The share all together!
The Radishes
The Lettuce
The Arugula
The Swiss Chard
The Pak Choi
The Garlic Scapes
The Scallions Another Spring season at Kettle Pond Farm with Steve and Kelly starts in the green house. This will be the third season managing together. Way to go!
There is a new structure on the farm this year. West of the seedling green house now stands the steel frame of a hoop house, 72 x 26 x 12 feet. The hoop house is made possible by a grant research project and will extend the growing season without requiring suplimental heating or electricity. So have a look when you pick up your CSA share.
The area where the hoop house stands has been cleared. Last season red cedar trees lined the East side, a wooden shack that housed old wood stood in the corner, and the lot had a fence around it. The red cedar trees were cut and are now at the back of the field with other timber. Much of the wood shack fueled a holiday fire for the family who used to live on the farm. This lot has hosted various life throughout the past few years: chickens have been in and out of the yard. In the 2007 season the fence kept a bull in and also kept sheep in 2008. An old woman even lived in the shack for a few years in the early 1940s.
This year Kettle Pond Farm joined a grant project funded by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service through Environmental Quality Incentives Program, EQIP, see full article. The grant will test the a hoop house in extending seasonal growing and increasing organic local food. The house is orientated on a North South axis with the long sides facing East and West. The walls will be a single layer of plastic which can be rolled up 4 or 5 feet during the warm season. In colder weather the hoop house will be closed and the beds within can be covered with smaller hoops and remay for extra insulation. The purpose is to extend the production of food two to four weeks both in early spring and further into the fall and winter. Other participating states and territories are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Pacific Islands, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Passive solar heating, heat gained from the sun, can warm a house and there are many designs to make the most of sun shining into ones home; see Simple Facts about Sun Inspired Design. The other elements that make plants grow are water see the Eight Principles of Successful Rainwater Harvesting, and soil. Soil must be alive with beneficial aerobic bacteria, fungi, arthropods, and nematodes that have a relationship with plant roots, desease control, and worms in the soil. A biologist named Dr. Elaine Ingham studies and consults by observing and responding to the "soil foodweb" visitit this online library link for more infomation.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/t-quickhoops.aspx
http://www.sunplans.com/learn/sun-inspired/facts
http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/rainwater-harvesting-inforesources/water-harvesting-principles/
http://www.soilfoodweb.com/
