Protect Your Investment, Increase Yields with Mulch and Row Covers

Black Plastic Mulch is layed down prior to planting heat-loving crops like peppers and tomatoes.

Agribon Row Cover being applied over Quick Hoops™ Low Tunnels.

There are many uses for mulch and row covers this time of year when you're getting ready to plant. Mulch and row covers are economical and easy to use. You can sometimes get more than one season out of them if you're careful when you put them away in the fall.

Start with laying down some mulch. It will help suppress weeds, retain moisture, warm or cool the soil (depending on material and color), and repel insects.

Combining mulch with row covers will really optimize your growing conditions. Row covers help capture warmth and protect young plants from damaging winds and light frosts. Row covers are also the most effective and least toxic form of insect control that we know of.

Here are a few tips on using row covers from Paul Gallione, Johnny's Technical Services Technician, which were recently published in the "Away To Garden" blog.

Visit our website to shop for Mulch and Row Covers.

Product spotlight: Winter Squash and Pumpkins

Winter squash and Pumpkins

Jester

Tom Fox

Bliss

Jester (#3836) is a new winter squash bred by Johnny's. It's the same size as Carnival, and just as ornamental, but the eating quality is better. Ivory fruits with green stripes are oval, tapered at both ends, and have small to average ribs. Average weight is 1 lb. 95 days to maturity. Stores about 60 days.

Tom Fox (#599G) is named after the New Hampshire farmer who developed this pumpkin. Fruits are deep orange, thick-walled and, at 10-16 lb., heavy for their size. It has long, strong dark green handles, making it a good choice for U-Pick, roadside, or farmer's market sales. 110 days to maturity. Organic seed.

Bliss (#692) is an Asian hybrid with edible, dark yellow flesh. In a Johnny's farm crew pumpkin pie contest, this one won the blue ribbon for flavor. Fruits are 10-15 lb., flattened, ribbed, and a mottled dark green color. 125 days to maturity.

What's New at the Farm? Photos of High Tunnel Cover Installation

It's such a nice spring day; let's do some work on the high tunnel. It needs a new poly covering so here goes.

This is how it looks first thing this morning:

The sun is out and the wind isn't blowing so it should be a perfect day to put poly on.  We start by first unrolling the first layer of plastic, tie ropes to the corners and start pulling the plastic over. The tunnel gets two layers of plastic and we inflate in-between them with air for insulating purposes.  Here's the first layer being pulled over:

And here's another shot:

Soon the first layer is over:

The second layer goes on directly after the first layer; about the same time as the wind decides to start blowing:

As soon as the plastic is fastened down we're ready for the final touches and then it looks like a poly tunnel should:

Here's a shot of our number one greenhouse, all set up for the start of planting season, complete with brand new rolling benches:

Planting season will be upon us shortly and we're ready.

In the meantime there's lots of farm activities to keep us busy. We're still ordering supplies, field planning and, with the spring like weather, hope to get out into the fields shortly. It would be great to get busy in the fields before the blackflies come out, but it will be even better  to get a couple of fields of plastic pulled now. We didn't get a chance to pull all the fields last year. If I had my druthers, I would wait until spring to pull many of the fields. It's a much better job in the spring when it's warm and sunny and you've been cooped up all winter than in the fall when it's cold and wet conditions and you've spent two months harvesting to go out and pull plastic out of the frozen mud.

Little signs of spring continue to show up; I saw the first dandelions in bloom yesterday. The spring migrations must be fairly complete now as I've seen many species back. The tree swallows are staking out their bird houses and performing their courtship dances. Lots of grass along the roads and on the lawn and patches of Coltsfoot in bloom here and there. Ducks and geese seem to be everywhere and I've heard woodcock in the evenings lately. The bass in the pond are cruising the shallows scoping out places to build nests, I imagine.

We could use some rain; it's a bit dry for this time of year. There doesn't seem to be anything forecast in the next few days. It's dry enough to work some of the fields but a little rain would definitely push things along.

