The calendar does not show Summer starting until June 21. Everything is at least a month early this year, due to the persistent La Nina in the Pacific. This one is the source of the very mild winter and drought conditions prevailing over Southwestern Iowa since early 2009. At the farm, we have had 2 3/4 " of precipitation since the end of March. That puts us clearly in drought. The US Weather Bureau has called this one the second strongest since the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. They pulled that article to be more upbeat before the election. There is, after all, a slight difference between outright lying and being upbeat. The net result is parched earth, abnormal watering efforts and change in crop plans.
At the farm, we have instituted water rationing, for the third summer season in 3 consecutive years. We have to apply 1/2"/ day to the greens, 1/4"/day to the row crops and deny potatoes, sweet potatoes and tomatoes water, except once a week. The salad greens beds planted in March and April are trying to bolt. That means lots of seed for next year and a lot of seed saving work, planting more beds and not tilling until ready to plant. We have even planted the Edamame soy beans using manual "no-till" into hairy vetch. Alfalfa is blossoming and will seed out shortly. This and the clover are recharging nitrogen to the soil on our farm.
Tomatoes are in the cages and growing fast, with lots of grass mulch. There will be Celebrity, First Prize, Erly Girl, Black Krim, Green Zebra, Roma and Grape tomatoes. Hot peppers go in on Memorial Day, to be followed by squash and more green beans.
The "3 sisters"; corn, bean and squash are planted and growing well. We are using 3 bush bean types, climbing Blue Lake and 2 other green climbers. The squash will be yellow straight neck, zuchini and Giant
Banana.
450 sweet potato starts are going in the ground on shaped beds today and tomorrow. There will be the sweetest white: Bunch Porto Rico, the all time favorite down South: Beauregard, the big one: Georgia Jet, a tasty larger one: Centennial and the Midwest favorite: Vardamann.
So, get ready for some real good eating. It's coming fast, despite the drought.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
CSA 2012 Begins
Tuesday, May 8 completes the first week of the 2012 Main Season CSA. Shareholders boxes contain the current salad greens mix, the spinach mix, braising onions and braising garlics, potted strawberry starts, raspberry canes (for those that can use garden space at home), Giant Crimson Globe and French Breakfast radishes, a flower for the ladies and recipes to make Spanakopita, two salad dressings and suggestions for the salad presentations.
Next week, we will build on this foundation and include two more types of radish, rhubarb, Asian and European braising greens, an all lettuce salad mix and the leeks that overwintered, uncovered so well. We will learn how to make a leek soup, how to stir fry or braise the braising greens and receive a potted curly willow start. It will leaf out to be a rather confused looking plant, but waiting until winter, when the plant sheds its leaves, this will be a decorator's backdrop for floral arrangements at the dinner table. We will also have instructions on how to do rhubarb/berry jams, rhubarb pies, rhubarb syrup for ice cream or pancakes and rhubarb sauce.
On the farm, there have been setbacks. Two frosts in mid-April killed the all too early growing buckwheat and all the bean starts I had put out. It was a gamble on the starts and some of the greens. Most of the potatoes were hit, but came back within 10 days, as if nothing ever happened. The greens were unaffected.
We had been down over 8" on the water year normal precipitation, due to the strongest La Nina in the Pacific since the great dust bowl of the 1930's. Recent data suggest that the La Nina is breaking up and will be replaced by a weak El Nino, which may mean above normal precipitation. Good news for produce farmers.
The germination and starting trays in the sunroom are full with third round seedling starts. We have planted the following crops to date:
radishes (plantings of each type are bi-monthly through mid-July) 6 types
beets, 5 types
carrots2 types
soybeans for Edamame
5 types of fresh beans and 5 types of dry beans
sweet corn, Indian corn, ornamental and red kernel popping corn, blue dent corn for blue chips
All Red, Yukon Gold, All Blue, All Purple, Purple Majesty, White Finn and Mountain Rose potatoes
3 Arrugula, 2 Mizuna, Tat Soi, Pak Choy, 11 lettuce types, 3 Asian mustard types, 3 Swiss Chard types, 3 kale types, 5 basils, cilantro and parsley.
Celebrity, First Prize, Green Zebra and Cherry Tomatos.
The effort now is to move from 45 to 80 pounds weekly of salad greens. You may now eat or buy them in Omaha at:
May 17 is our annual Organic Certification Audit. In 2010 and 2011, we were fortunate to have no requests to change procedures, no mandatory corrective actions and a generally favorable review.
Next week, we will build on this foundation and include two more types of radish, rhubarb, Asian and European braising greens, an all lettuce salad mix and the leeks that overwintered, uncovered so well. We will learn how to make a leek soup, how to stir fry or braise the braising greens and receive a potted curly willow start. It will leaf out to be a rather confused looking plant, but waiting until winter, when the plant sheds its leaves, this will be a decorator's backdrop for floral arrangements at the dinner table. We will also have instructions on how to do rhubarb/berry jams, rhubarb pies, rhubarb syrup for ice cream or pancakes and rhubarb sauce.
On the farm, there have been setbacks. Two frosts in mid-April killed the all too early growing buckwheat and all the bean starts I had put out. It was a gamble on the starts and some of the greens. Most of the potatoes were hit, but came back within 10 days, as if nothing ever happened. The greens were unaffected.
We had been down over 8" on the water year normal precipitation, due to the strongest La Nina in the Pacific since the great dust bowl of the 1930's. Recent data suggest that the La Nina is breaking up and will be replaced by a weak El Nino, which may mean above normal precipitation. Good news for produce farmers.
The germination and starting trays in the sunroom are full with third round seedling starts. We have planted the following crops to date:
radishes (plantings of each type are bi-monthly through mid-July) 6 types
beets, 5 types
carrots2 types
soybeans for Edamame
5 types of fresh beans and 5 types of dry beans
sweet corn, Indian corn, ornamental and red kernel popping corn, blue dent corn for blue chips
All Red, Yukon Gold, All Blue, All Purple, Purple Majesty, White Finn and Mountain Rose potatoes
3 Arrugula, 2 Mizuna, Tat Soi, Pak Choy, 11 lettuce types, 3 Asian mustard types, 3 Swiss Chard types, 3 kale types, 5 basils, cilantro and parsley.
Celebrity, First Prize, Green Zebra and Cherry Tomatos.
The effort now is to move from 45 to 80 pounds weekly of salad greens. You may now eat or buy them in Omaha at:
- Dante's Pizzeria Napolitana,
- Cafe Dolce,
- Tomato-Tomato.
- Green Acres Market in Council Bluffs
- the Willow Creek Farmstand at 360th Street and Highway 6 near Oakland,
- Harlan Farmer's Market and
- Exira Farmer's Market.
May 17 is our annual Organic Certification Audit. In 2010 and 2011, we were fortunate to have no requests to change procedures, no mandatory corrective actions and a generally favorable review.
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