Video: Walk around pumpkin patch
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Happy Halloween from Johnny's
Here's a treat (no trick): A few photos and a video from our pumpkin breeding program. It's not too early to think about next season's Jack-o-Lantern crop! We have a great selection of seed for growing mid to large-size pumpkins.
Video: Walk around pumpkin patch
Video: Walk around pumpkin patch
Friday, October 29, 2010
What's new at the Farm? A warm fall
What a difference a year makes!
A year ago at this time it was cold and wet. I had just returned from a week’s vacation in northern Maine where the highs and lows were in the 20s and 30s. Wednesday’s high was 67. Last year we had had repeated frosts and were irrigating the peppers for frost protection. This year we have had one killing frost and haven’t irrigated at all.
We are ahead of last year for several reasons. The two biggest ones are a more dedicated crew and beautiful fall weather. This week last year we were thinking about taking down the tomato trellises and this year they are down, put away and the ground has been seeded down. Last year we were finishing up processing squash and cukes. This year we are as well, except we had five cucurbits in 2009 and 17 this year.
The farm is starting to look a lot like fall.
We’ve been working on seed saving from the pepper workshop; there are hundreds of plants to save the fruit and extract the seeds from. This is a full time job right now for four to eight people. A couple of days of rain and we’ll at least catch up a bit.
The last cucumber gets harvested this week and we’ll process three or four squashes. We’ll wrap up processing next week and all will be left is miles of plastic to pull up from the fields and some fall projects we like to do before winter. The sluice area is going to get a thorough cleaning, all the equipment needs to be steam cleaned and most of it gets stored for the winter. The irrigation pipes, valves and pumps can be brought in and winterized, and any parts or pieces we need can be listed so I can order them during the winter.
Other fall projects include: taking inventory of greenhouse supplies and listing wants and needs. We'll need new flats, potting mixes, fertilizers, pesticides and pots. We'll take stock of watering supplies, which includes hoses, nozzles, watering cans, turn-off valves, water timers and filters. We need to determine which greenhouses will get new plastic next year. I think number three is due. We’ll also try to get some planting plans ironed out for next spring and the labor to cover these plans.
There are a few fall crops left to harvest. Fall carrots come to mind along with some lettuce and greens. There’s still fall spinach right outside my window -- a green contrast to an otherwise dead and dying flower trials field. A few other root crops remain, but that’s about it. The poly tunnels are all but bare except for a few flowers. We’ll plant some overwintering crops in them shortly.
Until next week, enjoy the temps.
Brian
A year ago at this time it was cold and wet. I had just returned from a week’s vacation in northern Maine where the highs and lows were in the 20s and 30s. Wednesday’s high was 67. Last year we had had repeated frosts and were irrigating the peppers for frost protection. This year we have had one killing frost and haven’t irrigated at all.
We are ahead of last year for several reasons. The two biggest ones are a more dedicated crew and beautiful fall weather. This week last year we were thinking about taking down the tomato trellises and this year they are down, put away and the ground has been seeded down. Last year we were finishing up processing squash and cukes. This year we are as well, except we had five cucurbits in 2009 and 17 this year.
The farm is starting to look a lot like fall.
We’ve been working on seed saving from the pepper workshop; there are hundreds of plants to save the fruit and extract the seeds from. This is a full time job right now for four to eight people. A couple of days of rain and we’ll at least catch up a bit.
The last cucumber gets harvested this week and we’ll process three or four squashes. We’ll wrap up processing next week and all will be left is miles of plastic to pull up from the fields and some fall projects we like to do before winter. The sluice area is going to get a thorough cleaning, all the equipment needs to be steam cleaned and most of it gets stored for the winter. The irrigation pipes, valves and pumps can be brought in and winterized, and any parts or pieces we need can be listed so I can order them during the winter.
Other fall projects include: taking inventory of greenhouse supplies and listing wants and needs. We'll need new flats, potting mixes, fertilizers, pesticides and pots. We'll take stock of watering supplies, which includes hoses, nozzles, watering cans, turn-off valves, water timers and filters. We need to determine which greenhouses will get new plastic next year. I think number three is due. We’ll also try to get some planting plans ironed out for next spring and the labor to cover these plans.
There are a few fall crops left to harvest. Fall carrots come to mind along with some lettuce and greens. There’s still fall spinach right outside my window -- a green contrast to an otherwise dead and dying flower trials field. A few other root crops remain, but that’s about it. The poly tunnels are all but bare except for a few flowers. We’ll plant some overwintering crops in them shortly.
Until next week, enjoy the temps.
Brian
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Johnny's expands to Fairfield
Johnny's Selected Seeds is opening a new office across the Kennebec River in Fairfield, Maine. The move is almost complete. Exciting news!
Read story in Morning Sentinel.
Read story in Morning Sentinel.
JSS Advantage -- November 2010
Winter's slower pace allows time for chores that just couldn't be done during the frenzy of the growing season. In this issue, we'll cover three projects that will help recharge your batteries and make your farm more efficient next year.
Post-season assessment
Autumn is a good time to sit down with your records and analyze your successes and failures, while the past season is fresh in your mind. Then, when the new seed catalogs begin to arrive, you'll be better prepared to analyze new varieties and crops in the context of what worked and what didn't on your farm.
So gather up your records, in whatever form you have kept them, and go through each crop from A to Z. A good place to start is with your seed orders, which you should have either on paper (such as packing slips) or in a spreadsheet.
If you haven't yet created a spreadsheet for your crop records, this is a good time to do it. Even the most basic data collection can benefit from the sorting capability of programs like Excel and Numbers.
Here are some of the fields you can set up in a spreadsheet, even without knowing how to use formulas (although some of these fields can be auto-calculated if you input the correct formula):
Your assessment also should include a field for notes, which can include personal preference and observations, such as "a real pain to pick" or "the sweetest I have ever tasted."
If your record keeping also includes labor and other input costs, you can go deeper into financial analysis of each crop. In his book, The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook, vegetable farmer Richard Wiswall offers detailed advice on how to capture and use information about your costs of production.
One of the most helpful features a spreadsheet offers for your crop assessment is the checkbox. You can add columns with checkboxes for anything you want to know at a glance: For example, you could have a column that says "Reorder same amount"; another labeled "Try a different variety"; another that says "Grow more" and so on. Once you have checked the appropriate boxes for each crop, you can sort by each column to create a comprehensive picture of the crops that worked well and those that need some tweaking. You can also sort by multiple fields to create useful lists, such as all the seeds you want to reorder from Johnny's.
The beauty of keeping records in a spreadsheet program is that you can keep expanding it. As you add more data, you'll think of even more ways to use it to make your farm more profitable.
A better packing shed
For most crops, what happens after harvest is just as important, or even more so, than how they are grown. Postharvest handling, packing, cooling, and transportation have a big effect on the quality of your produce when it reaches the consumer. On the farm, good postharvest facilities can dramatically improve speed, efficiency, health, safety, and employee morale. We're not kidding; your packing shed really is important.
The term "packing shed" can encompass a wide range of facilities, from a wash tub and table in the shade of a tree to a dedicated building with an automated packing line. Whatever the size or shape, all have certain features in common:
Ergonomics: Workstation heights should suit the workers. According to the Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project at the University of Wisconsin, the most efficient work table height is halfway between wrist and elbow, measured when the arm is held down at the worker's side. For heavier items, it is slightly lower.
Work flow: The most efficient layout for the packing shed avoids extra steps and crossed paths. It also moves produce in the direction of the worker's leading hand (left to right for right-handed people). The Healthy Farmers project suggests these considerations when designing the work flow: Do all crops need to be washed? Do some need to be sprayed and others to be dunked? Could you run side-by-side task lines into a shared workstation where boxes are packed? Or circular work stations that intersect at the shared workstation. Could you use some sections of roller table?
Water: Wash water must be potable (safe to drink). The Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) standards for produce farms recommend dunking produce for one to two minutes in water chlorinated with 50-200 ppm chlorine in order to kill pathogens. So far, that's just a recommendation designed to improve food safety, but growers trying to get GAPs-certified may be required to use disinfectant in wash water. For more information about using chlorine in wash water, see this University of California-Davis publication.
