Small Equipment Demos at Tuckaway Farm

On May 15^th, NH territory sales rep Chris Hillier and I traveled to Tuckaway Farm in Lee, NH (Seacoast area) to do a presentation organized by NOFA NH called ‘Small Equipment Demonstrations for Vegetable Farmers - Part II’. We were not involved in Part I, which was centered around larger equipment. When we first got there around 12:30 p.m., we met owner Chuck Cox, who showed us to the plot where we would be building a demo tunnel. We got to work right away setting up a 12' x 28' caterpillar. By 3:30, we had it ready to show. 

We then set up the bender demo area with a picnic table we had brought from Maine. Since the weather was iffy, we assembled the hand tools and seeders on a hay wagon, so that we could quickly bring them in the barn in the case of a torrential downpour.

Around 4:30, people started showing up. There were probably around 35-40 attendees with and without umbrellas. As they made their way in, we had kind of a free-for-all with the hand tools, as they got to try them out in a weedy patch of the field and express which were their personal favorites and why. A little after 5:00 Ray Conner, the Beginner Organic Farmer Program Director from NOFA NH welcomed everyone, and got the show started.

Chris went first, giving a brief overview of all the hand tools and seeders, with a promise to answer any specific questions after. This was great because she gave a very quick, comprehensive overview of the lines, what is available, and what the products’ individual strengths are.

Then Chuck gave his presentation, which started with some of his favorite hand tools, including a stirrup hoe, an old auto-feed jab planter, and a Planet Jr. seeder. He then moved on to some of his innovations, like his fencing cart, his row markers, garlic dibble, and his low cost solution for homemade Hotkaps. He finished up by demonstrating a horse-drawn spring tine weeder, which is used to remove small weeds in established crops. As he says, “Just don’t look back.”

Chuck Cox

After that, everyone assembled on the hill for the caterpillar tunnel demo. I started by bending a 6 ft hoop for low tunnels, then a hoop used to make high tunnels. We then moved over to the tunnel plot. I spoke about what we had done this afternoon to get the tunnel to the state that it was in. I enlisted some help from the crowd to insert and connect the last bow, cut the protruding ridge pole off, and then skin and lace the tunnel. 

 

All the while, what started out as drizzle got more and more steady. By the end of the talk, we were pretty soggy

Presenting in the rain

After that Dorn Cox, who is a board member for the National Young Farmers Coalition, gave a brief invitation for everyone to check out their affiliated site, Farmhack.net for innovations in tool designs.

Finally, we invited everyone inside the tunnel and drew names for the raffle.

Our raffle ticket winners

We intend to repeat this same talk on August 1st at Alchemy Gardens in Shrewsbury, VT. The talk will tentatively be held from 4:00 to 6:00 and will be presented through a collaboration of NOFA VT and RAFFL (Rutland Area Farm and Food Link). 

Hope to see you there! 

Adam. 

Adam Lemieux 

Tools & Supplies Manager

What’s New at the Farm? Wet Fields Slow Crew's Progress

It’s not new; it’s wet! Many of the fields have standing water and it’s the middle of May; not a good thing. Luckily we got a lot of field prep done early this spring. In fact, we got on some of the fields we can only drive by now. We did some field work Monday this week, but with Tuesday's rain we’ve been stopped again. At least we can transplant in the rain; this was Tuesday this week:

Muddy conditions slow work.

The most challenging part of farming is scheduling everything in. Planting in the greenhouses is all fine and dandy until they start to overflow - then where do we put everything? Anyone who has a greenhouse knows this time of year that space is at a premium and there’s never enough. Of course, once the plants go out into the field there’s some empty space there. Another challenge is what to do with the greenhouses after the big spring push is over?

This is a shot from last week. This greenhouse is full to the brim now:

Plenty of seedlings ready to go.

We grow seedlings most of the season, first for the bulk of the spring planting, to summer crops to fall crops and finally to crops we’ll grow all winter. In the summer we grow tomatoes in some of the greenhouses along with special projects like ornamental containers and fun projects; things we can experiment with and don't take up any space in our busy season.

So back to scheduling – let’s take this week in particular. Last week we received an ample supply of rain, making the fields nearly impossible to work. Friday was cool and cloudy – not a good drying day but at least we didn’t get any more rain. Saturday and Sunday were good drying days – Saturday in particular. Come Monday we made some beds and direct seeded some crops because we knew rain was scheduled for Tuesday. Spring carrots, radishes, and annual flowers got direct seeded yesterday:

Spring Chinese cabbages are under the row covers for protection from flea beetles. Stakes have numbers on them which correspond to a numbered system for keeping track of which variety is which.

Chinese Cabbage is in.

Keeping all 14 people we have on the crew busy this year is challenging when we can’t get out into the fields. Normally we’d be making beds and laying plastic all over the place right now.  With 11 different fields we rent or own we’re going all over the place at any given time. Until it clears off we’ll be cleaning and painting and organizing things so when we want to go we’ll be ready. We’re ready all right; right now would be good.
That’s it for now. The weather looks good after today. Next week’s column should see lots of field prep pics. 
Brian

The Vermont Farm Fund Initiates Emergency Loans for Farms Affected by Hurricane Irene

Loans will help meet immediate needs in the aftermath of statewide flooding

Hardwick, VT -- The Vermont Farm Fund (VFF), in response to the catastrophic flooding that has devastated farms throughout Vermont, has established an emergency loan program. This program will accept applications immediately for $5,000 loans at zero interest to benefit Vermont farms that have been directly affected by the effects of Hurricane Irene.

