Orchard in Bloom

The orchard is in full bloom! It's a beautiful sight to behold. It's a delightful aroma to smell.

Tent catipillar monitoring shall begin shortly, in June we'll start monitoring for other pests as well as beginning pickup up fruit from the 'June drop'.

Photo Update 5.22.13

It's raining here this morning, so I am in the office right now working on non-field work, and later some potting in the basement--those nasturtiums are fast growers! It has been raining off and on for quite a few days, and we pop out there and do what I generally refer to as speed-farming, getting as much done as possible when the soil isn't too wet. While most things are on track, there are a few plantings we are still  patiently waiting to get done, which sounds like the story with most of our farmer friends and mentors.

All the tomato and pepper transplants were move outside to start hardening off for planting in the field--it's exciting to be at that point in the season. A point in the season that is less than a month until we start deliveries! We had a great Preseason Member Meeting on May 15th; with a third of our membership in attendance we were very happy with the turnout.

Preseason Member Meeting @ German Park

 Many transplants are headed out to the field these days--like these vigorous cucumbers Brooke planted this week.

This is the first seeding of beets, the second was planted this week. There are two varieties--as visible by the difference in color. Once they get a little larger they will get thinned out. Multiple successions of plantings allows us to provide consistent product during the delivery season.

Detroit Dark Red and Bull's Blood beets.

Early season potatoes.

(Above) The potatoes all emerged this week--thank you rain! It was interesting to see the early season variety come up first, then the mid, followed a few days later by the late season varieties. The yellow onion and parsnip bed (below). When the parsnips begin to germinate the mulch will be pulled back to weed these sensitive crops.

Spring cabbages (above) with drip irrigation. The leaves that look a little rough (yellowed) were impacted by sunscald--it's amazing how tough plants are that they can loose so many leaves and just keep on plugging on. The rain gave the beans (below) and corn a good push--all bean varieties planted are now germinating, as is the sweet corn!

Two 75' rows of peas, complimented by their friends the radishes :)

Honeycrisp

Our oldest, and only home orchard tree this large is blooming this year! Thanks to a much needed pruning job, and new apple trees we may have a few Honeycrisp to enjoy at home this year. Apple trees will not produce unless there is at least two, and this was the lone one that came with the property.

Mason bee houses and lilac bush.

Photo Update 5.15.13

What a windy and hot day yesterday! All the sweet corn was planted and the first variety of beans is now planted too. Lettuce, spinach, beets, kohlrabi and peas are all germinating and things are coming along nicely. Tonight we have our Preseason Member Meeting--we are so excited to get together and meet some of our new members. This also means the start of the season is not that far away!

King Richard leeks

The leeks transplants came in the mail--this is how they arrived. Then just poke, poke, poke--500 leeks in the ground. They are planted in a shallow trench, so we may "blanch" them as they grow--this increases the size of the white, usable portion.

Tomatoes! Looking full and vigorous they are now being potted up from blocks to individual containers--their last step before going into the ground.

The last squash seeds and planted and getting ready to germinate. Large seeds go right into the 2" soil blocks, and then right into the ground.

Peas!

All varieties of peas are now germinating! We are growing Snap, snow and shell this year. In these pictures you can see that our drip irrigation is now set up, which was essential in that heat yesterday, and is much more efficient than overhead irrigation.

Rhubarb bed

The rhubarb, in it's first full season, got a little TLC the other day--a nice feeding of compost and a new dressing of mulch.

Strawberry beds

At our perennial end of the field we have our rhubarb and asparagus (also in it's first full season), to which we have just added a nice big strawberry bed (109 plants). We received the bare-root plants in the mail and planted them this weekend. We are looking forward to our heirloom "Sparkle" strawberries next year!

Every year we try new things! This year one of those items is Blue Jade heirloom sweet corn--it's really blue! We are also trying a new tomato, a couple new cucumbers and some new beans and peas.

Photo Update 5.6.13

Woot! So much planting. So many veggies put in the ground. It's great to finally have the farming season started and off to a good pace. Now the field holds rhubarb, asparagus, onions, shallots, potatoes, beets, kohlrabi, lettuce, spinach and peas! The broccoli, cabbage and celery is sitting on the sidelines to be planted tomorrow.

Dark Red Nordlund ready for planting.

The potatoes had had quite the adventure this year. The Friday they were supposed to be delivered we had that snowstorm, so they spent the weekend in the post office. Then they were held up in the basement as we waited to get in the field, so we inadvertently "chitted" them this year! Storing them in a warmer location, in the dark allowed them to wake up, so to speak, and they began sprouting. We were very happy to get them in the ground--finally.