Organic rules also address the issue of wash water, stating that the final rinse water must not have more than 4 ppm residual chlorine, measured downstream of the product wash. This rule seems to conflict with the GAPs recommendation. To clear up the confusion, USDA's National Organic Program office has just released a draft proposal that suggests higher levels of chlorine are acceptable, as long as a final rinse meets the 4 ppm standard. NOP is accepting comments on the proposal until Dec. 13; a final rule will be released later, so certified-organic growers are urged to ask their certification agency once the issue is resolved.
Read more about packing sheds in Growing for Market.
The Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project at the University of Wisconsin has numerous tip sheets that can help you create a more efficient postharvest workspace.
Your tool shed
The place where you store tools and supplies is probably the least glamorous part of your farm, but getting it organized can save time and money during the busy season.
Going for a tool and finding it missing is both frustrating and time wasting. If you have more than one person working on your farm, you need a clearly designated place for tools and a rule that every tool gets put away when its work is done.
One of the best systems for organizing tools is a wall covered with pegboards, either the common wood pegboard or newer metal pegboards. You will find a huge assortment of hardware to hold everything imaginable on your pegboard. Some people label the pegboard or even draw tool outlines so they can tell at a glance where a tool belongs.
Besides the obvious hooks for tools such as hoes and spades, you can add small baskets to hold the stuff you often need when working with those tools. For example, hang a knife on the pegboard and a bucket beneath it and you're more likely to scrape the soil off a tool before you hang it up. Or put a sharpening stone next to a hoe, so you won't forget to touch up the blade before you take it outside.
Plastic buckets are a free solution to the problem of where to store all the little pieces, such as connectors for drip irrigation, hose nozzles, greenhouse repair tape, screws, gloves, and so forth. Get a permanent nursery marker and write the contents of the bucket on the side so you don't have to waste time rooting around looking for things.
Big plastic totes with sealing lids to keep out rodents and insects are essential for protecting food-contact items such as plastic bags and twist-ties. They can also be used for pest control products and fertilizers that need to be protected from moisture. However, if you have young children around the farm, you should get a locking cabinet for pest controls and other toxic materials.
If your shed is a cluttered, unpleasant space, figure out what you can do to make it more inviting. Lighting is important. If you don't have good daylight in your structure, or if you work at night, you need ample lights. ATTRA has a recently updated publication on farm lighting that will help you choose the most energy-efficient fixtures for the job.
A heater, fan, radio, doormats: these are all items that will make you want to linger long enough to keep your tools and supplies clean and ready for the next job.
Post-season assessment
Autumn is a good time to sit down with your records and analyze your successes and failures, while the past season is fresh in your mind. Then, when the new seed catalogs begin to arrive, you'll be better prepared to analyze new varieties and crops in the context of what worked and what didn't on your farm.
So gather up your records, in whatever form you have kept them, and go through each crop from A to Z. A good place to start is with your seed orders, which you should have either on paper (such as packing slips) or in a spreadsheet.
If you haven't yet created a spreadsheet for your crop records, this is a good time to do it. Even the most basic data collection can benefit from the sorting capability of programs like Excel and Numbers.
Here are some of the fields you can set up in a spreadsheet, even without knowing how to use formulas (although some of these fields can be auto-calculated if you input the correct formula):
- Variety name
- Seed source
- Amount of seed purchased
- Amount of seed used
- Date of first harvest
- Date of last harvest
- Amount harvested
- Amount unmarketable
- Amount sold and unsold
- Revenue from sale of the crop
Your assessment also should include a field for notes, which can include personal preference and observations, such as "a real pain to pick" or "the sweetest I have ever tasted."
If your record keeping also includes labor and other input costs, you can go deeper into financial analysis of each crop. In his book, The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook, vegetable farmer Richard Wiswall offers detailed advice on how to capture and use information about your costs of production.
One of the most helpful features a spreadsheet offers for your crop assessment is the checkbox. You can add columns with checkboxes for anything you want to know at a glance: For example, you could have a column that says "Reorder same amount"; another labeled "Try a different variety"; another that says "Grow more" and so on. Once you have checked the appropriate boxes for each crop, you can sort by each column to create a comprehensive picture of the crops that worked well and those that need some tweaking. You can also sort by multiple fields to create useful lists, such as all the seeds you want to reorder from Johnny's.
The beauty of keeping records in a spreadsheet program is that you can keep expanding it. As you add more data, you'll think of even more ways to use it to make your farm more profitable.
A better packing shed
For most crops, what happens after harvest is just as important, or even more so, than how they are grown. Postharvest handling, packing, cooling, and transportation have a big effect on the quality of your produce when it reaches the consumer. On the farm, good postharvest facilities can dramatically improve speed, efficiency, health, safety, and employee morale. We're not kidding; your packing shed really is important.
The term "packing shed" can encompass a wide range of facilities, from a wash tub and table in the shade of a tree to a dedicated building with an automated packing line. Whatever the size or shape, all have certain features in common:
Ergonomics: Workstation heights should suit the workers. According to the Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project at the University of Wisconsin, the most efficient work table height is halfway between wrist and elbow, measured when the arm is held down at the worker's side. For heavier items, it is slightly lower.
Work flow: The most efficient layout for the packing shed avoids extra steps and crossed paths. It also moves produce in the direction of the worker's leading hand (left to right for right-handed people). The Healthy Farmers project suggests these considerations when designing the work flow: Do all crops need to be washed? Do some need to be sprayed and others to be dunked? Could you run side-by-side task lines into a shared workstation where boxes are packed? Or circular work stations that intersect at the shared workstation. Could you use some sections of roller table?
Water: Wash water must be potable (safe to drink). The Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) standards for produce farms recommend dunking produce for one to two minutes in water chlorinated with 50-200 ppm chlorine in order to kill pathogens. So far, that's just a recommendation designed to improve food safety, but growers trying to get GAPs-certified may be required to use disinfectant in wash water. For more information about using chlorine in wash water, see this University of California-Davis publication.
Organic rules also address the issue of wash water, stating that the final rinse water must not have more than 4 ppm residual chlorine, measured downstream of the product wash. This rule seems to conflict with the GAPs recommendation. To clear up the confusion, USDA's National Organic Program office has just released a draft proposal that suggests higher levels of chlorine are acceptable, as long as a final rinse meets the 4 ppm standard. NOP is accepting comments on the proposal until Dec. 13; a final rule will be released later, so certified-organic growers are urged to ask their certification agency once the issue is resolved.
Read more about packing sheds in Growing for Market.
The Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project at the University of Wisconsin has numerous tip sheets that can help you create a more efficient postharvest workspace.
Your tool shed
The place where you store tools and supplies is probably the least glamorous part of your farm, but getting it organized can save time and money during the busy season.
Going for a tool and finding it missing is both frustrating and time wasting. If you have more than one person working on your farm, you need a clearly designated place for tools and a rule that every tool gets put away when its work is done.
One of the best systems for organizing tools is a wall covered with pegboards, either the common wood pegboard or newer metal pegboards. You will find a huge assortment of hardware to hold everything imaginable on your pegboard. Some people label the pegboard or even draw tool outlines so they can tell at a glance where a tool belongs.
Besides the obvious hooks for tools such as hoes and spades, you can add small baskets to hold the stuff you often need when working with those tools. For example, hang a knife on the pegboard and a bucket beneath it and you're more likely to scrape the soil off a tool before you hang it up. Or put a sharpening stone next to a hoe, so you won't forget to touch up the blade before you take it outside.
Plastic buckets are a free solution to the problem of where to store all the little pieces, such as connectors for drip irrigation, hose nozzles, greenhouse repair tape, screws, gloves, and so forth. Get a permanent nursery marker and write the contents of the bucket on the side so you don't have to waste time rooting around looking for things.
Big plastic totes with sealing lids to keep out rodents and insects are essential for protecting food-contact items such as plastic bags and twist-ties. They can also be used for pest control products and fertilizers that need to be protected from moisture. However, if you have young children around the farm, you should get a locking cabinet for pest controls and other toxic materials.
If your shed is a cluttered, unpleasant space, figure out what you can do to make it more inviting. Lighting is important. If you don't have good daylight in your structure, or if you work at night, you need ample lights. ATTRA has a recently updated publication on farm lighting that will help you choose the most energy-efficient fixtures for the job.
