Seedlings Are Growing Up
I’m still sweating it up in the greenhouse. Potting up thousands of tiny seedlings into fiber pots takes a lot time. But it’s so rewarding to see how the seedling quickly gets comfortable in its new home. There’s more space…
Summer Plants Are Coming
Sprouts of summer crops are starting to fill the greenhouse. The various basils are teeny tiny. I’m still waiting for crops like cucumbers and summer squash to germination. While the eggplants and peppers are starting to grow their first true…
Spring Greens
Things are heating up in the greenhouse. With the return of the sun, seedlings have been growing much faster than the previous grey rainy weeks. I have been busy potting up 6-packs full of lush spring crops that are begging…
Climate Smart Agriculture
This week I had the chance to attend the California Climate and Agriculture Summit. The day was filled with farmers, scientist, and policy folks. The various workshops and panels dealt with the effects of climate change and strategies to improve…
Potting Up
This past week I’ve been busy working on my taxes, the stormy wet days are perfect for hacking away at paperwork. But there has been a break in the rain and the sun shining. Even though the soil is soaked,…
Sprouts and Germination
The greenhouse is coming to life, sprouts are popping up everywhere I look. No matter how many years you’ve farmed or how many seedling trays you’ve filled its alway a relief to see that your seeds have germinated. Some seeds…
Lots of Seeds
This week I began working in the greenhouse. To start the season, I picked up a truck load of seed starter mix. After dusting off the growing trays and wiping the cobwebs off of my various greenhouse supplies I was…
Planning Out the Season
This time of year is all about crop planning. I start by determining how many pounds per week I would like to harvest of each crop. From there I can determine exactly how many seeds I will need for each…
Farms Speeding By My Window
Last week I returned from a cross country train trip. My husband and I hopped on the California Zephyr train in Davis and rode for three days to Chicago. Then switch over to the Capitol Limited train which took a day…
End of the Season
Except for bagging up popcorn, I have not been doing much farm work. This time of year the labor does not involve heavy lifting. It’s the end of the year and I’m spending time reflecting on this growing season. Thinking…
Getting Gifts Together
It is the gift giving time of year. I’ve been busy making most of my holiday gifts. It can be tough to figure out what to give friends and family but I have always found handcrafted items bring a smile…
Cleaning Up For the Season
After a bit of a dry spell, the rains are back. In December this hauls any fieldwork and sends this farmer inside to stay dry. But there is plenty of farm work to do like organizing everything in the barn,…