Until next week, enjoy the spring.
Brian

Product spotlight: Ornamental Corn

Ornamental Corn

Red Beauty

Strubbes Orange

Jerry Petersen Blue

Dry corn is grown just like sweet corn so you don't want to rush it into cold soil in spring. It will, however, take much longer to mature than sweet corn, so you don't want to wait too long. Dry corn can be used as a fall ornamental, for popping, or grinding into flour or cornmeal. Here are some interesting new varieties:

Red Beauty (#2533G) is an organic red popcorn that retains its hull color after popping. Ears are 6-7" long. 120 days to maturity.

Jerry Petersen Blue (#2535G) can be ground for blue flour. Ears are 7-8" long. 105 days to maturity. Organic seed.

Strubbes Orange (#2534G) is great for grinding to make an orange cornmeal. Ears are 7-8" long and may have some yellow and red kernels. Also good for flour. 100 days to maturity. Organic seed.

See all dry and ornamental corn varieties.

Product Reviews Contest Winner Announced

Diane Wilkinson of Fullerton, CA, was selected as the winner of Johnny's Product Review contest for a $50 coupon. Diane, a Johnny's customer for about 30 years, submitted her product review on #2989 Socrates cucumber.

JSS Advantage Newsletter -- April 2012: Pumpkins, Winter Squash, Ornamentals for Fall Harvests

Autumn can be a profitable season for local growers, but it requires a lot of planning far in advance to get a good crop mix in sufficient volume. Many of the best fall crops -- think pumpkins, gourds, and winter squash -- take more than 100 days to mature. That means spring is the time to analyze potential markets, schedule plantings, and order seeds. In this issue of the JSS Advantage, we'll suggest crops that will keep you selling at least until Thanksgiving.

Edible Ornamentals: A Big Trend for Fresh Market Growers

Bliss

It used to be that you couldn't sell a pumpkin after October 31 because virtually all consumer interest focused on Halloween. That certainly has been changing in recent years, thanks to pumpkin varieties that are great for cooking and decorating. Chefs and other foodies have embraced pumpkins as a delicious winter ingredient. Magazine editors feature recipes for pumpkin soups, stews, roasts, and seeds. Even some beer drinkers are pumpkin fans, thanks to the many microbreweries that make a special autumn ale with fresh or roasted pumpkin puree.
So if you do grow pumpkins, think outside the Halloween box. Grow several kinds of pumpkins and be prepared to promote them with recipes, nutrition information, and decorating ideas.

Pumpkins are basically divided into three categories: Jack-o'-Lanterns, pie, and specialty/ornamental. There's lots of crossover among the categories, though; many varieties in all three categories are great for eating, and all pumpkins are good looking enough to be used as ornamentals.
In choosing Jack-o'-Lantern varieties, consider your markets first. What size do your customers want? If you sell at a farmers market, they may not want big pumpkins because of the difficulty of transporting them to their cars. If you have a roadside stand, bigger may be better because they are more visible from the road. If you have a U-Pick and cater to school groups, you need small pumpkins (under 10 lb.) so children can carry them. If you offer painted pumpkins, you may prefer smooth-skinned, rather than ribbed, pumpkins. If you hope to wholesale pumpkins, consult with your prospective buyers early to learn their preferences.