A heater, fan, radio, doormats: these are all items that will make you want to linger long enough to keep your tools and supplies clean and ready for the next job.
Product spotlight - November 2010
Cabbage and eggplant
Cabbage is one of those vegetables that appreciate in value in fall and winter. It's a customer favorite in many comfort foods such as soups and casseroles. And cold weather improves its flavor.
If you have cabbage as a fall crop right now, you can protect it with Quick Hoops™ and row cover to extend the season, or you can harvest it and store it for sales at winter markets. Ideal conditions are 32°F (0°C) with high humidity.
The best variety for long term storage is Storage No. 4.
In the South, you can grow it over the winter; in the North, you can start it in late winter and have sweet, delicious cabbage in early spring. Mini cabbages are growing in popularity among fresh market growers.
Gonzales is a round mini cabbage that will be ready for harvest at 4-6" in diameter when grown on close spacing (8-12" in the row and 12-18" between rows). Despite its small size, it has dense, uniform, sweetly spicy heads. 66 days to maturity.
Caraflex is a cone-shaped mini cabbage that is extremely uniform, with good wrapper leaves for insect and sun protection. The tender, rich leaves are great for fresh eating in slaws and salads. 68 days to maturity.
Farao is another great cabbage for winter production in the South or early spring in the North. Just 64 days to maturity, Farao has attractive deep green heads that are resistant to splitting. The cores are densely filled with thin, crisp, peppery sweet leaves.
As you look ahead to next year, consider the eggplant. This crop is available in a diversity of shapes, colors and sizes that makes it one of the most beautiful in a market display.
At Johnny's, you can find long, slender Asian varieties in lavender, purple, and white, or specialty varieties such as the small, round, green-and-white fruits of Kermit. The Italian types are the most widely recognized in the U.S.; here are some favorites:
Beatrice is a bright violet color. It's a high yielder and only 62 days to maturity.
Clara is a striking white with green calyx. Fruits are 6-7" long by 4-5" wide. 65 days to maturity.
Rosa Bianca is an heirloom variety with white and violet streaks. Plump and ribbed, it is renowned for its mild, creamy taste. Rosa Bianca is best suited to areas with warm nights.
Also coming at the end of the month -- a fantastic new variety called Barbarella. It will pair beautifully with the aforementioned varieties.
Flowers: Mixes
Johnny's specialty flower mixes take the guesswork out of naturalistic landscape plantings. Flower varieties are carefully chosen for their performance in specific situations and blended with crushed corn cobs to aid distribution of the seeds.
Northern Lights Mix is a carefree wildflower mix for areas with short summers and harsh winters. It includes 14 perennials and reseeding annuals in a range of heights, colors, and flower types. Blooms from spring to fall.
Butterfly and Hummingbird Mix contains a dozen varieties of self-seeding annuals to provide nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds. This mix requires full sun for best bloom. Plants reach 3 1/2' and create a meadow effect.
Shady Woodland Mix contains about a dozen flower varieties adapted to lightly shaded areas such as woodland edges.
Tools: DOT Pots and CowPots
If you sell plants in spring, you know you have to differentiate your product from the flood of plants available at the big box stores. Here's a great way to elevate your plants to sustainable status: DOT Pots and CowPots. Both are fully biodegradable pots that your customers can put right into the ground with the plants in them. There's no plastic waste and no transplant shock. Gardeners will love the convenience and the successful results.
DOT Pots are OMRI-certified for organic transplants. They are created using only wood fiber and peat moss, bound together, without glues, using a patented technology. Johnny's offers a wide range of sizes for every application, and in quantities for both small and large growers.
CowPots were invented by two Connecticut dairy farmers using fully composted manure so they are almost completely odor free. Although they last for months in the greenhouse, they biodegrade quickly when planted and release nutrients into soil, resulting in better root growth and healthier plants.
Johnny's 2011 Calendar will adorn your wall with beautiful photography from customers' vegetable, herb, and flower farms. The 14-month calendar shows holidays and lunar phases, plus interesting agricultural events, tips and planting charts.
 |
| Caraflex: Cool cone shape |
If you have cabbage as a fall crop right now, you can protect it with Quick Hoops™ and row cover to extend the season, or you can harvest it and store it for sales at winter markets. Ideal conditions are 32°F (0°C) with high humidity.
The best variety for long term storage is Storage No. 4.
In the South, you can grow it over the winter; in the North, you can start it in late winter and have sweet, delicious cabbage in early spring. Mini cabbages are growing in popularity among fresh market growers.
Gonzales is a round mini cabbage that will be ready for harvest at 4-6" in diameter when grown on close spacing (8-12" in the row and 12-18" between rows). Despite its small size, it has dense, uniform, sweetly spicy heads. 66 days to maturity.
Caraflex is a cone-shaped mini cabbage that is extremely uniform, with good wrapper leaves for insect and sun protection. The tender, rich leaves are great for fresh eating in slaws and salads. 68 days to maturity.
Farao is another great cabbage for winter production in the South or early spring in the North. Just 64 days to maturity, Farao has attractive deep green heads that are resistant to splitting. The cores are densely filled with thin, crisp, peppery sweet leaves.
As you look ahead to next year, consider the eggplant. This crop is available in a diversity of shapes, colors and sizes that makes it one of the most beautiful in a market display.
 |
| Rosa Bianca |
At Johnny's, you can find long, slender Asian varieties in lavender, purple, and white, or specialty varieties such as the small, round, green-and-white fruits of Kermit. The Italian types are the most widely recognized in the U.S.; here are some favorites:
Beatrice is a bright violet color. It's a high yielder and only 62 days to maturity.
Clara is a striking white with green calyx. Fruits are 6-7" long by 4-5" wide. 65 days to maturity.
Rosa Bianca is an heirloom variety with white and violet streaks. Plump and ribbed, it is renowned for its mild, creamy taste. Rosa Bianca is best suited to areas with warm nights.
Also coming at the end of the month -- a fantastic new variety called Barbarella. It will pair beautifully with the aforementioned varieties.
Flowers: Mixes
 |
| Northern Lights Mix |
Johnny's specialty flower mixes take the guesswork out of naturalistic landscape plantings. Flower varieties are carefully chosen for their performance in specific situations and blended with crushed corn cobs to aid distribution of the seeds.
Northern Lights Mix is a carefree wildflower mix for areas with short summers and harsh winters. It includes 14 perennials and reseeding annuals in a range of heights, colors, and flower types. Blooms from spring to fall.
Butterfly and Hummingbird Mix contains a dozen varieties of self-seeding annuals to provide nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds. This mix requires full sun for best bloom. Plants reach 3 1/2' and create a meadow effect.
Shady Woodland Mix contains about a dozen flower varieties adapted to lightly shaded areas such as woodland edges.
Tools: DOT Pots and CowPots
 |
| CowPots: Made of Cow Manure! |
If you sell plants in spring, you know you have to differentiate your product from the flood of plants available at the big box stores. Here's a great way to elevate your plants to sustainable status: DOT Pots and CowPots. Both are fully biodegradable pots that your customers can put right into the ground with the plants in them. There's no plastic waste and no transplant shock. Gardeners will love the convenience and the successful results.
DOT Pots are OMRI-certified for organic transplants. They are created using only wood fiber and peat moss, bound together, without glues, using a patented technology. Johnny's offers a wide range of sizes for every application, and in quantities for both small and large growers.
CowPots were invented by two Connecticut dairy farmers using fully composted manure so they are almost completely odor free. Although they last for months in the greenhouse, they biodegrade quickly when planted and release nutrients into soil, resulting in better root growth and healthier plants.
Johnny's 2011 Calendar will adorn your wall with beautiful photography from customers' vegetable, herb, and flower farms. The 14-month calendar shows holidays and lunar phases, plus interesting agricultural events, tips and planting charts.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Gardening journalists mention Johnny's
Below are some links to some recent stories we thought you might enjoy.
The Atlantic Monthly magazine had a great story -- "The Vegetable Express: A Way to Sell Produce to Those in Need" -- about a Vermont farmer's innovative way to market and sell fresh vegetables. In a setup similar to your neighborhood ice cream truck vendor, Hilary Martin uses a 1988 delivery van as a roving vegetable stand to reach customers in Burlington, Vermont neighborhoods. We were pretty excited to learn Martin was wearing a Johnny's baseball cap during her deliveries.
