Monday, October 31, 2011
Johnny's raffle winner announced
WHITEFIELD, N.H. -- Steve Tassey, from Moriah Valley Farm in Shelburne, NH, was the winner of a raffle for a $100 Johnny's gift coupon at the North Country Fruit and Vegetable Seminar on Wednesday, October 26, 2011.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Video: Seed Processing
October at Johnny's Research Farm means it's time to finish the harvest and process seeds. This video shows how seed is extracted from pumpkins and peppers.
The process is fairly straightforward. Fruits, in this case pumpkins, are gathered and pulverized. The seed is separated from the pulp by use of machine called a vine harvester, which is essentially a giant food mill. The seed is then cleaned, rinsed off with water, and taken to the drier where it is heat-dried for about a day.
Pepper seed extraction is basically the same, but a much smaller machine is used. Johnny's farm employees previously extracted pepper seed by hand, but this new machine makes the job much easier and faster.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Photos: Farm Pond Construction
We recently completed construction of a new irrigation pond in Albion, Maine at the so-called Movie Gallery field. The pond will hold about 6 million gallons of water when full. Work began on Sept. 10 and was completed in about 3 weeks. Below is photo slideshow of the construction process:
Monday, October 24, 2011
Product spotlight: Tools and Supplies
Product Spotlight
Quick Hoops™ High Tunnel Bender
A high tunnel is the most productive tool for extending the season. On a sunny day, you can work in comfort no matter how cold it is outside. And plants love the benign environment; you can grow cold-hardy crops all winter in most places.
Johnny's makes it easy and economical to make your own high tunnel. Our Quick Hoops™ High Tunnel Bender allows you to bend locally available chain link fence rail into perfect hoops to make a tunnel 12' wide and 7' tall by any length you want. We have been experimenting with building and growing in these tunnels at Johnny's research farm, and we've put together an extensive manual to guide you. Right now, season extension products are 10% off, so there has never been a better time to get started with high tunnel growing.
Books
Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables by Mike and Nancy Bubel is a comprehensive guide to using the earth's naturally cool, stable temperature for food storage. It describes how to build a root cellar wherever you live, and advises on ideal conditions for nearly 100 garden vegetables. Essential reading for any grower who wants to expand into storage crops.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Product spotlight: Winter Greens
Product Spotlight
Winter greens
Even after the weather gets too cold for lettuce, arugula and spinach are good choices to grow for salads.
Arugula OG is a productive organic variety. Mature plants form loose clusters of smooth, lobed leaves. It can be picked as baby leaves about three weeks after planting or left to grow for about 40 days. Although cool weather improves its flavor, it does need to be grown under row cover or in a high tunnel as winter approaches.
Spinach: Tyee is a slow bolting savoy type. Available in both organic and conventional seed, Tyee is ideal for overwintering
Friday, October 21, 2011
Product spotlight: Root Crops
Product Spotlight
Root crops
If you're thinking about expanding the length of your marketing season by growing more storage crops, don't neglect parsnips and scorzonera. These two root crops are gaining a following among foodies and finding their way onto creative restaurant menus.
Albion parsnip is new. It's our whitest variety with a long, tapered root. It needs the same kind of growing conditions as carrots — deep, friable soil and consistent water. It sweetens after a frost and can be stored in the ground until winter. Then it can be dug and stored for another month or two at 32°F and 90-100% humidity. At 120 days to maturity, this crop takes a long time but is worth the effort.
Enorma scorzonera is a vigorous variety of this little-known vegetable. It will mature in just 80 days but, like parsnips, can be stored in the ground where cold will make it sweeter. Scorzonera has black skin and white flesh. It should be scrubbed and cooked in its skin, after which the skin will easily peel off to reveal the tender white flesh.
Customer photos: Giant Sweet Potato
Mary Ann, an Augusta, Maine gardener, described her first two attempts at growing sweet potatoes as "disasters". The third time, however, proved to be a charm. This past spring, she purchased 25 Johnny's Beauregard sweet potato slips. She planted the slips during the first week of June. Four months later she is enjoying her best crop ever.