Johnny's Jack-o'-Lantern Lineup

Jack-o'-Lantern Lineup

Johnny's comparative table of Jack-o'-Lantern varieties spells out these important differences and more to help you choose the best varieties for your markets.
Specialty pumpkins offer opportunities to sell beyond Halloween. Johnny's selection includes pumpkins of many hues, shapes, and characteristics. Offer several types to encourage multiple purchases. Show some hollowed out and used as containers for Thanksgiving table arrangements. Cut open the most preferred varieties for eating to show their bright flesh. Johnny's specialty pumpkin comparative table will help you sort through the many colorful options.
As for pie pumpkins, they will sell themselves if you provide exciting recipes. A stuffed pumpkin makes a spectacular side dish or vegetarian alternative to turkey at Thanksgiving. Black bean and pumpkin stew is great served with cornbread or in tortillas. Creamy pumpkin soup is an easy and elegant addition to an autumn meal. And don't forget the roasted pumpkin seed recipes! Johnny's has two varieties that have either hulless (Kakai) or semi-hulless (Baby Bear) seeds for the best pepitas. Download small/pie pumpkin comparison chart for more information on these varieties.
The comparative charts also are helpful in calculating how much to plant. Pumpkins vary widely in their yield and space requirements; Jack-o'-Lanterns need anywhere from 18 to 36 sq.ft. per plant and average yield can be 1-3 fruits per plant. Some specialty pumpkins may produce only 2-3 fruits per plant whereas others may average 10.
If you are serious about growing pumpkins for market, we recommend the Pumpkin Production Guide, a thorough book about all aspects of the crop, including varieties, economics, insects and diseases, cultural requirements, and marketing.

Winter Squash is Becoming a Culinary Favorite

Jester

Winter squash are closely related to pumpkins (many are the same species, in fact) and are grown for their eating qualities. Their star is also rising in the culinary world, and people are getting familiar enough with them to have preferences. So it makes sense to grow several different kinds. They can be broadly divided into the acorns, delicatas, butternuts and buttercups, kabochas, and hubbards. All have sweet flesh that improves in flavor with a few weeks to a few months of storage.
Storage life of winter squash varies. In general, butternut and buttercup types last the longest when properly stored, up to 6 months. Hubbard and kabocha types will hold for 4 to 6 months. Delicata and dumpling squash will hold 3 to 5 months. Acorns have the shortest storage life, at about 2 months, so should be sold first.

Pair Pumpkins with Ornamentals to Increase your Average Sale

Speckled Swan

If you are going to be selling pumpkins, you can increase your average sale by offering other fall ornamentals. Gourds are a natural companion to pumpkins, offering autumnal colors and interesting shapes. They range from small-fruited gourds for a tabletop display to giant gourds that can sit on a porch with the pumpkins. Bottle and birdhouse gourds are also popular in fall, especially among crafters.
Consider drying flowers to sell in bunches or bouquets. If you grow cut flowers in summer, harvest some extras every week and hang them to dry in a hot barn or shed. By autumn, you'll have a great inventory of dried flowers. These flowers are useful as fresh flowers in summer and are super easy to dry by hanging upside down: amaranths, Bells of Ireland, bupleurum, celosia, carthamus, craspedia, eucalyptus, gomphrena, larkspur, nigella, salvia, statice, and strawflower.
Some grasses and grains can also be dried and saved for fall sales: ornamental corn, broom corn, eragrostis, rye, and wheat.
Sunflowers are eye-catching additions to a fall market display, and they are easy to schedule. They are frost-tender, though, so you will have to either grow them before frost or grow them in a hoophouse. The best varieties for fall blooms are day-length neutral: ProCut series, which take 50-60 days to bloom; the Sunrich series, 60-70 days; and Sunbright Supreme, 60-70 days.

Learn How to Support Your Local Farms with CSA's- and Motor Oil!

Find out how Johnny's customer Peacemeal Farm joined forces with Maine's rapidly growing Community Supported Agriculture community. Today, more than 160 farms are a part of the CSA community in Maine and together they sell more than 6,500 shares to consumers.

Read this entire article on CSA's, "Supporting Local Farms Starts in Early Spring," in the Bangor Daily News.


Wishing Stone Farm in Little Compton, RI is recycling used oil to help grow its vegetables.

“We’ve spent a lot of money on a used-oil boiler that we’re heating a greenhouse with,” said Skip Paul, who owns the farm along with his wife, Liz Peckham. “If people bring us their used motor oil or used fryolator oil, we’re paying them back in tomatoes.”

Ms. Peckham said the special boiler accepts three different types of oil: drain oil, vegetable oil and No. 2 motor oil.  

Find out more at EastBayRI.com now.