"I just returned from a day of farm visits," says Vern Grubinger, one of the VFF's advisors and Vermont's vegetable and berry specialist for UVM Extension, "I saw several hundred thousand dollars of damage on half a dozen farms and I have received reports of well over $1 million in losses just from vegetable farms alone.  We need to raise as much money as we can to support our local food producers so they can get through this."

The VFF, a fund created by Pete's Greens in partnership with the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE), was inspired by the outpouring of support Pete's Greens received as a result of statewide community efforts and individual donations when word got out that the farm's barn, which housed its processing facility and storage crops, burned to the ground in January 2011.

"We know these loans are modest in light of the overwhelming need," said Pete Johnson, owner of Pete's Greens in Craftsbury, "but we want to help as many farms as we can by giving a quick, zero interest loan that can give some relief. Pete's Greens has paid forward $40,000 of the donations we received into the VFF and we are hoping that donations and fundraisers will quickly grow the fund. We believe the Vermont Farm Fund can grow into a significant resource that can help Vermont farmers in times of need for years to come."

To make a tax deductible donation, please visit hardwickagriculture.org/donate.html to donate online or write a check to the Vermont Farm Fund and mail to the Center for an Agricultural Economy, PO Box 451, 41 S. Main St., Hardwick, VT 05843.

To apply for a loan from the VFF, please visit hardwickagriculture.org/programs.html  to view and download the application or contact elena@hardwickagriculture.org.

Contacts:
Amy Skelton, Pete's Greens
Email: amy@petesgreens.com Phone: 802-586-2882                                                                       Elena

Elena Gustavson, Center for an Agricultural Economy
Email: elena@hardwickagriculture.org Phone: 802-472-5840

Tips to Limit Hurricane Irene's Damage to Greenhouses, Hoophouses

Hurricane Irene, predicted to make landfall somewhere in the northeast this weekend, could wreak havoc on your crops, greenhouses, hoophouses, or any other gardening structures you may have on your property.

If you're located in the northeast, here are some hurricane tips forwarded to us by the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association and Vern Grubinger of University of Vermont. Grubinger picked them up from the University of Massachusetts Extension. See below:

In case Hurricane Irene makes it way into Vermont, here is some advice on how prevent damage to your tunnels and greenhouses:

From UMass Extension web site  by John Bartok

Although you have no control over the force or direction of severe winds, here are a few tips to help minimize storm damage:

• Check the area for loose objects. Anything that can be picked up and hurled through the glazing should be secured or moved indoors. Metal chimney (stove pipe) sections should be secured with sheet metal screws.
  
• Inspect for dry or weak tree limbs that could fall on the greenhouse.
  
• Close all openings including vents, louvers and doors. The effective force of the wind is doubled when it is allowed inside the building. The wind on the outside puts a pressure or lifting force on the structure. The wind inside tries to force the walls and roof off.
  
• On air inflated greenhouses, increase the inflation pressure slightly by opening the blower's intake valve. This will reduce the rippling effect. Check to see that the plastic is attached securely and that any holes are taped.
  
• Disconnect the arm to the motor on all ventilation - intake shutters and tape the shutters closed. Then turn on enough exhaust fans to create a vacuum in the greenhouse. This will suck the plastic tight against the frame.
  
• Windbreaks can reduce the wind speed and deflect it over the greenhouse. Conifer trees (hemlock, spruce, pine, etc.) in a double row located at least 50' upwind from the greenhouse can reduce the damaging effects of the wind. Wood or plastic storm fencing can be used as a temporary measure.

From Skip Paul, farmer on RI coast with a lot of hurricane experience:

Check all your connections and structural members. Like a weak link in a
chain, if a nut vibrates off a critical connection you will start a cascade of other failures. Clean the bugs out of your inflation fans. Keeping the two sheets of plastic a bit over-inflated during a storm is a good thing. This requires patching the small holes and nicks. We just open up the inflation fan air intake (all the way) and get that plastic extra tight. Don't forget to readjust the inflation fan intake slide vent after the storm you don't want to over-stretch your plastic. It will shorten its life over time.

Clean up junk around the farm that can get going in the wind and rip a hole in the plastic. If we know we will loose power, we will duct tape the intake shutters to keep the air out. Keep your large doors securely closed by putting something in front of them.

Most greenhouses don't have good door latches for their doors; if they vibrate loose or fail the wind will get in. An important decision is whether to cut or take off the plastic. If we know we are getting 100+ mph winds then we take the plastic off; the structural damage to the greenhouse doesn't warrant trying to make it through the storm. Plus you probably will lose your power and there is another reason you will be glad you took the plastic off. Uninflated greenhouses especially are like a large sail and can be dangerous and just beat on the structure. If you do take the plastic off; try to do it in two separate pieces and put it away somewhere dry. If you let it slump off the greenhouse and fill with water between the sheets it will be impossible to recover the house till they are separated and dry.

People with Haygroves (that includes us): don't even think about trying to make it through winds over 65 mph. Your manual will tell you it isn't made for that kind of wind. Especially, since their solution to lower wind speeds is to open the structure up! That can work up to 55 mph but above 65 it will act like a wing on an airplane and you will be sorry. Our Haygrove had one end crushed in a sudden wind gust last season; it can happen.

Those with Rimol moveable houses (or greenhouses on skids a la Elliot Coleman) you should heed the same warning: small pipes driven in here and there will do you no good when the wind gets over 75 mph. It's better to take the plastic off than to see your greenhouse rolling over your neighbors hayfield. Probably the most important thing is respect the peak of the storm. Don't switch plans and try to do any of this in the midst of the storm; the wind is dangerous and adding heavy rain to that can be catastrophic. I once saw a sailor flipped 30 feet into the air while trying to hold a spinnaker line that got loose. Be careful with this storm.