Last week, she dug up half her plants, including the 2 1/2 lb. tuber shown in the photos below. She still has 10 plants to harvest from a 30' bed.
"I have lots more to dig and how I wish I had known how big they were earlier because I would have entered them in the fairs for largest potato. I have a clue that I would have won a blue ribbon or two" Mary Ann said.
She reported digging up plants with 6 large potatoes per cluster.
"They are absolutely huge and delicious," Mary Ann said.
Two years ago, Maine experienced an unusually wet summer and Mary Ann said her sweet potatoes looked like string beans at harvest. "This time I hilled up the row. They seem to like drier conditions," Mary Ann said.
She also had a soil test done this year and amended her soil accordingly. Like many growers new to sweet potatoes, Mary Ann was surprised at how wilted the slips appeared to be when she received them in the spring. She put them in a glass of water to revive them and the plants quickly perked up.
Watch Johnny's instructional video for tips on how to plant sweet potato slips.
Last week, she dug up half her plants, including the 2 1/2 lb. tuber shown in the photos below. She still has 10 plants to harvest from a 30' bed.
"I have lots more to dig and how I wish I had known how big they were earlier because I would have entered them in the fairs for largest potato. I have a clue that I would have won a blue ribbon or two" Mary Ann said.
She reported digging up plants with 6 large potatoes per cluster.
"They are absolutely huge and delicious," Mary Ann said.
Two years ago, Maine experienced an unusually wet summer and Mary Ann said her sweet potatoes looked like string beans at harvest. "This time I hilled up the row. They seem to like drier conditions," Mary Ann said.
She also had a soil test done this year and amended her soil accordingly. Like many growers new to sweet potatoes, Mary Ann was surprised at how wilted the slips appeared to be when she received them in the spring. She put them in a glass of water to revive them and the plants quickly perked up.
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| 2.5 lb. Beauregard sweet potato |
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| A meal in itself |
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| A successful harvest |
Watch Johnny's instructional video for tips on how to plant sweet potato slips.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Product spotlight: Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkins
Product Spotlight
October is the month for jack-o'-lanterns and some of the best are from Johnny's. We have more than a dozen varieties of deep orange pumpkins with strong handles (perfect for carrying from the pumpkin patch), in a size for every customer.
Howden OG is a bigger jack-o'-lantern, averaging 25 lb. or larger, available as organic seed. Bred in the 1970s, it is still popular because it set the standard for Halloween pumpkins with its defined ribs, strong handle, and some variation in shapes. Like most pumpkins in this category, it has long vines and produces 1-2 fruits per plant.
Champion (F1) is an extra-large jack-o'-lantern, typically 30 lb. or more, generally with a tall, upright shape. It is earlier than most at 90 days to maturity, vines are medium length, and it averages one fruit per plant. Champion was bred by Johnny's and is a Johnny's exclusive.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
What's New at the Farm? Harvesting and Completion of Farm Pond
Looking out my window this morning, I see the threatening skies of mid October. I know it wants to rain, and it’s trying. If it will just hold off until we get a little more harvesting done… probably not though. Oh well, we must go forth and harvest anyways. The crops won’t wait much longer. We’ll finish harvesting tomatoes this week. After that, all we’ll have to do is peppers, squash, pumpkins and a few small trial crops, including leeks, cabbage, and fall carrots. Still plenty left to do.
The photo above was taken Tuesday. We have since seeded down all around it with several different grass seeds and mixtures. Because we want to prevent as much erosion as possible, we planted Crown vetch on the bank on the outside of the pond and conservation mix on the balance of the ground. The sooner we get some grass growing the better. I wanted to get it seeded down before we got any amount of fall rain, and we did. The rain will help the seed to germinate and grow before the ground freezes up for the season.
The pond currently has about three feet of water in it and I expect it will continue to fill during the fall and winter months. Total surface area will be about an acre and capacity is around six million gallons. Imagine what the first frog in there will think! This pond should supply us with all our water needs for many years in this new field. I am anxious to use this field. We have owned it for many years, and have worked to improve the soil, but have yet to fully utilize this ground. Now with drain tile, an irrigation pond and a well-built driveway down through the field, we’ll be able to add these 15 acres to our inventory of tillable land.