What's New at the Farm? Fields Need Some TLC

Sometimes I sit here and thoughts flow so easily that writing this column isn’t a challenge. Today isn’t one of those days. Last week was 81°F and signs of spring were everywhere; today it’s 34°F and snowing and all the little signs we saw are hiding out of sight now. Now 81°F in March isn’t the norm but it was nice for a few days; getting rid of the snow banks, and seeing all the signs of spring after a long winter. It was definitely an odd winter, for sure.

As we get closer to spring, we are in the final stages of planning where all the different crops are going to be planted. While we added some more acreage this year, there are a couple of projects that need to happen before we start using some of this land. One field I rented consists of 12 acres that was last turned under in the 60’s. It was planted to dry beans back when there was a strong market for them. The next 45 years the field was hayfield, managed for grass production by several local dairy farmers.

To say the soil is run down is an understatement. The grass, what there is of it, seldom reaches more than a foot tall. Part of that is due to poor fertility. The other part is the fact the field hasn’t been seeded down in many years and annual blue grass is the predominate grass in the field now. Annual blue grass seldom grows very tall and isn’t good for a whole lot. We used to call it June grass because if you didn’t harvest it in June it would go by and be of no food value. Annual blue grass is a good indicator plant of poor soil in pastures.

Good, productive hay fields managed for grass production need to be reseeded every few years. The nature of harvesting the hay whilst the grass plant is trying to set seed defeats the natural reproduction of the grasses. Therefore, the preferred grasses eventually disappear and are replaced by grasses that don’t need care and attention in order to thrive.

Anyway, I plan on applying a liberal amount of compost and plowing the whole field down. After plowing, lime will be spread to increase the pH of the soil. Then we’ll seed it with buckwheat to help break down the sod. After one crop of buckwheat, we’ll seed oats and clover and maintain that for the rest of the growing season. This tillage will give us an idea of how many rocks are out there. Next spring we’ll start all over again.

The other field has had drain tile installed in it to help us get on it earlier in the season. Our planting plans for this field includes tomato and pepper seed productions, the pumpkin and gourd trials, and some extra crops to see how they do. A liberal application of compost, turned under, will help bring up the organic matter content of the soil. A limited amount of drip irrigation will be used if it becomes dry enough to warrant it. Next year we’ll put a more diversified selection of crops there.

I continue to look for land suitable for growing vegetables in central Maine. Many dairy farmers are using all the available land locally so finding suitable land becomes more of a challenge. People often call Johnny’s with land they would like to see in crops; I look at each plot carefully and have rented many parcels over the years. Many of the fields have changed hands since I first rented them, so only I know the reasoning behind their names. Jack’s field is now owned by Dave, the Higgins field isn’t owned by the Higgins’ anymore and the Hall field is now owned by the Westin’s. The big, new field is still the big, new field. The Movie Palace (store and pizza place) is long gone but the name of that field endures.

The days of large farm acreages going up for rent or sale are pretty much limited now. Many, many farms have been broken up into smaller parcels as interest in farming waned over the years. Houses have been built in many spots where there were pastures and fields before. Lots of acreage has been planted in trees or trees have grown in from the fence rows creating small patches of woods here and there. Good land is a finite resource; do what you can to preserve it.
Until next week, Brian

What's New at the Farm? Spring Arrives in Force

Is spring really here?

The 22nd of March and it's 81 degrees in the shade; and it's been warm all week! I've been out in the yard and around the farm in shirt sleeves. The birds are coming back in droves, grass is showing green in the fields and the Coltsfoot is staring to bloom.

Early or just seems it? Early, I think. Last year the Coltsfoot was blossoming in earnest on the 20th of April. Ice out on the farm pond was yesterday the 22nd tying with 2008 and 2006.

With this warmer than usual weather, there's a few things I need to do sooner than later. It's possible that the swallows will be back shortly and will want their bird houses cleaned out in prep for new nests this year. Here's a bird house down by the pond that has stood the test of time for at least 10 or 12 years:

Yes, it's leaning quite badly but the birds don't seem to mind. It's nothing special just a pine bird house I turned out in my workshop during some cold winter evenings. The front is hinged to access for easy cleaning:

There’s the remnants of last year’s nest. Once that is removed I’ll close the front door, tighten up some nails and it’ll be ready for another season. I may even straighten  up the cedar post it's on.
Here’s a design I started using about 5 years ago:

 

This one has a bottom door that swings open for cleaning. I saw the first swallow just a few minutes ago when I was out taking these pics.

