I have talked about our late season carrots for months, and Monday we harvested them. 55 pounds of tasty sweet Napoli carrots, pulled right out of the soil, washed, taste-tested, and delivered to MCHPP. These carrots were an experiment for us, and the idea came from a visit in 2018 to Eliot Coleman’s Four Season Farm up in Harborside, Maine.
You see, John, Patty, and I, were invited for a tour of this incredible organic farm by Hannah, a friend from New Zealand, who was doing an apprenticeship there. Being the vibrant being that she is, she scored us an invitation for a crew lunch date as well. Eliot Coleman is famous for a lot of things, but the one that always stands out for me is his ability to extend the harvest season here in Maine. He talks a lot about the extraordinarily tasty carrot crop he sows in late July and harvests into Winter. At lunch, on the table in their kitchen, was a bowl of these super sweet baby carrots for us all to enjoy. Nirvana for me.
So now you know a bit of the back story. On August 23rd, Hannah, Sorrel, and Silvo used our Earthway seeder to plant 2 beds of carrot seeds (about 400 feet). This was about a month behind what Coleman recommends. This is why we went with Napoli with a shorter harvest date.
These carrots happened to be planted in a couple of what became ”the weediest beds of the season” and during the peak of the drought! We put several volunteer “groups” on weeding and thinning these beds in the next couple of months. We did not have a lot of confidence in the outcome, but I would always explain that these were our “winter” carrots. (I get away with a lot!)
I had planned on moving a grow tunnel over them this fall, but due to circumstances beyond my control, this was not an option. Instead they got a floating row cover, and this proved to be enough protection.
I watched the weather so we would still be able to harvest before the real deep freeze set in, and this seemed the perfect week. A bonus was also being able to harvest lettuce, parsley, and spinach. Our friends Deirdra and Terry have been gracious enough to continue to glean in these colder temperatures. And this week we had a new volunteer gleaner, Marina, join them. After the carrots got pulled, I sent them out to our never ending harvest of spinach in tunnel 3. I went to join them and give moral support. There was actually a lot to harvest, and Deirdra asked me what she had done to deserve the pleasure of crawling on the ground each time she came to volunteer. I think it’s just your good karma, Deirdra! 🙂
I know that’s a lot of carrot talk, but it is December.
Another positive activity at the farm this week was a visit from Jason Lilley, UMaine Assistant Extension Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, to consult about building soil health.
Carrie and I had lots of questions, and I mean a lot of questions. Jason was so helpful in talking about our soil conditions, our above normal pH, and our above-optimum phosphorus levels. Jason gave us clues on how to read our soil tests in a more meaningful way. This was perfect timing for us before we put in our fertilizer/compost order for 2023. Because of the high pH levels, we will not be putting compost on our beds this year. Instead we will utilize more leaves, straw, lasagna layering, and cover crops for soil protection. We will also be looking for a fertilizer blend with little or no phosphorus. There was a lot more information that was shared, but I don’t want to bore everyone with nerdy farm talk!
So even though we are officially finished for the 2022 growing season, the work continues. Next on the agenda is doing a seed inventory and ordering our seeds for 2023.
I hope everyone has a healthy, happy holiday. See you in the new year!
Always grateful,
Theda