Other fall projects on the docket include pulling miles of plastic mulch; tearing down acres of tomato trellises; and chisel plowing fields that didn’t get a cover crop planted on. Why chisel plow? The chisel plow makes deep furrows that trap the water and force it to seep into the soil rather than whip down across a field eroded it as it goes. Many times our crops get harvested late in the season so we can’t get good establishment of cover crops before the fall freeze-up occurs. In this case, we chisel plow the fields following their contours to prevent or at least slow down the rate of erosion. As we increase our land base, we’ll have more cover crops planted to hold our precious topsoil in place.
Until next week,
Brian
The new irrigation pond is done
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| Three feet of water has already accumulated in the pond. |
The photo above was taken Tuesday. We have since seeded down all around it with several different grass seeds and mixtures. Because we want to prevent as much erosion as possible, we planted Crown vetch on the bank on the outside of the pond and conservation mix on the balance of the ground. The sooner we get some grass growing the better. I wanted to get it seeded down before we got any amount of fall rain, and we did. The rain will help the seed to germinate and grow before the ground freezes up for the season.
The pond currently has about three feet of water in it and I expect it will continue to fill during the fall and winter months. Total surface area will be about an acre and capacity is around six million gallons. Imagine what the first frog in there will think! This pond should supply us with all our water needs for many years in this new field. I am anxious to use this field. We have owned it for many years, and have worked to improve the soil, but have yet to fully utilize this ground. Now with drain tile, an irrigation pond and a well-built driveway down through the field, we’ll be able to add these 15 acres to our inventory of tillable land.
Other fall projects on the docket include pulling miles of plastic mulch; tearing down acres of tomato trellises; and chisel plowing fields that didn’t get a cover crop planted on. Why chisel plow? The chisel plow makes deep furrows that trap the water and force it to seep into the soil rather than whip down across a field eroded it as it goes. Many times our crops get harvested late in the season so we can’t get good establishment of cover crops before the fall freeze-up occurs. In this case, we chisel plow the fields following their contours to prevent or at least slow down the rate of erosion. As we increase our land base, we’ll have more cover crops planted to hold our precious topsoil in place.
Until next week,
Brian
Fringe Benefit: Pumpkins
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| "Up for Grabs" Pumpkins |
One of the advantages to working at Johnny’s is the opportunity to join in the post-trials harvest.
Once the trials for various crops are completed, employees are allowed to help themselves to what remains in the fields. You can’t get much fresher than that! This not only allows us to help feed ourselves, but gives us the opportunity to see how crops were grown, which crops did well, and gain some hands-on experience at our Research Farm.
In recent weeks, we’ve been given the go-ahead to harvest peppers, squash, and pumpkins. What the employees don’t take home is most often donated to local food pantries.
Gathering fresh produce while working for a fast-growing, employee-owned company in a beautiful part of the country is tough to beat. If you're interested in a career at Johnny's, we've recently added some new positions to our job postings. Visit Johnny's careers page to learn more and download an application.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
JSS Advantage Newsletter -- October 2011
October, 2011
Demand for local food doesn't suddenly disappear at the first frost. Committed locavores want to buy local food year-round, providing new opportunities for fresh market growers who would like to increase annual revenue and cash flow during the winter. In this issue of the JSS Advantage, we'll provide information about ways you can diversify your offerings across the seasons.
Launch a Winter CSA
Community Supported Agriculture is holding its own despite the economic downturn. In fact, demand is so strong that many CSA farms have started offering winter shares for members who want to eat local year-round. A winter CSA is a much different endeavor than a summer CSA, and it takes a lot of planning. If you are thinking about ways to build on the success of your current CSA, expanding into winter is the logical next step.Winter CSA is possible in even the coldest parts of the country. Some of the trailblazers in the winter CSA movement are in New York, Maine, Massachusetts, and other very cold places. They are able to offer food in winter through a combination of storage crops, winter hoophouse crops, and value-added products. Because those types of crops have such long storage life, most winter CSAs distribute less often than summer CSAs, some as infrequently as once a month.