From the Portland (Maine) Press Herald: "Maine Gardener: Want to extend next year’s gardening season? He’s got you covered" This article, published Oct. 24, discusses season extension and mentions some of our tips and products.
Barbara Damrosch, who writes the "A Cook's Garden" column for the Washington Post, had this Oct. 21 piece on fall crops: "Mind your peas and their cues".
Johnny's Farm Manager Brian Milliken was interviewed by the web portal iVillage for an article/photo slideshow on saving flower seed -- "10 Plant Seeds to Save Right Now".
The Atlantic Monthly magazine had a great story -- "The Vegetable Express: A Way to Sell Produce to Those in Need" -- about a Vermont farmer's innovative way to market and sell fresh vegetables. In a setup similar to your neighborhood ice cream truck vendor, Hilary Martin uses a 1988 delivery van as a roving vegetable stand to reach customers in Burlington, Vermont neighborhoods. We were pretty excited to learn Martin was wearing a Johnny's baseball cap during her deliveries.
From the Portland (Maine) Press Herald: "Maine Gardener: Want to extend next year’s gardening season? He’s got you covered" This article, published Oct. 24, discusses season extension and mentions some of our tips and products.
Barbara Damrosch, who writes the "A Cook's Garden" column for the Washington Post, had this Oct. 21 piece on fall crops: "Mind your peas and their cues".
Johnny's Farm Manager Brian Milliken was interviewed by the web portal iVillage for an article/photo slideshow on saving flower seed -- "10 Plant Seeds to Save Right Now".
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Photos from Johnny's Fall Crop Walk and Field Trials
Here are a few photos from Johnny's Fall Crop Walk. We hosted our third and final crop walk of the 2010 growing season on October 20. We had 12 guests join us to take a look at several of our trials, including pumpkins, leeks, onions, root crops, spinach, Quick Hoops™ low tunnels, and gourds.
We hold crop walks 2 or 3 times per year at our Research Farm in Albion, Maine. Crop walks give guests the opportunity to tour our extensive trial fields, connect with other farmers and gardeners, and converse with Johnny's research staff. Check out our calendar for more Johnny's events and seasonal tips.
We hold crop walks 2 or 3 times per year at our Research Farm in Albion, Maine. Crop walks give guests the opportunity to tour our extensive trial fields, connect with other farmers and gardeners, and converse with Johnny's research staff. Check out our calendar for more Johnny's events and seasonal tips.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
What's new at the Farm? 10/20/10
Harvesting continues yet another week, but at least we're done with the tomatoes. Picking tomatoes provides us with plenty of work from mid August through September, an otherwise slow time of year. Not that it's ever really slow around here, but some time periods aren't quite as busy as others. We're processing squash and pumpkins this week with two under our belt already. We'll do another squash and a small cucumber before this week is over.
We've yet to have a hard frost but have had several light frosts. We brought the squash in last week as shown below:
This is about half of what we brought in; the rest is in the warehouse. The squash looks much better in here than it would in the field.
Another picture of the farm is below:
This shows the pumpkin workshop in field 9 and the Brussels sprouts trial in the foreground. To the right of the Brussels sprouts is the parsley trial. The light green in the left and left center is a cover crop of oats and brassicas we planted where the melon and watermelon trials were. We try to get as many crops tilled in as soon as we're done with them to get some cover crop planted before cold weather sets in. Our last planting was of winter rye last week; we'll see if it does anything this fall. My preference is to seed cover crops by mid September so they get appreciable growth before winter.
The Brussels sprouts will be harvested later in the season after a hard frost or two. Frost generally sweetens the sprouts, otherwise they can be bitter. They can be left in the field very late in the season. I usually don't harvest mine until Thanksgiving weekend. Same goes for rutabagas. There is no comparison between fresh Brussels sprouts and rutabagas and those frozen boxed veggies in the supermarket.
The signs of the changing of the seasons continues. I saw my first large flocks of geese on Sunday whilst on one of my last fishing trips of the season; last because of the cool weather and the fish aren't cooperating. In a couple of months, we could be ice fishing so I'll do some projects around the house until then. Among the chores: get the wood in; clean up the flower beds; winterize the henhouses; and get the bird feeders out.
Until next week, enjoy the fall.
Brian
We've yet to have a hard frost but have had several light frosts. We brought the squash in last week as shown below:
This is about half of what we brought in; the rest is in the warehouse. The squash looks much better in here than it would in the field.
Another picture of the farm is below:
This shows the pumpkin workshop in field 9 and the Brussels sprouts trial in the foreground. To the right of the Brussels sprouts is the parsley trial. The light green in the left and left center is a cover crop of oats and brassicas we planted where the melon and watermelon trials were. We try to get as many crops tilled in as soon as we're done with them to get some cover crop planted before cold weather sets in. Our last planting was of winter rye last week; we'll see if it does anything this fall. My preference is to seed cover crops by mid September so they get appreciable growth before winter.
The Brussels sprouts will be harvested later in the season after a hard frost or two. Frost generally sweetens the sprouts, otherwise they can be bitter. They can be left in the field very late in the season. I usually don't harvest mine until Thanksgiving weekend. Same goes for rutabagas. There is no comparison between fresh Brussels sprouts and rutabagas and those frozen boxed veggies in the supermarket.
The signs of the changing of the seasons continues. I saw my first large flocks of geese on Sunday whilst on one of my last fishing trips of the season; last because of the cool weather and the fish aren't cooperating. In a couple of months, we could be ice fishing so I'll do some projects around the house until then. Among the chores: get the wood in; clean up the flower beds; winterize the henhouses; and get the bird feeders out.
Until next week, enjoy the fall.
Brian
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Visit Johnny's Trial Fields tomorrow evening: Twilight Walk October 20th, 3:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Please join us at Johnny's Research Farm in Albion for the opportunity to tour our extensive trial fields, connect with other farmers and gardeners, and converse with Johnny's research staff. We'll be discussing:
The Research Farm is located at 184 Foss Hill Road in Albion. Click here for directions to Johnny's Research Farm.
- New Quick Hoops™ Trial
- Root Crops, including Kohlrabi, Radish, Turnips, Fennel, Celeriac, Parsley, Parsnips, Chicory Root, Carrots, Scorzonera, Salsify, Burdock
- Fall Ornamentals
- Onions
- Winter Squash
- Regular and Sweet Potatoes
- Leeks
The Research Farm is located at 184 Foss Hill Road in Albion. Click here for directions to Johnny's Research Farm.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Photos: Autumn harvest at Johnny's Farm
It's autumn harvest time here in Maine. That means there is plenty of work to be done at the farm. Read all about it in our Farm Manager Brian's weekly blog.
Here are some shots taken this week at Johnny's Research Farm.
Here are some shots taken this week at Johnny's Research Farm.
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| 2010 flower trials nearing their end in the front field. |
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| Pumpkin field. |
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| Pumpkin breeding program. |
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| More pumpkins. |
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| A bountiful squash harvest. |
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| Fall foliage nears its peak in central Maine. |
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| More autumn leaves. Not many places are prettier than New England this time of year. |
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| Crates are full of squash for seed processing. |
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
What's new at the Farm? First frost
This week finds us with the first frost of the season; not a hard frost but enough to know we've had one. Galinsoga is an excellent indicator of frost. It's highly susceptible and it's everywhere! Basil is another good indicator as is summer squash. Squash often gets the top leaves frosted and they then turn black while the rest of the plant gets to live a while longer. This year we've got summer squash just setting fruits in a poly tunnel so we'll see how they survive the frost. I doubt it got cold enough to damage them much.
We continue harvesting seed productions on the farm. Last week found us doing a cucumber seed production. This is what the farm crew faced early Thursday morning last week:
The picture doesn't do the field justice; it took the full farm crew from 7:30 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon to pick and process this cuke. And it took a full day for two people to sluice it. But it was worth it, we got nearly three times what we expected; an excellent yield considering how dry it was this summer.
This week we do another cucumber and we'll also finish the tomatoes. We'll hammer away at the few pepper increases we have and get as much fieldwork done as we can. There are still some fall trials to plant so we need to get ground ready for those as well. We'll also process at least two cucurbits and get our winter squash breeding fruits in. Sounds like a lot for this week and it's scheduled to rain on Friday.
