JSS Advantage Newsletter -- February 2012: Take Your Growing Mobile, AgSquared

Innovative Software and Tools to Help You Grow

Here at Johnny's, we are always pleased to offer new resources to our customers. This month, we have two exciting new programs to tell you about. We hope that you'll find one or both of them to be a benefit as you plan for the season ahead.

Take Your Growing Mobile with Moveable Caterpillar Tunnels

High tunnels are without a doubt one of the most beneficial capital improvements a vegetable farmer can make. But a commercial-grade high tunnel is expensive. You may be able to get grant from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service to pay much of the cost of a high tunnel, and if you're interested in pursuing that option, you can read more about the program below.
But there are other ways to get many of the benefits of a high tunnel without building a commercial structure. A recent innovation is the moveable caterpillar tunnel, an inexpensive, temporary structure you can build yourself. Johnny's has developed a pipe bender that will create the correct shape hoops from locally available pipe. We have also produced a comprehensive manual about how to build a moveable tunnel, available free for you to download. Most of the materials you need can be purchased from local home improvement stores, and Johnny's can supply specialty parts including connectors, pipe track wheels, and greenhouse poly.
A moveable tunnel can be built on a track long enough to accommodate two, three, or even more positions. It gives you tremendous flexibility in scheduling crops that require a protected environment. You can start cool-weather crops extra early in the tunnel. When the weather moderates enough for them to grow outside, you can move the tunnel to the next position and plant warm-weather crops that will get a head start in the warmth of the tunnel. When summer arrives, you can move the tunnel again and cover it with shade cloth to extend the season for lettuce and other vegetables that dont like the heat. In fall, as the weather cools, you can move the tunnel back over heat-loving crops to get a few more weeks of production from them. Meanwhile, you can plant fall crops outside and when cold weather threatens, move the tunnel over them to keep them going into winter.
If one moveable tunnel can extend the season for so many crops, consider what you can accomplish with several moveable tunnels. In his book, Winter Harvest Handbook, Eliot Coleman describes his complicated crop rotations using multiple moveable tunnels.
Moveable caterpillar tunnels can be an important component of a season extension program that includes greenhouses, stationary high tunnels, low tunnels and row cover. Here are some additional resources to help you extend your season:

• Managing Quick Hoops™
• Quick Hoops™ Low Tunnel Bender Manual
• Quick Hoops™ High Tunnel Bender Manual
• All about protected cropping
• Growing flowers in the hoophouse
• Hoophouse strawberries

Get a Free trial of AgSquared Crop-planning Software

AgSquared is a new, web-based software program designed specifically for small farmers. It offers a suite of tools that will help you make your crop plans and follow through on them throughout the season. With support from Johnny's, AgSquared is offering a free three-month trial of the software, which will be available by subscription the rest of this year for $4 per month.
The primary benefit of the program is that it allows you to make comprehensive crop plans for each variety you will be growing this season. You can schedule seeding and transplanting dates, assign the crop to a specific field or bed, plan for management tasks such as pruning and spraying, and project harvest dates (done automatically when you enter days to maturity for the variety). As you enter details for each crop, the program collects the data and creates a calendar of tasks and events. You can consult the calendar weekly, monthly, or seasonally to keep a clear idea of the work that needs to be done. In addition, you can amend your plans as needed and keep track of actual harvest dates. The information you record this season will help you make better plans next season.
Many people at Johnny's have tested the program over the past several months. We think the existing crop-planning features will be helpful for many of our customers, and we believe that as the software continues to develop, it will provide a valuable tool for overall farm management. Additional features planned for the next year include inventory tracking, staff management, and cost accounting, which will be available for an additional fee.
We encourage you to sign up for the free trial, explore the programs features, and let AgSquared know what additional features would make it even more helpful.
When youre ready to give AgSquared a test drive, we recommend that you start with the video demo of its features.

Save Money with an NRCS High Tunnel Grant

The Natural Resource Conservation Service has extended its Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative to all 50 states this year. In the first two years of the program, the agency funded 4,430 high tunnels nationwide. It will pay 50-90% of the cost of installing a high tunnel up to 2,178 square feet. Producers can choose to build larger tunnels, but will have to cover the extra cost themselves. The tunnels cannot have any electrical, heating, or mechanical ventilation systems.
NRCS uses rating periods, in which all applications received by the deadline are rated and funded immediately if they meet a standard. Deadlines for 2012 are Feb. 3, March 30, and June 1.
For more information, visit the Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative website. To apply, visit your local USDA Service Center.

Johnny's "Pistou" Fares Well in Writer's Mini Basil Trial

Pistou, our smallest basil, topped Green Globe in a head-to-head trial conducted by Helen Chesnut, a gardening columnist for the Victoria (British Columbia) Colonist.

Read story "February Brings First Hint of Spring" here.

Pistou Basil

Pistou is a Greek variety that does well in small pots. Leaves are small -- only about 1/2" in size. However, don't let its lack of size fool you; Pistou has a good strong flavor.

Helen also writes about Costata Romanesco, one of our top zucchinis. An heirloom, Costata Romanesco is a favorite Italian variety with great, nutty taste and a distinctive appearance. Costata is also a prolific producer of male buds and blossoms, which are excellent for cooking.

Costata Romanesco

Photos: Winter Greenery from Albion, Maine

It's still the dead of winter here in Maine, but you would never know it by taking a peek inside the greenhouse at Johnny's Research Farm. Photo slideshow below:

Photos from the PASA Conference

February 1st through the 4th our Maine-based Pennsylvania Territory Sales Rep, Amber Flint, headed to the 2012 Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) Farming for the Future Conference in State College, PA. There were over 100 workshops offered and numerous speakers too.

Below are a few photos taken at the conference:

Welcome to the conference

The conference sponsors on display

A look at the PASA logo

The conference's silent auction

What's New at the Farm? How to Choose the Correct Cover Crop

Trivia Question: Name this Cover Crop. (Answer Below)

This week I thought I'd spend some time on figuring out how to pick a cover crop or cover crops for your garden. I'm going to use my garden as an example. My garden is 75 feet wide and 150 feet long; about a quarter of an acre. It's a clay soil with poor drainage so I can't get it tilled early in the season. It was a pasture for many years after the landowner plowed it and decided it was too difficult to put into a good forage crop.  I don't think much ever grew there, at least not that I remember, other than cherry and pine trees and some goldenrod.  The soil was poor, to say the least, when I bought it.