Another common feature of winter CSAs is cooperation with other farms. Going into fall, most farmers know how many storage crops such as carrots, onions, and sweet potatoes they can offer to the CSA.
But hoophouse crop growth is more dependent on sunshine and temperatures, and therefore less predictable. By teaming up with other growers and food producers, a CSA farm can fill any gaps in its own production as well as increase the value of the CSA share and the availability of local products. A farm might offer eggs, bread, jam, honey, apples, frozen fruits and vegetables, and salsa grown on the farm or purchased from other farms.
A winter CSA also provides a ready market for some crops that might not have been as useful to a summer CSA, such as dried beans, grains and flour, dried peppers and culinary herbs, soup mixes, and fall ornamentals. In that regard, winter CSA provides the excitement of growing something completely new!
With all winter crops, planning well in advance is essential. If you're considering a winter CSA in the future, this winter is the best time to figure out what you'll include in every distribution. Come spring, you'll be ready to start planting new crops and larger quantities to accommodate a winter marketing season.
Extend the Selling Season with Storage crops
Some vegetables can maintain freshness for months after harvest if you choose varieties specifically bred for long storage. Here's a list of some of the varieties we recommend for storage throughout fall and winter.Beets of all varieties will keep for 3-5 months when stored at 32F and 90-100% humidity.
Brussels sprouts: Diablo and Nautic have good cold tolerance and can be left in the field to harvest after frost. Once cut, they should be stored at 32F and 90-100% humidity.
Cabbage: Storage No. 4 will keep until spring from a late fall harvest if held at 32F and 90-100% humidity.
Carrot: Bolero is the best variety for harvesting in late fall and will hold for up to six months at 32F and 90-100% humidity.
Kohlrabi: Kossak will keep for 2-3 months at 32F and 90-100% humidity.
Leeks: Tadorna is very cold tolerant and can be stored in the field into winter. Once harvested, store at 32F and 90-100% humidity.
Onion varieties that are classified as Hard Storage onions will keep up to six months when stored at 32F and 65-70% humidity.
Potatoes: will keep up to five months when stored at 40-50F and 90% humidity.
Pumpkins: Jarrahdale, Long Island Cheese, Musque de Provence, and Baby Bear are all renowned for long storage as well as great eating qualities. They will keep up to 5 months at 50-60F and 50-70% humidity.
Rutabaga: Helenor and American Purple Top will keep for 4-6 months at 32F and 90-100% humidity.
Turnip: Purple Top White Globe will keep 4-5 months at 32F and 90-100% humidity.
Winter Squash: Queensland Blue and Waltham Butternut are the best keepers, but all winter squash can be stored for a month or longer. The ideal conditions are 50-55F and 50-70% humidity.
Tips for Successful Winter Growing
With the inexpensive protection of acaterpillar tunnel or Quick
Hoops™ low tunnel, many crops can be harvested throughout
the winter. Initial crop selection is critical. The best crops for
winter harvest include hardy greens such as arugula, mache, mustard, and spinach; and root crops such as beets, carrots, leeks, and radishes. Within those categories, look for varieties with special cold tolerance, denoted with the snowflake symbol.
One of the keys to winter harvest is to plant early enough that the crops have a chance to get close to maturity before the short days of winter arrive. When day length drops below 10 hours, the plants won't be actively growing but, if you have chosen cold-tolerant varieties, they will be able to withstand freezing and thawing so that you can harvest them all winter.
The second key to successful winter growing is to plant sufficient volume to carry you through the cold season. Regrowth is very slow during winter, so assume you'll get only one harvest from a plant during the coldest months.