In the barnyard Ziggy is taking center stage, much like his wild counterparts:

 

And a handsome boy he is! Lots of guinea hens in the picture as well. You know what I always say about guineas – you can’t have too many.

And back to the farm, here’s a few shots of the first signs of spring. Here is new growth on overwintering onions:

Here’s spinach that overwintered in a caterpillar tunnel:

And finally here’s a shot of the farm activity this time of year. The tractors and equipment is being readied for use in the background and the grass is greening daily:

Even though it feels like planting season it’s not. It is a good time to clean out the flower beds and get things ready for the planting season, for before you know it it will be upon us and we’d better be ready.

Until next week, Brian

Product spotlight: Grow Lettuce From Spring to Fall

Two Star

Vulcan

Green Forest

Lettuce is easy to grow year-round if you choose the right varieties for each season. In early spring and winter, when soil is cold and light levels are low, disease resistance is important. For summer and fall production, heat tolerance and resistance to tipburn are considerations. If you are growing head lettuce, the varieties you plant now should grow quickly enough to make full size heads before your weather gets hot. Here are our recommendations:

• Two Star (#451G) is an Organic green leaf lettuce with good tolerance to bolting and tipburn. Great flavor makes this the standard variety for green, full size heads. Also available pelleted. 51 days to maturity.
• Vulcan (#464) is a red leaf lettuce that offers earliness, color, size, and a crisp and mild flavor. Also available pelleted. 52 days to maturity.
• Green Forest (#2196) is our most attractive green romaine, and this one is moderately heat tolerant as well as resistant to sclerotinia and corky root. Also available pelleted. Best for spring and fall. 56 days to maturity.
• Nancy (#438G) is an Organic green butterhead/Boston type for spring and fall. The leaves are thick and crisp, so the head is sturdy and holds well. Good disease resistance. Also available pelleted. 52 days to maturity.
• Skyphos (#23) has the best heat tolerance and is one of the surest heading of all the red butterheads. Also available pelleted. 47 days to maturity.

Tools

Harvest and Seedling Cart

Our new Harvest and Seedling Cart (#7021) is a marvel of design for the market garden. This extremely light and maneuverable cart can carry up to 300 lbs. It accommodates seven seedling trays or five bulb crates or thirteen 5-gal. buckets.

The wheel base adjusts from 28" to 42" so it can straddle beds with 24" of clearance, and the handle is offset so you can push it from the path without straining your back.

Use it to transport plants, supplies, and harvested produce. An optional shade canopy (#7022) is also available. Made in Maine.

Video: The Beauty of Pollination

We wouldn't be much of a seed business were it not for all of the beneficial insects, birds, and mammals (yes, mammals) out there to take on the bulk of the pollination workload. Here's a great video we found on YouTube that takes pollination to an art form. Enjoy!

"The Beauty of Pollination"

The Beauty of Pollination

If you're interested in attracting some of these critters to your gardens, we offer some great flower mixes designed to do just that.

• Bee Feed Mix: Provides bees with forage throughout the growing season.
  
• Johnny's Butterfly and Hummingbird Mix: Attract butterflies and hummers to your garden.
  
• Beneficial Insect Attractant Mix: Attracts a wide array of insects that prey upon garden pests.

Further Resources

View all Johnny's seed varieties that Attract Beneficial Insects »

To learn more, visit our Grower's Library for articles on Attracting & Putting Beneficial Insects to Work »

What's New at the Farm? Spring Makes Early Appearance

This should be easy this week. It’s 64 degrees and sunny just outside my office window.

This is what the farm looked like on Monday this week.

Snow on the Retreat

The snowstorm we had 10 days ago is but a fleeting memory and perhaps now we can concentrate on spring. The pond is still covered with ice but if this weather continues it won’t be there for long.