The fall migration continues many of the birds we view all summer are gone. The ducks and geese are flocking and feeding; getting ready for their long fall flight. I've seen lots of small flocks of geese but no large ones; I suppose that will change with the cool weather we're experiencing now. We have a resident Blue Heron at the house; here's a picture of him last week standing on top of the greenhouse:
You can just pick him out on the right side of the greenhouse. I couldn't get any closer as he flew off when I tried. He's getting smarter and more wary of me. He only comes a couple of times a week and hangs out with our ducks and geese.
And speaking of greenhouses; this is something I always wanted and we finally bought one.
We've had this for at least ten years. We bought it used, tore it down and brought it home where we spent a month putting it back up and making modifications that we needed to. We grew seedlings for several years, grew trellis tomatoes and finally wound up growing hanging baskets filled with cucumbers and flowers for our own use. Most people, us included, don't realize the amount of labor it takes to operate a greenhouse plus work full time. After much thought of what we wanted to do with its primary purpose now is to house some of my firewood, my wood splitter, lawn furniture, and the lawnmower. I also put my boat in there for the winter, my four wheeler and trailer, and assorted pool supplies. It makes a great storage building and is nice and warm in the winter.
Perhaps someday we'll go back into growing our own seedlings.
Until next week, Brian.
We continue harvesting seed productions on the farm. Last week found us doing a cucumber seed production. This is what the farm crew faced early Thursday morning last week:
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| Cukes lie ready for Johnny's seed processing crew. |
The picture doesn't do the field justice; it took the full farm crew from 7:30 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon to pick and process this cuke. And it took a full day for two people to sluice it. But it was worth it, we got nearly three times what we expected; an excellent yield considering how dry it was this summer.
This week we do another cucumber and we'll also finish the tomatoes. We'll hammer away at the few pepper increases we have and get as much fieldwork done as we can. There are still some fall trials to plant so we need to get ground ready for those as well. We'll also process at least two cucurbits and get our winter squash breeding fruits in. Sounds like a lot for this week and it's scheduled to rain on Friday.
The fall migration continues many of the birds we view all summer are gone. The ducks and geese are flocking and feeding; getting ready for their long fall flight. I've seen lots of small flocks of geese but no large ones; I suppose that will change with the cool weather we're experiencing now. We have a resident Blue Heron at the house; here's a picture of him last week standing on top of the greenhouse:
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| A Great Blue Heron enjoys the view from atop Brian's greenhouse, er make that woodshed/boat storage facility. |
You can just pick him out on the right side of the greenhouse. I couldn't get any closer as he flew off when I tried. He's getting smarter and more wary of me. He only comes a couple of times a week and hangs out with our ducks and geese.
And speaking of greenhouses; this is something I always wanted and we finally bought one.
We've had this for at least ten years. We bought it used, tore it down and brought it home where we spent a month putting it back up and making modifications that we needed to. We grew seedlings for several years, grew trellis tomatoes and finally wound up growing hanging baskets filled with cucumbers and flowers for our own use. Most people, us included, don't realize the amount of labor it takes to operate a greenhouse plus work full time. After much thought of what we wanted to do with its primary purpose now is to house some of my firewood, my wood splitter, lawn furniture, and the lawnmower. I also put my boat in there for the winter, my four wheeler and trailer, and assorted pool supplies. It makes a great storage building and is nice and warm in the winter.
Perhaps someday we'll go back into growing our own seedlings.
Until next week, Brian.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
What's new at the Farm? 10/6/10
This week sees us nearly done picking tomatoes for seed. We've one more large picking and we will be done. Green Zebra is left and I estimate that will take us a full day to pick and process it. And then all we have left is cucumbers, squash and pumpkins to pick and process and a couple of tons of Jerusalem Artichokes to dig. And of course there's lots of fall farm cleanup to do.
Fall is a good time to start on next spring's workload.
Yes, I said next spring – harvest isn't done and I'm preparing for next spring in October. I bought 925 yards of composted manure last spring and had it delivered last month. We spread it in two applications over about 10 acres. Here's a picture of Becky using the Kubota and the manure spreader to apply it to our field:
We applied a liberal dose, got some rain and then applied the rest of it. This field is in need of large infusions of organic matter and this compost was just the ticket. The crop growing here is red clover we seeded last summer with a few sprigs of annual ryegrass that overwintered. Next spring we'll plow this down and plant some squash and pumpkins and perhaps some soybeans. Soybeans don't need any additional fertility other than the plow down clover. We've used parts of this field for several years now and I look forward to using more of it.
I have ordered and received our compost for next spring's application. Our compost comes from Little River Compost in Lisbon Falls, Maine. The Goddards make really good compost and their delivery schedule is the best so this is the second year out of what I perceive as many years that we get our compost from them. I get it in the fall of the previous year so there are no issues with posted roads when we want to spread our compost.
One of the biggest things we can do to speed things along next spring is to thoroughly clean up all the fields, pull all the stakes and plastic and inventory all the supplies we have on hand to determine what we'll need during the next growing season. All the trellises needs to be taken down; the plants cut down, the wire wound up and the posts pulled out and stacked on pallets. The plastic needs to be pulled and the ground seeded down before the weather gets too cold. That's a lot of work when you think about the fact that we have three-plus acres of field tomatoes, and then there's two poly tunnels full of tomatoes, and mulch trials of tomatoes on plastic, and more tomatoes in pots and so on.
We've got miles of plastic to pull up and dispose of. And of course there's lots of little projects like picking up all the drip irrigation lines, mowing crops once they've been frosted and chisel plowing the fields that didn't get seeded with a cover crop. Late fall is an excellent time to clean up the flower beds, clean out, sweep and organize the greenhouses and get everything ready for planting next spring. Everything we do now in prep for next spring; well, we just won't have to do it next spring.
Until next week, Brian
Fall is a good time to start on next spring's workload.
Yes, I said next spring – harvest isn't done and I'm preparing for next spring in October. I bought 925 yards of composted manure last spring and had it delivered last month. We spread it in two applications over about 10 acres. Here's a picture of Becky using the Kubota and the manure spreader to apply it to our field:
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| Becky spreads a layer of composted manure. |
We applied a liberal dose, got some rain and then applied the rest of it. This field is in need of large infusions of organic matter and this compost was just the ticket. The crop growing here is red clover we seeded last summer with a few sprigs of annual ryegrass that overwintered. Next spring we'll plow this down and plant some squash and pumpkins and perhaps some soybeans. Soybeans don't need any additional fertility other than the plow down clover. We've used parts of this field for several years now and I look forward to using more of it.
I have ordered and received our compost for next spring's application. Our compost comes from Little River Compost in Lisbon Falls, Maine. The Goddards make really good compost and their delivery schedule is the best so this is the second year out of what I perceive as many years that we get our compost from them. I get it in the fall of the previous year so there are no issues with posted roads when we want to spread our compost.
One of the biggest things we can do to speed things along next spring is to thoroughly clean up all the fields, pull all the stakes and plastic and inventory all the supplies we have on hand to determine what we'll need during the next growing season. All the trellises needs to be taken down; the plants cut down, the wire wound up and the posts pulled out and stacked on pallets. The plastic needs to be pulled and the ground seeded down before the weather gets too cold. That's a lot of work when you think about the fact that we have three-plus acres of field tomatoes, and then there's two poly tunnels full of tomatoes, and mulch trials of tomatoes on plastic, and more tomatoes in pots and so on.
We've got miles of plastic to pull up and dispose of. And of course there's lots of little projects like picking up all the drip irrigation lines, mowing crops once they've been frosted and chisel plowing the fields that didn't get seeded with a cover crop. Late fall is an excellent time to clean up the flower beds, clean out, sweep and organize the greenhouses and get everything ready for planting next spring. Everything we do now in prep for next spring; well, we just won't have to do it next spring.
Until next week, Brian
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Photos: Johnny's at Common Ground Country Fair
Here are a few photos from the Common Ground Country Fair. The annual Fair is hosted by MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association). This year's fair was held at the Unity, Maine fairgrounds on September 24-26.