When planning which crops to grow under protective structures, envision how you will harvest during the winter. Root crops, which you need to harvest with a digging fork, are best grown in a high tunnel so you can stand upright while harvesting. An inner low tunnel of row cover on hoops prevents the ground from freezing most of the winter -- a huge benefit when harvesting root crops. Leafy crops also do well under row cover in a high tunnel, but if that space is at a premium, they can be grown under a low tunnel of metal hoops bent with Johnny's Quick Hoops™ Bender and covered with Agribon AG-30 or AG-70 for maximum frost protection. Whereas in summer you might bury the edges of row cover to keep insects out, in winter you want to be able to gain access to the crops. Use sandbags or rocks to hold the row cover down. For added protection, pound stakes on both sides of the tunnel and lace twine across the top of the tunnel to the other side, going back and forth the entire length. Not only does the twine keep the row cover on the hoops during windy weather, it also allows you to push the row cover up out of the way when harvesting.
For a complete guide to building your own caterpillar high tunnel, please see our manual, which includes many good ideas about how to modify it seasonally.
Visit our "Managing Quick Hoops™" web page for more information on using low tunnels.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Polar Bear Pumpkin Earns Blue Ribbon at Fair
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| Sienna's Polar Bear a winner at Fair |
Sienna, who is home-schooled, helps with the family vegetable garden as part of her science curriculum. Her spring semester science project was to grow a Polar Bear pumpkin, a striking, white-skinned, Johnny’s-bred variety.
Sienna said she started the Polar Bear seed at the end of April in the family's greenhouse and transplanted it to the garden at the beginning of June. She fertilized with organic goat manure and put down Johnny's 's BioTelo black mulch to suppress weeds and warm the soil.
As the plant grew and developed fruit, Sienna pulled all but one pumpkin off the vines to help concentrate the growth to the one remaining fruit. It worked as the pumpkin grew to 65 lbs. It looked so nice, that the Mazones decided to enter it in the pumpkin growing contest at the Common Ground Country Fair Exhibition Hall. There, it won first prize and the Judges award.
Johnny’s hosted a nearby vendor booth and product demonstration area at the fair. Some employees noticed the pumpkin on display and were so impressed with its size, beautiful white skin, and uniformity, they asked if Johnny's could show off Siena’s prize-winning pumpkin at agricultural trade shows this winter. Sienna has given the pumpkin to Johnny’s in exchange for photos of the pumpkin and a tour of the Johnny’s Trial Farm in Albion. She will also receive a box of some 40 varieties of seeds for her garden next summer, including, of course, more Polar Bear Pumpkin seeds!
Look for the pumpkin as it tours northern New England this fall and winter with Johnny's Commercial Sales Rep. Christina Hillier.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Customer photos: A visit to Johnny's Research Farm
Have you ever wanted to know more about Johnny's Research Farm farm or warehouse?
View some photos taken by a customer from Detroit on a recent tour and read about his visit.
View some photos taken by a customer from Detroit on a recent tour and read about his visit.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Photos: Common Ground Country Fair
Here are a few photos from last weekend's Common Ground Country Fair.
This year's fair, the 35th edition, attracted 59,000 people over three days. Johnny's, as usual, had a strong presence. We were one of 600 Maine businesses or farms to participate in the fair. Our display area included a tent for customers to enter contests and chat with Johnny's employees and gardening experts; a tool demonstration area; several garden plots; 2 caterpillar tunnels; and a harvest display of many of our pumpkins, gourds and winter squash.
Read article about the Fair in the Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine). The fair is held annually at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association's fairgrounds in Unity, Maine.
This year's fair, the 35th edition, attracted 59,000 people over three days. Johnny's, as usual, had a strong presence. We were one of 600 Maine businesses or farms to participate in the fair. Our display area included a tent for customers to enter contests and chat with Johnny's employees and gardening experts; a tool demonstration area; several garden plots; 2 caterpillar tunnels; and a harvest display of many of our pumpkins, gourds and winter squash.
Read article about the Fair in the Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine). The fair is held annually at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association's fairgrounds in Unity, Maine.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Johnny Appleseed's Birthday
Today is the birth date of John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed. Chapman, who was born in Leominster, Mass. in 1774, became famous for planting apple orchards wherever he traveled, hence the nickname.
Why is that significant to Johnny's?
