Dear All,
It looks like another beautiful day out there, and I know that if I don't start it with a newsletter I will not find time to write it later. We are working hard every day, I finish the day at dark by watering all the transplants that want to still get in the ground and that takes ab out 1/2 hour which shows there is a lot that wants to be planted. We got 150 tomatoes in and I hope today we can plant the other half and peppers. We got all the broccoli, cauliflower and a lot of kale and collards in, the cabbage is still waiting for the very grassy bed to be forked and raked. I am waiting for the netting from Germany. I t supposedly in customs right now and my next job is to call UPS to get them to take it through customs and finish shipping it here. We made frames with 3' posts ( metal electical conduit cut in 5' length an d pounded into the ground every 30') with plumbing "T"s on top and a string run through it. this forms a frame to hang the netting over and protect the broccoli, cauliflower and kale and collard from swede midge, I hope. The second tent we will try with a row of poles in the middle and the netting stretching out like a tent. Than we can compare the two shapes and see which is easier for harvesting. I will send a picture when its all up. The peas are flowering. Phil (our trellis man) and Zac put 3' fence up for every double row. The peas were grown without fence in the past, but we have come to conclusion that they would be so much easier to pick off the fence rather than roaming for hours through the thick plant mat. So we invested into 800' of fencing and are actually looking forward to hours of picking peas. These are little pleasures we can have because you paid your share fee up front and we can invest. The first beans are up and the row of Birdsfoot saved seed is further along than the bought organic seed. When the second and third plantings come on for fresh picking we let the first planting go into a second flush and let the beans hang on the plants til fall. The harvested dry beans can be used for seed or to eat as dry beans. We just found some six year old saved seed, too old to plant and we ate them! delicious! I soaked them in 3 parts of water, one part of tomato juice a dash of vinegar, some soy sauce and paprika and cooked them for one hour in the pressure cooker. Potatoes are up and Katie is on beetle patrol, picking the buggers off. Katie is also in charge of harvesting the Mixed Greens. The first ones are available at the Potsdam Food Coop and at Natures Storehouse in Canton. We love having the fresh greens after a winter of coleslaw. Two of the four ducks are sitting on eggs together and will not let me collect any more eggs. As you can see, we are doing well. We are so tired every night and my arms are throbbing from muscles being built. Still getting into shape. May be I see some of you next week at the market? We will be there with spinach and greens, No CSA boxes yet.
It looks like another beautiful day out there, and I know that if I don't start it with a newsletter I will not find time to write it later. We are working hard every day, I finish the day at dark by watering all the transplants that want to still get in the ground and that takes ab out 1/2 hour which shows there is a lot that wants to be planted. We got 150 tomatoes in and I hope today we can plant the other half and peppers. We got all the broccoli, cauliflower and a lot of kale and collards in, the cabbage is still waiting for the very grassy bed to be forked and raked. I am waiting for the netting from Germany. I t supposedly in customs right now and my next job is to call UPS to get them to take it through customs and finish shipping it here. We made frames with 3' posts ( metal electical conduit cut in 5' length an d pounded into the ground every 30') with plumbing "T"s on top and a string run through it. this forms a frame to hang the netting over and protect the broccoli, cauliflower and kale and collard from swede midge, I hope. The second tent we will try with a row of poles in the middle and the netting stretching out like a tent. Than we can compare the two shapes and see which is easier for harvesting. I will send a picture when its all up. The peas are flowering. Phil (our trellis man) and Zac put 3' fence up for every double row. The peas were grown without fence in the past, but we have come to conclusion that they would be so much easier to pick off the fence rather than roaming for hours through the thick plant mat. So we invested into 800' of fencing and are actually looking forward to hours of picking peas. These are little pleasures we can have because you paid your share fee up front and we can invest. The first beans are up and the row of Birdsfoot saved seed is further along than the bought organic seed. When the second and third plantings come on for fresh picking we let the first planting go into a second flush and let the beans hang on the plants til fall. The harvested dry beans can be used for seed or to eat as dry beans. We just found some six year old saved seed, too old to plant and we ate them! delicious! I soaked them in 3 parts of water, one part of tomato juice a dash of vinegar, some soy sauce and paprika and cooked them for one hour in the pressure cooker. Potatoes are up and Katie is on beetle patrol, picking the buggers off. Katie is also in charge of harvesting the Mixed Greens. The first ones are available at the Potsdam Food Coop and at Natures Storehouse in Canton. We love having the fresh greens after a winter of coleslaw. Two of the four ducks are sitting on eggs together and will not let me collect any more eggs. As you can see, we are doing well. We are so tired every night and my arms are throbbing from muscles being built. Still getting into shape. May be I see some of you next week at the market? We will be there with spinach and greens, No CSA boxes yet.