Johnny's Selected Seeds had a sales tent and installed extensive demonstration gardens for customers to try our many tools, including a couple new ones -- the Paper Pot Transplanter and the Jang Seeder. We built a 12- x 40-foot caterpillar tunnel in which more than a dozen varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers were planted. We built a low tunnel from Quick Hoops™ and planted greens, carrots, and onions under row cover. We also planted a beautiful Kale bed, a sunflower garden and put together a nice fall harvest display of pumpkins, squash and gourds.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
What's new at the Farm? 9/29/10
We continue harvesting seed productions at a feverish pace. Since my last article we have picked and processed eight tomatoes and a pumpkin. Today finds us picking yet another batch of tomatoes; hopefully three or four varieties. I'd like to be done the small increases by the end of the week and finish the last two or three big picking jobs by the end of next week. As soon as the tomatoes are done we start on small pepper increases and squash and pumpkins.
Last week I talked about the elevator I purchased to use in the seed processing line. Here's a photo of it in action:
The big, orange machine is the Vine Harvester which I talk so much about during the harvest. It was patterned after a seed harvester, common out west years ago, and built here by a former farm employee. In this picture, the fruit drops into the hopper which grinds the fruit releasing the seed. The broken fruit is then deposited into a rotating drum with perforated holes. The seed goes through the holes into a catch draw and the pulp flows out the back.
A picture of the business end of the Vine Harvester:
The vine harvester is powered by a Farmall 200, which we use because it has a drawbar that adjusts height hydraulically. This is important to get the correct slope on the harvester. Too little slope and the pulp will get pulverized and go in with the seed; too little and good seed will be lost out the back.
Seed crops we use this machine on include pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and peppers -- basically any crop that is wet seeded. It speeds up the seed separation process considerably.
And lastly, as I was driving back from the sluice area last Friday I snapped this picture below:
This is the sweet corn trial that has gone by. It was undersown with Crimson clover around the fourth of July. We broadcast a couple of pounds of Crimson clover and then worked it in to the soil with rakes and hoes. Once the corn stalks get mowed the clover will really take off. It likes cool and damp weather, so it will thrive in the fall. It will provide a great matt of vegetation to hold and protect the topsoil. Regrowth next spring will depend largely on how the winter is so we may or may not have a lot of regrowth next spring.
Until next week, Brian
Last week I talked about the elevator I purchased to use in the seed processing line. Here's a photo of it in action:
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| Brian's newly purchased elevator sends pumpkins on their final journey, and into the Vine Harvester. |
A picture of the business end of the Vine Harvester:
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| The Vine Harvester machine makes quick work of our pumpkin harvest as it separates the seeds from the pulp. |
Seed crops we use this machine on include pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and peppers -- basically any crop that is wet seeded. It speeds up the seed separation process considerably.
And lastly, as I was driving back from the sluice area last Friday I snapped this picture below:
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| Clover, sown between the cornrows, makes a great cover crop. |
Until next week, Brian
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Product Spotlight - October 2010
Totem Forcing Chicory
Belgian endive, also known as witloof chicory, is a gourmet item found in high end restaurants and occasionally in upscale groceries.
The narrow heads of pale yellow leaves, called chicons, have a mild chicory flavor and pleasing crispness.
Belgian endive is not difficult to grow, but it does require extra attention and handling. The chicons are actually the sprouted roots of chicory plants that were grown in summer, then dug up and put in storage for the winter. The roots can be forced as needed from September to January.
The variety Totem should be direct seeded outside in early July. The chicory plants grow all summer until the roots are fully developed and about 1.5"-2" wide at the shoulder. Around October, the plants are dug and the leaves are cut off to about an inch or two from the root. The roots can be stored standing upright in buckets of sand in a root cellar or other cool area. Ideally, the roots should be held right at freezing. To force them, they should be brought into the warmth, watered, and covered with a black cloth or bucket to exclude all light, which is what keeps the leaves white and bitter-free. The chicon will be fully grown in about three weeks.
Flash and Champion Collards
Collards are one of the vegetables that get better as the weather gets colder. They are very hardy and can be grown in warm areas without protection, under row cover or in a hoophouse in cold winter areas. Individual leaves can be harvested throughout the fall and winter, and the same plants will produce new growth for early spring greens.
Flash has smooth, dark green leaves and is 55 days to maturity. Champion has long, wavy dark green leaves and is 60 days to maturity.
Pumpkins and gourds
Fall decorating is growing in popularity every year and Johnny's has a huge variety of pumpkins and gourds to fit every need. Customers are looking for specialty pumpkins, jack-o'-lanterns, and gourds from September through Thanksgiving. A selection of orange, white, and multicolored pumpkins dresses up a porch after summer flowers are done. Small gourds make beautiful tabletop decorations. And some of the more exotic specimens are great for kids' crafts.
Here are some of the newest varieties for fall decor:
Champion is a big jack-o'-lantern, usually 30 lb. or more, deep orange and well ribbed, perfect for carving.
Knuckle Head is an orange pumpkin averaging 12-16 lb. with cool, creepy warts all over it.
Speckled Hound is a small, flattened pumpkin weighing 3-6 lb., with splotches of orange and green.
Daisy gourd is a colorful, small-fruited mix, perfect for little hands, with a pattern on the top of each gourd that looks like a flower.
Lunch Lady is a collection of giant gourds, 5 to 20 lb., in different colors and patterns and all covered with warts.
Belgian endive, also known as witloof chicory, is a gourmet item found in high end restaurants and occasionally in upscale groceries.
Belgian endive is not difficult to grow, but it does require extra attention and handling. The chicons are actually the sprouted roots of chicory plants that were grown in summer, then dug up and put in storage for the winter. The roots can be forced as needed from September to January.
The variety Totem should be direct seeded outside in early July. The chicory plants grow all summer until the roots are fully developed and about 1.5"-2" wide at the shoulder. Around October, the plants are dug and the leaves are cut off to about an inch or two from the root. The roots can be stored standing upright in buckets of sand in a root cellar or other cool area. Ideally, the roots should be held right at freezing. To force them, they should be brought into the warmth, watered, and covered with a black cloth or bucket to exclude all light, which is what keeps the leaves white and bitter-free. The chicon will be fully grown in about three weeks.
Flash and Champion Collards
Flash has smooth, dark green leaves and is 55 days to maturity. Champion has long, wavy dark green leaves and is 60 days to maturity.
Pumpkins and gourds
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| From left: Knucklehead; Champion; Speckled Hound; Daisy; Lunch Lady. |
Here are some of the newest varieties for fall decor:
Champion is a big jack-o'-lantern, usually 30 lb. or more, deep orange and well ribbed, perfect for carving.
Knuckle Head is an orange pumpkin averaging 12-16 lb. with cool, creepy warts all over it.
Speckled Hound is a small, flattened pumpkin weighing 3-6 lb., with splotches of orange and green.
Daisy gourd is a colorful, small-fruited mix, perfect for little hands, with a pattern on the top of each gourd that looks like a flower.
Lunch Lady is a collection of giant gourds, 5 to 20 lb., in different colors and patterns and all covered with warts.
JSS Advantage - October 2010
Even with the change of seasons, there's still work to be done. You can plant certain vegetable and flower seeds now to overwinter for an extra-early harvest next year. Garlic needs to be planted in fall. And you can extend the season of your current crops by being ready for the changing weather ahead.
Get ready for frost
For some of you, the first frost is fast approaching. If you'd like to buy time to extend your harvest season, be prepared for the autumn ritual of pulling row cover over your plants. Here's some advice on how to make it easier.
Row cover is available in different weights, which determines the amount of frost protection it provides. Heavier weights provide more protection, but also cost more. So figure out how low the temperature is likely to go before you can get your crop harvested, and purchase the appropriate weight.
If your fall crops are grouped into a single area, consider buying one big piece of row cover that you can pull over multiple beds. It's available in sizes as large as 50' x 1,000'. Be sure to anchor it carefully so the wind can't get underneath and carry it away like a big kite.
For light frosts and low-growing plants such as spinach and lettuce, you can lay the row cover directly on the plants. Heavy frosts, however, can freeze plants where they touch the row cover; to prevent this, put hoops over the crops to hold the row cover above them.
