the things we do for our farm that might not be as apparent on first glance. So, I thought a quick look at planning for the 2012 CSA might be interesting. At least it might be as long as I don't get too long-winded. And, if you read this blog, you know the risk you are taking by starting to read this post!
CSA planning is a backward/forward process. We start with our goal numbers for members and figure out how much of each crop we want to set as a goal to distribute to those customers.
For example:
We would like 100 standard shares and 20 large shares during the regular 20 weeks season. We hope for 20 Spring shares and 25 Fall shares (all subject to adjustment).
We can do some forward projection on our lettuce crops (for example) so we know our capacity for growing lettuce in our current field plans. But, for now, we'll stick to backward planning.
We want a head of lettuce for every week of the Spring and Fall shares. We also want 2 heads for each large and 1 head for each standard share for 15 weeks of the regular season share. So, we need approximately 2400-2500 heads of lettuce just for CSA demand.
Now we shift to forward planning!
We look at our historical crop records and use them to project what we can expect for lettuce production assuming that we grow what we grew last season (approximately). Why last season? Well...if the numbers work out, we don't have to adjust our field plan. We keep the plan the same - even though the crop is planted in a new plot. That's why we try to have similar sized and shaped plots.
Prior records show a capacity of 4000-5000 heads. These records also remind me of variability in size. In particular, head size is smaller in the Summer, when we pick heads younger to prevent bolting. We also see that we have been able to provide lettuce in the regular season for 14 to 17 of the 20 weeks each of the last three seasons.
What does this mean? Our field plan is close. We will now need to look and see if we can optimize the successions in hopes of targeting sales in addition to the CSA.
Do this for lettuce. Rinse. Repeat (for many of the other crops we grow).
So... we plan.
A number of people tell us they like getting insights as to some of the things we do for our farm that might not be as apparent on first glance. So, I thought a quick look at planning for the 2012 CSA might be interesting. At least it might be as long as I don't get too long-winded. And, if you read this blog, you know the risk you are taking by starting to read this post!
CSA planning is a backward/forward process. We start with our goal numbers for members and figure out how much of each crop we want to set as a goal to distribute to those customers.
For example:
We would like 100 standard shares and 20 large shares during the regular 20 weeks season. We hope for 20 Spring shares and 25 Fall shares (all subject to adjustment).
We can do some forward projection on our lettuce crops (for example) so we know our capacity for growing lettuce in our current field plans. But, for now, we'll stick to backward planning.
We want a head of lettuce for every week of the Spring and Fall shares. We also want 2 heads for each large and 1 head for each standard share for 15 weeks of the regular season share. So, we need approximately 2400-2500 heads of lettuce just for CSA demand.
Now we shift to forward planning!
We look at our historical crop records and use them to project what we can expect for lettuce production assuming that we grow what we grew last season (approximately). Why last season? Well...if the numbers work out, we don't have to adjust our field plan. We keep the plan the same - even though the crop is planted in a new plot. That's why we try to have similar sized and shaped plots.
Prior records show a capacity of 4000-5000 heads. These records also remind me of variability in size. In particular, head size is smaller in the Summer, when we pick heads younger to prevent bolting. We also see that we have been able to provide lettuce in the regular season for 14 to 17 of the 20 weeks each of the last three seasons.
What does this mean? Our field plan is close. We will now need to look and see if we can optimize the successions in hopes of targeting sales in addition to the CSA.
Do this for lettuce. Rinse. Repeat (for many of the other crops we grow).
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