When growing cover crops at home there are some things to consider before planting takes place.   Hopefully after you read this, you'll be better equipped to determine the best cover crop to use for your garden. There are many factors to take into consideration when choosing a cover crop:

• Purpose : Why do I want to plant a cover crop? Is it for soil protection only? Is it to add organic matter and smother weeds? Will I have animals grazing it? Or bees and beneficials pasturing? Is it to add nitrogen and bring minerals up from deep within the soil layers? Is it to rot sod, break compaction or improve drainage?
• Lifespan:  Annual, biennial or perennial? How long do we want the cover crop growing here? Is this a crop we want to protect the soil until next spring, or do we want to enrich the soil for an entire year or more before using it again? Should I seed a legume for nitrogen production?
• Seeding:  How much do I need to purchase and how am I going to seed this? Is it easily broadcast or should I be looking at something uniform in seed size?  With a mix will the different seed types spread together or will the mixed seed spread differently causing strips in the garden?  Should I seed one crop and then seed another one or can I mix them and seed at the same time? What's the most effective way to cover the seed with soil? Should I use a mix, and if so, what?
• Time span to seed: Spring, summer or fall? Will I have time to seed it so it will perform its best? Can I get on the ground early enough to get a good stand established before I get too busy with other planting projects.
• Maintenance:  What kind of maintenance will it need and how best to do it? Will it need mowing during its growing cycle? Can I let it do its own thing and do nothing between planting and incorporation? Will it out compete weeds, or will they present a problem later in the season? Will weeds grow in the canopy  out of sight and undisturbed for the season?
• Fertility requirements: Does this crop demand anything to insure a good stand? Like all garden crops you want to make sure you provide everything the cover crops needs to best suit the end result. You're taking a plot of land out of production for a period of time, so why not do everything to insure that time and money isn't wasted.
• Soil type:  The type of soil you have can determine the type of cover crop seed you use. For example, if you have packed clay you'll want to use a crop that sends out deep roots to break up and aerate the soil layers. Wet, clay soil is typically later than well-drained soil to prepare in the spring, so if you have an overwintering crop think about how much growth it's going to have the following spring while you're waiting to get into the garden. Will there be so much rampant growth to make incorporation a challenge? Well-drained, early soil means you can get a crop in early while the ground is still cool; a perfect time for clovers to become established.   
• Incorporation: How much crop residue will I have to turn under and what's the best way to do it? Can I mow it with a lawn mower (you'd be surprised what you can mow with a lawn mower), then turn it under with the equipment I have? A cover crop that adds a lot of organic matter, well, guess where the OM comes from  the plants parts that get tilled into the soil. Winter rye if not caught in time becomes a tall, rank and unruly mess and gets harder to kill and incorporate the longer it gets to grow. It can become a challenge even for us with all kinds of equipment at our disposal.

There are many, many things one should consider before buying cover crop seed. The many varieties we offer should cover the wide range of soil types, uses and ease of incorporation for most gardeners and farmers.  A simple checklist can be made to determine the best choice for a cover crop. Now, let's see.

My Garden:

• Size: 75' X 150'
• Square foot area:  11,250'
• Area for crops: 2,500'              
• Area to Cover crop:  8,750' (0.20 acres)
• Crop Year: 2012
• Purpose: Smother weeds and recycle nutrients, add organic matter and prevent erosion
• Lifespan: I plan on this ground being out of crop production for 1 year, so an annual will be fine. My garden spot is clay so I can't get in early to prepare the soil.
• Time to seed: I'd like to clean out my henhouses prior to seeding a cover crop so I'm thinking I should be done by the first of May.
• Fertility requirements: With the manure I apply each year, I'll need a crop that will use the nutrients supplied without adding anything. 
• Maintenance: I really don't want to have to do much after I plant it. Maybe mow it once if needed.
• Crop decision: Based on all these questions I have decided to plant Sudangrass (answer to trivia question above).

Here's why:
Sudangrass needs warm soil temps to germinate and grow; mid-May is when to plant and I'll have the manure applied and the ground tilled by then. Sudan grass will grow in fertile ground like my garden and very little if anything including weeds will grow in the understory.  Mowing  I can bush hog it in August when I do the annual bush hogging of my fields. It will winterkill so I needn't be concerned about regrowth next spring and I can till it under when I do my once a year rototilling. Sudangrass will protect the soil during the winter with its dead stalks and leaves, and hold the soil with its root systems.  It will provide shelter for small animals and birds during the winter, and hold some snow so we'll have ample moisture next spring.

How much seed to purchase: The suggested rate per acre is 30-40 pounds per acre. So let's say at 40 pounds per acre, and my garden spot to cover is 0.20 acres, the amount of seed I need is 8 pounds.  Planting a little thicker won't hurt but it will help shade out weeds better and it looks like I'll need 10 pounds of seed.  I'll get it sooner than later to make sure I have it when I'm ready to plant.

Figuring out which cover crop to plant takes some time and thought, but with minimal investment it will pay dividends by breaking disease cycles, adding organic matter and recycling nutrients.  I could go on and on about cover crops but I've rambled enough for today.

As always, any questions leave a comment below and I'll try to answer it and if I can't, I'll get you an answer.

Until next week, Brian

What's New at the Farm? Passionate About Cover Crops

Clover growing under a canopy
of corn as the author suggests

One of my passions in farming is the use of cover crops. Both here at Johnny's farm and in my own garden I use cover cops to protect and enrich the soil. I'm much more devoted to planting and maintaining cover crops here on the farm than I am at home. Here we have all the right equipment to prepare the soils, plant, mow and incorporate crops as we see fit. At home I'm sorely lacking the array of equipment I have at my disposal here so while things are a little different there, the goals remain the same; cover crops are important, regardless of the size of the plot of soil, to protect and enrich the soil.

Cover crops in the garden function much the same as in a farmer's fields; they hold the soil, bring up nutrients from deep within the ground, and add organic matter and, in some, cases nitrogen to feed subsequent crops. Cover crops for the home garden – that's my topic today.

My garden at home is 75 by 150 feet. -- about a quarter acre. The soil is clay on top of ledge. For many years it was a hayfield; poorly maintained and hardly any fertilizer or organic matter was ever applied. When I bought the field, I picked out this garden spot as it was the only relatively flat area in the three acres. I immediately started adding lots of organic matter by way of leaves and manure from my chicken pens. My neighbor came down and moldboard plowed it for me the first year to bury the soil amendments and the sod. I seeded my plot down to oats.