John filling the first trench.

Trenches are dug for potatoes, about 6 inches deep. This year we placed a little straw in the bottoms of the trenches, then the seed potatoes, then just cover them with soil. Now the 80 pounds of potatoes are planted, and the dreaded trenching--300 feet this year--is complete!

Pigs loving the spring grass!

The pigs pen was expanded again. They do not hesitate to (literally) dig into that new grass! Actually, they look around and dig the dandelions first. Next we will move the entire pen to a new area.

Lilac ready to leaf out, and mason bee houses.

 The mason bee houses are hung up and ready to welcome our little friends. I can't wait for that lilac to begin blooming--ahhh the smells of spring!

Brooke seeding beets.

This year we purchased a direct seeder. Boy it makes quick work of planting a row!! We planted beets and kohlrabi with it yesterday and it worked like a charm. Very excited to have that this year--thank you members for helping us make these needed investments!

Photo Update 4.29.13

Planting season has begun. We have been patiently waiting, and are rewarded with some beautiful days. Now were are working hard to get everything in that we want at this time!

Saturday was so nice even the tomatoes got to hang out with the cool-season transplants we are hardening off. Putting them outside gets them used to the solar heat, and the wind.

Time to till! John got our walking tractor out and got down to business getting the vegetable field ready.

This is the field before tilling. The stakes on the left indicate the edge of our native prairie field border. The area, that seems bare, directly in front is new ground being added to vegetable production. You can somewhat see, off to the right, were the field edge was from last year's field. We are planting quite a bit more this year!

The field, from the other end, after tillage. The rough ground at the bottom of the picture is part of our grain fields, which will hold plantings of flint corn, barley, buckwheat and pig pasture mix

 Lovely new bumble bee house, complete with viewing panel.

The piggies love soaking up the sun and lounging outside!

The rainbow was a beautiful end to a great weekend working together out in the field.

Phenology 4.28.13

Each person has something they notice outdoors that reminds them of the change in the season, it may be a bird, a tree budding, flowers emerging, but year after year it reminds us of changing times. My favorite spring migrant has returned--the tree swallows! April 27th marks the first day I have noticed them back, and almost immediately they have made a claim on the same nesting box as last year. To my surprise they were not the only pair of tree swallows eager to make Alternative Roots Farm their home, there was a second pair attempting to use the birdhouse our neighbor made--perhaps these were chicks from last year's hatch?

This week has been a whirlwind of weather--from snow early in the week to the 70° days over the weekend. Despite the snow, all of the creatures and plants have been waiting and readying themselves for the warm weather. Here is what was noticed when I was in the ravine and wooded areas this week:
emergence of spring ephemerals, including dogtooth violet, round-lobed hepatica, and Dutchman's breeches; return of ovenbirds and yellow rumped warblers. I was even fortunate enough to see a barred owl up-close and during the day, while at work in the river valley floodplain forest.

The uplands are changing rapidly. Rooster pheasants are in grand color, and strutting around trying to gain the attention of a female, or two; the chorus of frogs have started in the wetland down the road (likely spring peepers and leopard frogs); the buds on the lilacs are very swollen.

On the farm we noticed a pair of brown thrashers has come back to nest--they are a delight to hear, as they call a chorus of mimicked bird songs. We are waiting for our native prairie (planted last fall), to germinate, this will still be a little bit of a wait; native grasses are "warm season" grasses, that emerge later on. The rhubarb is beginning to leaf out, the garlic and shallots are up, and the first planting is in the ground. No doubt now, spring is finally here.

-John

Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day! Every day is Earth Day really! At least here on the farm it is. Are you doing anything special for Earth Day?

"Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human creatures."

-  US Senator Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day (April 22nd, 1970)

John planting shrubs for wildlife and beauty

Yesterday John planted 50 tall shrubs on the farm--red osier dogwood, gray dogwood, black chokeberry and elderberry. All native, all beneficial to wildlife. A few were planted up along the driveway, as you can see in the picture, the majority were planted in our field--about a 150' strip on the outside of our native prairie field border. This hedge will serve to slow winds, attract beneficial insects and birds, serve as a buffer from our conventional neighbors, and it will be pretty! Can't wait to see it fill in over the season!

Red osier dogwood

It was quite pleasant to see something go in the ground this week! We're still waiting to get into the field to prep for planting. It's still a little too wet, with more moisture in the forecast. The rhubarb is starting to come up, and I bet the garlic won't be far behind that!