Little signs of spring are around if you look for them. I saw a muskrat over the past weekend sitting on the edge of the ice. He was either eating some food or trimming his nails. I didn’t get close enough to tell. Little sprigs of green grass have sprung around the eastern end of the greenhouse and have already been picked by the geese. Eagles are everywhere now. I see them on my way to work in the morning. They are invading flooded streams and rivers, looking for winter-killed critters and ducks.
Some of the spring bulbs are pushing their way up now. I’ve seen some shoots pushing the mud and snow out of the way to reach the sunlight.

You have to admit, although it’s been a warm, strange winter, we’ll all be glad when it’s over. The fields look much like they did in November and I am anxious to see them plowed under. Plowing is one of my favorite jobs in the spring. Turning under all that surface residue from the past growing season and turning up fresh soil for the coming growing season – well, it’s just starting with a clean plate. And as I work down the field I watch as crop residue gets turned under to enrich the soil in the never ending nutrient cycling that happens year in year out.

While it’s tempting to get out on the ground now, with the warm temps, don’t rush it. I saw Monday this week, where a local farmer had attempted to spread manure and all he really accomplished was leaving some pretty nasty ruts in his hayfield. Too bad because it will be hard to erase these ruts without turning this into a bigger job than it needed to be.  Spring fever I guess.

Around the home place, the hens are laying furiously and the ducks, geese and turkeys are starting now as well. Here are a few additions to the home flock:

Baby Chicks, 10 days old

The guineas haven’t started laying yet, but I’ll be watching for them too, so I can get some incubating. And the peafowl too, I would expect them to start laying eggs once the weather warms up some more.  For now I’ll be happy setting another 41 chicken eggs in my incubator. 

While coming into work last weekend to check our greenhouse, I saw a young woman raking her lawn. Here’s one activity that can be done now without causing any damage to the ground. In fact it’s better early to get it done before the blackflies arrive. I guess I’m one of those odd people who like to rake. Raking up those dead leaves and sticks from the trees and getting the grass growing – that’s a sure sign of spring.  And working out in the sunshine on a 60 degree day in March – well, it doesn’t get much better than this.  And don’t forget the rake either: a steel leaf rake with a good wooden handle and a rubber grip; something I can out some pressure on to dig up the road sand and chunks of asphalt. 
At the farm, we’re wrapping up ordering supplies for the 2012 growing season. In the next few weeks we’ll start planting in the greenhouses and finalizing our plans for this season. Looks like a busy one again – fine by me. We’ve got lots of fields and crops to plant and take care of so it’ll be busy but an exciting kind of busy.

Until next week, I think I’ll go do some raking.
Brian

Product spotlight: Multi-Seeded Flower Pellets

New Fuseables™ Perfect for Mixed Containers

Blueberry Lime Jam

Key Lime Parfait

Under the Sun

Fuseables™ are a new product for growing uniform, compatible flowers for mixed containers. Two or three varieties are combined in a single pellet to ensure the proper color mix. Blueberry Lime Jam (#1755P) is a mix of purple and lime green petunias; Key Lime Parfait (#3848P) combines red, lime green, and white petunias; and Under the Sun (#1756P) includes Versa Crimson Gold and Versa Lime sun-tolerant coleus. The pellets are made only to hold the different varieties together and are not sturdy enough for mechanical seeding.
For summer sales, try these New Guinea Impatiens that grow well in partial sun. Divine Mix Improved (#1407) consists of eight long-blooming colors. The mix is perfect for window boxes, hanging baskets, and mixed containers. The orange is especially impressive, as it has bronze foliage that really stands out in the mix.