Why oats? Oats will grow almost anywhere and at nearly any time of year. I needed a crop that would shade out the weeds and the sod, add organic matter and be relatively maintenance free.

Because of the large amounts of nitrogen from the chicken manure I felt I didn't have to add a legume for nitrogen production. Legumes make their own nitrogen (N); they don't need it or particularly like a lot of N. Oats will take up many nutrients including N and are very good at recycling them. I had planted the oats in August, so I left them intact for the winter. The following spring, as the oats had died, I had them tilled under along with another liberal dose of chicken manure. That second year I planted some vegetables in my garden. 
Routine additions of organic matter benefits the garden immensely. Adding compost is great, but on a garden of size it can easily turn into a large expense and a lot of work. There are many demands on my time and the thought of spending so much time and money applying compost every year, well, you get the picture.

I think the ideal situation is to cover crop half of the plot one year and rotate my garden the next.

Growing cover crops not only protects the soil but much of that organic matter I'm talking about can be had through the use and growing of cover crops. It's much easier, and a lot cheaper, to grow  organic  matter than buy and bring it in. Of course the crops that add the most organic matter will also have the most "materials" to incorporate back in to the soils and many of these would be difficult in the home garden setting.

Getting a cover crop in before planting my garden is pretty much impossible. The season is short enough as it is, so I'd rather get the soil drying out and the planting in early than try to push the time envelop to get a crop in and turned under before I plant another crop. In some instances, like planting fall crops, it is possible but it takes some management to make this happen and be worthwhile. In my garden, where I'll plant late crops, I'll do some weed control on these plots instead of trying to get a cover crop in prior to an edible crop. As the crops mature and are turned back into the soil, I spend the time needed to get some cover crop or organic matter addition done before fall starts.

Crops easy to turn under with a limited selection of tools:

• Buckwheat -- Till in at most any stage, buckwheat will die and wilt rapidly on a warm, summer day. Not the best for adding lots of organic matter, but easy to grow and incorporate, and several crops can be grown in one season. Excellent for "smothering" weeds.
• Annual Alfalfa -- If you indeed do need nitrogen, annual alfalfa winterkills and is easy to turn under in the spring.
• Oilseed radish –- If planted midsummer, it will grow large roots during the cool fall months. During winter the plants will die and the roots will rot, so tilling them under in the spring will be relatively easy.

The most important things to remember with cover crops in the home garden:

• Protect the soil before winter or when not in use for any large block of time.
• Plant a crop that is easy to maintain and will till in easily when you want to.
• Think about rotating part of your plot out each year to help break disease and pest cycles, and to add organic matter.
• Interplanting is a great way to get two crops in the space one takes.

So, back to my garden. In the second year I planted sweet corn in one corner, and around the fourth of July underseeded it with Crimson Clover. The clover grew well in the understory of the corn, and once I mowed the corn stalks, grew rapidly the rest of the season. And last year I fallowed the garden to kill off some of the harder to control weeds that have gained a foothold. And this year I plan on planting about half the space and planting a cover crop on the other half. And so it goes.

Until next week, Brian

Product spotlight: Jang Precision Seeders

Jang Seeders

Jang JP1 Clearn Seeder

Jang TD1 Precision Seeder

Jang Seeders are precision seeders that can be used for seeds of every type. The Jang JP1 Clean Seeder precisely singulates very small to medium-size raw seed and pelleted seed. Spacing is optimized, seeds are saved, and labor is reduced. The JP1 is extremely versatile with a multitude of quick-change rollers available for many different seed sizes and spacings. One MJ-12 seed roller included. Please allow 5-7 business days for delivery.

The Jang TD1 Precision Seeder is designed for larger seeds such as peas, corn, beans, and even flat seeds like pumpkins. A flat seed plate set at an angle rotates at the bottom of a large 7.3 qt. (7 liter) transparent seed hopper, and precisely meters larger seeds. Double disc furrow opener. Six sprockets (included) may be arranged to regulate seed spacing from 2" to 42". One seed plate included; specify when ordering. Please allow 5-7 business days for delivery.

Product spotlight: Pelleted Basil Seed

Pelleted Basil Seeds

Basil is usually directed seeded, and utilizing pelleted seed is a great time and money saver. Whether by machine or hand, sowing is more accurate. This, in turn, reduces the need for thinning as well as making weeding easier. We are pleased to offer two types as pelleted seed.

Genovese

Nufar

Genovese, the classic variety used for pesto, is available as nonorganic pelleted seeds. It also is available as raw organic and raw nonorganic seeds. Genovese is tall, with smooth green leaves about 3" long. It's slow to bolt, so a good choice for multiple cuttings over a long season.

Nufar is an Italian large-leaf type with fusarium resistance. The leaves can grow to up to 4" long, and it can be used for field, greenhouse, and hydroponic growing. Nufar is available as raw organic seed or as nonorganic pelleted seed.

Photos: Visit to Jericho Settlers Farm in Vermont

Last week, a couple of Johnny's employee owners visited Jericho Settlers Farm in Jericho Center, VT (near Burlington). The farm is a year-round diversified CSA operation.

Watch slideshow below for photos from the visit.

Read more about the trip in the Tool Dude's blog.

Product spotlight: Peppers

Peppers

Johnny's is renowned for its wide selection of peppers, from the sweetest big bell peppers to the hottest little Habaneros. Johnny's research farm crew loves to grow peppers, and we have bred a few new varieties ourselves. This month we want to focus on three peppers from three different cuisines around the world:

Padron

Padron peppers are small pimentos, named for the town in Spain where they originated. There's a saying in Spain: "Os pementos de Padron, uns pican e outros non," which translates as "Padron peppers, some are hot and some are not." In fact, about 1 in 20 Padron peppers is hot and the rest are mild, which makes for an interesting eating experience. They are traditionally tossed with olive oil, pan charred, dusted with coarse salt, and served as tapas (appetizers). To eat them, grab one by the stem and bite off the fruit, being prepared for the possibility of mild heat. Padrons should be picked quite small, 1-1 1/2" long for best flavor. If they get 2-3" long, most will be hot.

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Mellow Star

A very similar pepper, served the very same way, is popular in Japan. Mellow Star is a Shishito pepper that is three times as big as the Padron and has no heat. It is served as an appetizer, pan charred and salted. It is also popular in tempura and stir fries. In Japan, the peppers are eaten green, but they also can be left to mature to a sweet red.

