We’ve been busy this week, seeding all of our spring crops and over 600′ of potatoes that will keep us in the spuds for the summer.
Potatoes, planted and mulched
We use extra hay from our fields to mulch the potatoes. It helps conserve water by hindering evaporation from the ground and at the end of the year it’s tilled into the soil, enriching it further.
Pepper Transplant
All of the tomatoes and peppers have been transplanted into bigger pots so they can grow strong and ready to be planted outside when the time is right.
Plants in the Greenhouse
These peppers, eggplant and tomatoes will produce delicious dishes for us all summer long.
We are perfectly on schedule and looking forward to a great season!
Spring is springing along and we’re past due for an update!
In the field, we’ve seeded lettuce, spinach, pac choi and tatsoi, and the rain last night will be sure to help them along. The potato beds are prepped and we will be planting in them this week.
In the greenhouse, I’ve transplanted all the tomatoes into bigger pots so they will be big and healthy when the weather warms up enough to plant them out. Peppers and eggplant are scheduled to be transplanted into bigger pots this week as well.
Don’t they look great? We are right on schedule for planting and everything is looking good!
In other farm news, ‘Bee Guy’ Dustin has been out to check on the hives and says the bees made it through the winter in good shape. It’s an early season for them and they are feasting on tree pollen right now. Don’t know about you, but I didn’t know bees gathered tree pollen, so there’s an interesting tidbit.
The chickens has been loving the early spring weather as well.
Enjoying the Sun
If you’ve never seen a sunbathing chicken before you might be thinking something’s wrong with this picture, but chickens know the best way to enjoy the sun is by stretching flat out to soak up as much as possible. It’s funny to watch them scattered across the yard fanning out their feathers in complete relaxation.
I hope you’re enjoying spring as much as they are!
We are now sold out of shares, Thank you so much for your interest in the 2012 season!
You may be wondering with the record shattering warmth this spring, will the season start weeks early? The short answer is probably not.
Yes, it’s true that we’ve been enjoying gorgeous sunny days in the 60′s and 70′s. The nights however are still dropping into the 30′s and 40′s which means that whatever we plant now will be slow to germinate and even slower to grow. It would be like trying to grow crops in a refrigerator, only taking them out for a few hours during the day-it doesn’t work very well.
Our experience has been that anything planted before the soil warms up and the nights stay in the 50′s at the coolest, is overtaken by crops planted when the conditions are right for it. So while it seems counterintuitive, we have to slow down to speed up.
We will very likely be planting earlier than usual, but the harvest will likely be on schedule for late June or early July.
We haven’t just been sitting around though! All of the seedlings are started under lights and are growing well. Soon they will need to be transplanted to larger pots in preparation for being planted outside in May.
Aren't they cute? The promise of delicious things to come!
We are now open for applications for new customers for the 2012 season! All of our current Farm information can be found right here.
Our current brochure with the handy guide ‘Is CSA for me?’
A comprehensive list of all the different vegetables we’re growing this year.
And a form you can print, fill out, and mail in if you’d like to join us for the season.
If you have any other questions about the farm or the current season, feel free to email us at crazydaisycsa@gmail.com
Yes, the name is misleading, it’s not a traditional Manchu recipe or anything. It’s just something I was inspired to make after reading Empress Orchid, an account of the last Empresses of China.
It’s a simple classic meal that is perfect for a cold winter evening.
This makes a very large batch, the recipe can easily be cut in half.
Ingredients:
1 package beef stew meat
1 small head bok choi, peeled apart, washed carefully, and chopped (separate the leaves from the stems-they’re cooked separately)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed, stems discarded, leaves chopped
1 package baby bella mushrooms, washed and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1-2 jalapeno peppers (to taste) chopped
8 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large stockpot, add the stew meat and cook until browned. Add the bell and jalapeno peppers, and the onion and cook until slightly softened. Add the bok choi (stems only) and the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have released some of their liquid and are softened. Add the bok choi leaves and the cilantro, cover and cook for a few minutes until the leaves are wilted. Add the beef broth and simmer for a few minutes until the veggies are ready.
The jalapeno and the cilantro add the flavor to this soup, but I sometimes add a dash of soul seasoning mix.
There are just 2 weeks left for previous years customers to sign up before we open it up to new members. And you know what that means? Spring is coming!
Soon we will begin starting seeds indoors and planning the layout for this years garden. We are eagerly anticipating the growing season and a new year of fresh salads, soups, sautes and grills.
If you are a returning customer and didn’t get a preview flyer, please email me and I’ll get one out to you right away.
I haven’t had a chance to try it but I’m intrigued. Thought some of you may be interested as well.
Angry Chicken’s homemade deodorant recipe.
Honeyrockdawn.com has a variation that is a little firmer and can be used as a stick.
It certainly has been an interesting winter so far. From 5o degrees yesterday to 20 and windy today. Strange, strange! We’ve yet to see how it will end, but we’re planning for all possibilities. The seed order for 2012 is all in. So I’ve uploaded the 2012 Vegetable List.
Among other things, we’re adding gold beets, a new variety of red cherry tomatoes, and an extra early salad tomato to the roster.
Check it out!
I don’t know about you but the warm temperatures have me dreaming of spring. And planning for it! I’m busy scouring the seed catalogs. Doing price comparisons and deciding what varieties have been performing well and which new ones to try.
Right now I’m looking at beets and considering adding golden colored beets to our assortment. They’re supposedly very tasty and they don’t bleed their color like red beets do. If we do add them, this season, it will be a smallish amount so we can see how they taste and if you all like them before taking up more space in the garden with them.
I like this part of the season, it’s full of ideas, and plans, and figuring out the best way to implement them.
Signs of spring are flying through the mail, before winter has even started!
Got our first seed catalog today… let the planning begin!