May Farm Tour Photos / Farm Work Day Info

Spring Buds and Worm Food

With the exception of the citrus trees, all of the trees and vines on the farm are giving birth to their first leaves of the year. The citrus is shooting out some new buds to add to the collection of leaves that have been grown over the past years. The colors of the leaves just emerging from the branches are a fresh green color. This phase of green will cover the trees for a couple more weeks, until the sun has had a chance to beat the fresh green color out of them.

While the trees are sending out their leaves for the year we are beginning to transplant the first of our tomato plants into the ground. Next to that field is where Ricardo is seeding spinach, kale, bok choy and beets. Next to that field is the first field of green beans that was planted about a week ago.

Everything has been going well with the exception of the green beans. We seeded and watered the beans and with the sunny weather I was expecting a quick and health germination. After a few days passed I was concerned that I had seen nothing and began digging around the field. The seeds that I had found were mush, some of them had started to send out a little root but it too was mush. Finding a few more of the bean seeds uncovered the culprit – a little worm. The field had fallen victim to field seed maggot. These little guys live in the soil and found my bean seeds to be a perfect place to grow up. The result is that I have not seen a single bean germinate. Our efforts to grow beans on that field resulted in little more than feeding the worms!

If at first you don’t succeed, try again. I am getting the seeds to try again but I cannot decide if I should try again in the same field hoping that the warmer weather has relieved the field from this little problem or if I should adjust the planting order to put the beans in another field. While this would make more sense for the insuring a successful bean crop it will mean that the melons will have to go down by the creek where they may be heavily hassled by the deer. These are the problems that organic farms deal with.

The farm will move on, the beans will get grown and the melons will too. The dance of giving, taking and trying again will never end. Enjoy your box this week. - Thaddeus

June 27,2007
Already Thinking of Fall-Thaddeus

June 20, 2007
A Week of Benchmarks -Thaddeus

Jun 6, 2007
Goslings in the Creek -Thaddeus

May 30, 2007
Tomatoes -Thaddeus

May 23, 2007
Summer Smells -Thaddeus

May 9, 2007
Muddy in May -Thaddeus

May 2, 2007
What a Busy Week-Thaddeus

April 4, 2007
Gopher Food - Thaddeus

March 28, 2007
Spring Silence - Thaddeus

March 21,2007
Spring Buds and Worm Food - Thaddeus

March 12, 2007
Spring Gobbles - Thaddeus

March 7, 2007
Spring Time - Thaddeus

February 26, 2007
Summer Food Please - Thaddeus

February 19, 2007
Peach Blossoms and Arundo Burning - Thaddeus

February 12, 2007
Chris Leaves - Thaddeus

January 31, 2007
Heart Attack- Thaddeus

January 24, 2007
Turkeys Can Fly- Thaddeus

January 10, 2007
Live the Seasons- Freeman

January 1, 2007
Happy New Year Thaddeus

Nov 29, 2006
Organic? - Thaddeus

Nov 15, 2006
Winter Preparation - Thaddeus

Nov 1, 2006
Canal Dries Up - Thaddeus

Oct 25, 2006
Beets - Thaddeus

Oct 18,2006
New Database - Thaddeus

Oct 11,2006
Rain, Sweet Rain - Thaddeus

Oct 4, 2006
Organic Fertilizers- Thaddeus

Sept 27, 2006
Windy Days - Thaddeus

Sept 20, 2006
Clean Produce - Thaddeus

Sept. 13, 2006
Cools Coming - Thaddeus

December 12, 2005
Wrapping Things Up For Winter - Thaddeus

December 5, 2005
Au Revoir, Automnal - Noah