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Red Rocket

Red Rocket is an organic cayenne pepper with considerable heat. Only 85 days to bright red maturity, these slim, thin-walled chiles are perfect for stringing into ristras. They dry quickly and can be sold for many months. Red Rocket ristras are both decorative and useful in the kitchen the tender flesh of the dried fruits softens up when cooked.

JSS Advantage Newsletter -- January 2012: Peppers, Pelleted Seed

Choose Peppers to Support Local, Ethnic, and Regional Markets

Expand your market by growing a wide selection of peppers. Hot and sweet peppers are used in cuisines around the world so the more types of peppers you offer customers, the more likely you are to find buyers. Think of all the cuisines that use peppers: Mexican, Southwestern, Cajun, Indian, Thai, Italian, Ethiopian...the list goes on and on. By growing a diversity of peppers, you are likely to attract a diverse customer base.
Johnny’s has more than three dozen varieties of peppers, so you can choose specialties that meet the demands of your customers. You can cater to specific ethnic groups that may have trouble finding their favorite peppers in supermarkets. You can encourage customers to try new peppers by providing recipes and preparation suggestions.
Peppers have a long and illustrious history. Native to Central and South America, they were in cultivation by the Aztecs when the Spanish explorers arrived. The Spanish, who were hoping to find a new source of expensive black pepper, realized that the local hot peppers would be a good substitute, so they brought them back to Spain. By the first half of the 16th century, they had spread to Italy, France, and Germany and within a few more decades to India and the Balkans. The English re-introduced them to America.
Most of the peppers in commerce today are of the species Capsicum annuum. They are broadly divided into sweet and hot peppers — though there may be the occasional crossover. With the Spanish heirloom Padron, for example, one out of 20 fruits will be hot, the rest mild. Sweet peppers include bell peppers, pimentos, cone-shaped frying peppers, and long, lobed Shishito types. Weather can often produce unexpected heat or mildness in some peppers, with hot weather generally leading to hotter peppers. Another important pepper species is Capsicum chinense, with Habanero being the best-known variety.
Hot peppers, known as chile peppers, are categorized by their capsaicin content — their heat. They are ranked on the Scoville Heat Unit scale, on which a bell pepper has 0 Scoville Heat Units, a Numex Joe E. Parker has 4,500, a Serrano 25,000 and a Habanero 150,000-200,000. The hottest pepper known is the Bhut Jolokia, a C. chinense pepper from India that scores 1 million Scoville Heat Units.

Shop for Peppers by Heat Scale

Mild

Warm

Medium

Hot

Very Hot

Sweet and hot peppers are grown the same way. They should be sown inside or in a greenhouse 8 to 10 weeks before you plan to set them out. Heat lovers from the start, they require a soil temperature of 80-90°F/27-32°C to ensure fast germination. After the seeds germinate, they should be transplanted into 2” cells or pots so that they can develop strong root systems before planting. The ideal seedling for planting outside has buds but no open flowers.
Peppers should not be transplanted outside until the soil and weather have warmed. In cooler climates, they do best on plastic mulch covered with row cover on hoops until the weather gets hot. Plants should be watered in with a high-phosphorous solution.
The first peppers should be picked as soon as they reach full size to encourage further fruit set. After that, fruits can be left to ripen to their mature colors of red, yellow, or orange. Peppers are packed with antioxidants and vitamins, and they are very low in calories.
Whether your customers like their peppers hot or sweet, nearly everyone buys peppers.

Pelleted Seeds for Accurate Sowing, Reduced Thinning

The popularity of pelleted seeds continues to grow among market farmers and serious gardeners, and Johnny’s now offers 80 varieties that are available pelleted. Pelleting is a process in which small or irregularly shaped seeds are coated with an inert material to make them round and uniform. The benefits of pelleting are numerous:
Pelleted seeds can be planted with a mechanical seeder. The uniformity of shape and additional weight of the pellet make it possible to plant even tiny seeds directly to the field using a seeder.
Pelleted seeds can be spaced regularly, either with a seeder or by hand. Even spacing prevents the need for thinning later on. The development of pelleted seeds is often attributed to California outlawing the use of short-handled hoes on vegetable farms, which were widely used to thin and weed but caused worker injuries. When plants are evenly spaced, workers can use long-handled hoes.
With root and bulb crops such as onions, carrots and parsnips, even spacing results in straighter, more uniform roots because each plant has the same amount of soil in which to grow. The occurrence of small or deformed roots is much less common from pelleted seeds.
Pelleted seeds are often used for growing plugs. The pellets allow for easy use of a hand-held seeder and precise placement of one seed per plug.
Some seeds, particularly lettuce, are primed before pelleting, which begins the metabolic process leading to germination. Because some of the early steps toward germination are completed before the seed is planted, germination happens more quickly.
Germination times can be 50% faster with primed seed. When seeds germinate quickly, they may avoid potential problems including soil crusting, weeds, and soilborne diseases. On the down side, primed seed doesn’t have the same storage life as unprimed seeds, so we recommend that you purchase only enough for the current season.

You can find pelleted varieties of these vegetables and herbs: Basil, Carrots, Celery, Lettuce, Onions, Parsnips.

Among flowers, pelleted varieties include Celosia, Coleus, Dianthus, Digitalis, Lisianthus, Petunia.

Photos: NOFA NY Winter Conference 2012

Recently, a couple of Johnny's Maine-based Territory Sales Reps attended the NOFA NY Winter Conference. Johnny's "Tool Dude" Adam Lemieux also attended and gave a presentation on season extension.

Check out a few photos from the conference:

The Johnny's booth set up at the beginning of day 1 at the conference

Johnny's own Adam Lemieux bending pipe during his presentation on season extension 

What's New at the Farm? New Fields for 2012 and Stone Walls

As we head into the last days of January, I wonder what the rest of winter will hold for us. Although it’s been relatively mild so far, we could still get nailed with cold temps and heavy snows. Actually we could use some snow to finish filling up our irrigation ponds. Our pond here at the farm is full but our new pond has quite a ways to go. It’s got about five feet of water in it but I’d like to see 10 before we start using it next summer. We’ll see.

