Tom has been working on building our new potting bench in his garage for quite some time. I gave him a rough sketch and some measurements, and he created just what we asked for and needed.
Friday was the day to move it over to the farm, finish assembling it, and put it to work! It’s a beauty, and Wendi was the first to try it out. She said it was GREAT! We appreciate all that you do for us Tom.
On Tuesday, a team from Blue Marble Geographics came to volunteer. They helped us finish planting some Swiss chard and then moved into the greenhouse to learn how to make soil blocks and plant more seeds–mostly eggplant (4 varieties) and peppers. Sweet Carmen is our favorite pepper, but we also started lots of hot peppers, including a new one for us–carrot bomb!
Wednesday was not the warmest of days, so the farm skills team learned how to make paper pots and why we use them. Then lots more seedling transplanting and seed starting happened so we could stay in the “warm” greenhouse.
Carolyn was eager to check out the rhubarb patch, so Tina and Peggy bundled up and went with her to clean it up a bit. That soil is some of the best we have on the farm–nice and loose and loamy, full of organic matter. See, the goats do contribute more than just their charming personalities!
On Thursday we sowed carrots, pruned the hedgerow, and started more winter squash seedlings with Peggy, Arlene, and Lisa. A quick peek in the tunnel revealed that the peas planted last month are really doing their thing!
Friday we had Tom arriving with the bench, the Fixers working on their to-do list, and an entire plot of Ailsa Craig onions to plant. The onions come through a donation from the Harvest to Hunger program and our friend, Lynne Holland at the UMaine Extension office in Lisbon Falls.
The team interplanted over 2,000 onions with 360 lettuce seedlings. Luckily we had Zoey who was supervising the operation. We now have 8 out of 36 plots planted. Sounds daunting? Well, it’s still April, and our volunteers always step up when we need them, and boy do we need them.
Saturday was another “put your hat and coat on, take them off, put them back on” day. Our weather outlook is for cooler than normal temperatures into May. Now, when volunteers arrive, I ask them if they want an inside or outside project–luckily we have both.
Our Saturday Farm Skills team repeated some of what was demonstrated with the Wednesday team–making paper pots and transplanting seedlings. Then we moved outside to finish what the morning volunteers had started–planting our 4 varieties of kale (yes, I hear the groans coming from my family!). We talked about how to plant intensively, soil health, using mulches, what kinds and why. Transplant shock, soil blocks and watering in with fish emulsion were also discussed. Finally we put on the row covers and discussed the different weights of covers and when to seasonally use the different weights.
I am proud to announce that in our pop round robin quiz at lunch, everyone was able to repeat something they had learned, including my buddy Genevieve who told me she learned she was tall enough to stand on the step stool to patch the tears in the doors of tunnel #3. Thanks pal.
I’m going to end this week with a teaser and some more photos of our daffodils putting smiles on volunteer faces.
The teaser is: Greta and her Sugar Kelp! Just like Ted Lasso, you will have to wait until next week’s farm report!
Thanks to everyone for coming bundled up and ready to help.
Always grateful,
Theda