JSS Advantage Newsletter -- March 2012: Lettuce for All Markets and All Seasons

Lettuce for all markets and all seasons

Here are some facts about lettuce that may surprise you: It is the most valuable vegetable crop in the United States, with sales of $2.2 billion in 2010. (Fresh tomatoes were a distant second at $1.4 billion.) Lettuce alone accounts for 19% of all fresh vegetable sales in the U.S. Iceberg lettuce is still the dominant type, accounting for 53% of total lettuce sales, but its popularity has been dropping. Meanwhile other types of head lettuces and salad mixes have been steadily increasing in popularity.
Those statistics from USDA's Economic Research Service are derived from wholesale production of lettuce, 98% of which occurs in California and Arizona. Although they aren't directly relevant to local market farms, they do show the importance of lettuce to the American consumer: People want lettuce and they want it year-round.
If you have been treating lettuce as a minor crop, perhaps it's time to take another look at the possibilities for increasing production and profits. You may be able to extend your season, expand into new distribution channels, and increase market demand with new types of presentation.
Johnny's has the resources to help you take your lettuce offerings to the next level. We've taken the guesswork out of growing lettuce by identifying the best varieties for each type of product head lettuce, salad mix, and microgreens. We also have the tools you need to make lettuce production efficient and profitable.

Full Size and Mini Head

Markets for head lettuce are numerous. Farmers markets, CSAs, restaurants, and supermarkets are all potential buyers for head lettuce. Johnny's research team has devised a head lettuce planting program to help you choose appropriate varieties for each season. We have decades of experience trialing lettuce varieties to identify characteristics such as heat and cold tolerance, disease resistance, and growth rate. Taking those factors into consideration, we recommend specific varieties for growing in spring, summer, and fall. The lettuce program encompasses all types and colors of head lettuce so you can cater to specific markets and trends. We suggest the best varieties of each major type of head lettuce.
An emerging trend in lettuce sales are combination packs of mini head lettuces. They are often sold in supermarkets in clamshells and to restaurants in mixed boxes. Direct market customers also will be interested in these single serving heads. Johnny's offers mini head varieties that produce fully formed but compact heads. Most are ready for harvest in about 45 days, 10-12 days faster than full head lettuce. Claremont (green) and Breen OG (red) are mini head romaines; Dancine (green) and Australe (red) are mini butterheads; Bambi and Winter Density are green mini bibs; Rhazes is an organic red mini bibb; and Baby Oakleaf is an organic green mini oakleaf.

Pelleted seed

Many full size and mini head varieties are available as pelleted seed. Johnny's offers more than 30 varieties with NOP-compliant pelleting.

Baby Leaf

Salad mix continues to be an important crop for many growers, despite being ubiquitous in supermarkets now. There's still no way a bagged salad mix can compare with the vitality and flavor of just-harvested baby leaf mix. Johnny's offers varieties specifically recommended for fast production in dense plantings.
Many experienced growers prefer to create their own signature mixes of colors and textures. They plant individual lettuce varieties, adjusting planting schedules based on experience, to allow for uniform harvest. Separate plantings allow for custom blending to meet customer preferences as well as reducing the likelihood of a total crop failure if one variety is more susceptible to disease. Johnny's offers 16 organic varieties and 7 nonorganic varieties of lettuces recommended for baby leaf production.
For growers who want a simple approach to salad mix, Johnny's has four pre-mixed lettuce mixes that we have designed to provide beautiful blends of colors, shapes, and textures. Our Encore Lettuce Mix is an all-organic option; Five Star Greenhouse Mix consists of varieties with downy mildew resistance for indoor production; Allstar Gourmet Lettuce Mix is our custom blend of varieties chosen for the best color even in low light conditions; Wildfire Lettuce Mix has a high percentage of red lettuces.

Micro Greens

Micro greens, the seedlings of herbs, and vegetables, are a super-quick crop with year-round income potential. Johnny's has selected both fast growing (ready in 10-15 days) and slow growing (ready in 16-25 days) varieties in a wide range of colors, textures, and flavors to meet your needs. Many are certified-organic seeds. Choose individual varieties to make your own custom mix, or purchase a conveniently pre-mixed blend of seeds in either a Mild Micro Mix or Spicy Micro Mix.
Also harvested at a very young age, sprouts and shoots make a great addition to your mix. High seed and labor costs for micro greens demand that you get a good price for the finished product. We recommend you seek out markets, usually high-end restaurants, before you commit to micro greens in a big way.