Upright plants can have their growing tips damaged by abrasion of the row cover. Suspend the row cover above those plants with hoops or posts.
Spreading row cover is best accomplished with at least two people. While one person unrolls or unfolds the row cover and lays it on the crop, the second person should be following with weights to hold the edges down.
Row cover will last many years if handled carefully. As soon as your crop is finished, roll the row cover back up and put it in a barn or other building. If you worry that mice will get into it during the winter (they love to nest in it!), put it in a bag and suspend it from the building's rafters.
Overwintering crops
With the proliferation of hoophouses and low tunnels on farms, many growers are trying a new strategy to extend the season: planting seeds in fall to get the earliest possible harvest in spring. Southern growers and others with mild winters routinely use this strategy with many cool-weather vegetables. In the North, Quick Hoops™ with row cover and greenhouse poly moderate the cold and allow for successful overwintering. Spinach is often produced by fall seeding, resulting in harvest a month before spring-seeded crops. Many other crops are good candidates for overwintering, though there are few definite guidelines yet, especially given the wide variations in temperatures that are possible from one location to another. Here are some results of other growers' trials that may help inform your own efforts to get extra-early spring veggies.
At Johnny's Research Farm in Albion, Maine, we conducted overwintering trials under Quick Hoops™ last year. Spinach was direct seeded in early October; it germinated but stayed dormant until March and was ready for harvest around April 1. The flavor was remarkably sweet. Mache was direct seeded and it grew very well during the fall but bolted quickly when the weather started to warm up. This crop should be harvested either during the winter or very quickly in spring. Lettuce was seeded in mid September and transplanted to the Quick Hoops™ in mid October. Heads were harvested the beginning of April and, again, the flavor was good with no bitterness.
Eliot Coleman writes in his book -- "The Winter Harvest Handbook" -- about his ongoing experiments with seeding or planting in fall in Quick Hoops™. Spinach and lettuce direct seeded or transplanted in fall are ready a month earlier than spring transplanted lettuce. Overwintering scallions are ready five weeks ahead of spring-planted scallions. In considering other crops to overwinter, Coleman writes "we are just beginning to tease out the possibilities." Arugula, beets, carrots, and peas will germinate in February or March in the hoophouse, so why not in the field in Quick Hoops™? He intends to continue to trial crops and varieties to find the best timing for fall seeding or transplanting.
Fall-planted flowers
In the southern half of the United States, fall is the best time to plant hardy annuals that will bloom next spring. Some of the best hardy annuals used as cut flowers include agrostemma, bachelor buttons, bupleurum, larkspur, and nigella. Any other flowers that normally self-seed in your garden are also good candidates for fall seeding. Some will germinate in fall, grow into small plants, and then go dormant. Others won't germinate this year, but will sit in the soil until the chilling requirement is fulfilled and the weather warms. Larkspur is a good example of a cut flower that is much stronger and taller when direct seeded in fall.
The area where larkspur should be fall seeded is generally Zone 5b and warmer, except in parts of the Pacific Northwest where fall seeding is not advised because rainy winters may cause seeds to rot. Larkspur seed needs 14-21 days of soil temperature below 55˚F (13˚C) to germinate. Once the seeds germinate, the seedlings will grow through the fall and form small rosettes of lacy leaves. The plants will remain green until the coldest weather of winter, when they will start to look bleached out and dead. They will just be dormant, though, and will green up and start to grow again as soon as the coldest weather is past.
Larkspur seed can be planted with a precision seeder or by hand at a rate of .3 oz. per 100' of row. The seed should be covered completely because darkness aids germination, and watered in well if the weather has been dry. The rows should be clearly marked because the beds will need to be hoed once or twice before spring. Cool-weather weeds such as henbit can choke out a bed of emerging larkspur if not controlled.
The best flowers result when the plants have experienced six weeks of temperatures below 55˚F (13˚C). By planting in fall, growers with mild winters are more likely to capture the amount of chilling required.
In the North, however, longer, cooler springs allow for adequate chilling when the seeds are planted in spring. Larkspur can be direct-seeded as soon as the ground can be worked. Or it can be started from transplants, after the seed is chilled for several weeks in a refrigerator, and grown at 55˚F (13˚C).
Planting garlic
Seed garlic from Johnny's is shipped in October so that you can plant it at the best time for your climate. The goal is to get good root growth to anchor the bulbs before winter, but no top growth. Depending on when the ground freezes in your area, it can be planted from the first frost through November. Until you're ready to plant, store it in a cool, dry place, 50-70F (not in the refrigerator).
Garlic is a heavy feeder and will produce the biggest bulbs when the soil has adequate nutrients. Compost is best, as it provides fertility, improves soil organic matter, and increases drainage. Garlic does not compete well with weeds, so prepare your beds, allow weed seeds to germinate and then cultivate shallowly to make a clean seed bed without disturbing new weed seeds.
Separate the cloves from the bulb and plant them 6" apart, with about 2" of soil on top. As soon as the soil freezes, mulch the bed with 4-6" of hay, straw, or grass clippings to prevent the bulbs from heaving.
For more information about growing garlic, see our Tech Sheet.
Get ready for frost
For some of you, the first frost is fast approaching. If you'd like to buy time to extend your harvest season, be prepared for the autumn ritual of pulling row cover over your plants. Here's some advice on how to make it easier.
Row cover is available in different weights, which determines the amount of frost protection it provides. Heavier weights provide more protection, but also cost more. So figure out how low the temperature is likely to go before you can get your crop harvested, and purchase the appropriate weight.
If your fall crops are grouped into a single area, consider buying one big piece of row cover that you can pull over multiple beds. It's available in sizes as large as 50' x 1,000'. Be sure to anchor it carefully so the wind can't get underneath and carry it away like a big kite.
For light frosts and low-growing plants such as spinach and lettuce, you can lay the row cover directly on the plants. Heavy frosts, however, can freeze plants where they touch the row cover; to prevent this, put hoops over the crops to hold the row cover above them.
Upright plants can have their growing tips damaged by abrasion of the row cover. Suspend the row cover above those plants with hoops or posts.
Spreading row cover is best accomplished with at least two people. While one person unrolls or unfolds the row cover and lays it on the crop, the second person should be following with weights to hold the edges down.
Row cover will last many years if handled carefully. As soon as your crop is finished, roll the row cover back up and put it in a barn or other building. If you worry that mice will get into it during the winter (they love to nest in it!), put it in a bag and suspend it from the building's rafters.
Overwintering crops
With the proliferation of hoophouses and low tunnels on farms, many growers are trying a new strategy to extend the season: planting seeds in fall to get the earliest possible harvest in spring. Southern growers and others with mild winters routinely use this strategy with many cool-weather vegetables. In the North, Quick Hoops™ with row cover and greenhouse poly moderate the cold and allow for successful overwintering. Spinach is often produced by fall seeding, resulting in harvest a month before spring-seeded crops. Many other crops are good candidates for overwintering, though there are few definite guidelines yet, especially given the wide variations in temperatures that are possible from one location to another. Here are some results of other growers' trials that may help inform your own efforts to get extra-early spring veggies.
At Johnny's Research Farm in Albion, Maine, we conducted overwintering trials under Quick Hoops™ last year. Spinach was direct seeded in early October; it germinated but stayed dormant until March and was ready for harvest around April 1. The flavor was remarkably sweet. Mache was direct seeded and it grew very well during the fall but bolted quickly when the weather started to warm up. This crop should be harvested either during the winter or very quickly in spring. Lettuce was seeded in mid September and transplanted to the Quick Hoops™ in mid October. Heads were harvested the beginning of April and, again, the flavor was good with no bitterness.
Eliot Coleman writes in his book -- "The Winter Harvest Handbook" -- about his ongoing experiments with seeding or planting in fall in Quick Hoops™. Spinach and lettuce direct seeded or transplanted in fall are ready a month earlier than spring transplanted lettuce. Overwintering scallions are ready five weeks ahead of spring-planted scallions. In considering other crops to overwinter, Coleman writes "we are just beginning to tease out the possibilities." Arugula, beets, carrots, and peas will germinate in February or March in the hoophouse, so why not in the field in Quick Hoops™? He intends to continue to trial crops and varieties to find the best timing for fall seeding or transplanting.