Johnny Apple Seeds was the original name of the company when it was launched as a start-up in 1973 by Rob Johnston Jr., our current Chairman of the Board.
However, shortly after he published Johnny's first catalog, Johnston was informed that another company already owned the trademark rights to the name. At that point, Johnston decided to change the name of the company to its current title -- Johnny's Selected Seeds.
Johnny Apple Seeds was the original name of the company when it was launched as a start-up in 1973 by Rob Johnston Jr., our current Chairman of the Board.
However, shortly after he published Johnny's first catalog, Johnston was informed that another company already owned the trademark rights to the name. At that point, Johnston decided to change the name of the company to its current title -- Johnny's Selected Seeds.
Tech tip: Optimize Winter Squash Flavor
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| Winter squash market display |
Acorns (and the red squashes- Sunshine and Red Kuri) are delicious right from the field, but only last a maximum of 3 months.
Spaghetti Squash is ready to eat when picked and will keep up to 3 months.
Delicata and Sweet Dumplings can be enjoyed immediately after harvest, and store for 4 months.
Buttercups are sweeter after a few weeks of storage, and will keep up to 4 months.
Kabochas get sweeter with a few weeks of storage. The green ones will keep 4-5 months and Confection will keep up to 6 months.
Butternuts and Hubbards are better after a few weeks in storage and will keep to 6 months.
Whether you've grown for your own consumption or for market or CSA sales, the general rule of thumb for best flavor and storage is to consume the smallest squashes first.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
What's New at the Farm? Harvest Begins in Earnest; Field Improvements
What’s New at the Farm?
Well for starters, there is plenty going on at the farm right now. The harvest is well under way with a full plate of tomato seed productions being harvested, processed, and stored in our climate controlled room until we have time to finish the seed cleaning process. We have 33 different tomato varieties to harvest this year, and each one can be picked twice, so that’s a potential 66 harvests in the next four to five weeks. Do the math and that’s up to three harvests per day, each day for five weeks. In theory. Some tomatoes will only get to be picked once. It depends on whether or not all the fruit ripen at the same time. Sometimes we’ll pick a crop twice to get the maximum amount of seed from the crop. This is usually for indeterminates as determinates usually ripen all at once
Besides tomato picking there are still weeds to pull. Many weed species don’t germinate and grow much now, but Galinsoga is the one big exception. It is also known as “quick weed” and needs no dormancy period between maturity of the original plant and germination of the new plant. Galinsoga will thrive right up until a good killing frost. Then it’s done, except in spots that are “protected” from frosts. Then it can continue to thrive until it’s killed.
The big news on the farm is field improvements to one of our fields. Drain tile is being installed to drain the water from the field in the early spring so we can use this ground. Here’s a shot from last week:
Perforated plastic pipe is buried two and a half to three feet deep and covered with fine gravel. This allows the ground water to drain away in the spring so we can get on the fields sooner. Each lateral line feeds into a header line, which dumps the excess water into a ditch at the end of the field. One problem with this field in particular is water; too much in the spring and not enough during the summer and early fall growing seasons. The drain tile will cure the spring water issue and we’re digging a pond to eliminate the summer irrigation issues. Here’s a photo of the work:
This pond should hold a minimum of five million gallons of water. This will cover our needs for now and anything we want to do in subsequent years. This picture was taken on the 20th of September; the pond should be completely finished and the ground seeded down by the 1st of October.
Until next week, enjoy the harvest.
Brian
Well for starters, there is plenty going on at the farm right now. The harvest is well under way with a full plate of tomato seed productions being harvested, processed, and stored in our climate controlled room until we have time to finish the seed cleaning process. We have 33 different tomato varieties to harvest this year, and each one can be picked twice, so that’s a potential 66 harvests in the next four to five weeks. Do the math and that’s up to three harvests per day, each day for five weeks. In theory. Some tomatoes will only get to be picked once. It depends on whether or not all the fruit ripen at the same time. Sometimes we’ll pick a crop twice to get the maximum amount of seed from the crop. This is usually for indeterminates as determinates usually ripen all at once
Besides tomato picking there are still weeds to pull. Many weed species don’t germinate and grow much now, but Galinsoga is the one big exception. It is also known as “quick weed” and needs no dormancy period between maturity of the original plant and germination of the new plant. Galinsoga will thrive right up until a good killing frost. Then it’s done, except in spots that are “protected” from frosts. Then it can continue to thrive until it’s killed.