Be Quick, Be Efficient; Increase your lettuce revenue with the right tools

Lettuce has a relatively short shelf life, so the key to profitability is to grow just what you can sell, to start seeds at appropriate times for transplant, and to schedule multiple successions. Johnny's precision seeders are tools designed for both greenhouse and field application. They range from the single-row Glaser seeder, which is suitable for lettuce head production if seeding in the field, to the Four-Row and Six-Row Seeders for making dense plantings of baby leaf lettuce both in the greenhouse or field. We have a wide selection of growing and planting tools and supplies. And check out our new harvest and seedling cart to get your flats of plants out to the field and your harvested lettuce back to the packing shed.
Harvesting salad mix is fast with Johnny's exclusive Greens Harvester, the manual version of a band saw harvester. A scalloped knife blade cleanly slices the leaves, and a cloth basket catches them. A single worker can harvest up to 100 lb. per hour. To complete the salad mix workflow, Johnny's offers three salad spinners for washing baby leaf lettuce.

Johnny's Donates 29-acre Benton Field to Maine Farmland Trust

Erica Buswell of Maine Farmland Trust signs a conservation easement document on Tuesday as Johnny’s Selected Seeds Founder and Chairman Rob Johnston, Jr. looks on at Johnny’s Research Farm in Albion, Maine. Also pictured from left to right in the back row: Brian Milliken, Johnny’s Farm Manager, William Bell, Maine Farmland Trust Board President, and John Piotti, Maine Farmland Trust Executive Director.

Johnny's recently donated a 29-acre agricultural conservation easement that is used for plant breeding and seed production to the Maine Farmland Trust.

The easement agreement was signed Feb. 28 at a “Farmland Forever” closing ceremony at Johnny’s Research Farm in Albion, ME. The land being protected is known as the Benton Field. With its southern exposure and rich soil, the Benton Field is ideal for growing vegetables.

“It’s one of our best,” said Johnny’s Founder and Chairman Rob Johnston, Jr.
"We believe in statutory farmland protection. Good land ought not be subject to non-farm development.”

Read story about the conservation easement in the Waterville Morning Sentinel.

What's New at the Farm? Greenhouse Photos

As the days are getting longer my thoughts turn to the impending spring season. Seems it was warm all winter but now winter is trying to make one last stand before it’s all over. The greenhouse is all green and warm; a great place to spend a cold, dreary winter day.

The greenhouse now has all the trellises installed; it’s a very busy looking landscape.

Before we know it we’ll be starting seedlings:

But for now, it's still winter.

It won’t soon look like this; it’ll be spring sooner than later. The birds will be returning and the snow and ice will be retreating. Soon the first dandelions will be blossoming against the south sides of buildings and we’ll wonder where winter went.

We’ll finish ordering the bulk of the supplies this week; the big stuff anyways.  We’ve ordered the row covers, plastic mulch, potting soils and fertilizers, the soil amendments and the planting flats. We’ve inventoried the other crop growing aids we’ll need and will order those shortly. We’ll do as much work as we can before the season gets under way.

I’m off next week. I will try to get a few things done before spring arrives. Although with the impending snowstorm, I may put a couple of things off a while. I do intend to put together a couple of raised beds; one for early greens and one for something else. And I’ve got some errands to do around town so will get those done.

Enjoy the snow; it won’t be here long.
Brian

Johnny's Attends the 2012 MOSES Organic Farming Conference

Last Thursday Johnny's Maine-based Territory Sales Rep, Ken Fine, headed to La Crosse, Wisconsin for the 23rd Annual Midwest Organic Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) Farming Conference.

This conference is the largest organic farming conference in the U.S, with over 65 informative workshops, 160 exhibitors, locally-sourced organic food, live entertainment and educational keynote speakers.

Ken spent three days at the conference connecting with Johnny's customers, talking about our New for 2012 products, demonstrating some of our smaller hand tools and was even interviewed by WEAU 13, the local TV news station in Western Wisconsin.

See photos from the MOSES conference below, along with a video recap of some of the participating exhibitors, posted on the MOSES website. To see additional videos, head to their website here.