2011 is all but wrapped up now and planning for 2012 starts now. Actually it’s already started as we think about where we’re going to plant our crops this year. We’ve added 25 acres to our land base and will get that into production sooner than later. One field we’re going to start using is what we call the “Movie Palace” field. What’s a Movie Palace? Back in the 1970s and ‘80s there was a small store across the road from this field that you could rent videos from. It was called the Movie Palace; that was the only thing around there at that time so that’s how the field got its name. We’ve tried to call it other names but we always come back to the same name. Guess it’ll stick.

The soil at this field is mostly sandy loam. We put drain tile in it last summer to help dry it out in the spring, and dug an irrigation pond to water our crops there in the summer. We’ll also use the pond water to protect the crops from frost next fall if needed. After using a small part of this field for several years, it’ll be cool to see it in crops like it should be. The rows in this field could be around 1,200 feet, but will probably be closer to 900 -- a long row to hoe, ha, ha.

Another field we picked up is a 15-acre field on route 9 in Albion. It’s about a mile from the Big, New Field and we’re wondering what we should call this one? Perhaps “The Really Big, New field” We’ll probably just call it the Hammond Field as that’s who owns it -- the Hammond brothers. It was last plowed in the early 1960s and seeded down with a grass mixture, which has been hayed ever since. Before that there were several years of dry beans on it, so even though it’s been a while, it has been used for row crops. When I asked the local farmer, who seeded it down, if there were any rocks on it, he replied “no more than any other field around”.  It stands to reason that had it been really stony soil they wouldn’t have used it for row crops.

A good way to tell if a field has any rocks in it, how big they are, and how many is to look at the stone walls surrounding it. If the stone walls are large with lots of large rocks in them, well, guess where those rocks came from. If, like this field, the stone walls are small and eventually peter out, chances are there aren’t a lot of rocks there. There are a couple of “islands” of rocks on one side of this field; I assume this is where there were some large, unmovable rocks so they dumped more rocks around them instead of carrying them all the way to the edge of the field. Over time, trees grew up and they became islands enabling wildlife to hide in the middle of a large field.

This new field has about 12 acres that I intend to plow. It has an ever so slight west, southwest slope to it. It should be excellent field for many of our crops. It does not have access to water however, but most of our fields don’t. As the field is square, I think I’ll leave a driveway up through the center and around the perimeter and plow the rest. This year it will get a liberal dose of compost plowed under and seeded to buckwheat to help rot the sod down.  I may plant some squash just to see how they do. I’ll have pictures once the weather warms up some; it looks pretty bleak out there now.

And speaking of stone walls, I have always found it interesting to find stone walls out in the middle of the woods. What a tale they could tell! Last month, under the pretext of bird hunting, I was out tramping around in the woods next to where our farmhouse was when I was growing up. The house and barn are gone now, but the memories remain. Where we played as kids certainly has changed over the years. The farm pond my father dug for water for his cows has been drained and has grown up in little trees. The apple trees next to the pond have been cleared and spruce and pine grow there now. The neighbor’s hen house is gone and his fields have all grown up in pine and other trees. Now, down in the woods, probably 300 feet from anything, is a stone wall that follows the edge of a ridge several hundred feet.

It’s not a big stone wall, not like some of the other ones around, but you can see it plainly. On the north end it peters out and on the south end it cumulates into a large, unorganized pile of rocks. I would guesstimate this was a small, maybe two- or three-acre, pie-shaped field. Like most stone walls at the back of a property lie telltale signs of a dump; old buckets and cans, some glass and broken pottery. Folks had their own dumps years ago and many of these dumps exist if you know where to look. My mother grew up on this farm in the 1920s and ‘30s and she remembers the dump I’m talking about, and also this was a field they used. Many of the trees growing there now are better than two feet on the stump. I think I’ll go back one of these days and poke around some more.

I was in an antique mall a while back and found an old photograph of Fort Knox in Bucksport, Maine. Actually it was the ferry next to the fort. And in the background there were no trees. I’ve read a quote somewhere that described sailing into Penobscot Bay and all the land was free of trees.  The old stone walls attest to the fact there was more cleared land at one time than now.  I’m sure as the fields became woods once again, lots of history got lost as well.  If not for these stone walls, one might think nothing had ever happened on this land. I wonder what mark we’ll leave on the land when we’re gone? Hopefully something good.

Until next week, Brian

Johnny's on the air: Northern Gardening Show

Last week, Johnny's enjoyed some air time, courtesy of WTIP 90.7 FM in Grand Marais, MN.

Dianne Booth, host of the station's "Northern Gardening" program, interviewed Paul Gallione of Johnny's research department during her hour-long, bi-weekly show. The discussion included  the challenges of growing produce in northern climates, Johnny's breeding program, and new varieties.

You can listen to a recording of the program on WTIP's website.

What's New at the Farm? Welcome to 2012!

One thing we can all talk about is the weather. 2011 certainly had some interesting weather patterns to contend with. Being farmers, we have to deal with the ever-changing weather conditions on a daily and, sometimes, hourly basis.  The weather during the 2011 growing season was no exception. We had a cool start, but a long and warm fall to finish up. Of course, no weather is perfect for everyone. We have to contend with the cards that we have been dealt.  As I write this, it's 18.1˚F in the shade. Last Monday my ducks were taking baths in the puddles in the driveway.

We've had ample rain this late fall and early winter, and now we could really use some cold temps. As we are focused on trying to keep warm, freezing or below freezing temperatures help us in several ways. Freezing kills many insects, so early season insect predation may be somewhat reduced. Notice I said "may be", not will be. Still, cold temps can reduce some numbers better than a year without frozen ground.

I'd like to say freezing temps kills ticks, but I can't find any information to back up that statement. Ticks go dormant in cold weather so you'll see fewer of them in the winter, but they may come out on sunny, warm days. I surfed a lot of sites regarding ticks and most of the recommended controls involve spraying insecticides. That's kind of like the shotgun approach -- spray all the areas and kill all the bugs and you'll kill the ticks too. Yep, here it comes -- my recommendation for organic and safe tick control --  Guinea fowl!  Can't have too many either. Our 35 guinea fowl make the yard safer by consuming all insects that they can find. Up to 90 percent of their diet in the warmer months is comprised of insects. They just take some getting used to.