The big news on the farm is field improvements to one of our fields. Drain tile is being installed to drain the water from the field in the early spring so we can use this ground. Here’s a shot from last week:
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| Drainage improvement |
Perforated plastic pipe is buried two and a half to three feet deep and covered with fine gravel. This allows the ground water to drain away in the spring so we can get on the fields sooner. Each lateral line feeds into a header line, which dumps the excess water into a ditch at the end of the field. One problem with this field in particular is water; too much in the spring and not enough during the summer and early fall growing seasons. The drain tile will cure the spring water issue and we’re digging a pond to eliminate the summer irrigation issues. Here’s a photo of the work:
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| New irrigation pond |
Until next week, enjoy the harvest.
Brian
Jordan’s Garden Annual Fall Pumpkin Festival
I had the privilege of attending the Annual Pumpkin Festival hosted by Jordan’s Garden in Machias, Maine. Owner Wayne Lobley provides over one hundred youngsters and their families with pumpkin seeds (from Johnny's, of course!) and instructions for the Pumpkin Growing Contest in late spring. Everyone comes together in September to showcase their efforts and celebrate the season.
This year’s activities included pumpkin games, hay rides, scarecrow making, pumpkin painting, pie eating contest, official chicken races, craft vendors, and homemade donuts and treats from the Towne Fryer, and much, much, more. Wayne, family, staff, and friends estimate they had over 300 people through their doors on Saturday. It was an absolutely beautiful day and fun for all.
Pumpkin judges this season were Sheriff Donnie Smith, Master Gardener Irene Fitzgerald, and me. We had several large pumpkins this year weighing in at 24 to 30 lbs. Awards and prizes were handed out for winners in the Largest, Smallest, and Best Decorated categories. The judges also added a category this year for Best Overall Pumpkin.
If you live in the greater Machias area, stop in and visit Jordan’s Garden. Don’t forget to get your pumpkin seeds! I’ll see you next September.
- Joy Frost, Inside Sales Rep
This year’s activities included pumpkin games, hay rides, scarecrow making, pumpkin painting, pie eating contest, official chicken races, craft vendors, and homemade donuts and treats from the Towne Fryer, and much, much, more. Wayne, family, staff, and friends estimate they had over 300 people through their doors on Saturday. It was an absolutely beautiful day and fun for all.
Pumpkin judges this season were Sheriff Donnie Smith, Master Gardener Irene Fitzgerald, and me. We had several large pumpkins this year weighing in at 24 to 30 lbs. Awards and prizes were handed out for winners in the Largest, Smallest, and Best Decorated categories. The judges also added a category this year for Best Overall Pumpkin.
If you live in the greater Machias area, stop in and visit Jordan’s Garden. Don’t forget to get your pumpkin seeds! I’ll see you next September.
- Joy Frost, Inside Sales Rep
Friday, September 16, 2011
Some Cool Fresh Produce Tips: Frost Tolerance and Cold Storage
If you're growing in the north, it's getting to be the time of year to think about frost.
Here in Maine, weather forecasters are issuing frost warnings for this weekend in some parts of the state.
Here's a frost tolerance guide from the National Gardening Bureau -- Frost Tolerance of Vegetables.
While we're on the subject of chilly temperatures, here are some guidelines to storing fresh produce if you're still harvesting or just getting started. This handy chart is provided by One Drop Farm in Cornville, Maine.
Here in Maine, weather forecasters are issuing frost warnings for this weekend in some parts of the state.
Here's a frost tolerance guide from the National Gardening Bureau -- Frost Tolerance of Vegetables.
While we're on the subject of chilly temperatures, here are some guidelines to storing fresh produce if you're still harvesting or just getting started. This handy chart is provided by One Drop Farm in Cornville, Maine.
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