After these last spring snows, we are well and truly on the path toward warmer days. The daffodils are shooting up, and the sounds of birdsongs fill our mornings. We started opening up our volunteer calendar the first week of April and have been delighted to see so many new and returning volunteers already! It’s been amazing to see how much we can accomplish with the help of our community. Our volunteers have already:

  • Tarped at least seven plots to terminate (kill off) the cover crop that was planted in the fall to protect and nourish the soil;
  • Started trays and trays of seeds that are germinating in the seedling trailer;
  • Designed and started building a cold frame prototype to help with hardening off our seedlings;
  • Reshaped, fertilized, and broadforked several plots to get them ready for the first transplantings that will be happening toward the end of April;
  • Thinned the salad turnips and radishes several times;
  • Weeded and weeded and weeded some more;
  • Pruned one of the hedgerows with the guidance of Carrie, the prior farm manager, and her darling toddler; and
  • Pruned the elderberries under the expert guidance of Abbie Sewall.

Phew, that’s a lot!! Thank you all for your hard work and excellent company.

In addition to more weeding, tarping, and bed prep (fertilizing and broadforking), we are looking forward to our first transplantings of head lettuce, onions, and cabbages in the next few weeks! We will also be welcoming our first student groups on the farm this month and getting the final word about funding for our 2025 interns! We still have plenty of room for more student (and adult!) groups, so please still reach out if you’d like to bring your group to farm with us this season.

We have a few items on our wish list. If you have any of these items to donate, please let us know!

  • 4-8 x sturdy loppers for perennial pruning
  • 2 x 3” stirrup hoes (also sometimes called hula, scuffle, or action hoes)
  • 2 x hand hoes, Japanese style
  • Small outdoor table that we can use as a dishwashing counter

We’re looking forward to seeing you all at the farm! Stay tuned for upcoming workshops and mark your calendars for our Open Farm day on May 17th!

With care,
Lindsay Wasko
Farm Director