Having the ground freeze before the snow helps curtail some mouse damage in fruit and ornamental trees. Next to the ground, the mice will make tunnels and go where they need to in order to feed. Without the ground being frozen, the snow melts away from the ground and creates a whole snow-free area they can move in. They spend less time digging tunnels and more time feeding. This information is from a local grower of fruiting trees, whom you can imagine has tremendous problems with mice girdling his trees. Nothing like nurturing fruits trees for several years to have them killed by mice eating their bark.
Now is a good time to think about insect control for the upcoming season. Last week I mentioned onion thrips. This week let's focus on another challenging insect the Striped Cucumber Beetle. Striped cucumber beetles overwinter in the woods and protected areas, and in some instances, garden residues. There's not much we can do to kill them before the next season. Last year we did an experiment with a seed production of winter squash and using/not using row covers. We transplanted a full acre of seedlings and covered half of the field with AG 19 floating row covers and left the other half uncovered.  This was a new field for us and had grains in it for many years previously. We assumed (never assume anything) that the cucumber beetle pressure would be light as no cucurbits had been grown here before.

Wrong! I think the cucumber beetle pressure was fairly high right off quick, and despite an aggressive spray program, the plants in the uncovered side of the field did poorly. The trade off in labor and row cover savings didn't compare to what we could have reaped had we used the row covers.  Lesson learned; won't do that again.

Many, many crops we plant here at the farm get row covers. We use them to exclude insects and to provide additional heat and protect from weather extremes.

Crops that are transplanted are covered immediately with row covers to exclude insects. The row covers also provide a protected environment so the seedlings can get a healthy start and be protected from wind, driving rains, and hail. Direct seeded crops like brassicas get row covers the day they are seeded so they get protection sooner than later.  If we cover them as soon as we plant them, we are less prone to forget to cover them, and have the seedlings attacked as soon as they come up.

One problem we encounter with row covers is the weeds growing underneath them.  Although some of our crops are passed by a hundred times a week by farm crew and research department members, you don't think about what you can't see. You can't see under the row covers so you don't see a weed problem brewing until the weeds are pushing the covers up. By then the crop may be lost or at the least compromised. If it looks like the wind is raising the covers, but there isn't any wind, you may have a weed problem. Solution: Put the installation date on the calendar and then reminders to look under the covers at 7, 10, and 14 days. Much easier to kill the weeds when they're small and not wait until the weeds are so big they have to be hand pulled.

I seem to be rambling. It goes to show that growing crops is never far out of my mind. How to grow crops better, controlling weeds and pests and taking better care of our lands are all subjects that are bouncing around in my head most of the time.  So, anyway, keep those suggestions rolling in about subjects you'd like to see covered here. I have some thoughts for upcoming articles including old stone walls, cover crops, weed control, and an array of other subjects pertaining to growing crops and preserving our soils for future generations.
Until next week, Brian

Vermonters Help Grower with New Barn

About one year ago, Pete Johnson, a longtime Johnny's customer, and proprietor of Pete's Greens in Craftsbury, VT, lost his barn, which housed thousands of dollars worth of farm equipment and vegetables, to fire. The structure was rebuilt with help from friends and neighbors. Last month, Pete celebrated his new barn with an open house. Vermont Governor Peter Schumlin, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), and Rep. Peter Welch (D) all attended.

Read article here about this event in the Country Folks magazine.

What's New at the Farm? A Look Back at 2011

2011 Retrospective

As the season comes to a close, we sit back and look at what worked and what didn't, and make plans for improvements for the upcoming season. Each year it seems that as one set of issues gets resolved, another set of challenges presents itself. With all the challenges facing farmers and growers everywhere, we are no different. Weather, equipment issues, pests, diseases, and insects all compete for our attention during the year, and we must attend to every detail to ensure we not only get a crop, but get the best crop we can with what we have.
So, looking at 2011, let's see what didn't work, or rather what could stand some improvement. 

• Weeds: Always a challenge, and 2011 was no exception! Stopping the spread of certain weed species from one field to another is always a challenge. I'm thinking Galinsoga here. Fifteen years ago there wasn't any Galinsoga here on the farm, nor at any of our isolation fields. Not so now. Now we have it widespread on the farm and creeping into some of our off-site fields. It needs no stratification or dormant period so as fast as it matures, it sprouts and sets seed again. It will literally become a life choking carpet if left unattended
  
  
• Our use of mulch hay for weed control: We've used mulch hay for weed control in our winter squash and pumpkin breeding projects for the past few years. While this is the best system we have employed to date, it has some drawbacks. Namely the large amount of hay we plow under each year, and the tying up of nitrogen by the breakdown of the hay. The tying up of nitrogen is evident in the crop following the cucurbits. The good part here is the weed control and the large additions of organic matter; the bad thing is subsequent crops tend to suffer. Crop rotation will help address this issue
  
  
• Insects: Here I'm thinking about the onion thrips. We transplanted all our onions this year and the thrips immediately attacked them. For direct-seeded onions, we'd start scouting for thrips around the first of July. For transplanted onions, scout a week after transplanting and continue throughout the season. Once thrips are spotted, it's time to do something about them. If we wait until we see their damage, well, it's too late.
  
  
• The weather: There's not much we can do about the weather except cope with it, and prepare for it. We use black plastic and IRT mulch on many of our crops and floating row covers on many of them as well. We'll predict what our plastic and row cover needs are and have all our supplies on hand well prior to the onset of warm weather.
  
  
• Our land base: Here's a big one. We always seem to have a shortage of good, tillable land. For 2012 we will add twenty five acres of good, fertile land to our land base. This will allow us to drop some of the poorer, non-productive fields and to actively participate in crop rotations and land improvements like we should be doing.
  
• Infrastructure improvements: More greenhouses, a seed processing area, new irrigation equipment, another midsized tractor, a new sprayer and fertilizer applicator lots of other things we will need as we continue to add land and crops.
  
• Four legged pests: Including but not limited to deer, woodchucks, porcupines, squirrels, and skunks; what to do with them. For several years we've trapped and relocated small critters but there are inherent problems with this: first of all you must move most critters at least 20 miles away or on the other side of a natural border, like a river, to prevent them from returning. Next there is the possibility of spreading diseases unnaturally. If they have diseases when you move them, you move the diseases with them. And finally, in many instances, you're not doing the animal any favors; you're taking them out away from their home and their familiar feeding grounds and outing them in a perhaps hostile area to fend for themselves.
  
• Disease prevention and control: Things we can do to minimize disease impact on our crops include crop rotation; cleaning and sanitizing greenhouses, planting flats, and crop aids, and fungicide application planning to assist us in the prevention and control of a myriad of diseases that attack our many crops. Better field planning will enable us to establish spray rows should we find ourselves in need of them.
  
