I am happy to report we started planting food for our 2020 season. On Saturday, we had five, eager-to-get-their-hands-back-into-the-soil volunteers.

160 lettuce seedlings planted on Saturday

Over 160 lettuce seedlings were planted in the Rimmel, which equates to a bed and a half. We have a total of four beds in that greenhouse. The volunteers planted the varieties with different harvest dates to create a steady supply. We plan to continue the Saturday lettuce plantings for the next couple of weeks, and radishes will be sown between the rows of lettuces. Radishes have such a quick maturity date of 25-30 days and we will be able to harvest them alongside the lettuce.

Our new tilther will be a great help in moving towards low-till/no-till farming

To accomplish our farm goal of moving towards low-till/no-till, we used our tilther for the first time in bed preparation. It worked great and was easy to use. I can see this machine will soon become our go-to tool. It will allow us to harvest and plant in a bed on the same day. Because it is lightweight and easy to maneuver, it is the perfect machine for all the women on our team. Check out the tilther in action here.

The daffodils are emerging and the perennials are strong

All the snow and ice have disappeared here at the farm.  The hundreds of daffodils we planted last fall are beginning to emerge. What a much-needed burst of color to look forward to and share. In walking around the farm, all our perennials seem to have made it through the mild winter. This is so different from last year when mature and established plants were just gone!

Rhubarb will be ready to be divided in two weeks

Our rhubarb is making an appearance through the leaf debris. A gentle reminder to those of you who mentioned you had some to share, another two weeks and it will probably be ready to divide.

It is pruning season

This year the blueberries got some TLC with a light pruning and balanced fertilizer. The Maine Cooperative Extension Service has great how-to videos on pruning and fertilizing Maine fruit trees and bushes.

 

Thanks to all who came this week.