Fall-planted flowers
In the southern half of the United States, fall is the best time to plant hardy annuals that will bloom next spring. Some of the best hardy annuals used as cut flowers include agrostemma, bachelor buttons, bupleurum, larkspur, and nigella. Any other flowers that normally self-seed in your garden are also good candidates for fall seeding. Some will germinate in fall, grow into small plants, and then go dormant. Others won't germinate this year, but will sit in the soil until the chilling requirement is fulfilled and the weather warms. Larkspur is a good example of a cut flower that is much stronger and taller when direct seeded in fall.
The area where larkspur should be fall seeded is generally Zone 5b and warmer, except in parts of the Pacific Northwest where fall seeding is not advised because rainy winters may cause seeds to rot. Larkspur seed needs 14-21 days of soil temperature below 55˚F (13˚C) to germinate. Once the seeds germinate, the seedlings will grow through the fall and form small rosettes of lacy leaves. The plants will remain green until the coldest weather of winter, when they will start to look bleached out and dead. They will just be dormant, though, and will green up and start to grow again as soon as the coldest weather is past.
Larkspur seed can be planted with a precision seeder or by hand at a rate of .3 oz. per 100' of row. The seed should be covered completely because darkness aids germination, and watered in well if the weather has been dry. The rows should be clearly marked because the beds will need to be hoed once or twice before spring. Cool-weather weeds such as henbit can choke out a bed of emerging larkspur if not controlled.
The best flowers result when the plants have experienced six weeks of temperatures below 55˚F (13˚C). By planting in fall, growers with mild winters are more likely to capture the amount of chilling required.
In the North, however, longer, cooler springs allow for adequate chilling when the seeds are planted in spring. Larkspur can be direct-seeded as soon as the ground can be worked. Or it can be started from transplants, after the seed is chilled for several weeks in a refrigerator, and grown at 55˚F (13˚C).
Planting garlic
Seed garlic from Johnny's is shipped in October so that you can plant it at the best time for your climate. The goal is to get good root growth to anchor the bulbs before winter, but no top growth. Depending on when the ground freezes in your area, it can be planted from the first frost through November. Until you're ready to plant, store it in a cool, dry place, 50-70F (not in the refrigerator).
Garlic is a heavy feeder and will produce the biggest bulbs when the soil has adequate nutrients. Compost is best, as it provides fertility, improves soil organic matter, and increases drainage. Garlic does not compete well with weeds, so prepare your beds, allow weed seeds to germinate and then cultivate shallowly to make a clean seed bed without disturbing new weed seeds.
Separate the cloves from the bulb and plant them 6" apart, with about 2" of soil on top. As soon as the soil freezes, mulch the bed with 4-6" of hay, straw, or grass clippings to prevent the bulbs from heaving.
For more information about growing garlic, see our Tech Sheet.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Crop walk video: Portuguese Kale trials; tomato seed processing
In this week's crop walk, we look at our Portuguese Kale trials and Black Cherry tomato seed processing.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Johnny's at Common Ground Country Fair this weekend
Join us at the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, Maine on Friday September 24th to Sunday, September 26th. Our booth is near the Rose Gate entrance in the northeast corner of the fairgrounds. We're located across from the amphitheater.
Visit our fair tent for great deals, tool demonstrations, Eliot Coleman book signing, and more! You can also get a 10% off coupon for future use!
For more information about the fair, including directions and tickets, visit the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association fair site.
Visit our fair tent for great deals, tool demonstrations, Eliot Coleman book signing, and more! You can also get a 10% off coupon for future use!
For more information about the fair, including directions and tickets, visit the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association fair site.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
What's new at the Farm? 9/22/10
This week finds us picking more tomatoes. And pumpkins. And still more tomatoes:
We start the week by picking Black Cherry for seed. Lots of tomatoes means lots of seed. I figure it will take the whole farm crew a day and a half to pick and process it and two days to sluice it. At least it's a nice field to work in; the big, new field that is. I think I mentioned in a previous article how fields got their names; I asked Kelly to name this field hence the "Big, new field". It's a nice field, about 5 acres in size, with a southern exposure. Its history includes being in continuous conventional corn for 25 years or so, then hayfield and now we use it. It's kind of funny that I'm farming the same field I did 30 years ago but organically now.
Video of sluice.
We're also picking Cherokee Green tomatoes on Thursday this week, along with some small increases during slow periods of our work days (ha-ha). And other than harvesting, we don't have a whole lot pressing; of course we're eye-ball deep in harvesting.
A couple of weeks ago I purchased a hay/grain conveyor from a local farmer:
It is a John Deere grain elevator with a "3" for the serial number. Once we got it home, no small feat in itself, I let Jeff know what I wanted to do with it and "have at it". It started out at 52 feet long and now is 32 feet. Besides shortening it we had to change its power supply from 230-volt electric to a gasoline powered motor. I think it will work really well, and if it doesn't, well, we've have a conveyor to use for conveying something.
We're going to process a pumpkin this week before the squirrels do any more damage. We get to use our new conveyor (new to us) for processing this one. That's one of my bright ideas for 2010. Usually we toss pumpkins up into the Vine Harvester but I dislike this method. It takes several people and as the ground becomes wet and slippery, it makes a hazardous site to work in. Mud and ice make for slippery walking. Using the conveyor will enable us to load the pumpkins at a safe distance from all the moving parts of the process.
Using the conveyor will also enable us to feed the fruits into the vine harvester at an even pace. Instead of getting lots of fruit all at once, we can pace ourselves so the timing of fruit being loaded can facilitate the machine having time to properly separate the seed from the pulp. I'll let you know how it all works out in a future column.
Signs of the changing of the seasons are all around us; wood stove smoke, geese and crows joining into flocks. The swallows and hummers are gone and a steady procession of birds migrating over the next couple of months. Killdeer must have left as I haven't seen any in a while, lots of ducks flying around and rat/squirrel holes around the buildings as they prepare to spend the winter near their food supply. Fall is definitely here.
Until next week enjoy the season, Brian
We start the week by picking Black Cherry for seed. Lots of tomatoes means lots of seed. I figure it will take the whole farm crew a day and a half to pick and process it and two days to sluice it. At least it's a nice field to work in; the big, new field that is. I think I mentioned in a previous article how fields got their names; I asked Kelly to name this field hence the "Big, new field". It's a nice field, about 5 acres in size, with a southern exposure. Its history includes being in continuous conventional corn for 25 years or so, then hayfield and now we use it. It's kind of funny that I'm farming the same field I did 30 years ago but organically now.
Video of sluice.
We're also picking Cherokee Green tomatoes on Thursday this week, along with some small increases during slow periods of our work days (ha-ha). And other than harvesting, we don't have a whole lot pressing; of course we're eye-ball deep in harvesting.
A couple of weeks ago I purchased a hay/grain conveyor from a local farmer:
It is a John Deere grain elevator with a "3" for the serial number. Once we got it home, no small feat in itself, I let Jeff know what I wanted to do with it and "have at it". It started out at 52 feet long and now is 32 feet. Besides shortening it we had to change its power supply from 230-volt electric to a gasoline powered motor. I think it will work really well, and if it doesn't, well, we've have a conveyor to use for conveying something.We're going to process a pumpkin this week before the squirrels do any more damage. We get to use our new conveyor (new to us) for processing this one. That's one of my bright ideas for 2010. Usually we toss pumpkins up into the Vine Harvester but I dislike this method. It takes several people and as the ground becomes wet and slippery, it makes a hazardous site to work in. Mud and ice make for slippery walking. Using the conveyor will enable us to load the pumpkins at a safe distance from all the moving parts of the process.
Using the conveyor will also enable us to feed the fruits into the vine harvester at an even pace. Instead of getting lots of fruit all at once, we can pace ourselves so the timing of fruit being loaded can facilitate the machine having time to properly separate the seed from the pulp. I'll let you know how it all works out in a future column.
Signs of the changing of the seasons are all around us; wood stove smoke, geese and crows joining into flocks. The swallows and hummers are gone and a steady procession of birds migrating over the next couple of months. Killdeer must have left as I haven't seen any in a while, lots of ducks flying around and rat/squirrel holes around the buildings as they prepare to spend the winter near their food supply. Fall is definitely here.
Until next week enjoy the season, Brian
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