• This article: What do you want to see here? What topics would you like me to write about and how much detail would you like? Please email me some topics you'd like to see covered here and I'll do what I can. After writing this column for so many years, I'm running out of ideas. I don't like to recycle articles, and prefer to start from scratch each time. Please email me at bmilliken@johnnyseeds.com with your suggestions.

I'm off next week, so there won't be a column. Hopefully you'll send some suggestions before I return; otherwise we'll talk about field planning for the upcoming growing season.

See you next year,
Brian

Photos: New England Vegetable Growers Conference

A few photos from the conference:

Johnny's Territory Sales Reps chat with attendees.

Paul Arnold, of Pleasant Valley Farm in upstate New York, talks about winter growing.

Ruth Hazzard of the UMass Extension Service talks potatoes.

Stone Barns Young Farmers Conference Highlighted on NPR's "All Things Considered"

Johnny's has been a major supporter of the Young Farmers Conference for the past two years. The conference was held recently at the beautiful Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Tarrytown, NY.

Last week, National Public Radio aired a story about the conference on its "All Things Considered" program. You can hear a replay of the show on the NPR website.

In addition to supporting the conference financially, Johnny's participates in the demonstration seminars. This year, our Tools and Supplies Manager, Adam Lemieux, was on hand to talk about some of our innovative season extension tools and techniques.

Moveable Caterpillar Tunnel at Stone Barns

Adam set up a Moveable Caterpillar Tunnel on the grounds and demonstrated some of Johnny's Quick Hoops™ Benders. He wrote about the experience in his "Tool Dude" blog. It's an interesting read and includes photos from the conference.

New Online Catalog, Holiday Gift Ideas, and New Products

Johnny's Online Catalog

This week we launched our new interactive online version of the 2012 Johnny's Catalog. You can view it here: http://www.johnnyseedsonlinecatalog.com/WebProject.asp?CodeId=7.4.3.3&bookcode=jon10#

Cover and Instructions

Page Flipping Technology

The online Johnny's Catalog is just like the paper copy, but with lots of digital bells and whistles. In addition to having the option to shop and check out on the web, the online catalog includes:

• Links to extra product photos that wouldn't fit in the print edition
• How-to Videos
• Zoom-in technology for magnified views of images and text.

There are even electronic sticky notes, which allow you to keep track of your favorite pages and products, minus the paper and mess.

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New Holiday Gift Ideas

We have plenty of gardening gifts for all the growers on your list. Whether you're shopping for a beginner gardener, kitchen gardener, or a gardening book lover, check out our Gift Ideas page for some great ideas. If you can't make up your mind, we have gift certificates available in denominations of $10, $25, $50, $75, and $100

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New for 2012 Products

NEW: Jester Acorn Squash

Speaking of new, we've also added more than 150 new products for the 2012 season, including more than 40 new organic varieties. Check them out here -- New for 2012.

Product spotlight: Eggplants, Fuseables™, Moveable Caterpillar Tunnel Bender

December 2011

Eggplants

Eggplants are one the most attractive vegetables, available in a number of sizes, shapes, colors and combinations of color. They also are indispensable to many cuisines, which means they attract a diverse crowd of customers. Every culture has its favorites, so it pays to grow several different varieties. We have 19 to choose from. Here are two of our beauties:

Traviata

Traviata (F1) (OG) is the traditional Italian-style eggplant with dark glossy purple skin and the classic bell shape that makes it perfect for slicing. Fruits should be picked when they are about 3" x 6" for best flavor. A high-yielding hybrid, available as organic seed. 70 days to maturity.

Dancer

Dancer (F1) is a glowing dark pink color with a green calyx. This type is extremely popular in Puerto Rico. The flesh is mild and non-bitter. Fruits should be picked when they are about 3" x 8". 65 days to maturity.

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Fuseables™

The biggest trend in floriculture in the past few years has been the pre-designed container. Plugs of several compatible varieties are planted together in a single pot for a showy profusion of flowers. Fuseables™ have taken this concept to the next level as a seed-grown program. Each pellet contains 2-3 seeds of different varieties chosen for compatibility in germination, growth, and appearance. Create stunning hanging baskets, patio containers, or window boxes. Johnny's is now offering three options, all of which include the bright green shade that is so popular in container design:

Blueberry Lime Jame

Blueberry Lime Jam is a gorgeous combination of deep blue and lime green petunias that are uniform in size and bloom time.

Key Lime Parfait

Key Lime Parfait combines lime green, red, and white petunias with long bloom times and spreading habits.

Under the Sun

Under the Sun is a mix of two sun-tolerant coleus varieties. Versa Crimson Gold has deep, bright red petals outlined in gold and Versa Lime is chartreuse to pale green. Both thrive in bright sunlight as well as shade and can spread up to 24" wide.

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Moveable Caterpillar Tunnel Bender

Moveable Caterpillar Tunnel Bender

Growing in high tunnels has proven to be immensely profitable for many growers, and Johnny's is pleased to offer low-cost options that every grower can afford. With our Quick Hoops™ benders, you can buy locally available materials to build a high tunnel.
Our latest offering in the Quick Hoops™ product line is the Moveable Caterpillar Tunnel Bender. The bender produces 12' hoops from chain link fence top rail, which are then braced to create a rigid half-pipe frame that rides on a pipe track. The moveable structure in effect gives you twice the protected space.

Finished Tunnel

Pests and Disease: Storage Diseases of Onions

Storage Diseases of Onions

With this year’s growing season done, many of us are storing root crops, bulbs, and everything in between. There’s a lot to be said about pulling an onion out of storage to add flavor to those warm inviting winter comfort foods such as seafood chowder, or the stuffing for the long-anticipated Thanksgiving meal - especially if you spent all summer watching them grow. On the other hand, it’s more than disappointing to pull an onion out of storage and have the neck slough off in your hands. Botrytis Neck Rot is a common disease found in bulbs, particularly in onions post-harvest. It is caused by B. allii, and is the culprit of slimy necks of onions. As for rotten bottoms, that is caused by Fusarium Basal Rot or Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cepae.

Botrytis Neck Rot

Fusarium Basal Rot

Life Cycle

Both Botrytis Neck Rot and Fusarium Basal Rot are caused by fungi that reside in soil or plant debris. Botrytis Neck Rot primarily occurs on bulbs in storage and infection is most often initiated at bulb harvest. Mechanical wounds provide entry to conidia on neck tissue. As the disease progresses, neck tissue looks water-soaked, and a yellow discoloration of the neck begins and moves down towards the scales. Soon after that, bulbs break down into a soft, wet mass. After a gray mold develops in between scales, black bodies or sclerotia form around the neck.

Fusarium Basal Rot shows itself as a red-brown rot where the roots of onion bulbs were attached to the basal plate. This rot and discoloration is apparent all around the base and up to the scales. When you cut the onion open, the affected tissue is brown and watery. A white moldy growth is associated with Fusarium Basal Rot, and can be found on the stem plate or diseased scales.

Controls

To prevent post-harvest losses and to ensure more produce that is marketable and edible, proper harvesting, curing, and storage is important. Harvest onions in cool, dry weather after the tops have been allowed to mature fully. At least half of the leaves should be brown. Letting the bulbs dry in the field for 6-10 days can help as well. Do not store onions that have any green growth on them. Botrytis Neck Rot can move through green tissue into the bulb. When harvesting, do your best to minimize bruising or other mechanical damage. Bulbs should be stored in well-ventilated areas that can be kept at 32°F/0°C with humidity below 75%.

Resources

UMass Amherst Vegetable Program
http://extension.umass.edu/vegetable/articles/post-harvest-and-storage-disease-onions-and-garlic.
Shika Agblor and Doug Waterer, Department of Plant Sciences,
University of Saskatchewan
http://www.usask.ca/agriculture/plantsci/vegetable/resources/factsheet/postharvonions.pdf.

Onion Disease Photos courtesy of Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Article by Sonya Reynolds, Greenhouse Coordinator, Johnny’s Selected Seeds

Photos: Early December at Johnny's Research Farm

It's early December, which in Maine usually means frozen ground, ice, sleet, and snow. We've had a couple of surprisingly powerful snowstorms this fall. The first storm hit two days before Halloween; the second arrived the day before Thanksgiving. Both dumped several inches of wet snow in central Maine, but warm temperatures quickly followed, and it melted before we could wax our skis. Otherwise we've enjoyed a rather mild autumn. In fact, a few crops -- leeks, lettuce, and kale -- at Johnny's Research Farm are still in the ground and appear to be quite happy. Watch the photo slideshow from a recent trip to the farm.

JSS Advantage Newsletter -- December 2011: Tomato Production

Diversify Your Tomato Production

Tomatoes are a top crop for most fresh market farmers, so we at Johnny's are happy to introduce new products that will help you grow more tomatoes, over a longer season, for greater profits. This month, we offer some new varieties, supplies, and suggestions that will help you diversify your offerings at market next summer.
Being early, late, or off-season is one good way to diversify your tomato production. Another way is to offer tomatoes in volume to chefs, artisanal processors, and home canners. By the time most local field tomatoes hit their peak, prices have dropped considerably from early in the season. But that's when it's easiest to produce a lot of tomatoes if you planted disease-resistant, high-yielding varieties.

New Greenhouse Tomato Rebelski (aka DRW 7749) Offers Disease Resistance Package, Same Great Taste as Field-Grown Fruit

For an earlier start to the tomato season, try Rebelski (a.k.a. DRW 7749), the best greenhouse tomato we have found for the fresh market. These beautiful, slightly ribbed red slicers have the great flavor and texture of field-grown tomatoes, yet they can be produced in a hoophouse or greenhouse.
They also have an excellent disease package to keep them productive over a long period. They are resistant to Tobacco Mosaic Virus, Leaf Molds A-E, Fusarium Wilt (Races 1 & 2), Fusarium Crown and Root Rot, Powdery Mildew, and Verticillium Wilt.
Firm enough to withstand handling, yet as attractive as a delicate heirloom, they offer growers an exciting new opportunity to be the first to market with flavorful tomatoes that command a good price.

Kick Your Sauce Up a Notch with These Great Plum Tomatoes

This year, Johnny's exclusively offers two great plum tomatoes. Granadero is an Organic hybrid plum tomato that produces very high yields of uniform, delicious 4-5 oz. tomatoes for sauces, salsas, and salads.
Granadero, an indeterminate variety, has resistance to nematodes and intermediate resistance to TSWV, as well as low susceptibility to blossom end rot so the plants remain productive even under heavy disease pressure.
Paisano, a new hybrid paste tomato, has the shape of the ever-popular San Marzano. The fruits have thick walls, high solids, and good flavor for canning and sauce.
Paisano is a determinate, so its fruit set is concentrated around mid-season, producing a large volume of tomatoes to offer to home canners.

Tomato Grafting and Trellising Supplies

To keep your plants healthy over the longest possible season, you might also consider growing grafted tomatoes.
Growing grafted tomatoes is not as difficult as it might first appear. Utilizing disease-resistant rootstock helps to start your plants off right and keep them healthy all season long. This year we have added Colosus, an extremely vigorous and disease-resistant rootstock, to our lineup. We also have all the supplies, information, and even how-to videos to make your tomato grafting a success.
Johnny's also has the supplies you need for trellising tomatoes. At our research farm, we use a system of posts with #9 wire strung between them to hold the sisal twine that supports each plant. You can see photos of our trellising system here.
We also have tomato trellis clips, tape tools, and disease control products.

Complement Your Tomatoes with Eggplants, Herbs

Another way to diversify your production is to offer products that are compatible with tomatoes, even though they may not be as high volume. Then you can cross-market the two, and increase the value of each sale. A prime example is eggplant, which is often paired with tomatoes in recipes. Eggplant is so strikingly beautiful that it pulls customers in to your stand to admire its sleek good looks. Johnny's has eggplants in every shape and color, including a few that your customers may not even recognize as eggplants. In addition to the familiar shiny, dark purple cylindrical fruits, you can grow eggplants that are light green, egg-shaped, lavender, and striped. You probably won't sell eggplant in the same quantities as tomatoes, but if you have them available, customers are likely to buy them from you while buying tomatoes.
Many herbs are also natural companions for tomatoes and eggplants, and it's particularly helpful to have fresh herbs at the end of the season to sell along with canning tomatoes. Here are essential herbs for tomato and eggplant dishes:
Genovese Basil, Oregano, Giant of Italy Parsley, Rosemary, Summer Thyme, and Sweet Marjoram.
Most of these are transplant crops that need to be started fairly early (especially the hoophouse tomatoes), so now is the time to start planning for next summer's success.

Johnny's events calendar - December, 2011

Download printable .pdf version of this calendar.